Tightening the belts for unpaid leave

[Deleted User]

Was a NSD yesterday other than milk.  Hopefully the same today.  At home with DC2 as DC1 in nursery.  Tonight is vegan nut burgers, baps and root veg chips from freezer.  I'm not a vegan but some of the stuff is lovely!

Still nothing from bank - arghhhhh. 

[Deleted User]

Another NSD today.  Tomorrow won't be however as is "big shop" day

An estate agent has been appointed by bank but estate agent has approached us and said they've been instructed and has basically said we will be first through the door!  So we are just waiting now for them to get the key and then we will have a look inside and, presuming all ok, make an offer there and then!  We keep telling ourselves "location, privacy" - those are the things that we keep coming back to time and time again when we have viewed houses and this has both of those.

savingholmes

Hope the viewing goes well.

[Deleted User]

Ended the month with £111.03 left in spending budget, not quite sure how but glad because I actually need that to pay off towards the tax I had to pay and also the miscalculation on the credit card account!  So, I won't be able to save anything this month unless I underspend on the spending budget so will try my best there.  

We've still not managed to view the property - the bank are getting 2 valuations which were done this week so once they've decided on price we should, fingers crossed, be first through door.  1st agent said its actually not in that bad condition so we might be ok with just ripping out carpets short term, fumigating (the lady had lots of dogs apparently!) and painting white and just putting cheap stock/off cut carpets down for now.  We just want to make it liveable as reckon it will take a year, if not a year and a half to get plans done, approved, tenders, then contractors on board.  We will have to move out for a year but DC1's nursery fees will go down by then and I'll be back at work so we would just have enough money to do this if we lived frugally for that year with no holidays, very limited eating out etc.  And that is something we'd be willing to do for a year.

No news on the sale of london property - I know all of the questionnaires have been sent to the buyer's sols, so it's down to them to come back now.  Hoping they don't raise too many queries and it just goes smoothly.  We (thankfully) don't think we need the money from that to buy this property, but we will need some of it, probably, for renovations, but that will be a year to a year and a half away so as long as it's sold by then and if not, we will just have to wait.  Just really want to buy somewhere though because at least we would be paying down our mortgage rather than wasting as we are at present on rent.  And we want to put roots down for our DC.  We have found a really good tracker rate of 0.94% (need to clarify but think it's 0.94% all in rather than 0.94% above base) which is for 2 years.  I was tempted to do a 5 year fix at 1.44% but DH thinks we should go for 2 year tracker, not least because it lowers the monthly repayments until I am back at work and until DC1's nursery costs decrease.  Presuming we complete end March that means it will probably run out in May 2023 and DC1 starts school Sept 2023 so we would have no nursery costs for him by then (and I am looking to change my hours from then to do term time only school hours only but work one longer day in the week and DH finish early to pick kids up so we don't drop much in terms of salary) so even if interest rates have risen by then (I appreciate on tracker they could rise prior to then but given current state of economy it's not likely I don't think, or at least won't rise to unmanageable) we would be able to cover a higher mortgage.

Sorry, I am rambling on now.  I am obviously massively speculating about the whole thing and there is just no certainty with any of it!!!  I am driving myself (and probs you lot) insane with it all!!!  I need a dunk in a cold lake!!!

[Deleted User]

Arggggghhhhh, house is going to sealed bids on Monday!  We've seen the property twice and it does need LOADS of work BUT has huge potential.  So this weekend we are working out our costings and what we would be comfortable with offering in view of the works required.  Then we will put in our best bid.  But we are taking the view that we are not going to give ourselves sleepless nights with offering more than we can afford.  So if we don't get it, then there will be another house and it wasn't meant to be.  There's stretching yourself and there's being stupid.  

Got paid Weds so a new month's spending budget.  So far have spent (out of "my" money as DH pays half) - milk on weds (1.23), apple icloud storage subscription (0.79), last night's dinner from supermarket (plus more milk and we needed lurpack and I may have put 2 bags of chocolate in there too - but they were only £1 each!) (8.41).  We go through an awful lot of milk in this house - I have SO much coffee, DH drowns his cereal every morning and DC1 has it on cereal every morning and 2-3 cups a day as he loves it and asks for it.  Going to do shopping list in a minute and weekly shop this afternoon though we already do have a couple of meals in freezer for next week so fingers crossed can keep it relatively cheap (and we are good for things which normally push the bill up like kitchen roll, dishwasher tabs, condiments etc!).

Chased the sols re london property - they've not heard from purchaser yet but she is going to see the property tomorrow as she's only seen it on a video call before (she is an investor and already has a house on that street) - just hoping she doesn't pull out but guess I'll know by Monday which will also help with informing where we are with the house we want to buy.  The sols have chased her sols.

[Deleted User]

So, after much discussion, we decided that the property was just too much for us in terms of the uncertainty of cost.  So we put a bid in anyway on the basis of what we would be comfortable going to, but worked on basis that we weren't prepared to secure it at all cost.  We weren't successful and, as we are not that bothered about that, we think it must be the right decision.  So the search continues.

I'm far too ashamed to post what we have spent on food.  It's ridiculous.  But I think it should last us almost 3 weeks (bar top ups of milk/bread/poss chocolate) if we are being judicious.  And we've done a big meal plan which covered this week and next and then should have enough left over for a third week.  Only have just over half a month's budget left to do me up to and including the 19th but given we have so much food now, am hoping that there will be very little further spending required.

Sols have been chased but am not hopeful it will go through.  Feel like I've massively let my family down - there was no need to sell our perfectly lovely house - when will I learn not to have aspirations above my station?!

astrocytic_kitten

You did the best you could at the time especially after losing out on places, nobody could have predicted the past year - I know a few people who did something similar and sold then rent because places were selling so fast, you’ve just had really unlucky timing. I always think of house hunting as like dating - you spend ages thinking it will never happen and then all of a sudden someone pops up and it feels like that was the way it was meant to happen all along and you’re so glad none of the others worked out. Will be keeping everything crossed that happens for you!

[Deleted User]

Ha ha, @astrocytic_kitten, that's exactly what a very dear friend said to me - she said I always thought I'd never meet a man or have kids and then I met an amazing one and now have 2 DC!  

Yesterday was a NSD which is good.  Today is but sort of not as we are now having milk and eggs delivered but don't have to pay until the end of the month.  It's more expensive to get milk etc this way but at least means we will limit having to go out and will only need to go out to get bread (we don't have a very big freezer and as we are renting we can't get another as no room) and, given we go through so much, it would otherwise mean DH going out every couple of days.

So all very boring.  So glad it is almost weekend and then not having to cope with DC on own whilst DH WFH.  

[Deleted User]

Had to get DC2 some more nappies so ordered those - £21.92/2 but should last a good while.  Ordered myself a book - Alan Carr's How to Stop Worrying!  £4.49.  Then needed some medication so that was £8.09/2.  Not too too bad on the spending front.  Obv the milk deliveries will continue to add up but it has meant we have not needed to go to a shop all week.  DH planning to make some bread this morning as we have pretty much run out.  So that is something we will eventually need to get.

Had a virtual vino session with our friends last night.  Was dreading it but we were actually chatting for 3 hours in the end and it was good fun, if a little disjointed.  However, we both feel a little rubbish today after drinking way too much!!

Lunch is (I think) sandwiches from the sandwich meats in the fridge (and presuming DH makes bread) and dinner is sausage pasta with tomato and chilli sauce with parmesan - also from stores.  DH is possibly going to make some apple and blackberry pies from the compote we have in the freezer (which he made last year from the harvest from our old house) and pastry we also have in the freezer as we had a cream delivered last week which needs to be used by Tuesday.

peb

Bear in mind that if you had gone for the repossession the bank will continue to accept offers until exchange, not ideal for your circumstances.

We've been telling people for a couple of weeks it's highly unlikely that any new matters will complete before the end of March.