Moving forward and upwards

MovingForwards

I popped out to see how the secret garden is looking, OH has nearly finished it all! 

He found an empty builders sack, you know the huge ones when you bulk buy pebbles / slate for a big area in the garden. That's now compost bin one.

The space for my greenhouse looks good and I have a section for flowers next to it.

A temporary fire has been put together with some of the spare bricks. If that works ok, the proper one will be made. It's going to be a fire / BBQ so I can sit outside all year round.

Some wood we thought was fixed in place, wasn't. That's now being repurposed to do the shared path (between mine and the neighbour, not the communal one), along with a load of other bits discovered in the garden. Only need slabs for the walkway, but will see how many can be salvaged from what's down already. Could always make a crazy paving / broken slab path to really keep costs down 🤨

Today, I could see it all coming together. 

savingwannabe

Fantastic progress. My goodness you and OH are superman and superwoman!!! V inspiring. 

MovingForwards

It's my OH who has got stuck in, he wants me to have an outside space to enjoy 🤗

We all inspire each other, giving encouragement and provide support. All of us will get through this together.

Skint_yet_Again

Sounds like the garden is really coming on MF. It’s great if you can repurpose the wood & slabs. Recycling and saving money 🤗

MovingForwards

Have to try and save where possible as some bits will cost a bit, even shopping around / bulk buying. 

I've got so lucky with the amount of things found within the garden that can be reused, plus the work gone into it at some point over the years provided a good foundation / starting point.

Once it's done, there not really an ongoing expense.

savingholmes

I think as long as you don't go mad (and you aren't) money on the garden is well spent. It will give you hours of pleasure.

MovingForwards

I've doubled my budget as I don't want to do a half-baked job in my own garden and it's nice to use the dregs of the PPI, plus a bit of 'new' money, on something I will get years of pleasure from.

My over all maximum budget of £1k to do the gardens, due to the trees being felled (£380), needing tools (£50), wanting seating (£ TBC), 
-- Compost / manure for the growing section and aggregate for the communal path (£300).
-- I'm saving money by reusing / repurposing 'finds'. I've definitely got enough 'finds' to do the shared path. The 'finds' are loads of slabs, wood, broken bricks etc.

The shared path is higher than my growing section.
-- There needs to be some shoring put in by my garden to stop the path sliding into it, as it already has in places. Back fill and broken bricks / hardcore into the soil to stabilise it again, before the slabs / crazy paving goes back on top of it all.
-- again, don't want a half-baked job done as it means having to keep redoing it

My lender called me today, to say hello, go through the payments, check if I had any queries and to reassure me they are around if I have any concerns or need anything during this time or the future if my circumstances change.
-- I thought that was so nice and a coincidence as I was looking on their site as they called me! Anyhow, I have their bank details to make overpayments and have set them up as a payee with my bank.

I'm torn between making the just over £23 overpayment to:
- bump it up to an even £_50 or
- make £50 O/P
I can't risk £100 or the just over £123 to make it a clean and tidy O/P at the moment while I'm sorting the garden, bits inside my home and saving. 

I've a few days to think about it.
 
I did some unpacking lunchtime and after work, plus I've had the last of my stuff dropped off; only the charity stuff to come in now 🙈

After work I did a bit of sweeping / tidying; so many pine needle things from the trees!

My herb gardens have had some old soil removed, compost added and mixed in. No doubt things were done while I was working, I haven't spotted what yet, but both gardens look different from yesterday.

I've had bacon, eggs and tatty scones for tea. Now it's feet up and TV.

Tomorrow the kitchen shelves are going up. The afternoon I'm listing some things for sale / free, bit more unpacking, then pottering in the garden.

Have a good evening!

MovingForwards

I've made a decision to start up a diary just to cover my mortgage overpayments:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6145298/the-trilogy#latest

I'm not expecting anyone to follow that one, I just wanted some way of tracking how much I'm paying off.

Don't think I'm leaving this diary and all of you as I'm not, I'm very comfortable here and happy chatting away 🤗 I've so many plans for my home / garden / savings and feel like I'm firmly planted here!

savingholmes

I think I would be tempted to build up your EF rather than over-pay right now but your call. If you can do both - great.

MovingForwards

Thank you SH, I should have been a bit clearer as I've not really discussed money in depth for a while! 

Savings are my priority, I've different pots going on and have planned the minimum amount I will put in each, details lifted from my spreadsheet:

-- communal repairs £150
Regular saver, interest paid, max I can put in is £250pm for a year, then I will need a new one.

-- EF £100
Savings account, interest paid, no restrictions.

-- Car / home insurance £100
Current account, small interest paid.

-- interior / garden £30
Current account, no interest paid.

-- spares £20
ISA, very low interest, will find a better one next tax year.

-- Mortgage Overpayment £23.74

Minimum I've decided to pay each month. Sub-prime lender, over 5% interest.

-- pension cash one £25 
PBs so if I win, that's the interest rate

-- pension cash two £20
S&S ISA, various 'funds' I can buy

Work is DB pension and comes out my wages, plus I've the other four pension pots. 
-- not doing anything about 'proper' pensions until I've built up savings pots this year, possibly not next year if things haven't settled.

If I stay with my employer until retirement, technically I can move around departments and not be in my current role for life, the DB pension, state pension, four pension pots will be more than enough for a retirement income and to keep saving while retired.

My current living expenditure (mortgage / bills / food / petrol etc, no savings) is just under £700pm, when I'm back in the office that will go up to just over £900pm due to commute costs.

If I have spare money throughout the month, I do a bit of a split between the actual savings pots eg £5 sees £1 go in each of the five pots.

I'm still saving everything 99p and under, majority goes into EF eg 90p sees 50p into EF and 10p into each of the other four.

The reason I'm rushing to get the garden done, and a few bits inside, is while I'm not in the office is it's coming from the commute costs I'm not currently paying out 🤭 and OH contributions 🤫, but putting it on my CC then payday /OH contributions clear it.