Future Me & the Rabbit Hutch House

South_coast

Ah, that's fair enough on the tyre costs then. I do a bit over 20k miles a year (normally) and needed 2 tyres on the 19k service and then 4 on the 37k one the year after, so I guess they do add up (my servicing and tyres etc are included as part of my package, so I don't notice the cost but it's not in their interest to recommend they're changed until they're at the limit!)

And it would be great to turf BF out, but it's usually the other way round - he can't cope with the fact I don't have Sky, so I always go there! The fringe benefit is that it's closer to work so I save on petrol 😀

I was very shy about commenting on other peoples' diaries at first too. We'd love it if you do - but we won't hold it against you if you don't either 😀

sofarbehind

I loved reading this. Lots of smiles as I feel exactly the same - right down to the indoor jungle  I am going to follow your journey with interest. I am two years further down the line than you are but started out with a very similar income and mortgage.

I think you are being very hard on yourself, you have achieved amazing things during the painfully expensive first year of solo ownership. You have a great level of savings and you have managed a decent overpayment, you should be so proud of that. It gets easier once the emergency fund is sorted - that has taken me a long time and it's so much easier now it's in the bag. I was only able to do this by accepting that it will take me longer to upgrade my house - I still have a tatty old bathroom and a kitchen that has a strong 90s vibe. I can live with them. the heating I sorted out after a year because being cold is miserable. The lounge and bedroom are lovely spaces. I've just accepted it's going to take time and my priorities are a bit different. I wanted that emergency fund! I'm now slowly saving to sort out the kitchen and bathroom - I'll do a basic tarting up when I can, then upgrade fully when I owe less money on the mortgage. It's a choice and you can decide whatever is right for you - I'd do the heating if I were you and forget the rest for a while but there is no 'right' answer - just do what you can to make some of the space a lovely nest, I've found plants really help.

I think ultimately trying to earn a bit more is the real answer. I'm in the same place as you with that and decided to invest a lot of savings into boosting my qualifications. Ouch £££, but it's an investment in myself and I'm really glad now that it is almost paid for.  Hopefully in the long term it will pay off - these things are also a marathon long term project. It's a gamble but I think trying to boost my career is better than a new kitchen. Just a choice I made and again no 'right' answer, just something to think about. You are at the toughest point right now - slogging away saving without feeling like you are getting the solid results, i.e. a comforting reduction in the mortgage. That is coming, I'm only just getting to see the green shoots of that after three years...it's starting to feel possible. Hang in there because you will be there soon enough.  Keep up the diary because I'm looking forward to reading about your progress.

Peaches113

Thanks for the thoughts @South_coast. Your comment did prompt me to check my service agreement and tyres aren't included booo. Guess that pot will need to stay. I've caught up with your diary although must admit being not mathematically minded your current plans have melted my tiny brain!
@sofarbehind You're completely right on the house renovations, I have done a bit since I moved in, discovered I despise painting but done it non the less. I've managed to tart up the tired old kitchen with some cabinet paint and sticky back plastic and its really just the carpeted bathroom with avocado suite that's next on my hit list. I've fallen in love with the idea of a roll top bath but need to really think on this as fear it may just be too much Instagram swooning. Does a rabbit hutch really *Need* a roll top bath? hmmm probably not...
So an update, not because much exciting has happened but more to get into the habit. Have spent far to long reading many many more MFW diaries, so much so that a) have aggravated my sciatica from sitting for so long ( ) and b) for the past two days have found that am 'thinking' in diary prose. Does this happen to anyone else who binge reads? thoughts are running through my head as if I were entering them on here and it's quite infuriating, especially when trying to go to sleep! I think maybe I'm just slightly strange...
So in MFW news have managed to focus my budget and have 'found' £25 which has been overpaid to the mortgage, just waiting for payday to make any reasonable OP's. Why oh why is there so much month between paydays . But am very grateful to still have FT work so need to give my head a wobble. Have also signed up for the MFW yearly target thread so am aiming for £3,000 in OPs, should be doable providing the world starts to right itself and I remain in employment.
Have also been having a look at pension contributions and despite my tight budget am going to increase my work contributions by another 1%. The company I work for matches contributions up to 10% so makes sense to try and make the most of it, although I'm a way off hitting that 10%. Have also searched out old pension funds so I at least know where they are now (despite the fact they have a measly amount in them ) 
Still waiting to hear on the elusive yearly bonus, in 'normal' circumstances would know what I am getting by now and would be gleefully ticking off the days till payday. Not knowing what we are getting or when it might get paid is frustrating. I want it so I can make some nice lump sums into mortgage and savings! Oh what a changed character I am, in years gone by I would have racked up credit cards through the course of the year which I would then pay off with the bonus. To think back on how much I could have currently had if only I had not been such a financial disaster, future self is very disappointed in past self's lack of foresight. But, bright side, I would have spent that money without those bonuses so must be grateful that I'm not saddled with thousands of CC debt. Lamenting on previous poor decisions is a theme I see quite often on these boards and I have to accept it and move on, nothing I can do about it now. Only course of action is to make better decisions moving forwards.
In non MSE news I had made an online purchase for plants (before renewed MF focus). The company had emailed to say one of the plants was out of stock and did I want to wait for a restock or a refund. On reflection I decided that the plant was in fact too big for the rabbit hutch so took the refund, which was processed very swiftly. Welllll, received the delivery and they sent the giant plant too! So received 5x plants plus free delivery for the very handsome figure of £15! Feel a bit guilty, and thinking maybe I should return the big plant? What do you think, people in my computer? 'Fess up and return the plant or keep and love plant all the more because it was free? 

frankersBri

Good luck with your journey! I really enjoyed reading your diary; I feel a lot of paralells with being a solo homeowner, a semi-recent obsession with all things green and an avid fan of YNAB for financial planning. You've made a great start, well done and I hope you manage to keep it up and hit your goals

Mortgagefreegonnabe

Hello,
I've really enjoyed reading your diary and will try to work out how to subscribe. I just wanted to add the thought I had which is that I kindof consider our overpayments as a savings fund as well because if the worst happened and we had no income we could always pause or reduce our payments based on the amount we've overpayed so that could also be a worst case scenario fund if you see what I mean? 
Good luck for the drawing side hustle, what type of drawing do you do? I'm always on the lookout for original present ideas x

South_coast

KEEP THE PLANT 😀! I've got a feeling that even if you contact them they'll say to keep it as they won't want to come all the way back to pick it up (not really something you can parcel up and post back to them). If they get in touch just tell them it's died 😂

I'm exactly the same with the thinking about diary wording - have had to catch myself a couple of times before I refer to my boyfriend as BF to real-life people and use his actual name instead 😂

Great news on the OP 😀

Peaches113

Thanks @frankersBri and @Mortgagefreegonnabe Yeh to be honest I have thought the same, if dire straits then could use overpayments for a payment holiday. I suppose I should stop whittling so much about being homeless and destitute! I suppose in a way its a 'nice' thing to worry about. Now now bare with me on this... Worrying whether your EF fund is high enough or your OPs are big enough is much nicer than worrying how you're gunna feed yourself or whether that bill is going to bounce out of your account. It's all relative I suppose and I should practise being grateful for what I do have, rather than allowing myself to be negative for what I don't (i.e. £1,000 a month to OP ) 
And side hustle is going exceedingly slowly, I've only done a few pet commissions for family and friends so not going to set the world on fire. Now just to conjure up the motivation to practise...

Peaches113

South_coast said:

I'm exactly the same with the thinking about diary wording - have had to catch myself a couple of times before I refer to my boyfriend as BF to real-life people and use his actual name instead 😂

Haha glad it's not just me! Slightly worried I was going quarantine/ MSE mad :l:lol:

Mortgagefreegonnabe

@peaches113 Well good luck and if you ever get a website or an instagram to sell let us know! 
I know what you mean about the worries about how much to OP etc. Definitely a lucky problem to have. I think that's why I think so much about OPs and throwing every penny at it because it cements the security which is pretty fragile. At least it feels like it does.
Good luck in your journey, I'll be tagging along x 

sofarbehind

Oh keep the plant! I've had the same thoughts about overpaying but it really is a nice dilemma to have. We can always ask for a mortgage holiday if needed, knowing we have already paid off extra.