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

Suffolk_lass

Goodness, I do hope our December (Christmas market) trip to NL does not mirror the Spanish charging. They will kill the goose that lays the golden eggs if they do that. Surely they realise...

Merlin's_Beard

Can definitely recommend a lazy cat - I'm the annoying one waking her up far too early for her liking!

The bar stories almost make me glad I'm not going abroad for a bit. Almost, anyway!

savingholmes

The bar stories make me worry for DD who is about to have her first trip abroad.

Not surprised you O'D on animals after this little adventure. Hats off to you.

LadyWithAPlan

savingholmes said:

The bar stories make me worry for DD who is about to have her first trip abroad.

Not surprised you O'D on animals after this little adventure. Hats off to you.

I am sure she will be fine. I have always ordered after looking at the menu so never had an issue I have traveled loads across the world solo for work and play for decades and never had any issues. Travel is one of the great ways to open your mind, your heart and options on living

Merlin's_Beard said:

Can definitely recommend a lazy cat - I'm the annoying one waking her up far too early for her liking!

The bar stories almost make me glad I'm not going abroad for a bit. Almost, anyway!

I am desperate to go away again - maybe next month  
It is in very high end beach bars I am, hearing these stories - both Ibiza and Mykonos - but then I often sneak in snacks for my sunbathing days ) 

NSD TODAY 14/13  - except a DD which I may cancel next month - for my side hobby that not done much with
TT £4.

Family coming back today but had one pop in this morning  so made him GF DF blueberry muffins as had so many in this defreeze session (freezer currently defreezing)
Made a double batch so sent him away with some and 15 left for people returning 
Plus I made a GF DF bread this morning for our brunch.

Looking forward to officially handing keys and leads over - the bitey dog not back til tomorrow eve - woohoo - I may go see my parents then.

Loads of work to do tomorrow for 3 companies so need to do a bit tonight or now but been a busy day - so on forum outside - its a bit chilly  but enjoying the wind.,
I have now got meatballs, mushrooms, onions, peppers in the slow cooker and was planning to do Boulangerie potatoes but then got too busy tidying etc - that many dogs cause a mess and the cleaner did not turn up  - ah well I saved £30 cash

I did buy loads food for here and myself yesterday- need to work out now much as paid cash  - £30 say? I was given some for the pets and bought food for all for their return so not quite clearcut - I will be able to put the addition from my underspend on my monthly groceries in my house savings

I did get 2 ground coffees on offer at Waitr00se - £3.75 each or 2 for £5. Plus I had a waitose £1 off another kind of ground coffee - A Japanese brand I love - but as they had none in stock Waitroo allows you to use voucher against similar products so £4 for 2 ground coffees plus 50p off DF ,milk - again I could use voucher against  one not in stock.

I also used my £6 free T)sco vouchers so Free Money was £9.75 with the two

I showed my family member today LOCOs mortgage OP spreadsheet to show OP's  and how they will reduce his interest  on his borrowing figures and also his years paying his mortgage - he has not got one yet - but thinking in next few months.. Starting the next gen on track.

LadyWithAPlan

Suffolk_lass said:

Goodness, I do hope our December (Christmas market) trip to NL does not mirror the Spanish charging. They will kill the goose that lays the golden eggs if they do that. Surely they realise...

I think Ibiza was hit too hard, especially as lots of people earnt nothing for 2 plus years, so a very specific issue. Lots of Brits waiting to get their spanish residencias - friends had their full applications in 11 months ago and nothing as yet and they are not supposed to work whilst they wait or leave Ibiza!. One of the stipulations for application was to have 10,000 euros in the bank and send a copy of the bank statement - so the same 10,000 euros got borrowed and passed on between lots of Brits who had just had 2020 with no earnings. So the Spanish govt have twigged this so asking a lot more info  despite ask for a fair amount of proof in the first application.
Another was to keep paying the monthly health insurance - about 168 euros a month - again a lot if you cant earn income there.

savingholmes

Your food sounds super tasty

Suffolk_lass

Is the LOCO calculator you refer to the New Mexico Credit Union?

LadyWithAPlan

Suffolk_lass said:

Is the LOCO calculator you refer to the New Mexico Credit Union?

Ha!! I have friends who live in Cancun and their covid vaccination certificate  looked exactly as dodgy as you would expect - hand drawn, crossed out, misspelling! They had so many issues travelling with it ..

No the locoblade mortgage OP spreadsheet that is on MFW and it seems loads of us use ) i have been plugging in OPs to see Getting a mortgage will be super fun just to start the process but 25% deposit will save 1% pa interest vs 20% so I need the extra 40-50k savings.

savingholmes said:

Your food sounds super tasty

I do like to cook - many years ago I did a lot of cookery evening classes -  terms of Thai, Chinese, 2 terms of Japanese, Malaysian, Italian, Indian .... but normally I cook for just me  and batch - so when I have others around I then cook up a storm and make  GF DF cakes as well.

I made up a new version of potato boulangerie (which I had never tried - only read about) yesterday
Had bought lots of mushrooms, onions  from Aldi etc so gently fried them up, par boiled sliced potatoes and then layered them .. I then added some hot vegetable stock - and oven baked for 40 odd mins with herbs and fresh basil. Everyone loved it, some of the potato top was crispy. I added grated cheese  on after for those who could eat cheese..

I am missing my pressure cooker though - it would have zapped it. Its now my starting point for cooking. I have my 2nd fridge /freezer turned off but I am going to borrow Tilly's monthly freezer and larder inventory approach and then focus on what I buy.

My parents are looking to downgrade from 3 freezers to 2 ...ahead of the winter ..cos of running costs -  hard as its harvest time and I took lots of plums and apples to them - their plum tree didn't produce this year and there is a red apple tree here like no apple I have ever had - there are maybe 12 varieties of apples, plus cookers but this red one is a proper Snow White one. I will be taking loads back to London also. i may have a go at dehydrating loads in the oven or if my instant pot can do - maybe in a slow cooker?

I have all but handed back my Ms Doolittle reins back - woohoo - still fed the dogs this morning and cute but bitey dog was bought back. He is cute but all the dogs barking now, rough play and he not been reintroduced to the big dog he went after .
Leaving here tomorrow to see parents then back home Thursday - I will miss the bucolic delights of the pagoda, sofa and outdoor fountain, I am ready to swap my wellies for stilettoes, horse eye drops for red lipstick
I moved bedrooms though last night so had 2 cats wrestling for my attention all night,.. grrr.

I have pushed for an invoice and a promised amount to be paid  in thirds and they tried to bargain me down by £2k!! Really unimpressed - their over spending has put them in difficulties not me ... Years of them doing great and having excess funds  and they have spent like crazy business wise and personally  - they now losing a few clients and they are panicking.
 Plus they trying to push more personal expenses into business so I am having to hold strong and refuse.

Note to all business owners - when the good times roll, pay your debts, keep cash in reserve, invest in the future of you and your company  - not just party  and spend huge like the good times will last for ever. They rarely ever do.

Luckily I learn this spending  lesson years ago for myself - I have now budgeted on a monthly basis for me and my self employed basis for the last decade - hence my savings and unwillingness to overstretch myself.

Once I am back in London this weekend I will look at what I can declutter, decide on the next 4 months what I want to achieve for end of year and maybe get another contract job to get my savings up. I also want to clean everything and start afresh 
I dont have my budget papers with me for Sept ....
I use an old version of the Dave Ramsey one - most categories dont apply but its the familiarity - I tried doing it on a spreadsheet - I am queen of them -and then I have a pre-collated track of spending -  however I just like having a paper budget especially as assessing my monthly incomings is so hard so I like to work figures by hand.

The other company main director who owes me big  is on holiday - they owe me loads but have paid me some back stuff so no clue when I am next getting it 

Not sure if either if the companies who owe me will pay me tomorrow for EOM so I luckily have a £1k EF and the same amount to cover my 1st of the month bills

NSD 15/13 WOOHOO - its GF chip today again but no doubt they will pay it. I bought and cooked dinner for 6 last night so 

TT £2 ...
Looking forward to moving it all over on 31st


Free money I won a 2 hour London cookery school experience 
Not been doing much comping but I will start again once home ahead of Xmas

savingholmes

Great news on the win.

Ouch to people not wanting to pay the bill.

Sounds like your other plans / side hustles need to ramp up accordingly but sure you're on it.

Your fruit haul sounds nice. They could always have a go at bottling fruit or making jam if they have no freezer space. Some people on MSE are apparently even making fruit vinegars...

Suffolk_lass

savingholmes said:

Great news on the win.

Ouch to people not wanting to pay the bill.

Sounds like your other plans / side hustles need to ramp up accordingly but sure you're on it.

Your fruit haul sounds nice. They could always have a go at bottling fruit or making jam if they have no freezer space. Some people on MSE are apparently even making fruit vinegars...

I am guilty of bottling. It saves on the freezer costs but you need to keep an eye on the jars for any failures (some of my clip top jar seals are old and I am having to build in use-ups of winter stored fruit). They taste better than frozen and keep better if they are sealed right