Prosperous soul embraces creativity & mortgage neutrality

savingholmes

Thanks MF and welcome back @mark55man - I dread to think how many posts you are behind LOL!!

Well the metal shed is gone. I'm really happy to have the space back and am £60 up. Thanks @try_harder for the inspiration to sell more. Hairdresser only takes cash so will use that cash then but at least it reduces pressure on my bank account. I now have about £85 cash so will have some money left but will potentially use that towards food.

My next challenge is to start listing:

• a bike rack
• my bike (too heavy a frame for me and not a good ride)
• a dog crate
• a puppy pen
• a rocking chair
• an 1k3a chair
• a 1930s writing desk (I bought 2 - thinking I'd starting doing furniture up - but it's been months and I haven't)
• an air sprayer (used once if ever)
• a TV swivel arm
• a bar stool
• curtains

My garage might even start to be usable if I cleared that lot out... Plenty more where that list came from... 

I need to go out and fill up now... Scary!!! I won't even get back from one round trip for DD otherwise and at the moment I'm due a second in another week. Will use CC for now but if I manage to sell more stuff or the other £ is returned should be short lived.

beanielou

Ice cream farm sounds good.

EssexHebridean

That's a great list of items to try to get sold - and well done on getting shot of the shed too! 

Fingers crossed DD's car isn't too bad after all. 

savingholmes

Thank you Beanie and EH

Decided to check if can get free via GP before joining SW. Also tried texting consultant and no response which doesn't feel like a good sign.

DD has found out she is now coming back Wednesday night instead of Friday.... Her college is shut this week and next which seems part of it. I hate the constant change though.

For anyone worrying about my finances, I will be fine it was just a shock. Plenty in the house to eat and a large CC limit if needed.

Orangetoes

Well done for the selling list. Space in the garage would be great! 

jwil

Good luck with the sales, that will be a nice bit of space!

Hope your parents have a mild case.

savingholmes

Thanks @Orangetoes

I've spoken to the SW consultant now. He seems really nice. It's a relatively small group that stay so that sounds cope-able with. I know where they meet now and can picture how to get there. I will wait and double check to see if I can get it free via my GP though as that would save me £60. They've promised to let me know by Thursday.

DS is coming back tomorrow evening - and with DD now returning Wednesday night it was all feeling a bit too busy this week.One of my balance classes has a stand in this week so I may skip it. I need to wash my bedding and the stuff for DS's bed. The cat spends a lot of time in his room - and he's quite allergic so not a great combination. 

I've used the energy club to check my forecast energy prices. It is suggesting that I am already on the right direct debit level - although Sh311 wanted to put it up dramatically. Their rate might be correct if there is another price hike in October - but I am hoping to have had a payrise and / or PIP by then - so I'd rather wait to increase it. BG's estimate of my electricity use is about a third of what it was with 4 of us at home. That will be helped by DD spending part weeks away - so I just need to be aware that if she is home full time next Winter the figures could be very different - although that will still be helped by her being out during the day. I will nip upstairs and turn her sockets off though.

I also checked the credit club and my score is almost back to full even though it's not showing any of my recent payments or the cancelled CC. I think it must be just from updating my pay last month - plus an extra month has passed since the 'searches'.

My B bank rewards fee increased in April and what they return now cancels each other out which is irritating. I'm not going take out their insurance or a loan or whatever so it may not be worth even keeping. I may look at moving my more significant direct debits elsewhere to see if I can get some sort of cashback on them as it's not worth staying for that. I don't want to close that account though as I have over 30 years worth of history with them. I am tempted to set up another account so I can switch it though. Sant is averaging giving me around £1.50 a month - better than nothing. I will be at gift card level spend with Am**** within the next few months but that's not a great sign. M&S are due to give me a £40 gift card in August. It all helps.

Hope you are all navigating life's challenges well... and ducking occasionally!!

Blackcats

I'm exhausted just reading your diary.  I hope your parents are ok - there is so much covid about at the moment - I've just been to a family gathering and everyone was hugging, crowding into the lift to get to the function room, little sign of hand sanitising and a large table full of buffet food formed the centrepiece ...... it's as if the last 2 years haven't happened.

beautiful artwork, thank you for sharing with us.

skint_spice

I am not putting my DD up as high as Sh*ll suggest either SH, not far off but they still came back and told me off.  Nope I will be using less thanks...

savingholmes

@Blackcats - Yes I'm exhausted too. Not helped by 100 mile round trip today before work.

@skint_spice - I think with Sh311 they aren't taking into account that many of us will need to change our energy habits to stay afloat / afford anything else. DS and his house share mates don't use the heating at all. They can't afford to. They just use hot water - and that was before the changes! I can see 2022 being the year of the multi-layered wardrobe. Thermals inside!! Let's hope the planet benefits.