Five Year Fix, Five Year Plan

savingholmes

Is your garden install complete now?

Merlin's_Beard

savingholmes said:

Is your garden install complete now?

No, and I very much doubt it'll be done by the end of tomorrow... still a fair bit of path to lay, no edging to speak of.... (also the landscaper said the quote included drainage and I'm not sure what's going on there? I think half of the worry with this is that My Mum Will Yell At Me about it - my parents have nearly flooded a few times due to blocked drains so they're a bit obsessed, rather than actual considerations about flooding, which is a ridiculous thing when I'm in my 30s, but old habits die hard.)

So no idea what'll happen next week - I'm back at work so won't be around at all. I could ask my mum to come around and house sit but frankly that may be more hassle than it's worth. I might just have to leave the gate and the garage unlocked and let them get on with it.

savingholmes

New builds are sometimes built on flood plains / marshes. If that is the case it is more of a worry than otherwise.

At our first new build we had to dig ditches all around the lawn as we experienced some flooding. Later as plants became more established and sucked up the water it was less of a n issue.

Merlin's_Beard

@savingholmes thankfully not! There are some houses in my village built near the floodplain of a big river, but mine is three quarters of the way up the hill that's the highest point - the farmland never used to get particularly boggy either (there was/is a right of way to the next village about 100m from my house). The house next door is lower than mine as well and there's drainage holes in the retaining wall. I am not particularly worried that I need more than the gap I've been given after a weekend of thinking.

Friends visited - a lovely if rather too warm weekend. Builders have said tomorrow will be the last day - we'll see! Or I won't because I'll be at work. Leaving the garage open and the gate unlocked and crossing my fingers. They said that I could sort out their extension and leave the garage locked, but I don't think they realise how late I work, so I won't.

Petrol costs have gone over and dipped into my emergency fund again (eek!). Will repay it when we are paid this week.

Also received a speeding notice (oops). 57 in a speed limited 50 section of motorway on my way back from the concert at 12.30am. Have held up my hands, filled out my paperwork and will await further instructions.

Thankfully it's started to rain, much needed!

savingholmes

Sorry about the speeding ticket. Such things are so annoying.

Hope the last bit of the garden work goes smoothly.

Merlin's_Beard

They're finished! Garden looks lovely. It's not finished-finished (still plenty for me to do) but the outline is there now and it's very mine, and it's what I wanted, so I'm pretty happy with that.

KajiKita

Merlin's_Beard said:

They're finished! Garden looks lovely. It's not finished-finished (still plenty for me to do) but the outline is there now and it's very mine, and it's what I wanted, so I'm pretty happy with that.

Absolutely awesome news 😊👏✨
You get to play now 😊

KK

savingholmes

I'm sure you are very relieved. Hard parting with that amount of cash - great when you get the result you want. 

rtandon27

Phew - so great to hear they are done - now your space is yours again!

Merlin's_Beard

Have got my naughty-driver letter through the post, booked my speeding awareness course, and paid up (£91). Annoying but my own fault, so. 

June round up: saved a total of £-2933.90 because of the garden. This is a very achievable target to beat next month!

Emergency savings fund: £11493.86/£12,000 - June's payday will go to replenishing that as a priority.

Surveys this month: £33.20 - wasn't trying, this is fine

Food spends: £293.55. This is a lot, and includes some treaty lunches while I was off.

I've adjusted my ynab category here to give me £200 a month for food - what I've averaged since moving. Also altered cat food/litter (£30pm to £40pm), water (£15pm to £25pm), and professional fees (£80pm to £90pm). Surprisingly, petrol estimate (£100pm) was about spot on.

Bookdate: 2 books bought, 2 read ("Rabid" a non fiction book on the history of rabies including its cultural links to things like werewolves and vampires - quite dry unless you're especially interested in medical history; and Black Sun, a fantasy book where instead of generic mediaeval europe it's set in fantasy pre-conquest central america so a lot more interesting with a bigger capacity to surprise). another book neutral month. 17 books so far this year.

A low book count indicates just how mentally all over the place I've been this month though. Hoping for a calmer July. Definitely having a very quiet weekend with a bit of weeding, a run, and some peace.