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

LadyWithAPlan

@Suffolk_lass thats weird !-
My DIY class has started well - I loved learning and changing taps and washers in the class. Plus the difference between those quarter turn taps and normal taps. I feel I have learned so much basic plumbing from how to fix the toilet, replace the diaphragm, different kinds of valves,.. all in 3 hours in the new DIY class. I am now eyeing up the taps in my flat and thinking of buying some ex display ones and have a practice at replacing them. I can always put the old ones back when I leave - I can update the flat as much as I want 

I know know what an isolation joint etc  and what tools you need!

We are doing laying of plumbing  later in - so build pipes and test them

@Cheery_Daff I have never fixed in my own washing machine but also feel like I could have a go now


Still not been paid but luckily I have my pots and an EF.

Spending
£1.80 on floss ( I have a toiletries pot)

£1 Monday on way to course (and also 79p today)  on sweets - from Treats and entertainment pot.. Sweets -...  I can see if I don't eat properly in the day I crave sweets..for short term energy


Wed GC spending
Despite saying no Grocery spending til the weekend ...

I was late to bed, late to rise, had sudden work thing to do and then ran out to hairdressers starving - I only go every 2.5 months...) So as I was early I spent £2.80 on some salami and some reduced peanuts.
On the way home I was near the Mr Mark*.. so popped in as sometimes  they have good bargains - was going to buy couple things but huge queue so I didnt.

£14.53  of which £3.70 bulk
So then popped to Mr Ald* as near there - I normally do Mr Lid* but needed some linseed and sunflower seeds for bulk .No chia seeds in. I also got some frozen blueberries and frozen peas that other stores did not have on my last few visits.
No real reductions -some Tomatoes- bought also  celery as soup making soon, blueberry soya yogurt,  bananas, DF milk, also a green thai curry mix to try with some YS chicken in my freezer.



Grocery spending Sep 22 GC £65.44 /£160  + £18.70 /55.50 bulk - all paid from cash

NSD 6/16 - Tuesday 

TT 20p

Cheery_Daff

Ooh, good to hear about your class, you've learned loads already! I've never changed a tap, wouldn't know where to start without hours of YouTube 😂 very impressed! You may be disappointed to hear Mr Cheery did the washing machine while I was working yesterday 😂

savingholmes

Your course sounds excellent.

LadyWithAPlan

Cheery_Daff said:

Ooh, good to hear about your class, you've learned loads already! I've never changed a tap, wouldn't know where to start without hours of YouTube 😂 very impressed! You may be disappointed to hear Mr Cheery did the washing machine while I was working yesterday 😂

Taps turn out to be super easy! And I am now in awe of the simple yet brilliant engineering design of the toilet. 

It’s good mr c feels useful  and that your WM works 

@savingholmes it so far is fascinating and useful 
All ladies which is nice as well - everyone is v supportive of my million questions!

LadyWithAPlan

So I did a good deed today - a neighbour/friend needed someone to pop out to get some LFT -so I did a special trip out -  it came to 12.99 for 5 and he sent me over £15 - i offered to give him the £2.01 'tip' back he said dont worry.

So I transferred it with some TT money in the one account and rolled up to £6 and sent to my baby Van isa.
I have now £21 in cash in there but I want to buy a ETF - the VHYL dividend one which is £48 or so per unit. - Previously I was adding my TT in to funds where I can just add £2 but decided I am saving up to buy a whole unit
Less than £600 in this 22/23 baby new isa  but the charges are much better.
The £20k+ I have in Fid**y in my other old 20-22 S&S ISA is costing me just under £6 /month so £60/year! - I had set it up as a Cavendish one which was cheaper but they were taken over. I would transfer it out but I would have to sell all the units as I already have a Van  S&S isa set up for this year and so it would not accept the funds + ETF  as they not Vanguard.
I have 30k+ in my Van SIPP vs £20k in Fide isa and my annual charges are under £40 Van  vs £60 Fid
So 50% more!! 

Hse savings £102,031 /£125k

I am getting frustrated with both companies as neither are paying me, saying cash flow.. The one who owes me more I am less concerned about (as we getting new funding in and there was some back pay last month) however the £4k owed by another I have worked for over a decade is annoying as I know it is cos of their previous overspending in business and life. So I am less tolerant.

I have more than enough to cash to live on but thats cos of my frugal ways and house savings ... but that does not excuse the fact that if I had a mortgage, kids etc I would be more concerned.

I am still being lazy/procrastinating by not applying for new jobs ... and still doing bits of work for both companies but definitely dragging my feet ...and  hoping this brand collab on my side business may still be happening as it is meant to - so I am frustrated with them, myself for not taking action and also not being able to move my Sept pots and budget over .. Luckily I kept some back from last month so could cover this months bills inc rent and a £1k EF

It may or may not be a NSD as a friend is in town as they work for no 11 downing street so here to help with the Queue.. Loving the fact there is the no 1 uk trending twitter hashtag is the Queue and every saying how British it is. 

themadvix

I don't Twitter, so hadn't seen that, but it made me smile - thanks. It is truly the British way, isn't it!

South_coast

Apparently it's been nicknamed "The Elizabeth Line" 😀

LadyWithAPlan

@themadvix @South_coast It is times like this (and Eurovision) when twitter shows its brilliance 

LadyWithAPlan

Just been reading through some very interesting energy threads as people are sensibly trying to work out where the big power guzzlers are in their homes. This thread was particularly interesting and I learnt lots..
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6379621/oct-price-cap-increase-likely-to-push-energy-bill-to-over-10k-for-a-family-of-4/p1

Just looked up my fridge freezer - 7 years old and apparently its F rating - and uses 261 kwh/annum -I currently pay  27.991p/kwh so that makes it £73.05/year to run - prices are going up though as we know. Not too bad - I emptied my other fridge freezer (it was free) in the spring as I was going away - i liked it though for all the batch cooking - but have not turned it on again and probably will not for while. I will need to get active in eating my freezer food down YS food is not such a bargain if I have to run two freezers so and my current one is packed.

I will get an energy monitor  and then I can pass it on to family.

Working from home it's inevitable energy usage is up but it is £2.60/£3  each way on the tube to work .. so £6 a day I dont spend that on wfh plus food bills at work. Winter will be more usage of course but I don't feel the cold I never have  and a heated throw (along with a mandolin for better crisp sizes) is next months home purchase
I often catch buses as they are cheaper £1.65 but not to work as takes forever. My travel yesterday - a tube and a london short train return  to hairdressers was £9 .. ouch.,
I will up my hair pot by £3/4 a month to cover extra travel. I go every 2.5/3 months.

I really wanted some crisps today as I was working late so I made my own again in the microwave so less fat Absolutely delicious and very MSE - 2 YS organic potatoes, some salt, a bit of oil and 5 mins in the microwave..which is about 1p    (700w use about 0.7 kwh /hour - So total cost more like 10-15p max 
 I did add some red chilli houmous but still having eaten crisps all my life now I am loving making them,!

I will buy the basic tortilla chips from  ald/lid/Mr S 'snax'  as they about 40p for  a large bag - have just corn, oil and salt in and super crunchy but my potato chip buying days  for the home are done  - no doubt I will eat some in pubs with alcohol but still

NSD -  7/16
I was going to see friends but then ended up working ...Nearly bought an energy monitor but its in my ebay bag ...for the next spend day - partly a gift 
 I have the memorial tomorrow so will be drinks/travel  to pay for

TT  - was the round up from my 'tip' of picking up some lft at the chemists for my friend - he looked awful as I saw him from a distance

Deposit Savings in 2022 
I looked at what my savings balance was from end 2021 as I forgot I was on MFW 2022 thread -  and updated it - pretty impressive savings this year even though I feel I should be doing more. However good to see my frugal living is working.

April £12,332.41 (round up of Jan-Apr)
July £5,603.99 
Aug  £5024.31 

so total £22,978.71 in 2022  - goal of £33,000 is v doable  - I should surpass it
I will send in September once month is finished - still waiting on unpaid invoices

No gym  again or declutter today but a fair amount of hard brain work started (was procrastinating a bit as I knew it would be tough but once I started it was not too bad after all ) and got through so I am pleased with that 

@savingholmes I will pm you the choc protein muffin recipe

savingholmes

Thanks for the pm

Loved the queue.

Get applying for jobs woman!! Get that income in...