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

Grogged

Fingers crossed!

LadyWithAPlan

Grogged said:

Fingers crossed!

Thanks! I am a bit nervous as I am thinking the other flat is done ... no work .. but a bigger mortgage ... and not as central.
if they say no I will take my mum to see both If they say yes I guess I am moving.

Free Money - So free money £227.31 of £130  target - smashing the ebay!
another £47.31 from ebay - and I got refund on 3 sellers final fees.
I have found a inpost box 3 mins from my flat so it makes life much easier. May try Vinted though for the clothes.

NSD yesterday apart from buying ebay postage - and as I had given neighbour free food Sunday and lent her 2 chairs she bought me over an entire chicken roast dinner with roasties and beetroot last night

Groceries

I have a Holland + B subscribe and save on protein shake £23.75  - looking at it - it is a very cheap and healthy snack - I had not looked at the cost  but at 70 servings in there ...even though I add, linseed, chia seeds, MCT oil and frozen berries - much better for me than junk food!

Off to see friends tonight and taking them to my friends bar then dinner. I am planning not to drink as I need a rest from last weeks insanity and I have an early hospital appt  so I need to be centred and calm

Sept  NSD 6/10           - could be 7...
Sept  Groceries Challenge     £87.62 of £170  - super low as been away for ages
MFW savings 11/08/21    £67,711.70    21/09/21  £70,284.39 /100K   

SandyShores

Exciting news, good luck.

ruby_eskimo

Wishing you the best of luck!

LadyWithAPlan

@SandyShores @ruby_eskimo Thanks.. the seller said no and has come down  £5k to £420k... There is a flat on that road with a balcony, 2 bed and bathroom for 400k with no real work to do as opposed to the complete refurb this one will cost.. So I  am waiting on hearing re the existing conservatory having planning and any restrictions.

Then I may go back with a £385/390 max  offer. If not I am taking a few weeks off to get my programme finished ...  Then I will start looking again. I love the freehold flat with the office garden but its North London and feels very far from everything.

There is a london home building and  renovation show on this weekend so given I have no clue on builders and costs I will pop and have a look.

Had a gorgeous but not cheap dinner out in London last night  £60 for me.. I had no pre dinner drinks which saved me a further £40 .... but I was feeling stressed and sick on the waiting on the EA - I could drink once I heard my offer was rejected.. that has spent my entertainment budget for the month  ... and I have 8 days to go .. hmmm

Sold another thing £20 on my local whats app group and maybe too more   so I will update my free money when I get it but at least my ebay sales are more moving 

My lovely neighbour has given me a gorgeous plant and an even more fabulous low table for free as she de-cluttering ...I gave her some organic apples from my sisters trees and we arranged to go see her musician husband play in a band. - they are both Brazilian ...  I really dont want to leave this wonderful sense of community - in London it can be rare. 

LadyWithAPlan

I have been out twice this week in London  and have now officially crashed through my entertainment budget what with ubers, a round of drinks yesterday  and dinner Tuesday.   £126 on 2 nights out  .ouch and I hardly drank! Plus I am off to a gig tonight  where I will happily not be drinking as my liver needs a rest  plus my companion does not drink. I will go to the home renovating show in Excel this weekend (free MSE tickets) to get some ideas and costs but the travel costs can come out of my new home buying costs pot.

My Sept budget is bust what with this  extra entertainment expenses and an extra £150 on top of the £300 dentist  I had budgeted for ... grocery spending on track though as I am never in! Having that  smug filter of cutting  my bank balances to a flat £1000 each means extras I spend I can see immediately -  - no regrets but it is useful to be absolutely clear as I have to transfer money from saving pots to cover everything.

I do have a slush fund of about £70 and a £20 spare cash  but it is not big enough to cover my extras and I HATE to drawdown my EF.

So wonderful to be back out and seeing friends and dancing but no wonder I saved so much during lockdown... Next month I will put aside more for entertainment as I am going out  - I am single and live on my own - and need to have a good healthy work/life/savings/spending balance.. I only budgeted £110 this month plus extra for ubers etc and it is not enough nor realistic.


I need to buy a flat quick as once I feel the pressure of the mortgage I am sure I will be going out less

Grocery spending -   £114.62 of £170
£27 in Lidl yesterday - even though I swiped my lidl card it did not recognise it it seems so not had the discounts..nor receipt added.


Income
I should have £205 of side income get paid today - which really needs to cover the dentist shortfall - but I have drained a couple accts so hopefully I will use just  £50 or £75 of the extra income to that and then £25 to SIPP as I hate not contributing to that at present) and rest to my savings.. I am waiting still on invoices to be paid which will quickly bump up my savings - only so far  £994 from income though I ebayed so had extra.

NSD 7/10
Wed was a NSD apart from travel to work which I don't count - I want to make Sun/Mon/Tues/Wed NSD as well. Thurs 30th I am back at the dentist...so travel and possible extra charge

Sept  NSD 7/10          Sept  Groceries Challenge     £114.62 of £170
MFW savings 11/08/21    £67,711.70    19/09/21  £70,284.39 /100K   

LadyWithAPlan

Free Money - £234.19  of £130  target 

Prolific withdrawals £6.88 today I had forgotten about 
Most this excess was from ebay sales.

Just realised as Prolific pays into PP I used earlier in the month for ebay postage ... so my savings total is out. I will correct when I get the cash in shortly.

Suffolk_lass

I found the first few months that I was tracking everything, it was about becoming aware of what I  we do, our spending habits, rituals and temptations. It took ages before I started to really make economies that saved our outgoings - you are doing really well for this stage (possibly the difference between someone working for a corporate organisation, and someone self employed and fending for themselves), well done you! 

Grogged

Did you ever go back with an updated offer?
I think SL has summed up were we all start from.

LadyWithAPlan

@Suffolk_lass thanks. Being freelance, single and thus only dependent on myself over the years has taught me a lot. I have been doing a monthly budget on and off for over a decade and have many many savings pots so that helps. I also have had very variable income. I have though not been overdrawn in over a decade as I watch everything.
I also once got into trouble with a CC and since then only use what I have cash wise. I did get a CC this year to help with my credit score but it annoys me as things do creep up on it. I do always clear it on  full but I see how people get into debt on them if they are not really watching it.

The new MSE things that are helping further to improve an already working system are
- spreadsheet to see my growing deposit ticking up (I have a colour in £500 squares visual aid and also do look at figures monthly but this daily/few days tracking of  every small win from TT, extra cash  etc is even more  motivating.
- removing excess from pots such as grocery / ent/travel into savings at the end of the month to show and motivate me to save more.
- the grocery challenge by diarising that food expenditure - agaon increased awareness and what I spend I cant give to my hse deposit at month end.
- diarising thru out the month rather than doing detailed budget and sinking funds and then not seeing the end month  total spend 
- working out how much I need to save per month to hit my goal - and striving to hit it - and being aware how far I am away from my monthly goal.. both on income side and exp side -this is becoming more and more important
- tracking my bank float - having taken my two main bank floats to £1000 flat plus a small float £60 odd means where I over spend a budgeted category eg entertainment this month I can see immediately. I used to leave a larger amt in my bank acct and it was always gone somewhere 
- reading others diaries has def got me on ebay again
- I cant even discuss me tracking what I buy food wise - in particular sweets and tortilla chips... I started this month and its scary.   So much so I will have to do it again next month 

Post covid though I am in shock of being a Londoner and the drinks etc, I rarely do dinner out unless I cant avoid it cos of the cost... 

@Grogged I am thinking of either 380 or £385k mid this week (did 380 v 425k asking). If the situation with rising costs of builders and materials continues I wont be able to do the necessary renovations quickly or cheaply  so anything more I will wait.

I note though these estate agents are expensive and dodgy as I had been warned...they have just raised the price of a flat that was on for £450k to 475k despite no buyers- obv trying to get buyers to offer in at 450k  - I had asked and was told they were not accepting any offers lower than the £450 price  - v cool flat but was surrounded by neighbours smoking weed inside the entrance and tiny tiny 2nd bedroom

This weekend I saw an amazing gig (ticket bought by friend so I paid for the drinks - only £8.05 as no alcohol, Saturday I  saw lots of amazing flower displays at Chelsea In Bloom and went to the london home renovating show today (free tix and went by overground so cheaper) - mainly to sit in a couple lectures that were useful, ktchen design, planning permission and also project mging a build

I have had an amazing 2 weeks of seeing so many friends and going out to gigs, art galleries, dinners etc. I have blown my ent budget but I accept that. I think the trick is doing Sober October as that will save me loads and get me a bit leaner ahead of Xmas.


Grocery spending -   £142.86 of £170
I popped to swap guac and buy a FR chicken Saturday at Lidl  after the gym  and ended up spending £25.59!!! Fridge now very full, also paid £2.65 in m+s on organic cheap beetroot - cheaper than LIDL normal!  and some reduced FR ham -= £28.24  all as planning to start again making beetroot soup
I did buy 3 lots of 4 turkey burgers for my freezer as they are great and super tasty and were reduced

Free Money - £254.40  of £130  target 
sold a beauty thing on whats app local group £20
21p saved on coupons Lidl
2 Free samples at dermalogica - my mum will love them

Extra Income £205
received from my new side job that started again post covid.  Somehow though on my bank i have not covered all my extra expenditure so after that is £187.73 .. I will add this up at the end of the month - I have also covered £100 of my extra dentist bill  - I was told £300 but came to £450 as extra filling (white ones so)

 House savings  £70,301 /100K 

NSD 7/10 Sept - spent Fri/Sat/Sun - hoping Mon and Wed doable -

Programme
I have said that if I don't buy this flat I am not looking again til after my programme is launched - flat buying has taken up so much time.. i also like the one in N london but it is far and also 13 mi n from tube