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

LadyWithAPlan

@beanielou Yes and for glass cleaning  dishwashers are amazing- just not the same  as handwashing a glass - unless people have any tips on getting clean glasses? - no matter how hot the water and w/up liquid they never the same.


Savings  UP £20.89 - TT and an extra cash payment in  so  £405.04    /£1319.73 
I have added this to my s&s isa  (i get hr tax on my interest due to my deposit size)


Hse Deposit £108,701.16 - next target £110k!
(inc EF, all buying expenses - does not include £3k extra if h2b isa kicks in as nearly at max but need to buy under £450k for that so not counting that yet but will cover some legal costs hopefully)

Having read a few diaries I am impressed on people having more side hustles etc - I definitely have the time to step it up...

Spent again this morning - some xmas gifts £4.50 though after I used some vouchers

£10 added into my Hargrea*** Lansdowne SIPP to invest my dividends  so  this makes  £100 this month into my SIPP
Annoyingly they now have a minimum investment of £100 - it used to be £25. So I have income /dividends in there I have been waiting to move into a cheap fund. I have most my SIPP (£40k+ vs £5k+) in my Vanguard sipp - so much cheaper but I have kept the HL one for 3 singular stock and some housing reits - its down in value whilst my Van is up ...  The monthly SIPP charge at hl is £2 /month so need to leave cash in for that - I am trusting that in a decade or 2 it will come back

I am not planning to add any sizeable cash again into this Har SIPP though I gather having a small pension pot elsewhere can be withdrawn (I know nothing re pension drawdown though I am getting near the 55 age limit somehow (complete mystery to me where the years have gone! I still feel 23  

Prolific 
i did my first survey today £2 in a year ... I have £3.27 waiting so need to get to £5 - this house deposit needs to grow

savingholmes

On the pension you can drawdown small lump sums but pay tax on them - where if you had a larger sum you could take 25% tax free. There's lots on the net about it. The main issue is not to trigger the pension saving limit by withdrawing funds too early - you have to make sure it doesn't count as 'recycling' the money too. I also saw an article that said if you stop paying in at 55 you'll have 59% less money to last you through retirement cf retiring at normal age. Definitely do your research. You can have a free call with a gov help organisation if you over 50 if that would help you or post on the pensions board and ask about your options. That would probably be more useful.

LadyWithAPlan

Thanks @savingholmes for that - I do need to learn though I thought I could only get free tax advice if I had a DC pension which I dont. maybe I am wrong..
 I am not planning any drawdown as yet - I have money to make and HR tax pay (hopefully) to get tax rebates on. I do have an old DB pension that kicks in at 60 - about £7k a year but no plans to take that either - I have left this house buying late so planning to work hard for another 13 years or so - got some big important goals to hit. I have had a lot of fun, freedom and travel in my very wonderful  life - I have  no real responsibilities eg no kids or a OH - but now I do understand I have to plan for the next phase in 15-20 years as well. 
My SIPP which was at £0 in  April 2020 is now £46k so we are getting there. I will get full SP at least.  For now I am just shuffling 15% or whatever is over the BR tax into my SIPP at the end of each year.

Minimalist game yesterday did my 4/4 (more like 10/4 as scraps of paperwork .. so today needs to be 5/5 - I actually like getting in the rhythm of this - I will tackle a few drawers at a time I think to get the amounts building - home definitely looking better now i am here and not dashing all over the planet at speed.

My local gym has accepted my Student id and card so thats confirmed £380 annual v £680 normal - plus I can use any gym of their's nationwide so huge saving
I didnt go yesterday nor for the walk I had planned with a friend as I got stuck into a work project til gone 8pm which I am glad I powered through on. Need to go first thing in the morning.
Tracking the cost of use I think a monthly figure is more sensible than annual following @dawnybabes idea
so £31.67 per month so far been once (only joined 2 days ago) so 
thats £31.67 for day 1. I will start again Oct 1st so lets see what I can do this week - got college at the tail end

Boot* - I chased up the missing item by calling them (they only delivered 2 of the 3 for 2 offer) and they are sending it out. I had on Saturday emailed them through their contact help line as they were shut and no response. At least I have a free (3 for 2)  night cream winging its way to me - the Future Rene* no 7 stuff which I think is great - so this is my first reorder (using day, night and the serum)


The freezer still isn't empty - argh. frozen veg, fruit, bread, soup or stock now mainly. This has taken weeks! I manage to stuff a lot in there.. I may be doing a final 'Defrost soup' recipe to get it empty...
Still one lot of soup portion to eat.
I did buy some fresh veg and GF meatballs plus beetroot - I will make a beetroot soup and HM stock from my chicken carcass in the pressure cooker - only thing is I will want to freeze the excess ..


Prolific - after my first survey in a year yesterday I have done a couple others. so once 45p has cleared I will move it entirely into my house deposit - want a regular ideally daily increase into that savings to keep me focused.
Plus any excess from my current accts and Sept pots - where I did not spend apart from those long term savings pots such as new tech and Hols and bulk -  I will move into the Hse deposit - really want to see if I can hit £110k by Sat 30. I do have an uplift in my s&s  but only £70 or so

SPENDING  £27.69 spent
Now I have my student card I have just applied for the 6 months free then half price Amazon prime - l have not had it before.  Largely as I have a couple gifts to buy - a baby shower book - Your Baby Week By Week someone else on here raved about and also some magic hydrogel which I need as my face wand thing has arrived v quickly - it looks a bit high tech but will ask my friend how one uses it - its got radio freq!!  and more led lights! This time a green, red and blue option so...

 Anything worth watching on Amazon Prime?


List to get done today
Training on my side hustle  - 0 yesterday as well
Minimalism 5 things to declutter today
Complain to Unite* airlines re my 8 hour queue - 
Confirm date of my Oct extra side hustle job - and money
Get some more work done for Client A if they replied yet to my finished work of yesterday
Client  B - send 2 emails and pull couple reports,  
Emails for Client C 
Get to the gym whilst its still warm outside - chest and triceps
Put away, wash up and put away again ...
Get Balthazar my robot vacuum for a quick clean
More MB
Do some more competitions
13 mins hot spot boogie - in lounge to prepare for the throw

To do tomorrow /rest of week
Defrost the freezer/clean out the fridge (its an all in one)
More work
Book theatre tix as won 2 as waiting for friend to come back on dates
Sort out PAYE - big task as QB not adding up correctly and they disagree with what HMRC says. sigh..
Sort out whiteboard on whats next
Get study functional again
Look at budget and do a Sept spending review as I do want to start seeing what I spend as well as doing my beg of the month budget and my pots.
Do Oct budget - I have a big family bday coming up which I need to organise as well.
Finalise Oct extra side hustle and send what they need. start prepping

savingholmes

Good luck with sort the tax and payroll issues. 

How are your side hustles coming along now? I know the programme idea got lost in the computer meltdown but a few months ago you were exploring another major side hustle. Did anything come of that?

On your DB pension - I checked my old one - I can take it from 60 and get no benefit from waiting - so you may just be able to have it as extra dosh even if you are still working. Definitely get some advice if you are unsure. 

LadyWithAPlan

savingholmes said:

Good luck with sort the tax and payroll issues. 

How are your side hustles coming along now? I know the programme idea got lost in the computer meltdown but a few months ago you were exploring another major side hustle. Did anything come of that?

On your DB pension - I checked my old one - I can take it from 60 and get no benefit from waiting - so you may just be able to have it as extra dosh even if you are still working. Definitely get some advice if you are unsure. 

tx - not sorted payroll yet (its mine) and I do have to do my accounts as mid last year I finally set up a company but I have in the one year SE and company income so  I definitely need to take a couple days out in the next month or so..
Really dont want to leave it til Jan.

 On side hustle one (not programme) I have earnt a bit - but should earn some in October £250 at least  .. but need to focus on the sales and up to speed even more of that more .. Xmas is a good time (as is programme Xmas is perfect to sell  but I cant see me getting to that with college classes, work and pushing and improving side hustle - its quicker easier cash flow vs setting up websites and trying to market/sell the programme)

Interesting on your DB pension - I think when I read paperwork ages ago there was a monetary increase by  delaying but I will 100% check thanks - a few years away but not as far as I ever imagined. Course I will be taxed on it if I do get it - its nearly a 30yr old pension - from my first uni job - I did ask a couple years ago just to get an idea of value - not that I would cash it in as it is DB - but it was about £245k! Just shows the earlier you start.. I do know once SP kicks in I then take a loss  (£160 or more`per month) on db pension - some people were taking this to court so not sure on outcome there 

Inspired by @savingholmes and her looking at houses - I am slowly looking on right move - saw a couple that looked interesting - one maybe for £400k - the thought of all the paperwork I need to do to get on this is a bit ah! However year end accounts and paye are part of that as well as saving and going to ombudsman again about my energy issue - they have wrongly dinged my credit score against the agreement  and I need to fight that battle again  - sigh  -  Credit score went from high to 580 or something - its the only 'wrong' or negative thing on there for decades  - i am v prompt in all bills and never been late on my rent ever - though for some reason that fact is on there . ridiculous they dont track rent.

Gym at 7am! 2/4 days so  as £31.67/month I am on £15.84 per day
Oh yes - I woke up 04.30 (bed at 11.30)  and in the end got up so booked a yoga class at 7.15am! I did manage a super set of legs first quickly but once I had done the yoga I was ready to leave.. I had meant to get there beforehand to do more weights but I do need to stretch more  - I will need a 20min snooze probably later on for class tonight

Its annoying how great you feel when you are early to bed early to rise - doesnt suit my lifestyle but I do get more things done

Shopping £14/ so £186/£200 grocery for month and £7 of bulk so £11/£50 bulk spent
Lid* is next to the gym. My only concern re gym is as Lid* is next door I pop in too much  - today to see if there were any veg boxes but there were not (8.30am)
Mainly veg, 9 toilet rolls and tinned pulses  bulk buy as I had 15% off them . I refused to buy any meat/fish as still on the defrost freezer mission - found some bacon there last night - so eggs, bacon, spinach, kale and tomato friend brekkie I have meatballs and herrings in fridge plus various tinned fish.
I will cook for college tomorrow as it will be a long day and the coffee last week was £3.95 (DF milk) but still! I may take a coffee flask in as well - going out to see friends straight after so..

The pressure cooker did my HM chicken stock last night from the carcass and today I will pressure cook the beetroot for soup - (best way I have discovered after years of boiling or roasting it)  however I do still have 3 HM stock frozen - but didnt want my chicken bones to go to waste! 
Plan is to defrost/clean out fridge this weekend no matter whats left in there.

Hse savings  up £6.19  - so £411.23  /£1319.73 
Prolific payout to house deposit £6.19 out thats going to my ISA S&S.. This £150,000 target is getting there penny by penny


FROGS today
Client A - invoices - get organised and push for payment plans - HUGE MUST DO FROG
Client A - response on my work of earlier this week and updates
Client A - some other queries..
Client B - 2.5 hours work so am ahead on Friday
PAYE - organise mess of QB v hmrc
Unite* complaint - not sure will get anything but probably worth a 30 min attempt
Confirm Oct side hustle and fee and then organise as required
Did 5/5 minimalism game yesterday so 6/6 to do today - 3 so far - this is getting me to look a little piles of paperwork at present
College this eve
Work on side hustle 1 - I did about an hour last night so pleased with myself

No sweets (as in Harib*) since last Tues so 9/9 days - have been pressure cooking cookers instead from parents garden - much healthier and tastier
No crisps since last Tuesday - except whilst drinking Friday.. 
I refused to buy either - if I buy I eat so...

This weekend frogs
Whiteboard organise for next month to do
Budget
Review Sept spending - dont normal review but I need to start


Gorgeous sunny day here  and I have found a FREE eve sewing course at my local college next week start - I was looking to do one for £380 next term but I am tempted to sign up ... need to start again and I was never that confident.. However it will make me busy 3 nights a week plus Thursday all day - but the free bit is pulling me -  they dont happen often! So I have emailed about it.. Still more study means less spending on going out

LadyWithAPlan

Wow an incredibly long day - working this morning from home - various emergency things others hadn't done including the chartered accountant  for one company I work with having forgotten again re company filing dates .. they forgot 2 days before  filing date - got the 3 month extension then I got a panicked email about a teams meeting this morning  as realised new filing was 30th Sept! Luckily for them I was all organised ..  and an amount that client was delaying paying is going to get paid finallly  (under £1k) so that will be going into savings..
I didnt get my huge frog done so thats tomorrow...

Only 2 days to get up to £110k hse deposit goal as my Sept saving aim but I need paying  first from 2 clients  as need rent money - I do have short term EF and money sitting in current accounts in case 

Plus got an email re 2 more abroad trip for another client so looked at travel costs for those.. but happy to go as will be nice places and a change as winter draws in. 

The college classes - 2 of them back to back.. i did take some HM protein banana blueberry GF muffins that helped and bought one DF latte - £3.75 but I needed the energy. I may need to get a small flask for coffee.. I only have a huge one thats complete overkill. At 3.75 a coffee vs a flask for £10. I am happy to pay for coffee in a nice place but at my local college! Even the black coffee is £2.90 so ...
Got in at 10pm and had some tortilla )egg/potato/chorizo) with half an avocado, HG tomatoes from parents, organic spinach and then a satsuma.. Oh the glamour - but I do have my fabulous faux fur heated throw on across my legs as I type .. then off to bed early..

My sugar free spell I broke yesterday - bought £1.22 of Squas**ies as I went to college yesterday for my 6-9 pm class - v early start yesterday 4.,30am and my nap didnt help.. so not gonna stress about the UPF as I needed the quick sugar fix..

No ufp sugar 9/10 days
No crisps 9/10
I did the whiteboard yesterday - amazing when one gets up at 4.30am how much gets done ...

I have a long day of work tomorrow but hopefully will make the gym tomorrow as well - as no time today - this weekend I have catch up and college homework to do.. plus see friends etc
My friends were ill so tonights drinks been postponed to next week. I am not sure on this extra course (free) Tuesday eves as it leaves me with no time in the week.

Minimalism Game  did 6/6 yesterday so I am going to do 7/7 today before bed - I have done 2 so far...   I really like going round looking for things to declutter especially as I have so many papers lying everywhere that its easy to add up the items on this Flat looks better.

My face wand arrived and its interesting  but definitely far more effort than the led mask I can just put on and leave - the wand involves gel and actually  sculpting face with it .. hmmm ideally daily!  Given its all about consistency ..I will try and take action but .. i am not renowned for my patience,

KajiKita

Ref the freezer defrosting, do you have an insulated food bag you could use / borrow to put the food in? The mass of cold food keeps everything colder for longer whilst you are doing the defrost / clean down. Plus a hairdryer is your friend …. or so Mr KK tells me - he does the defrosting round here! 😉

KK

savingholmes

I'd find that wand too much work too

LadyWithAPlan

@savingholmes I agree with you - for me the LED MASK  which I literally put on a clean face for 20 mins and watch TV or sleep or wash up is  decent low effort and I am seeing results ... 


Thanks @KajiKita - I will definitely lump all the frozen food together  then - not much in there now - some GF bread, few bits veg, fruit and of course the ubiquitous HM stock - have used one lot today for my beetroot soup -(so tasty and first for Autumn 2023)  but I gather I can defrost stock and refreeze as long as I heat it up in between so.. a highlight of my weekend as there is no Mr KK or a Mr LWAP  here

In doing my BIG frog task (which is done woohoo!) I could see all the monies  spent and places  I went with text ex- a strange way to look back at life and a  few month dating disaster  via your accounting software  as you exclude the personal - the dinners, the travel, the excessive food bills.. the pubs .. I dont really do pubs  beyond maybe a weekend pub lunch or my local for the footie but he did  .. and in fact I am back to drinking once a week max again so my drinking is much less since he text and ran....


BIG MASSIVE SCARY FROG done = house ownership suddenly is a almost see-able possibility
My big frog task  is done - it wasnt scary just hard focus dragging my feet work til I saw  how much the one company owes me .... loads... so so much as I have just invoiced for the month again.. as in 5 figures owed across the lots ...  now its almost scary ...
so much so that when I get paid it all (and guesstimating taxes) my home ownership dream is super near as in spring or summer 2024 ! I do have faith they will pay it but I will need to push it much more than I have done and ask for interest. They like the cash flow in their business but I now need it in mine to squirrel away like nuts  

I will have a chat with them Monday - still doing bits but I do think me really raising my income now - maybe get another PT consultancy could really help with this house buying - no wonder I have not been feeling flush  with so much unpaid - luckily my frugal lifestyle and budget pots helps so when this cash starts getting paid down in chunks as I will suggest  I will be feeling flush and happy to save most of it... I  love where I live and rent now but this is for the enxt section of my life .. I want a small garden and a dog ... 




SIPP £45683.04      £320 added in Sept.
EOM value so down £349 in terms of the markets on the month - would be down ££670 w/out my additions ...
 .. my HL stocks sipp is far more volatile than my van& so hence not planning to add more to Har*reaves
SIPP - added £220 to it today so that makes £320 added  in Sept added however markets are down  ...
Got paid a very old small ish  invoice today so happy and added to my SIPP - one part I was not sure I was getting it as it was agreed then they back tracked but now its arrived..  yeah


I am waiting for more invoices to be paid - aiming to put 15% in from each invoice paid into SIPP 

Spending -  NSD really but I saw on Edinburgher thread that TCB have a £2 cashback if you spend today - so I am not sure if I have done it right but I have bought a £10 waitr*se gift card for £10 and if I get £2 cb I will be happy .  If not nothing is wasted.
I can see I have cashback due from my Heated throw Boo*ts purchase and no7 creams as well pending - and I have just started using ZIPZERO  so more there as well in pennies but it seems I am have not quite worked out how to get the max out of it - waiting for extra % I think....
I also am getting a small amount on airtime rewards as well on booTs etc so its all helping - every few pence means less borrowing

Hse deposit round up   - Current £108596.87  -  Sept £411.23  /£1319.73     saved.. (might hit the £110k yet!)
   20% of it is in the markets  - but once I get paid more Monday  I can move more sitting in my current accts to savings - the joys of being SE.... and a contractor. I have rent etc to pay this week.
as Van s&s isa is down this month to tune of  - £110.58   down  to £22,251.78  (moved the £6.19 from Prolific in there) 
I also will do my spending review and see what I can move from pots into house deposit.
Plus MB review... however casino has not gone in my favour this week so probably flat..

GYM - 0 2/6 now.... yesterday too busy and today I worked for 2 clients inc the scary frog til gone 9pm but I was determined to get this done.
Minimalism Game - 7/7 yesterday - will do 8/8 today ... I plan once I get to Oct 1st to start at 1 again for ease... its a little bit of magic as you are looking for things to declutter - on way to gym tomorrow I have 2 dresses and a pair of shoes - I could try to sell them but honestly its easier to get it out the flat.. both dresses were CS buys that never quite worked - the shoes a gift that doesnt work ..

My whiteboard is helping so looking forward to a chilled weekend as my weekdays are crazy with all these classes and life. I am feeling very autumnal and wanting to hibernate a bit ... I am looking on RM - I can see some flats 2 bed for £450k a bit further out .. I will start properly looking soon.

YNAB - I am looking again at YNAB - just to see if it will help me tighten my own purse strings as I look at this house deposit - I have spent loads the last few months - I have had the cash but maybe a trial of YNAB may be worth it. I do have Quickbook*s accounts software for my business and always done paper budgets for my own life -  i like to scribble on them and  I have short and long term savings pots already so I am not sure on YNAB added value however I may try the free 34 day trial this weekend.. Never say never  - though the learning gap around it could be dull .. hmmm

savingholmes

Glad you are going to chase the invoices. 8% interest technically I think you can charge them for overdue invoices over a certain amount. May depend on the type of organisation. 

Good luck with your plans. You've certainly got your head back in the game quickly.