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

SandyShores

I definitely need my microwave - porridge, hot milk for lattes, wheat bag warming - its in use all the time.  My daughter has an air fryer and its really versatile - great when cooking for one, and she even uses it for toast so doesn't need a toaster!  I did have a halogen and loved it, but decluttered when we moved and don't miss it.  

When we moved into a rental place with a fridge a few years back it started making an odd noise.  I eventually defrosted it overnight and came down to a flooded kitchen.  It hadn't been defrosted for years and then worked perfectly afterwards - it was a really large good brand so very pleased not to have to replace it.

WelshmansDaughter

I had a combi microwave instead of an oven, it worked just as well. 

Watty1

My built in has an oven and then another smaller oven which is also a microwave (the oven has all sorts of fancy features).  It seems a wise move to wait until you find your new place as that might need a new kitchen or have the latest gadgets - keen to find out!

debtfreewannabe321

Just catching up! I wish my brain could understand all these talks of SIPP and investments...not that I have a lot to invest but still. I usually stick my money in an ISA and think that is being smart enough but maybe not.
I hope you find somewhere you like soon enough on the flat front. Have you explored places like Brockley? Or Peckham & Herne Hill/Brixton? They've been gentrified since I last lived down there and i've heard they're quite fancy compared to what I remember. Brockley especially has some nice views in parts and lots of greenery. 
I haven't had a microwave in over ten years, don't miss it at all. I think I would miss my airfryer if it were taken though, its so much quicker than a normal oven!

LadyWithAPlan

Tx for all your tips on the fridge my mum suggested the same - so trying to figure it out 
I will eat down the freezer section of it and give it a defrost .. 

only issue is I have some gf meatballs, sausages etc in the freezer and I can only eat them once a week on my slow  carb cheat day as they have gf flour in etc .. so it is stopping me also buying YS bits unless it’s protein or veg as opposed to YS GF meatballs or sausages..

@SandyShores  I love my halogen and am planning to toast a  FR corn fed chicken  in it tomorrow 

@skintspice tx I was offered another one but not well paid, I need to up my rate

@themadvix i actually went to a smeg workshop and watched as they cooked a roast chicken from scratch in 30 mins .. tasty too 
I will wait til I move to the new place as I may want different colours etc as well 

Where the microwave was is now a fabulous coffee heaven corner, looks and feels so much better. Really pleased to have the room, shows again the power of having less stuff.

Watty1 said:

My built in has an oven and then another smaller oven which is also a microwave (the oven has all sorts of fancy features).  It seems a wise move to wait until you find your new place as that might need a new kitchen or have the latest gadgets - keen to find out!

Me too

Got just over £12 in my grocery pot til the end of the month, plus £9.xx in bulk - I can just go over but am trying to stay in line and move the excess to my TT OP isa house pot 

TT OP pot up by £40  so £423.01 now ! 
 I only have £110 to get it up to this £850 monthly target

debtfreewannabe321 said:

Just catching up! I wish my brain could understand all these talks of SIPP and investments...not that I have a lot to invest but still. I usually stick my money in an ISA and think that is being smart enough but maybe not.
I hope you find somewhere you like soon enough on the flat front. Have you explored places like Brockley? Or Peckham & Herne Hill/Brixton? They've been gentrified since I last lived down there and i've heard they're quite fancy compared to what I remember. Brockley especially has some nice views in parts and lots of greenery. 
I haven't had a microwave in over ten years, don't miss it at all. I think I would miss my airfryer if it were taken though, its so much quicker than a normal oven!

The easiest way to set up (and cheapest online 0.15% annual fee is the Vanguard SIPP, they also do an isa (you can do the same s&s there)
You can set up with £500 initially but then add any amount after that eg £10
In terms of what to buy the Global All Cap equity fund (acc) is just fine or that with a S&P500 - i make it more complicated but it doesnt need to be  

Brockley is too far from a tube and the trains I am avoiding... Overground may be ok.
Peckham/Brixton is cleaning up so I will look again..
Inspired by @w@WelshmansDaughter I have been watching some old LLL on YT - house prices often much lower, however they do seem to have stagnated the last couple years.... but good to see the options and the thought process. Always something to weigh up..


EMS/slow carb
I have definitely lost some pounds and am looking leaner and fitting my clothes better. The cscale keeps jumping up/down around a kg, but its 2 kg lower than it was.

LadyWithAPlan

Saturday I had a lovely pottering day, started by opening my huge windows and sat bathed in sunlight drinking coffee, felt like I was outside in the flat I will be buying (when I find it). I am v grateful for where I love now.
Last few weekends have been v hectic so this was the first one in ages/months I did not have to be somewhere on a Saturday ,. (i have an early start though Sunday morning, meeting friends early so need to leave by 8!) 

Inspired by this I cleaned my windows They are filthy due to the work going on outside, but they do look cleaner - just it wont stay clean for long
Then tidied up the orchids, only one has flowers left and also changed bedlinen. 

I have made chicken stock from my FR cornfed chicken and made a bean/chicken/veg extravaganza  plus also  cooked some rice/veg/meatballs for tomorrow in it as I need food to go tomorrow and its my cheat day, plus a bit of stock left - might freeze.

I then did some MB - still testing that software for value betting, it looks worth the money but it does take focus . I seem to have a lot of cash across my accounts/bookies though I did give some back on Extra Place horses today, so I am looking forward to counting them all up at the end Sept (Scrooge like). 
 I need to keep my float up as the variance of all these value bettings (basically extra places on horses and price arbs) mean accts go up and down a lot.  So I wont want to add too much to my OP TT from this, I need the liquidity, I also have started doing a YNAB monthly category to cover the costs of this extra software. So I will take that out of profit each month.

I then went to  have a walk in the sun, grab food, comping purchases, a bottle of red wine as I fancied a glass - not drank anything since last Saturday. 

Grocery £195 spent  in Sept (not inc bulk or alcohol or food out £9.95 this month) 
So I spent a fair amount today but this included YS chicken breast and YS veg plus  fun food for my 'cheat day' (last one was a week on Thursday due to the way plans have fallen on various days) plus some YS veg etc.  So I am over my planned £180 budget but its not too bad, I have moved cash around in YNAB to cover it. I did have a £11 FR chicken and I am buying more veg and beans than ever, the slow carb  nutrition is maybe a bit more expensive food wise and  I am spending once a week on junk food £21.20 this month. So I will aim for a £200 next month budget.
I have loads in though now, planning to defrost freezer but loads in there -mainly loads of frozen meat, mostly YS.

COMP WIN keeps giving
Looks like I am getting some travel refunded back on the prize dinner I won - over £100  Sent receipts over but that will be nice to add to the OP Tillytidy isa.
I am still waiting for my won coffee - they did say up to 28 days.

CRYPTO
I know @TallGirl was wanting to keep updated on my baby crypto journey  - I have started listening to a crypto podcast that is at least one  light year away from my current understanding - they do love their crypto shorthand, but it is slowly making sense, I could waffle with some level of  vague inaccuracy  
£72.10 added (72p costs 1% to buy) so £71.38 invested (£50 end Aug, £22.10 Sep) 
It went down to £68 and now has rallied to .....drumroll £74.31  inc my 'interest'
I am also getting 'rewards' basically interest paid in the coin I have bought (you cant do that with all crypto) -  so I have received 5p!  My weekly payout was 1p/week now its 2p/week
Of course currently unlike in the US we cant add the bitcoin/ethereum Blackrock ETF into our SIPPs so when my £72 hits the capital gains tax limit ( maybe next year with the current labour cuts as they try to sort out the mess of the last govt )  then that not great. So I am not rushing to invest loads. 
I do like to do the 15% into my sipp, 15% heldback at least for tax, then rest in savings on unexpected cash in over expenses, but I am planning to add £20 or so a month to crypto and buy some unusual ones as I keep learning. i did buy £10 worth of paypal stable coin.

LadyWithAPlan

Sunday - my best laid plans of mice and mesdames of course failed, I left the rice too long in the pressure cooker and it was far too mushy... so had to buy some lunch out (only £6 as cafe in the centre) 

Monday last day of month  and preparing for the ynab rollover. I did get some invoices paid so nice to have plenty in kitty for bills, rather than doing my normal EOM shuffle to cover rent coming out.

A  chance I may lose a v long term (but smallish) contract as they try to save money but I am  not too concerned tbh. Luckily I have cash to withstand smaller emergencies. Plus  I suspect they will be heading back,  they had expressed concern re costs on my  larger invoice than normal - I pointed out the extra hours  was  stated clearly due to me  digging into something which then saved them a mid 5 figure amount... hashtag 'justsaying'...

My MB in Sept, along with casino, EPs's and new software  I had my best month in ever maybe woohoo!, I do want to grow my float so will leave most in the banks/bookies vs taking it out and sending to sipp etc. I will send a bit to sipp and maybe a bit to my Crypto 

money shuffles EOM dance
Loving as always the EOM with YNAB as i make my money dance - this month we veered from a fabulous tango as I saw my fabulous MB/sports side hustle  as I assigned money to my SIPP from my MB earnings Not much as I kept most of it back to have an increased trading float..  
 
A sexy SLOW  paso doble was danced as  I had  enough money in my 'ready to assign  for next month' category  to cover rent and some of the main bills as we started the month. Having money ready to pay your vital bills is sexy  no matter what  super cute, hot, live for the moment FOMO  people may tell you  (inc me at an earlier age)
I did get a couple invoice payments but the big money is yet to come which can finish my categories and start next months essential spending

Will/may do a proper review but highlights inc
Adding £30 to my Crypto fund from my MB winnings  - now stands at £103.78 and will buy a couple new coins -just researching now.

Added £222  across  2 sipps today, I have a main Van one and a much smaller (10% of other size) which is more non Van funds and individual stocks  - I am thinking about either buying a tech fund again or a mining stock so I have the money ready in the sipp but not a large amount so always easier to add into a fund with no dealing charges...

My total sipps now £59,810.89 - This month £60,000 goal
 so I am determined to break the £60k barrier this month, really not put much in this tax year,

FIRE
Fire figures without my hse deposit /EF monies
Lean fire 19.94%      (45.50% at 60 as have a DB)                   Decent Fire 9.97%  (13.86 at 60)

With my house/life savings (But means no home bought so rent needed for ever)
Lean fire 59.77%      (136.40% at 60 as have a DB)                   Decent Fire 29.89%  (41.56 at 60)

 
Interest income
£5.44 from my Mzo easy saver which holds my monthly money - 3.85% apr
£22.61 on my £12.6k H2B isa - really low interest 2.27% ! but tax free and is to buy the home so pointless to move it


£850 in Sept put aside  in category as the difference between my current  rent and my new theoretical mortgage payment.
WOOHOO! Go me

 OP Tilly Tidy Isa £723.01 - target for end Oct at least £1300
Therefore I also added  to my OP Tilly Tidy Isa this morning (4.84% apr)  an extra £300 so that is now at  £723.01 - not seen any interest paid so need to see when
I will add £250 the Cov regular in a week as well as the 11th is the start of my month there.

Savings - this includes all exc SIPP - so  House deposit, YNAB savings categories, EF ... £119,509.76 
I am owed loads still though... next target £120k this month

Fingers crossed for all (inc me) with PB's - no Agent millionaire call yet.. happy Oct !

savingholmes

Well done on the FIRE figure update and increasing deposit. Hope you get the money you're owed in soon and some more regularly paying work.

dawnybabes

Agent millionaire sent me £125 ! 

SandyShores

dawnybabes said:

Agent millionaire sent me £125 ! 

Congrats!!  Max win so far for me has been £100.  No win this month so roll on November.