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

LadyWithAPlan

@debtfreewannabe321 @Watty1 @TallGirl @Cheery_Daff @dawnybabes
Thanks everyone - your support and well wishing is much appreciated  I too am trusting I will be fine and dont have to move twice in a year...
We had a meeting yesterday and have set up a group drive as noone - even people who have been ok'd in the affordability - have had their prices given despite the 2 week deadline..
Some people literally stated their annual earnings 25k and were told immediately 'forget it you wont pass'. They are also trying to get a non refundable one week rent fee that if people dont pass the affordability they wont refund... which is illegal I gather

2 neighbours are speaking to shelter and legal aid this week - they (like me) are the only ones in their flat so can be counted as tenants (as opposed to guardians)  so section 21 is the way to go for them, - however for me - if we get there- I dont want to mess up my credit with any section 21 come back - does anyone know re this?

Queen_of_the_Hive said:

dawnybabes said:

I didn’t think landlords were allowed such a big increase ? And if they are then they shouldn’t ! How are people supposed to be able to afford such a jump !

Totally agree @dawnybabes but same thing happened to us, we didn't have the income to match! Bloomin awful for anyone going through this!

I remember reading when you were struggling with this move.

This whole lack of control is making me focus on buying asap - though I have friends who also offering for me to stay in their countryside abodes. I will be fine no matter what. It has made me push hard on the company who owes me  - they promised me by today but had email saying Wed due to various deals. That will make me sleep easier. 

@KajiKita the £105 per month  spend was on drinks spend - my social life - not looked at the cabs/trains but they do include seeing family etc so..

KajiKita said:

Saving 25% of your income?! Well done 👏😊 I’m genuinely impressed. Not sure I would want to or, out my percentage across the year! 😉😂

Heavy spend on cabs and trains - well you don’t run a car, so that’s your alternative and I suspect, still cheaper, especially in London where parking is so awkward / expensive. 

The only way I saved that much KK  is  100% YNAB - as last year Oct/Nov/Dec I started tracking all my spending on here (shocking)  - as opposed to just budgeting it - moving it all to virtual pots and then oops I overspent  a category so moved money from one pot to another without adding it all up at the end. The lack of me adding up lead to me to overspend.

YNAB shows me how much I have left in each pot and shows me exactly to the penny what I actually spent in each category as I go - so everytime I went over I have to go and grab that over spent amount from another category such as 'food' or house savings or even annual travel insurance 0 rather than adding to the cc and paying it off next month thinking thats a big bill...  - I can see in the moment how my spending affects my future. There is no hiding and I have had enough income I can  easily think I am fine but really overspending on some areas means less saving. 

KajiKita said:

I’m impressed by the practical application of Python. From the little I know of it, the condition (formatting) of the data before it’s imported into python is critical - how compatible is the YNAB data with python?

Agree with everyone else that the flat rent increases and affordability checks etc sounds absolutely brutal. Totally reinforces for me how in the hands of landlords tenants are in this country. Not sure what it’s like in other countries. Thank you for chanting for the rest of the tenants as well as yourself. I hope everyone else can find something secure as well. I think what makes me saddest, is that the little community you have will be broken up. Might be worth getting formal contact details (email and mobile) for the people you’d want to stay in touch with now, just in case everyone does get scattered to the 4 winds …?

KK

Yes  you are 100% right - Python did not like adding things in rows, nor did it like the average and totals rows so I spent some time figuring that out. The YNAB reports are great as they are - I just decided to play .. and then realised issues..

We have a lovely group here -  and are constantly on whats app anyway - people are constantly lending tools, giving furniture and excess food away, local restaurant and parking advice. One lady yesterday reminded me I gave her my slow cooker, another I got back my drill I had lent..Some  I even lived with in the previous building so nearly 10 years of having a big community.

TallGirl

"2 neighbours are speaking to shelter and legal aid this week - they (like me) are the only ones in their flat so can be counted as tenants (as opposed to guardians)  so section 21 is the way to go for them, - however for me - if we get there- I dont want to mess up my credit with any section 21 come back - does anyone know re this?"

Do take advice but believe the only thing that goes on the credit file is money claims and you are not in arrears. As for taking legal advice I have sent you a PM.

PennysIntoPounds

~£105 per month on seeing people in London is superb, especially when you live alone and need to not go entirely mad. YNAB is great for many things but it can't tell you how much wellness and future investment you and others gave each other by having time together.

I can't believe any of what is happening with your housing is legal! Sending positive vibes to you all.
How thoroughly nasty can they be to do this just a few weeks before Christmas too. I hope they get their karma and I hope they damn well know why.

skint_spice

I am also horrified by the greed and callousness of the landlords. So sad given the community that people had built there.

savingholmes

Well done on the savings amount / %. Seriously impressive.

Hope you get the right outcome for you.

LadyWithAPlan

Tx all 

Frugal living still happening no matter what.

Grocery spend £124.07 this month 
popped into Morries yesterday to get to the £40pw spend for week 2  (4 week x £40) to get £15 in vouchers.
£13.16 on groceries and a cheeky £2.50 on sweets - I am definitely eating more sweets in the rental crazy..
I am at least not drinking much - just one glass prosecco in the pub over the whole weekend during our neighbourhood group conflab.


Also on way back from gym today popped in and bought only YS meat for freezer and a lot of frozen veg £20.35 
I dare not overfill the freezer in case I do move  but got loads of chicken, turkey steaks and beef.

Vinted - I added on 5  blouses, a dress I bought and never wore and 2 pairs of shoes - plan is to get stuff up and then if not sold by beg Jan to CS it 

Some of my family popped to London as one of their kids had an event here so saw them (& discussed possiblyme dumping my furniture etc in their unused garage ) 
then popped to an event and saw an acquaintance - he has a career in the arts but comes from a family where he inherited some money and bought a flat abroad and also still in his 50s lives whilst in the UK at the parental home 
He is a nice person but another demonstration why the ability to make art and have an artistic career  is often due to parental wealth - this should not and does not stop many but life is easier when your housing is sorted by family money 

WelshmansDaughter

It’s also convenient when creativity goes hand in hand with lack of practical skills to have a mythology 😂😂😂

LadyWithAPlan

@skint_spice 64% rent increases or not taking any variable incomes ... we as a community are working together as people are being told today they are not passing these brand new high affordability tests 

I am really leaning on my buddhist practice to keep calm and focused and winning, not just for me but for all of us. 

@TallGirl tx for the PM - we will get In touch.

@PenniesIntoPounds yes indeed life needs to be lived well, I have won some activities this year as well so that keeps costs down - free restaurant cards, evenings out etc plus I do go to reduced price theater a lot.

savingholmes said:

Well done on the savings amount / %. Seriously impressive.

Hope you get the right outcome for you.

tx! I really dont want to have to move then move again. I have options and offers to stay in various places.
But the words 'fire' 'under' light' and 'posterior; are happening in my life. 

Watty1

The universe is lining up for you, excited to see what happens.   That rent increase is shocking, will be such a struggle for people.   So many questions around can they even do that legally ?

debtfreewannabe321

DP and I were chanting last night  before bed and DD shouted up to us to shut up 🤣👏🏼 we chanted back louder. And I shouted, baby demon get thee back to thy room and chant with us. She didn't think it funny. Meh. 🤣

I also think that what those landlords are doing is totally unethical and illegal - surely they cannot put the rent up by that much! Anyway I hope you all have a good outcome esp those without outside help to fall back on (and/or savings!)