Pay off mortgage and start having even more fun 😁

Queen_of_the_Hive

Hi @newgirly

Aw sorry to hear the warehouse has still not been sorted yet. Good on you for setting your 6 month budget. Like you say, please try not to worry, something good is going to come around the corner soon. I don't have any advice as such just am a believer in listening to your gut instinct. So on that, what does your gut instinct say to you? This is def a rhetorical question, no need to answer here but I do agree, don't feel bad about the idea of selling and not having that as an inheritance to your children.  

newgirly

Thanks Queen of the hive for the kind comments 😊 I did email the agent again and he’s said things have picked up now it’s new year and when I suggested dropping the price that he wouldn’t recommend that at the moment, he’s usually pushing for us to do that so hopefully it’s a good sign. I think we will reduce again soon if it doesn’t go though. As for selling, I think it will be a last resort or something I can prove will be easier without a huge drop in income. I feel like it should go in the next few months and if it doesn’t we should sell really, I’m not sure it’s worth the stress. 

Hectic first half of the weekend and ridiculously lazy day yesterday (sitting around watching tv most of the day 😱) Saturday we had my brother round to explain how to do the accounts and hand it over. I used to do payroll and a bit of invoice shuffling at work years ago, but my brain has since turned to jelly 😆 so I’ve made notes on what needs doing, just need to remember to actually do it! Then we went into town with ds1 as he wanted to look in the record shop and all the charity ones. Whilst we had him captive I suggested a quick visit to the in-laws - he hasn’t passed his test yet so tricky to get there and he’s not been for ages. Dh was very reluctant but ds1 had said before Xmas he will go if he’s free when we next go.
 

So we rang MIL on the way to say we were going, when we pull up his older brother is there, ds1 thinks this is highly amusing as it may well end in an argument (it has on the phone) and we haven’t seen him for years , plus he’s in charge of everything for parents in law 😳 luckily it didn’t, sil spent time filling me in on various other things at speed, like how much her son in law earns etc. and the cosmetic work she was about to fly off and get done. It was far too chaotic for dh to pin him down on the situation with his parents and I’m not sure he wanted to actually. I’ve not seen fil for a year or so, he’s been bedridden or so we thought. Apparently when eldest son is there he’s different according to MIL and there he was sat downstairs chatting away like it was years ago, all in all a very strange visit! 

So plans for today :


- take mum to shops this morning 

- get food shop, small one as currently budget is £102.60/£350 for 31 days and we are on day 9 now 

- buy best friend a birthday gift and paper as I’ve run out 

-post parcel - bag sold on vinted 

-use the weights I got for Xmas , they have not been picked up yet and I should be exercising at home since leaving the gym 🙄

- freezer rummage for ready prepped food to try and make some space so I can think about defrosting it soon 

- do the money shuffle as it’s payday for dh (it’s weekly now) first payday since 19th December, while he’s been off we been self paying from the pot for this 😩

newgirly

Well not everything in my list was competed yesterday, I couldn’t post the vinted item (a leather bag) as I’ve lost it 😩 £10sale as well. I pulled out all the clothes bags, vinted selling bags, under the bed, literally everywhere I looked for about two hours and it’s vanished! I’ve apologised and refunded the money but I do feel bad.

I did buy a couple of items yesterday with my primarni voucher I got for Xmas 🙄 a pair of black drawstring thick trousers and a short padded jacket, they will be quite versatile as I don’t have many bottoms. The jacket I just loved and thought it would be handy instead of my winter coat or denim jacket. I’ve sold a couple of items on vinted this year now, there’s still loads to list as it seems I keep clothes for a very long time! I’ve not bought any pyjamas or bedclothes for ages and all in all seem to be buying a lot less stuff than I used to. That probably applies to food (and heating too) since the kids moved out, it’s not just the amount we eat that has reduced but the fact I now buy exactly what I think we will eat. 

When we had more people living here I would always have salad/fruit /veg. /a few snacks/ cereal etc. available but  now I will buy what I need for a recipe for dh or what we will eat that week. I didn’t like to have an empty fridge so much so there was always stuff there for them to make food, this way is a lot more streamlined although dh does complain there’s nothing to eat sometimes as it’s ingredients or fruit nowadays instead of easy snacks 😆

Off out to the cinema today with best friend, it’s all on me as it’s her birthday later this week  - free meerkat tickets 🤣 well I may buy some ice-cream perhaps as it’s a special occasion, I did buy us some dark raspberry chocolate to share yesterday so we might just have that. 

Dinner tonight is going to be yet more of the 5p Xmas veg I prepped and froze in December, I’m really enjoying having little home made “roast” dinners - without the meat of course, during the week. Just shake a few bits on a tray and cook then add a couple of value Yorkshire puds at the end and gravy and done with no effort 😬 I think when I run out I’ll do it again as home cooked parsnips and roast potatoes are so much better than shop bought frozen.

South_coast

newgirly said:

Off out to the cinema today with best friend, it’s all on me as it’s her birthday later this week  - free meerkat tickets 🤣 

Love this 🤣!

newgirly

She doesn’t mind 😆 I did end up spending more actually, stopped off for coffee and toast on the way and got us ice cream, so £12.10 and £2.15 spent as I had a cineworld voucher to put towards the icecream, also got a free drink and popcorn via a voucher they sent me, happy days! This doesn’t help me keep in budget mind as I’ve already overspent a lot this month, now at £192.82/£350 and it’s day 10 of 31, a shop in Lid1 yesterday didn’t help….

newgirly

Well thanks to greying pilgrim I’ve been spending money whilst still in bed 😆 spotted free NT passes mentioned on her thread so got one, then decided to book  a night in a hotel nearby for when I visit said place on my birthday weekend, a “haunted” pub no less 😬 Cost was just under £70 not including breakfast but I’m going to use some of the £210 Xmas money we received, will let dh buy me breakfast and dinner somewhere as my birthday present, something to look forward to and a happy dh no doubt staying in a pub 😀 hooray! 

Greying_Pilgrim

newgirly - i can't take any credit, it was Mr Martin & the MSE posse wot highlighted the pass 😁I'm not sure when your birthday is (forgive me), but you're using the pass before it's expiry aren't you - I think it goes to the 6th March?  In the summer I was 'saving' the passes for when DH could come with us, and in the end had to scramble to use them, as they ended before the end of DH's holiday/the summer hols. Silly me 🙄

You are so good at 'stacking' offers and getting cinema trips and snacks/treats cheaply - maximum fun for minimum spend - I'm in awe!

Greying X

newgirly

Thank GP, we are going the weekend before it runs out so it works out well as it’s my birthday 🙂

Well yesterday was a GREAT day, Aunt drove over to visit and I’m sat on the sofa in the bay window having a coffee and chatting away, when suddenly out of the corner of my eye I spot……a for sale in next doors front garden!!!! 🥳 The side that likes smoking the smelly stuff and has had the police round! Now they have been up for sale briefly once a few years ago and nothing happened, but still! Nothing on rightmove yet and I’m checking constantly 😆 

As well as that I sold two items on vinted for £17.50 and received the n@xt blazer that I found for £6.50 instead of the £44 they are instore that I’ve wanted for a while now and it’s lovely 😬  I’m trying to streamline my clothes but have more basic useful items that pull together other things if that makes sense, hence the blazer. 

To do list for today:

- washing 

- out with best friend for weekly coffee and shop

- batch cook huge spag Bol with mince I night for dh the other day 

- throw away two large portions of lentil curry, I ruined it, waaaay too hot and weirdly not nice so probably not fixable , dh ate two lots and I feel mean forcing the rest down him 🙄

- post parcels 

- check rightmove approx 1000 times today.

Greying_Pilgrim

newgirly said:

Thank GP, we are going the weekend before it runs out so it works out well as it’s my birthday 🙂

Fab-U-lus dahrling!  So glad 😁

But please can you take the time to check that your private medical insurance covers repairs to "Repetitive Rightmove Refresh Strain" before you go anywhere near a computer.  Please.  Thank you.  🤣

Great news tho - hope it sells, I'm fully aware of how crap neighbours can just drain life of all joy.  

Greying X

daisy_1571

Fingers crossed