Keep calm and carry on....

themadvix

I should have said, it used to be run as a B&B hence all the bathrooms... we're *not* running it as a B&B as I do not love cleaning (bathrooms or other rooms) - the holiday let (with another bathroom!) in the garden will be enough for me!

It's good to know that shutting them off can work Baileys Babe!

Baileys_Babe

I found it worked very well and saved me lots of work. I do not enjoy housework so anything that reduces the amount is a good thing.

greenbee

My parents briefly looked at a house with 5 bathrooms, and my mum said they'd have to take AT LEAST one of them out!

QueenJess

Yikes. Sorry to be *that* person, but I have 3 bathrooms (no idea why they thought our house needed 3) and since I consider life to be too short to clean bathrooms, I do have a cleaner to do it..

South_coast

I've always thought I would treat myself to a cleaner once the refurb is done - and I only have one bathroom!

killerpeaty

I will be getting a cleaner when I can afford it. Everyone has different preferences.

South_coast

Busy week 😓 Behind on my monthly updates!

Free money....

September's target was £71.14

£0.23 bank account interest
£1.86 bank account cashback
£2.00 Storewards
£2.50 cashed-in Nectar points
£4.05 cashed-in Boots points
£5.00 Online forum about savings*
£5.00 Shoppix
£5.00 Vypr
£5.00 i-Say
£10.00 Shop & Scan
£10.25 Panelbase 
£25.84 Prolific

Total £76.73

So just made it in the end, thanks to a £10 survey from the lovely Prolific (I take it all back, I still love you 😘!)

October's target: £69.27

* I feel like I'm really earning this now, as some of the people on there are properly starting to wind me up 🤣!

greenbee

Getting a cleaner is harder than you think - at least round here! Mine left for full-time employment 18 months ago, and everyone else has waiting lists. 

South_coast

Monthly goals....

South_coast said:

Money....
* Save up £4k to transfer into the LISA at the start of the new tax year - This will earn me the maximum bonus of £1k for The Future and the overall "money needed" figure - Achieved 🧚‍♀️
* Once I have the £4k ready, pile all money into the mortgage - Simples! - Achieved 🧚‍♀️
* No clothes purchases, except for work clothes, underwear and tights - I don't have loads of clothes, but I definitely have enough and they're all in decent enough condition. The exceptions are to a) make sure I look professional and b) ensure public decency, so are sensible enough omissions! - Nothing bought this month, but I might be retiring this one going forward, as I've suddenly realised how scruffy/not very stylish I look outside of work so think I may need some new clothes to try and smarten myself up a bit. I'm good for smart and casual, it's smart casual that I'm lacking 🤔 I have taken up ironing again as an interim measure 😱 But I do feel more put-together as a result! And I've even got rid of some old clothes....
* 1% of monthly salary to be donated to local homeless charity - Rolled over from 2020, as not yet a habit - Yep, done

2021, the year of health....
* Buy a 12-month prescription pre-payment certificate - I have been guilty of not using my inhalers at the prescribed dose to save on prescription charges in the past, so this feels sensible and grown-up. It will also save me money overall - Yep done. I'm not actually sure it is saving me money overall (maybe I need to find something else wrong with me 🤔?), but it's nice to not have to think about it
* Act promptly on health concerns - No more ignoring back/chest pain for two weeks and telling myself it's down to sleeping on a lumpy mattress (although this did at least prompt me to buy a loooovely mattress topper 🤣!) - Been dithering a bit on this this month, will make up my mind whether to contact the GP or not in October as not really a big concern
* Continue to minimise alcohol consumption - No explanation needed here, I think! - A little bit more this month, probably 3 bottles of wine in total. I'm OK with that, I think
* Avoid all processed sugar - I'm not going to refuse birthday cake if someone has taken the time to bake it, but I'm not going to go looking for it either. The same goes for biscuits, chocolate etc - I had an ice cream, plus a bite of Kinder Bueno which was thrust upon me and I didn't feel I could refuse (which I think might be the first bit of chocolate I've eaten this year 🤔)
* Take steps to minimise processed food - A bit tricky as I'm veggie (I do eat fish, but not at home - mostly to make it easier for other people catering for me), so I can't just base meals round a piece of meat, but some of the meat-alternative products don't feel very natural so I'm trying to cut those out as much as possible. Just need to make sure I leave myself something to eat! - Been out and about a bit more this month, so not so easy to avoid. I've had a pot noodle, a bag of crisps, 2 hash browns and a terribly disappointing pizza (from Waitrose 😱! I expected better!)
* Exercise outdoors once a week and indoors once a week - I know this will sound really lame to you fit lot, but I have to start somewhere and also try and keep it achievable - Doing well with this, I had a week off work and went out 6 times. I'm now up to 14 November on my exercise tracker, so well up to date. Pouring with rain today, so have declared it a rest day and am hoping tomorrow will be better! Indoor exercise retired during July 

An OK-ish month. B- I think

South_coast

First of the month round-round-up....

Movement during September 2021: £-364.22
Money needed as at 1 October 2021: £275,747.99

My first negative month! Slightly disappointing when I've been putting money in, but you can't win them all! Next month I start putting some proper money away towards the April LISA payment, so hopefully that will outweigh any losses and keep me in positive figures!