Prosperous soul embraces creativity & mortgage neutrality

savingholmes

Thanks @badmemory and @Blackcats

It's upsetting in all honesty. I never asked for or expected the £ - and it's caused me more stress than not having it originally would have done. This person gave me £4K - and has asked to borrow £2K back. I'm not going to offer to give the other £2K as I need a security blanket. I don't have much contact with this person and I was surprised in the first place that they gave me £. They very much phrased it as repaying my past favours - when they gave me the money - as I helped them when they went to uni and they lived with us at times - therefore it felt more balanced than it might otherwise appear. They said I could say 'no' to the loan request but I didn't feel that was a realistic option.

Ironically this person gave me the latest £2k so I wouldn't worry as much about the energy crisis or about how much DD was or was not contributing. I'm now semi locked into an amount with DD - and yet by withdrawing the £ my financial picture will now change at the worst possible time.

The gov need to solve the structural problems in the energy market instead of sticking plasters. The quotes for next year are even crazier... Yet - I am on a decent income - so may not get any future cash depending on how they draw up any scheme... 

Working hard to keep perspective:

• Grateful I've got a fixed rate mortgage.
• Grateful I've had a pay rise this year.
• Grateful I should get a COL increase around Nov/Dec - backdated to April.  
• Grateful I'm due a further increment in Dec.
• Grateful I'm getting P1P - and that it should get an inflation based increase next year.
• Grateful SP will rise significantly next year - and that I'm not at an age that I need to draw it yet.
• Grateful my DB pensions will rise by at least 5% - not clear whether the older one is capped. Think the current one isn't capped.
• Grateful the gov has given £150 already and another £550 to come
• Grateful by October payday if I minimise my gas usage - I should go into the new price cap nearly £400 in credit
• Grateful DD is contributing £150 pcm towards CT (50/200) and utilities (100/239 currently - potentially rising to 100/429 or beyond after Xmas).
  
• Grateful that I could return to the office to stay warm if needed - although my fuel bill would rise - still cheaper than heating at the predicted rates.
• Grateful I will still have some savings even after returning the £2K.

As an MSE'r though it feels like I've already cut a lot of fat out my budget. In the game of 'how low can you go' I have a high level of fixed costs... My purchase of A/L starts from October and will strip a big chunk out of my wage - although it is sal sacrifice so may not be as bad as I think. Still don't know when AVCs are starting... Still torn between how much to save vs invest in AVCs. Once it does start - I will reduce it significantly for future months until I get past this issue.

I'm going to delay the other dental work - unless I put it on the 0% spends card and deliberately pay it off later - on the basis that otherwise I'd withdraw £ from interest earning savings - but the £ is there to draw on if needed.

Debating what to do about the handyman. They are so hard to get in the first place I'd like to just keep him working if I can... 

I'm going to make some lunch (batch cook) - at least that's productive and gives me a sense of control.

savingholmes

The cajun chicken and chicken casserole are both lovely. Also eaten biscuits, choc, plums, grapes, banana, tangerines, overnight oats.

I put on a pretty dress and went and bought myself a drink and sat outside at a pub for a bit before it began raining. I was going to buy myself a meal but begrudged the £ given I had tasty food at home. So £3.30 spent there. I was very tempted to completely blow the budget.

I nipped into C00p on the way home and timed it well - I got 3 lots of half price chicken breast so that's gone straight in the freezer. I've washed out a freezer drawer and binned some of the contents as they were impacted (frozen solid when some of them should have flowed loosely like onions and mushrooms) when my FF was playing up and I didn't fully trust them. Still need to finish transferring food across out of the garage. In the meat stakes it's good to know though that I have minced beef, chicken, sausage, sausage meat and possibly some more besides. I spent £10.55 - £3.50 of that were goal busters. Slightly over budget now on food - but normally I'd be much worse....

Next month I plan to split my food £ into weeks and see how I go on that way. I may also move to cash to make it more visual and tangible.

LadyWithAPlan

I have moved my grocery spending to cash again .. it really helps.

I've ordered a book mentioned on Tilly's old diary - Economy Gastronomy
  Please let me know how it is  and how it works for a smaller household than the Tilly one as I was wandering about ordering it also 

savingholmes

Will do. I bought mine very good used. So about 4.47 rather than list price.

I am still struggling to reframe Friday's bombshell and feel I lost the weekend to agonising over it. I struggle with circular thinking at the best of times. Yet in real terms if I budget and delay spends I should be able to get back to where I was within a few months. Much luckier than some.

It makes me want a full EF even more though so I can deal with £ shocks with less of a ripple.

I look listened to a free set of lectures on FI on an audio website. One of the things it asked was if you knew were dying in 10 years but would retain fitness how would you live. What about in 5 years? What if you only had 24 hours?

For the latter I would want to go and see son. That helped me decide not to delay seeing DS for financial reasons. I will check when he is free and arrange to see him soon.

He makes decisions based on a values based mission statement. I am trying to do similar based on

Health

Wealth 
Social connection

Play

Meaning / legacy

Currently resting on a bench in a park as was ultra stressed still. Hoping walk will reduce cortisol. Best get back for work....

Hope you are all having a good day 

WelshmansDaughter

Can the money be paid in installments if you are going to pay it? It does sound like it has overwhelmed things a tad. 
I know what you mean about having a money buffer, when mine was gone it was like being cut loose

elantan

I'm using cash for my grocery spends, it's making things more realistic, I think more before spending now, wish Mr El would do the same, but atleast one of is does and it does make a difference 

savingholmes

Thanks WD - I don't think so on the installments. I will talk to my counsellor later this week about the situation.

El - yes cash could be a good way forward.

I've put 2.5lb on at SW so currently going backwards. Biscuits will do that apparently... Who knew... 

I'm going to have some veggie chilli and am then going to go out for a drink with a neighbour. It at least limits the costs eating first. I only do soft drinks but they are expensive enough currently on their own... 

savingholmes

The SW consultant spoke to me a little when I was trying to escape. Told him a little about what's going on and cried... Better out than in they say. I'd also had a rough work afternoon where someone threw their toys out the pram and were really unprofessional. Everyone else in the meeting copped it though - but I was stuck trying to be diplomatic - apparently I did a good job - but it was still unnecessary and added to the stress from the weekend.

I went out with my neighbour - Spent £8.25. Good to get out these 4 walls - plus I walked in the park at lunch. Hopefully I will wake feeling better.

Chrystal

The lectures sound interesting SH, can you point me in their direction?
Sad to hear you're feeling so low, and hoping that you can come out the other side soon.  Things are upsetting at the moment, but like all things they will pass.  ((((hugs))))XXX

DancingInTheRain

Sorry you're having a stressful time, it's really sad your family member has put you in that situation. I totally believe that you will come out of this in a stronger position though in terms of being completely self reliant, you've done amazingly well during the course of this diary and will continue to do so.

We'll done on getting out for a while, hope you wake up feeling better x