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

beanielou

I agree. Just get rid. 

WelshmansDaughter

Finally caught up on your diary 😜
If you have a lot of clothes are there any you could use as fabric for your dressmaking adventures?
Which halogen oven do you have? I am researching appliances and recalled that you had one.
ETA I don’t know if you have ever watched a yt channel called Never Too Small. They cover smallish spaces and have several where one beds have been redesigned to make better use of space. A few are in London

Watty1

@Cheery_Daff  I'm with you. I've sold a couple of 'nice' or 'were once expensive' items on Vinted but I've also taken to dropping bags off at the charity shop.   Really sweetly they asked if I was sure about a dress as it was lovely (I'd gained weight so it didn't fit, was indeed lovely but had only been £13 in a sale and I'd paid more to have the sleeves removed which took it from tacky to designer looking).

I did have a dress hanging on the "to go" pile but ended up wearing it to a party Saturday as it had long sleeves and hid the thermals underneath. I'm going to return it to the wardrobe as it worked well and didn't show that the two dogs at the party kept jumping up (others were clearly aware of the dogs behaviour and had come in jeans)

LadyWithAPlan

WelshmansDaughter said:

Finally caught up on your diary 😜
If you have a lot of clothes are there any you could use as fabric for your dressmaking adventures?
Which halogen oven do you have? I am researching appliances and recalled that you had one.
ETA I don’t know if you have ever watched a yt channel called Never Too Small. They cover smallish spaces and have several where one beds have been redesigned to make better use of space. A few are in London

There is a lot on me rambling I have kept 2 dresses but I am still a beginner dressmaker and I dont want reams of fabric which I dont know what to do with. I am doing this 'container concept' - I have an old carry on luggage filled with sewing supplies /fabrics and its not getting more than that

My Halogen that I have had I think for decades now and is still working perfectly is a Salter one - I cant see the model number as that has been rubbed off. It comes with a very useful extender ring so you can easily fit a large chicken in there.  It is a great quick and energy saving v useful appliance 
Never seen Never TOO SMALL - however with the amount of stuff I have i need to declutter a lot more before I get a smallish space

@Cheery_Daff @Watty1 yes the Frozen song 'let it go ' is useful here.  @beanielou is right - I am hanging on to 3 things to try to sell - rest is going..
Took a HUGE bag to CS - including some clothes I had bought from CS without wearing - as I have now started training again I will delay going through clothes but I did throw some 'i loved them but they have had it' boots away



EMS Workout - had session 5 today - I am enjoying it and fell good, my body fat is down but my nutrition has been a bit more than normal  alcohol, sweets etc so I need to get that cleaned up a bit - I have been eating more protein though naturally

ENGLAND

Ah England … watched the footie with a friend & her family  and my friends - I have been watching England lose for 25 years plus with this friend  but we (her and I ) still have hope 
I even wore a t shirt that I think I last wore with her at euro 1996! Somehow it fits (T-shirts stretch ) but not sure how classy it is … 
how did we lose again ?! But already I am thinking .. 2 years World Cup …. Hope springs eternal as it should .

This death cleaning book is ripping ( in a good way) my life apart.. I have decluttered about 750 things - I am giving  my neighbours furniture I no longer need but has significant memories .. I am looking at things and thinking yes this was me, then -  my friend gave me this but I can release it now - it’s quite magical  but it will take time to get through it all
I have moved my new to me huge desk  3 times around one room. The hall shelves have not been put up yet so I have a shelving unit in the hall packed with stuff I need to go through. I have been decluttering a lot every day and flat is getting there.


FLAT HUNTING 
I looked at 6 flats in an area of N London this weekend as I  was told it was cheaper .. but the flats are smaller as you n built smaller than in other boroughs ..  I did see one nice one but tiny rooms and a large garden ... However a short lease and the freeholder could I think refuse to permit an extension

INVOICES
Had something paid so got to do the YNAB dance ... managed to fill a fair few of the true expenses pots - of course I then remembered I am off abroad this weekend for 5 days with MWAP - so need to switch some budget around for food etc. Still waiting for large sums but .. was nice to see some of my pots filling up in line with what is due - I have home insurance in August 

July grocery spend £105.89 and £7.99 bulk
Popped in on way home from gym so a further £25 spent  at Morries
Plus £17.84 on junk...

LadyWithAPlan

Cashback £4.04 - feeling rich - largely from an expensive birthday gift where I had also saved £20 10% by using a ‘sign up to our newsletter’ code 
Also got a further £10 off my mobile bill thru airtime 

Oops auction purchase 
that auction house I occasionally buy from - bought a gorgeous handbag there before Xmas - had some new smeg kettles - so I won one in the pale blue I love - £67 inc buyers fee and postage - I still have the Smeg cream one I won in its box but cream is not my jam .. so will pop up on eBay once a reduced sellers fees weekend arrives along with the mobile I won 
Always wanted a coloured smeg kettle preferably red but the blue is also fabulous and the colour of my kitchen - plan to repaint it approx the same 

oops maybe auction purchase 2 
got a bid on something 33% of its normal price - specialist for my side hustle -£55 vs £299  if I win it it will cost £99  with buyers fee vat and postage - will get cash against it as I have a birthday coming up
I also had 2 things on my YNAB wish list which I am now having as birthday gifts. 

H2B success 
Help to Buy ISA is officially full and maxed out ! I had paid in £11800 by April 5th 2024 but with the ability to now have more than one cash isa I was v excited to save more that way as I pay tax on my savings interest 
However without the discipline of that £200 pm DD saving and lack of payment I had not finished the £12000 max to add - despite paying in faithfully every month since set up last day possible in Dec 2019 where I added the £1200 max. However  I did it last night - added the £200 - balance is actually £12597.26 - am finally getting £21-£23 pm interest 
if I buy under £450k I get the max cashback of 25% so £3k 

so I need to get back to more monthly savings - so the £250  monthly 7% Cov regular saver and 
I will now look at best easy access cash isas - the ones you can refill - will be getting some big interest payments next month 

I am determined to clear up that shelving unit in the hallway so make it quicker once the hall extra shelves are up - still stiff waiting to go back in there
i do now have space at the bottom of one wardrobe (that had had loads shoes) and a clear  shelf (more boots) plus a big shelf where my toiletries were - yet to fill them as I have more to sort 
Got rid of a big coat stand yesterday and have 2 shoe racks including a shoe cupboard that’s going - my boots now have a huge and fabulous trunk where I can easily see them all and it masquerades as a hallway seat - win win 

happy Tuesday all 

beanielou

Happy new kettle to you. Jealous!  

LadyWithAPlan

beanielou said:

Happy new kettle to you. Jealous!  

Happy new kettle indeed ! I have wanted a coloured Smeg kettle for 8 plus years now - I won a cream one but its in its box still - so at least I know on home stuff I am not that impulslve and I want what I want  and I dont compromise much - rather go without (bit worrying when I come to buy a home!)
So excited to see the blue one arrive - my old one (3yrs+)  is fine just a bit limescaley - so will see if anyone in the building wants it..

Need to get the savings up though .... and my CV updated ...

I was reading @Watty1 having completed the course she wanted to write .. I need to get mine back up off the ground and finish it. I said when I got back a few weeks ago I would re-look at my goals but this flat declutter and catch up plus a fair amt of contract work has taken up my time. I am off the hairdressers this afternoon so I am using the time wisely to plan my 6 weeks of summer to get things over the line

Watty1

I clearly underestimated how much work it would be.  I thought it would be on sale now - but - there seems to be a lot to the back room stuff judging by emails form PA!!   however on the plus side she has run through the costs - the platform take a %  the money site take a % and so I'm putting my course up so it has been helpful

LadyWithAPlan

Watty1 said:

I clearly underestimated how much work it would be.  I thought it would be on sale now - but - there seems to be a lot to the back room stuff judging by emails form PA!!   however on the plus side she has run through the costs - the platform take a %  the money site take a % and so I'm putting my course up so it has been helpful

May I ask what platform /site ? Is it like Udemy or those online course providers ?  

I was thinking of just  popping it up on a website 
 And then direct sales .. but maybe via an online ‘college ‘ is better
(Maybe dm me if that feels better - just so I can start looking at listing my course - and next steps myself if you don’t mind ? 

Watty1

happy to put it on here - my PA recommended Zenler as it can do everything and she likes it.   I already have a mailing list to send the course out to.

My new goal is to have it ready to mail out by Friday. I was hoping Monday but there seemed to be work linking the money taking part and so on which PA is doing