My journey to health, wealth (well, saving for works to house, so not really!) and hobbies

enthusiasticsaver

No lots of people have had issues with furniture, builders, tradespeople.  I never use them unless I really have to and yes it is probably enough to put you off doing projects. 

Blackcats

Hope that the move back home is well underway.  

It's hard enough juggling all the components of the works but the interdependencies and timing issues are not always within our control.  Each tradesperson only sees their bit of the jigsaw puzzle.
even if you don't have this Saturday night at home, you will have next Saturday night.

[Deleted User]

@Blackcats thank you!

We are IN!  We didn't manage to spend the saturday night here as there was just too much to do, but we were in sunday.  It is SO fabulous and it's not even finished so we keep imagining how much more fabulous it will be once it is!

Builders driving us insane, just leaving mess and empty bottles/coffee cups around every day.  Today they left the house unlocked front and back from 2 until I got home at 4.  And leaving danger traps for the kids - a HUGE saw out on the floor today!

Mother in law now at usual game of saying she won't help with the kids - she does this every time we get something "nice" like a renovated house, or a holiday.  Her way of "punishing" us I think.

MSE is not good - we have about £37 left until Saturday.

However, I did get a £50 gift card out of N*xt because they didn't deliver our blinds ordered over 3 weeks ago, took the money off our card and then when I chased up where they were they said "oh we don't deliver there" and that we had been on a list to call.

So we've now bought some (much cheaper) blinds from elsewhere!

Humdinger1

Your MIL sounds exhausting @[Deleted User]! Unmet needs going back to childhood...enjoy your richly deserved new house love Humdinger xx

[Deleted User]

@Humdinger1 - she definitely can be at times.  I agree, unmet needs!  We suspect there will now be more "difficulty" as we've just booked a holiday to France for the summer.  Thank you for your kind words.

New budget yesterday and MSE not going well at all.  We seem to spend SO much on food and drink.  I think we need to get more control over this.  Going to try not to drink now until at least BH weekend because I also need to lose some weight as it's just ridiculous.

Blackcats

I'm so pleased you are home and loving the house.  Eek to the builders but it's not for much longer - hopefully you are now at the beginning of the end of works.

I think you shouldn't expect your budget to settle down for a while until you have properly settled back in.  Perhaps just do your best until after your holiday to France and then knuckle down to a realistic budget that allows fun and contingency for the unexpected that life always throws at us.

[Deleted User]

@Blackcats - very wise words as ever - you're so right.  Today, for example, we spent 145 in a well known DIY shop as we needed things like toilet roll holders and towel rings, plus loo brush/holder and also some outside lights - of course, not budgeted for.  I suspect there will be other things we need along the way.

Bit up and down MSE wise generally anyway - we managed to get a 210 refund from a well known diy store for the delay and absolutely appalling service when some of the things we ordered didn't arrive (and all the follow on hassle).  So that's good.  But the 145 spend today....We are also getting a refund from the storage people as you pay a month in advance and we gave notice, so think that's about 53 which is good.  Though DH and I went to see a celebrity talk on Thurs night and "treated" ourselves to dinner after and that was 57.  What is going on with the world - we had a main and a drink each and it was 57.  My bowl of pasta was 21 and it just wasn't that good.  I think it has fortified us in our view that we would prefer to stay at home and cook.

So we have spent rather a lot on food (and drink) this weekend.  DH is making bernaise sauce tonight and fat chips in duck fat plus steaks and some asparagus from the garden.  We have salted caramel profiteroles for pudding (not home made).  But our food bill has been ridiculous.  Though am trying to justify it on the basis that we rarely go out.  Apart from thursday night as we were out (and last night) I stuck to my diet last week - I realise that means only for 3 days but....

I saw my lovely new friend from choir this week.  We had a walk and a coffee in a lovely cafe with a roaring fire (it was cold that day!) and really put the world to rights!  She is so nice and I'm so glad I've met her.  She paid for coffee so it's a good excuse to invite her out for a walk another time and I can grab them.

DC1 been to music school this morning then we took them both to the park.  We've been home most of the afternoon though as DH has been putting up the toilet roll holders etc, and is now tackling the furniture in the DC's room and has finally put their Jurassic World clock up!

Going to try to advertise the stair gate and DC2's old trike today to try and swell the coffers.  DH sold an item for 40 last week so I need to pay that into the bank.

Worktops arrived and have been fitted but a) had a chip in and b) weren't the right length!!!  So they are having to be re-ordered.  At least we have them in the meantime.

We have also noted two large scratches in the brand new sink we put in upstairs - we don't know if it was like that when it arrived (as we left it boxed and the plumber unboxed it) or if it was the builders so not a lot we can do about it but I feel rather aggrieved.

Next week we absolutely MUST rein in the spending, unless for house (and only if necessary).  We did, at least, take lunch in every day last week so no wastage on southern fried chicken and sweet chilli baguettes!!  

[Deleted User]

God, been MIA again for a while.  Life, well, it's ok and up and down all the time.  We think the build is nearly done, then builder yesterday arvo sends a bill for more than we were expecting (last week we were about 1k away from the 5% retention sum in the contract - DH had been stressing about pre-raising this for weeks and I had said leave alone and see what happens - builder normally bills on a Thurs and we'd had nothing Thurs or Fri so thought it was because we were about to hit retention, anyway, yesterday arvo got a bill for 3500 even though they'd only worked 2 days last week).  So now we are stresses as builder is saying, no, its a 2.5% retention.  We've referred him back to the relevant clauses of the contract and asked him to re-issue his invoice and we will then pay - so worried he won't show tomorrow.

What we think has happened is that they have a big project elsewhere which we think probably has a project manager on it knowing the people and probable sums involved - they hit a load of issues a couple of weeks ago which required specialist additional contractors so builder probably not been paid as expected as they won't have done the work again.  But we are not bank rolling someone else's project - esp not when we got hit with an 85k bill for extras, most of which were not highlighted to us or agreed.  So, I was so stressed at choir practice yesterday I ended up leaving.

Anyways, apart from that, yesterday was nice.  Met some lovely people for coffee by the sea, then took the DC to park with a picnic which they enjoyed.  They were rather hot and bothered in the afternoon and being a bit of a nightmare but I escaped to practice for a bit.  Came home and we had a lovely bbq with the DC and a few gins and watched Clarkson's Farm which makes me giggle.

Today we saw SIL who came round for a cuppa so we put the world to rights.  DH is currently (trying) to paint a wall upstairs before carpet goes in week after next and I have a concert at 3.  DH will bring DC but take them to park if they start being a nightmare.  Best mate due to come too though is off for a bike ride so may not make it.

We have about 282 left until next month's budget (well, I need to get hold of DH's statements to check he hasn't been spending out of the other account) so as long as we don't need to top up car with petrol and can try to have a frugal shop next week we might actually be able to put a little in savings.

[Deleted User]

So, gah.  Builder did turn up (good) but Thursday he spoke to DH and said we had been right about the contract but that the QS had messed up and should have put 2.5% and we were now leaving him in a right mess as he has a 12k gap to fill to pay his lads.  He said he can't wait to get out of here (and not in a jokey laughing way) - nice.  I'm sorry but we are under a JCT contract which is fair to both parties.  5% is what the contract says.  It's not our fault his other project has hit difficulties and we have paid every bill usually within hours of receiving it.  We're not prepared to pay any more until the project is done and the 3 month snagging period has passed.  He was also whinging about the shelving - he quoted us 1500 to make a bookcase.  It's only mdf.  He's now complaining it's taking much longer than he thought - that's because he is not on site and his lads are sitting outside in the garden for most of the day (DH comes home quite a bit for various reasons and has seen this constantly).  If you want them to get on with it, get on site.  We've barely seen him since his other project started mid-march.  We will never again do a building project (though we do have to do our en-suite probs next year).

DH has painted the wall and woodwork which needed doing and has finished off where the decorator has missed on the stairs so carpet can go in tomorrow.  However, we'd said to electrician that they needed to be finished upstairs as we don't want them going up and down on the new carpet - have they finished?  No, don't be silly.  

Spending has been awful and we have gone over budget - not exactly sure how but food here is SO expensive.

Anyway, enough of the negativity!!!!

My concert went well on Sunday and I thoroughly loved it.  We had our choir meal mon night which was also lovely and sat next to my new friend.  Am sad it is finished until September though we do have a cheeky concert in June (30 min slot) which am looking forward to.

Today we are going to chill here this morning - I need to do a little bit more food shopping(!) and then park this arvo.  DH will make home made pizzas tonight so we've got the (home made) dough out the freezer, along with a chicken breast which we will cajun up to have with peppers and some sausages for the boys to put on their pizza.  We are also going to pick up some belly pork from a local farmer (it is divine) so DH wants to put that on a pizza.  We bought a new galette/pancake pan (this was with vouchers though) so may try making pancakes for pudding.

My parents arrive thursday until tuesday so need to put some thought into what to feed them.  There is a lot of sorting out to do before they arrive as the bedroom they will be sleeping in is full of boxes which need moving (but we can't until electrician finishes in the other bedroom) and needs cleaning/bedding washed.  

New budget starts tomorrow as is pay day - will not be a cheap month as we have car insurance due (and we don't save for this - we probably ought to), DH's birthday (so presents and we are having a party for his mates), wedding anniversary and parents here.  Plus we've to pay balance on our accommodation in IOW.  So I am resigned to fact we will go over budget this month.

But, as Blackcats wisely said, I probably just need to relax about the budget a little until the works are done as it is inevitable we will go over whilst this is happening as stuff is just always needed.

Basically, this year will be tight but we should get through it and then we can try to put more focus on saving next year.

Aimingforthegoodlife

Gosh your builder sounds like a right twit!!!! How you kept your cool with his attitude is impressive, well done for sticking to your guns and calling it out. Puts me off ever doing a big project for sure! 

Sounds like you are having good times with the DC, and I agree, the budget needs to be flexible at the moment as so much going on, be kind to yourself!