A Year in the Life of...

EssexHebridean

Well there's an exciting update then - great news! 

girlatplay

Hello

Looks like it has taken me over a month to catch up with everyone's diaries but in reality it's probably been about two weeks.  I didn't come on here for a while as I just didn't have the head space.  It's nice to be back though and I remember why I like coming on here so much.

We offered for a house on a Friday a few weeks back and our offer was accepted (4th property we offered for and the absolute top of our budget - ridiculous but unfortunately necessary).  Our flat went on the market late on the following Monday afternoon.  I couldn't start viewings until the Wednesday evening and by that point there were 4 booked in.  A further 3 booked in for the Thursday evening and on the Friday morning I got a very good offer.  I had 8 more viewings booked in over the next couple of days but the offer was so good I just had to take it.  Perhaps I could have got more but to me it wasn't worth the risk of losing it.  We are still waiting for our mortgage application to be approved and missives to be concluded for sale and purchase (Scotland) but we are hoping to have moved by this time next month.

On the Friday that I got my offer I wasn't feeling at all well.  It had been building for some time (past couple of years actually) but I had been ignoring it.  I struggled through the day and thought I'd feel better after a sleep.  On the Saturday morning I was worse and ended up in hospital that night.  Three lots of IV antibiotics 2/3 times a day and several bags of various fluids plus a camera where you don't want to think about, later and I was feeling very much better.  Got out the following Wednesday night.  Four weeks of oral antibiotics followed and I'm now pretty much back to my normal.  I have to ask for help before it gets to that point, if it happens again.  Lost loads of weight (I do not recommend it as a diet) so I'm struggling along trying to put that back on.  A half stone so far and although I am pleased with that I've still got a long way to go.

Life is boxes right now, packing boxes.  Feels like hundreds.  I'm doing a couple at a time as I don't want to run out of time.  LMG has packed one 🤣  She only has her bedroom to worry about.

I'm going to be a bit more active on here again.  When we do move I'll be looking at moving to MFW 😬  although I'll be looking to become mortgage neutral.

Well that's it really.  Enough from me for now anyway.

savingholmes

Exciting times. Thanks for updating.

Sounds scary. Definitely need to look after yourself better.

beanielou

Ooh it has all been happening.
Good & bad.
Please take lots of care of you xxx

girlatplay

Thank you @savingholmes and @beanielou

I have to get my head back in the finance game.  I'm back on surveys although it's only PA that I'm having any luck with.

We are moving to a different council district and I've had a letter from our current council advising that they owe me £133 so that's a nice little bonus.  I'll need to keep that aside as we are going up a band with the new property.  We've got no idea what the fuel bills will look like so I want to get a buffer in place.

We've been trying to be careful with the grocery budget but we've only got £51 left to last us to 30th June.  Not sure that's going to work.  LMG is on lates all this week and that's so much harder to prepare for.  We need to be extra careful once we move as money is going to be much tighter.  The budget will stay the same but there won't be much room for overspend.

All good though, can't complain.

EssexHebridean

Fantastic news about the househunting and selling - the market up there is really buoyant at the moment isn't it - one of my best pals put her place on the market a couple of weeks ago and it sold in days, to well over the "offers over" and to the first person who viewed it! Less fantastic about the hospital thing although I'm glad you are now on the mend. Definitely a lesson re taking note of the warning signs there though isn't it! 

I'm struggling with Prolific at the moment simply because of finding the time to check in there and see what's about - annoyingly it doesn't work for me from work these days. Pleased to hear you're doing OK with it though! 

girlatplay

Buoyant, yes.  AKA a bit mental.  Roughly 3-4 streets away from where we are they are asking for offers over what our flat was valued at, for the same type of flats.  It's a marginally nicer area.  Great time for sellers, not so great for purchasers.

You mentioned OnePoll the other day.  I still haven't had anything since I logged back in in January, after about 5 years, to 2330 points.  They even asked me to update my details yesterday and offered 10 points. Updated but haven't seen the points.  Swings and roundabouts.

EssexHebridean

Points don't seem to be updating until the following day on OnePoll these days - I suspect they've changed something in their system somewhere along the line. How infuriating being stuck so close to cashout though! 

girlatplay

Thanks EH.  I went to check my OP account and still no sign of points but then, I have to admit, I just looked at the profile questions again and it looks like I didn't submit so have done that now and will check again tomorrow for the points.  Oops.  Still not that much nearer to payout though.  I've not seen a single survey since I started looking again.  It is a bit infuriating.  Prolific, on the other hand, is throwing surveys at me!


Cashed out £5 on Prolif today and I'm already at another £5 ready but got £3 pending so might hold out for that before the next cash out.  Or I might not.  I'll see.

I was having a look at mail redirection.  It's about £80 for a year for us both.  We don't get much mail, most of our correspondence is online but I'm worried I'll miss something.  Is it enough to list everything (bank, Dr, insurance, etc), change those addresses then just set up a redirect for 6 months?  Surely as long as we cover all the important stuff it will be fine.

Met up with a friend last night for something to eat, just at a local bar.  We met at 5pm and I was home for 9pm but still managed to spend a lot more than planned.  It was out of personal spends budget so allowed for but leaves a bit less than expected for the rest of the month.

I ordered a new moisturiser and that arrived today.  I'm really excited to start using it.  The last one is nearly finished but still got a wee bit to go.  I don't like the smell of it but it was quite expensive so I don't want to just bin it.  Oh, actually, I burned my legs a bit in the sun a couple  weeks back and they could do with some moisturising.  I would not have used the whole tub on my legs, it was too dear for that, but I reckon there's probably about enough to do both legs on the front, maybe twice at a push.  That way it won't be right under my nose but it won't be completely wasted.  The new cream is a lot cheaper but well recommended.  Can't believe I'm so excited about a moisturiser.

Best get on with tea then more packing.

savingholmes

On the redirection - you can extend it later I believe - although it is probably cheaper to decide upfront if that's likely. I think you would have to be very organised to be sure you didn't need it. Insurance, pensions, banks, medical, work and then those people that contact you once a year at xmas.