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

LadyWithAPlan

teapot2 said:

I'm glad its not just me tempted by goodies bought for pressies.  I'm currently eyeing up some chocolate covered nuts which are part of a present so I might have to wrap those and post them off to avoid temptation.

That is a v good idea - out the house and all that - LOVE choc covered nuts

SandyShores

teapot2 said:

I'm glad its not just me tempted by goodies bought for pressies.  I'm currently eyeing up some chocolate covered nuts which are part of a present so I might have to wrap those and post them off to avoid temptation.

I suspect that's why they bring it all out in the shops so early.  I'm sure many of us buy early and then have to buy again (maybe more than once)

Suffolk_lass

On treats; You know those Lindor red balls? I discovered I could buy a bag of 80. Cheaper per ball than the little boxes. Only if you don't eat them 10 times more quickly. Then I found I could get 15% off by adding them as a subscription item at Big River. I am doomed. I mix them with walnuts in a walnut bowl a neighbour turned at Christmas. My Auntie sits there on Christmas Day and picks out all the red balls and eats them or takes them home. She's in her nineties now, eats like a bird (except these). So funny. I'm quite pleased really. I have two packs in, ready for the festivities. Instead of QS or any of those boxes

SandyShores

I love the red balls.  Couldn't risk a bag of 80 though.  (She says, off to take a look).

LadyWithAPlan

80!! @Suffolk_lass I would eat them all in a day and regret it - but lovely for your auntie

@SandyShores nope I am not strong enough either  to resist red balls .... - and indeed I had bought my dad a pack of the green balls  (Lindor mint) for his stocking ages ago and they got eaten  (by me)  within a week  ago!.. i was even  skipping breakfast for them.

Jewels of the Day - possible possession
- possibly I was slightly possessed by todays offerings .. I wore for the first time in decades  a very strange pendant necklace,..  it has a strong angry energy and looks like a thing to ward off evil spirits (!). I think its ugly but weirdly striking.
I rarely think such of jewellery possesion  ,... It came down from  one side of the family where lots of time was spent in Africa in the 1920s/30s doing medical stuff so I think its african - a metal chain but  a tribal  design, the angry demon warder pendant is about 1 inch plus and  looks a bit like (from google pics) ammolite or black amber but a purple shade.. it bizarely has red eyes - 

I was wearing it this morning when we had gas/elec checks from the old agent but turns out he was lying and all the check people were the new company who should not be in our flats as we have no contract..  They starting early in case of pulling a section 21  on us all i think.

The pair of electric check men  were very rude to one neighbour - told her they would lock her our of her own flat if she didnt let them in (despite being unaccompanied last week and she not having a contract with the new agent and  had 6 weeks in the existing  contract ....  - they are huge men  6'4 each and wide and she was actually shaking afterwards  so  they have come back with a person from the existing agent ...) 
Either way armed with my scary pendant and that knowledge  I turned into  a fierce older medicine woman and gave them a calm but fierce lecture on treating people with respect and kindness  especially as they were making some people homeless, I stood up (or it could have been the pendant) and told them off for  bald faced lying to my face as they had - as to who they were from. I blame the necklace.
I was polite but I am generally less full on, stand up for my rights  and clear... 

I need to wear it on chasing my money - chased one lot who promises it has been paid (coming from abroad) and tomorrow I will be chasing the big stuff. I have also now started chanting to be paid my worth and this disrespect of /in my life  of this money delay to stop.

I will wash the pendant tonight and let it dry in the moonlight to recharge/cleanse it ..

My daily advent today along side the scary pendant was  a pair of earrings a friend bought me this year from her trip to Marrakech, she also bought me a necklace that was quickly donated to a CS but the earrings are dangly goldy/blue resin type on twisted metal ... looked good with also a grey v neck jumper... i had my database class so 

FLAT PROGRESS
- no news on the rent increases as yet - this could run til after Xmas.
We have managed to find a barrister/lawyer who specialises and he is coming to meet a few of us next week.  I  am not eligible for legal aid but some are and he is an expert.. between all of us we have really stood together and you can see the results.

Xmas decorations - all are up
No tree this year I gave my faux one away in Jan but I have some super cute lights, xmas things and I have turned a silver floor lamp with many arms into a large faux tree.. It looks gorgeous.

KajiKita

That pendant sounds powerful! 😊👏
Remember you charge it by wearing it too, and your intention. Definitely start using it on the non payers! (Hope the promised monies from overseas turn up soon.)

Love the light tree ❤️ We are decorating our Christmas tree by stealth here … We erected it and left it for a few days … Chloe chewed on it a bit … then ignored it … Put the lights on it last night … Chloe looked at it afresh and padded the cables a little, then ignored it ….
We will be decorating it from the top down this weekend! 😂😂

KK

Watty1

Loving your energy (or the pendant)   You and the pendant are fierce and wonderful

beanielou

Watty1 said:

Loving your energy (or the pendant)   You and the pendant are fierce and wonderful

From me too. 

LadyWithAPlan

Just swooping in to say thanks all Super busy trying to see friends, do work, find work, study, deal with the housing thing, had a memorial to go to, exercise, chant, cook  .. and did someone say something about xmas?

I have been flying the flag on the jewellery - and in fact a friend had taken an old necklace of mine and restrung it with some crystals that are fantastic for healing, positivity and indeed known as the 'gamblers stone' It feels the opposite of the demon warding necklace in terms of grounding me...

Really not clear on way forward on flat as looks like the neighbours are getting hugely high rent increases - could be an extra few hundred for me ... plus affordability is at insane levels .. or asking for guarantors  making loads...
Also looks like some peoples deposit have been held back from last place.
Some neighbours rent  in flats like mine is going up 80+%  but I was hit with a £500 last year increase.



I believe I have a choice in staying in this flat  as my savings are significant but do I want to use those?  whilst my work is shrinking ... and still no invoice payments... they promise and then nothing comes through

Options
I could let someone move into the small second bedroom (but I dont want to live with anyone)
OR move (with the attendant hassle) into a one bed in the same building (but cheaper) but movers cost
 OR  struggle on this higher new rent .... lots of chanting to do in the next few days
I am chanting for my rent to not go up so much - we shall see.

- I may have a job interview Friday but I have some contract work I have already signed to do end of Jan into Feb so ...

At least in what feels like a seismic shift on most areas of my life, i am grateful to wonderful friends, health, my family are all fine, and i do have choices, I am also pleased that I have saved so hard the last few years - so I do have a choice... I also am super grateful to my buddhist practice which is keeping me moving forward and not feeling like I am in hell/depressed/getting stuck in anger over this. I am chanting to win..
I even did a 5 hour software class tonight (online) on top of finalising my accounts and dealing with life /house drama plus cooking
I am also chanting to have such wondrous results next year that I will be grateful for this situation.. 

We have a law firm coming in tomorrow as they believe we have a case ..

Hope everyone having a more restful Dec than I

SandyShores

I'm glad you have options LWAP - it was the one thing I sorely missed when I was up to my eyeballs in debt. 

As someone who had lodgers for a while, I can understand why you wouldn't want to share!  Although I did have a lovely one for quite a while, I think that's a rarity.  I would seriously consider swallowing the cost of a move to smaller place - but also depends on how many months of rent saving it would then take to recover the cost of the move.

Because you intend to buy your own place soon, it may seem like staying put is the most practical option.  But if the breakeven point of cost moving is only a few months, then the pain of moving might be worth it long-term as it could take the pressure off the need to move more quickly.  But I am somehow who likes the safe option/less risk, if it all comes together for you, you could be buying your own place before you know it!

I haven't looked into chanting and buddhist living before, but it sounds really positive.  Meditation is part of the yoga classes I take, and I'm always so surprised how I can go from stressed out to wondering what the big deal is in about 10 minutes - definitely need more of this in my day to day living.