Future Proofing my life: Deposit saving then MFW journey in under 13 years

Watty1

i found tracking my spending illuminating and scary!

beanielou

Hope the side hustle comes through. 

PennysIntoPounds

Hey LaPlan (if I may!), just caught up with your diary and followed, I'm most impressed with all the changes you've made in being more conscientious, and joining in with everyone cheering you on in getting your own home. While I'm galaxies away from you in terms of finances, I'm also hoping to have a home of my (our) own in London at some point in the *please not too distant* future and really feel your pain in how expensive everything is! I admire your can-do attitude and it is fantastic reading the diary of a woman who's doing it on her own (Although I've now given myself the earworm of 'Sisters are doing it for themselves' 😁)

LadyWithAPlan

Free money alert! 
Track extra income from ebay/free money/refunds etc  £145.17 Nov

£13.51 claimed from Green Jinn - had forgotten about £12.51 of it - changed phones and lost emails access etc to it 
so that’s going to house savings today .. 
will also do the £10 into £20 for nectar - and maybe a £20 to £40 - I don’t shop much there nowadays as switched to Lidl but at double points it will be cheaper I am sure  
This has gone into Prem Bonds £25 so saved a bit more from current acct


Flask of hot water again ..

I am back to boiling a full kettle first thing for my coffee  and adding the rest into a large flask to use as I go through the day. 

I bought an elec monitor last year and figured everytime I used my kettle it was about 5-6p depending on water content - I make coffee, tea and sip hot water throughout the day 
Not sure why I don’t do the flask thing in spring /summer but i guess it’s nice to have hot water on tap as it were and I am probably saving at least 30p a day if not 50p - 10 reheats  plus quicker  to add more hot water to my herbal tea etc . And having non at boiling water for my aeropress makes better tasting coffee so it’s a win win for time taste and money. 

Shopping £12.28
£158.23 /£150  grocery    + £9.65/100bulk 
Grocery spend as popped to huge SM after college
I still bought some junk... 
 £3.73 on cavolo nero and YS chcken breast, Alpr* soy DF cream
£8.6 on bulk - another Tesc* Clubc reduction on tamari, colmans mustard powder, rose harissa on Clubc disct

Non essential spending  £1165.65
Plus some Squashies - junk...£1.15 


£158.23 /£150  grocery    + £9.65/100bulk 
Track what I save in my hse deposit  Nov £910.32/902.21    +     SIPP  £462.10
Cashflow EF  £360/£2000
Track extra income from ebay/free money/refunds etc  £145.17


'How do you love the financial journey you are in right now? What does that look like?'
Was listening to a Ramit Sethi podcast and he asked this v intelligent question..
I have been thinking anyway that I am definitely not loving my life so much I am looking at this big purchase as this obstacle and I am worried it may delay my life choices and fun.. - I want to say massive purchase  - but my language does need a reframe.
A home will be a wonderful exciting  purchase full of possibility, stabillity and fun - as opposed to me only seeing it as a £300k debt around my neck.  No wonder I am dragging my feet on the actions I need to take and the income production I need to support this very positive dream.

There is this Buddhist principle of things/experiences - jobs, purchases, your life being of 'beauty, benefit and good'
So things can be beautiful, of great benefit for you and others, and good for you and others - and my new home will be all those things. So not so expensive it is stressful and not good, a place of joy and laughter and beautiful, and a benefit for friends and family and myself in the long term.


So I am planning to journal oon this how do I love my  financial journey, I appreciate my wonderful life but not fully on the journey, the battle, the winning. I feel I am neglecting a lot of actions I can take for money, creativity and joy so that I am looking at that.

Good Omens and Daisy Jones and The Six - wow!
I have aMaz Prime for free as a 6 m trial as part of my student card so just finally watched the above two series.
I loved the Daisy Jones book and it was great to see it on TV as a series .. I cried at the end of the book but the film leaves it more positive almost (no spoilers), the music was great as well and her fabulous 70s inspired wardrobe is insane -  I wanted all of it!, well worth a watch i binged the way thru - argh
This is why I dont have a tv or netfli* anymore - I binge them thru the night and dont get proper sleep.

Good Omens was also fabulous - I hadnt read the book - not that into Terry Pratchett or Neil Gaiman but for those few who havent seen it- its basically a demon (David Tennant) and an angel (Michael Sheen) becoming friends over centuries and joining together against their own sides to stop the Apocalypse as they enjoy earth too much. The two main characters were wonderful together.... script is v funny  and ridiculous too so well worth a Xmas watch if you are having Prime for Xmas deliveries..
There is a Good omen 2 but I am not watching it til my tax returns are done  

Minimalisn game - need to do my 23 today only donw about 6 today so far 

Merlin's_Beard

Good Omens 2 is short on the end of the world, being the squishy bit in the middle of an apocalypse sandwich, but hopefully will be a good reward after the taxes!

LadyWithAPlan

PennysIntoPounds said:

Hey LaPlan (if I may!), just caught up with your diary and followed, I'm most impressed with all the changes you've made in being more conscientious, and joining in with everyone cheering you on in getting your own home. While I'm galaxies away from you in terms of finances, I'm also hoping to have a home of my (our) own in London at some point in the *please not too distant* future and really feel your pain in how expensive everything is! I admire your can-do attitude and it is fantastic reading the diary of a woman who's doing it on her own (Although I've now given myself the earworm of 'Sisters are doing it for themselves' 😁)

Of course you can call me LaPlan
Thanks for the lovely feedback and encouragement - and well done on plowing throgh 109 pages of my musings..
I will say the writing in a spreadsheet and on here everything I spend thats not essential  so tracking that and the monthly Grocery Challenges is eye opening and definitely helps with the frugal mindset esp in our lovely Londontown

Good luck with your savings  - its amazing when you start to focus  how it builds up and I feel I prob have a decade or two on you. I also have had a huge advantage on savings over the last few years as I have had super cheap rent .. and even with the recent increase its still pretty decent - allowing me to earn lots of interest on my house deposit savings.. If only  I could just stop spending ...   Though my current microscope on whats going out is making me much more frugal!
I am singing 'sisters'  with you and you are more in tune than you know..In any case whether one is single or part of a duo this mfw stuff  is indeed a victorious mindset, a daily challenge and a victory which will echo down generations of family so its worthwhile stuff.
I will check out your diary !

beanielou said:

Hope the side hustle comes through. 

Thanks Beanielou me too. Its  sort of part of my old career  pre covid so building that back up on a new angle . Will be major if it comes off so I am focusing on being/getting  ready ... if this one contract  does not come off then others will- i need to though push to find new work
I am thinking RuPaul right now
' If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready!'

So some work to be done. I am so tempted to buy new hardware stuff esp BF deals and I have my student discount ) but its a want til I do get some consistent paying work in this line... 

Watty1 said:

i found tracking my spending illuminating and scary!

Yes ...scary   ..Also leaves you no place to hide when you say I don't spend much on X . or Y. 
Think the entertainment one is the one thats really gets me .. frugal as I am (ha!) I still spend loads on this - esp living alone and being single... I have not pulled it out properly this month cos of the States trip but ... Dec is going to be ARGH ...
I do have my budgets and pots at the start .. but I just watch the pots dwindle down during each month so alarms ring if the money in each hits zero. However I havent as I went along written down every penny as that way you see the spending. Admittedly I was just in one of the most expensive places on the planet and I live in one as well..

@savingholmes well done on the declutter of OOD. I am about to run round and find 23 things before bedtime I think I do have some OOD chestnuts I won them and never cooked with them

LadyWithAPlan

Merlin's_Beard said:

Good Omens 2 is short on the end of the world, being the squishy bit in the middle of an apocalypse sandwich, but hopefully will be a good reward after the taxes!

OOH that sounds great... any time spent in the world of Clayton and Aziraphale is a good time methinks despite being a squishy centre - hope your world is getting back to rights and you will have a new non leaky dishwasher ... and hope the folk music was great

KajiKita

‘How do you love the financial journey you are in right now? What does that look like?'

Was listening to a Ramit Sethi podcast and he asked this v intelligent question..
I have been thinking anyway that I am definitely not loving my life so much I am looking at this big purchase as this obstacle and I am worried it may delay my life choices and fun.. - I want to say massive purchase  - but my language does need a reframe.
A home will be a wonderful exciting  purchase full of possibility, stabillity and fun - as opposed to me only seeing it as a £300k debt around my neck.  No wonder I am dragging my feet on the actions I need to take and the income production I need to support this very positive dream.

There is this Buddhist principle of things/experiences - jobs, purchases, your life being of 'beauty, benefit and good'
So things can be beautiful, of great benefit for you and others, and good for you and others - and my new home will be all those things. So not so expensive it is stressful and not good, a place of joy and laughter and beautiful, and a benefit for friends and family and myself in the long term.


So I am planning to journal oon this how do I love my  financial journey, I appreciate my wonderful life but not fully on the journey, the battle, the winning. I feel I am neglecting a lot of actions I can take for money, creativity and joy so that I am looking at that.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts here. I find when I focus on all the different decisions I could have made in the past that would have put me in a more secure position now if I’d made different choices, all the slog of what we are doing now on the house and the mortgage, how ineffectual all my efforts seem (£5 here, 45p there etc), I get tired and down. 

However, when I remember to genuinely stop and give myself credit for what I have achieved, the change of focus I have now, how much better understanding I have now etc etc I feel so much more positive, and that begets more ideas, more energy etc. 
Standing on that raging road of traffic last night, when it was both so loud and polluted, I realised I was looking at residential properties across the road from me. Living in that kind of environment would be a living hell for me. It made me soooo grateful when I finally got home to the quiet of where we live last night …..
So, that’s my long winded way 😉 of saying I shall be joining you on looking for AND celebrating every action I can take for money, creativity and joy 😊

KK

LadyWithAPlan

KajiKita said:

‘How do you love the financial journey you are in right now? What does that look like?'

Was listening to a Ramit Sethi podcast and he asked this v intelligent question..
I have been thinking anyway that I am definitely not loving my life so much I am looking at this big purchase as this obstacle and I am worried it may delay my life choices and fun.. - I want to say massive purchase  - but my language does need a reframe.
A home will be a wonderful exciting  purchase full of possibility, stabillity and fun - as opposed to me only seeing it as a £300k debt around my neck.  No wonder I am dragging my feet on the actions I need to take and the income production I need to support this very positive dream.

There is this Buddhist principle of things/experiences - jobs, purchases, your life being of 'beauty, benefit and good'
So things can be beautiful, of great benefit for you and others, and good for you and others - and my new home will be all those things. So not so expensive it is stressful and not good, a place of joy and laughter and beautiful, and a benefit for friends and family and myself in the long term.


So I am planning to journal oon this how do I love my  financial journey, I appreciate my wonderful life but not fully on the journey, the battle, the winning. I feel I am neglecting a lot of actions I can take for money, creativity and joy so that I am looking at that.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts here. I find when I focus on all the different decisions I could have made in the past that would have put me in a more secure position now if I’d made different choices, all the slog of what we are doing now on the house and the mortgage, how ineffectual all my efforts seem (£5 here, 45p there etc), I get tired and down. 

However, when I remember to genuinely stop and give myself credit for what I have achieved, the change of focus I have now, how much better understanding I have now etc etc I feel so much more positive, and that begets more ideas, more energy etc. 
Standing on that raging road of traffic last night, when it was both so loud and polluted, I realised I was looking at residential properties across the road from me. Living in that kind of environment would be a living hell for me. It made me soooo grateful when I finally got home to the quiet of where we live last night …..
So, that’s my long winded way 😉 of saying I shall be joining you on looking for AND celebrating every action I can take for money, creativity and joy 😊

KK

Thanks for your input Kk, I am glad my musings helped. It’s also great to hear others experience especially on such a fundamentally important journey on our money life as it does reflect our life choices.

lets not discuss my decision to not buy a home in london in my 20s as I nearly did .. I would have had a paid off flat worth millions BUT instead I chose to travel and have a huge life full of experience fun creativity  and wonder in my 20s, 30s, 40s … I can’t regret it and who I have become 

I will also mirror back to you that  when you say your £5 or 45p efforts feel ineffectual and get you down .  Again as you say we need the reframe 
- every £5 or 45p is a celebration, it shows us we have changed, that we are adulting and are on a path already to success. oh and paying off a wonderful home you love. 

(I did my 23 things minimalist declutter last night before bed as I rush around finding things) 

And there is still so much to declutter! Argh ! But I looked in one drawer and felt great when it was done) 

There is a Buddhist quote about keeping going on long journeys to reach success and the determination to keep on walking, keep on committing to our goals especially the big ones (like faith, changing one’s habits,  like paying off your mortgage) 

‘Nichiren states: ‘the  journey from Kamakura to Kyoto takes twelve days. If you travel for eleven but stop with only one day remaining, how can you admire the moon over the capital?’ 

In that refrain todays  Actions and celebrations for money, Creativity and joy ; 

 free money £225.17 this month! 
I just switched £20 of nectar points into  £40 And 2 x £10 into £20 each this morning so that’s £80 of sains vouchers free! As the points were built up thru the year FREE MONEY ! Woohoo £80!!  Its so much for free!

journaling this morning  - gave me some clarity and realised I need to apply for something as deadline is today if I want to do it. So I will.
Also feeling calmer and more focused on what I need to do this weekend

23/23 decluttered yesterday - only started 9 days ago as was away and while without full adherence but let’s CELEBRATE that’s 173 things out the flat in 9 days ! 

Minimalist game rocks 
- some of it was v small paper things or ‘free gifts’ often junk like branded keyrings I don’t need etc .. however it all adds up 

I also whilst looking for 23 things - pulled out some shoes I never wear - I have 100's of pairs of shoes and boots ( and loads handbags) but some shoes have not been worn since I lived in this flat for over 5 years .. and my shoe collection is in 4 places!! 
the woman I was loved shoes and I still do but too many is a pain to store, were for clubbing only and some have a  ‘oh I never wore these ‘ energy 

Thinking Dana K white asking ‘where does this live’ and is there too many things of this type in the space you have .. errm yes 
I am not getting rid of anything I love and I have and will keep some v expensive shoes that still look great after decades  but a few pairs were unworn gifts so plan is to Vinted (vint?) them and see - extra cash and help the planet … 
I also have a pair of Crystal platform Loubout**s (I bought reduced) but they are actually works of art and on display .. maybe they need a glass box  


good luck all avoiding BF excesses 

PennysIntoPounds

Absolutely turn those shoes into a piece of art! I was thinking the other day that if I lived in a stately home, you know those plinths they have along their long corridors with busts of historical figures on them, well I'd use those plinths to display my battered high top trainers which are to my mind pieces of art 😁