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

LadyWithAPlan · 3 February at 1:36PM

Sonica** electric tbrush finally ordered using b**ts points - the one I wanted that was within my b****ts points of £54 the 4100 kept being out of stock so finally its in and ordered along with a multi pack of floss. I am glad I have been saving my points for years and not used them

Similarly I have started collected my Morris**s fivers now for Xmas as last year I was using them as I collected them mid summer but one of the wise peeps on the Grocery Challenge mentioned they kept theirs for Xmas food so I started doing that last year - a kind of secret Xmas food club

HEATING DEBACLE
Boiler man here (my normal one here - he has been away due to compassionate leave) and he says he does not think its the fan and he can see the guy last week from Pim*** Plumbers has
*added/attached an extra wire,
*forgot to add this chip connection thing (which I found on the side and luckily did not throw away)
*and might have blown the new Circuit board (CB) bought last week .
I trust this person as he been keeping my boiler going for years. He has a spare one CB in his van to test his theory so fingers crossed ..

EDIT: So I now have heating = woohoo - the reconditioned circuit board in the normal plumbers van immediately got my heating working ... with the recon CB and work - new bill is £420

SO I did not need the new fan - the PP plumber had obviously blown the new CB he bought somehow maybe by connecting it wrong . So if he had put in the new fan (my old fan is fine) and that would have cost me £500 (£300-£350 plus £150 ph min charge) the boiler still would not have worked (!) so then I would have needed yet another CB on top to the tune of an extra £380 plus labour.. so I would have been looking at his £750 visit 1, £500 visit 2 with fan, and then another £380 CB plus labour so £530 min basically a £2k bill

So I just called Pim plumber and got my plumber to explain what had gone wrong - its recorded - I am hoping to at least get part the £750 first bill - at last the £380 CB charge back plus that labour .. PP record the calls and apparently someone will call and then be out to have a look from them.. I am hoping that they will address this promptly as I have paid them the £750 bill immediately

The boiler is still getting hot then stopping but I can turn it on with the override switch but at least heat is flowing thru my radiators .. I am a very happy LaPlan ..
No news on next stages of this flat anyway I just need to nurse the boiler

skint_spice · 3 February at 9:18PM

At least you have heating again but what a palaver!

SandyShores · 3 February at 11:59PM

A lesson I learned the hard way was to be careful who you let work on your property. Its probably the most expensive thing you'll ever buy/own and if it goes wrong can be more expensive. I went for a cheaper quote for a roof upgrade on my second house and they did a dog's dinner of a job and apparently stole some tiles off the neighbour's roof. Glad you have heating now too.

LadyWithAPlan · 4 February at 1:44AM

skint_spice said:

At least you have heating again but what a palaver!

I have truly learnt gratitude to have hot water and warm fingers again at home !

ladysummerisle said:

Intrigued by the “GF, DF protein flapjacky pancake thing”. I’m attempting GF but it’s so hard on the sweet treat front.

here is my LaPlan never fail long haul DF GF protein pancake - I dont really weigh ingredients but you can see if it looks too dry
100g GF oats (or use less and make up difference with GF coconut flour if prefer to be lower carb)
3 scoops (about 90-100g of protein powder - I sometimes use VEGAN choc but prefer strawberry vegan)
1 decent tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger (dry or use fresh later )

Mix the above then add
2-3 eggs
DF milk til it gets moist

Mix the above then add
one mashed banana
fresh and frozen blueberries to taste - often use mix of both - raspberries also work well
Optional extra ingredients include mixed spice, raisins, flaxseeds, mixed seeds, chia seeds, tbsp peanut butter, MCT oil, other fruit (mangos in cyprus were amazing)

I then bake in a silicon pan and/or a silicon muffin pan for approz 20 min in heated oven about 180 - if not cooked fully give extra 5 mins,

You can also gently cook in a frying pan and grill the top..
This is great served hot (with DF yogurt) - feel free to switch out DF ingredients if you wish to dairy ones..
I travel with this and as it is baked they will let you carry it into the States
Enjoy !

dawnybabes said:

It’s a hard balance not helped by being female. Pre DS I’d always worked in a predominantly male professional environment- with a mix of men - the aww she’s a woman must give her some slack, talk slowly sort of blokes to the im going to push her as far as I can because she will just ‘do’ it.

I’m very sociable and seem to attract ‘people’, I’ve just had one who had decided that they where going to be my best friend (I have enough close friends thank you) and I just couldn’t shake this woman off. Only resolved by finding another lonely lady and introducing them and stepping back.

Most of us are chameleons and change to suit - it’s the learning this and seeing it that takes time 🤣🤣

I agree with @sandyshores well done for making 2 ladies less lonely

I am afraid I have zero patience with men like that in the work place,

triple_choc_chip said:

Boring though that us women have a different standard expected of us than men!!

“Whatever women do they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good.” “Luckily, this is not difficult.” - Charlotte Whitton, Canadian politician.

The first half of this phrase existed since the 1920’s; obviously so much has improved since those women were trailblazers so do we think it still applies?

When I started my 1st business in 1984 I couldn’t open a business bank account without my grandfather agreeing to be my guarantor. That has changed surely but 40 years later I still have to fight hard not to be dismissed out of hand and 3 times to date it was a female bank manager (3 different women) who listened, took me seriously and got things done.

love the addition to the quote

Thats outrageous 1984 and still those issues!!!

I think the more women get to make decisions the better.. Watching the current tarriff thing with horror.. (and the Canadians emptying their shelves of US products !..)

LadyWithAPlan · 5 February at 12:15PM

SandyShores said:

A lesson I learned the hard way was to be careful who you let work on your property. Its probably the most expensive thing you'll ever buy/own and if it goes wrong can be more expensive. I went for a cheaper quote for a roof upgrade on my second house and they did a dog's dinner of a job and apparently stole some tiles off the neighbour's roof. Glad you have heating now too.

They stole tiles!!

PP have a 'good but expensive' rep in London, I will see how they sort this out. Noone has called me since my call to them at 10.30am Monday when I also had the normal plumber soeak to them re the technicalities of where their guy had gone wrong.
So I called this morning Wed again and they said they can see it but 'its 3-5 working days' before customer service gets back - info I was NOT given on Monday.. .. I feel I may need to email them also for records if I have to go to the Guardian etc - it was also last months credit card bill so want some money back before hand reimbursed by next month bill. I dont mind paying the initial first hour £150 (inc vat) but want all else refunded..
I explained if their plumber had come back and installed his next solution of a fan then he would also have had to buy me a CB again .. so a £2k bill ..

Research - Mon eve I spent 90 mins doing a f2f research survey on a sports thing £60 to come

Quite interesting too. Plan to put the £60 into hse deposit and SIPP.

PREM BOND £100 win for Feb which is good..

Felt awful yesterday whilst juggling 3 contract part of jobs plus a side hustle in the evening - so I went to bed at 4.30-5.30pm for a snooze and did fell much better. My eyes had an allergic reaction when I woke up yesterday and had huge headache but I also had not had enough sleep so thats this weeks priority. and a decent nights sleep yesterday sorted me out.

Got to start a huge project of almost forensic accting/maths working .. been putting the hard dive off whilst figure out most efficient way but think I have clarity now.. Wish me luck!

My Sonic*** electric tbrush arriving today - been without one for a month and flossing and hard brushing does not cut it.

Food - way over spent last month £187 grocery... but FR chickens are expensive. Picked up a YS pork crackling joint from Aldi on way home last night

The sun is shining thru the window, I have heating on and a corn fed chicken in my halogen so soup. stock and healthy warm food all in prep..

LadyWithAPlan · 6 February at 12:03AM

Some v sad news - my friend who fell down the stairs did not wake up. The brain surgery could not save him. He leaves behind 3 teenage kids and many friends. Please be careful all, he was late 40s.

My RoyalM B***TS order was 'delivered ' apparently but it hadnt been - as verified by my v useful Blin* video doorbell. I have emailed them as their customer service was closed..

I have won a local London V day lunch or dinner fest for 2 - so will take a friend over next weekend - I have a few who are single like me.. I will avoid Friday 14th itself

JAN month end round ups now sorted ynab/mb

Grocery £210 - £187 + £23.39 abroad sub - it was more than this but some was covered by per diem
Social was half of Dec at £187
Elec was dbl normal
Cash back £28.91
Interest taxable £8.84 (more accruing this is just paid)
Non taxabke interest £28.09
Jan draw £25 PB win

End Jan 25

NAV £181, 746  vs end Dec £178,144.80 so UP £3601.20 (Sipps £1960 of that)
despite Jan abroad prepaid travel, costs, paid SA taxes and some prepaid work stuff and invoices more to get paid

SIPP £62.698.95 (nothing added)    vs  Dec 24  £60,738.65 so £1960.30 increase MOM

Hse deposit    £118,746 v last month £117,406.15 so increase £1340 (not sure how)
(still )this is DOWN from last year at £121k...

MrsWenger · 6 February at 2:10AM

Desperately sad news about your friend LWAP, I am sorry for your loss. We really should live every day to the full.

Sistergold · 6 February at 6:47AM

Oh @LadyWithAPlan, I am so sorry on the passing of your friend at such a young age? Oh the children, family? Really sorry, my thoughts and prayers are with them. 🌺