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

Blackcats

Blooming builders - stressful at the best of times but when they start haranguing you for money and blurring what's in scope that's awful. Let alone when they are also relaxing in your garden instead of making progress so you can get your home back.

without wanting to be overly wise 🤣 how about starting your monthly budgeting in earnest in September after building work is finished and school holidays are over.  You could be all business like and do a quarter 3 budget with forecasting, projections, actuals etc.  that will include Christmas so might be a good challenge?

hope the sun is shining!

[Deleted User]

@Blackcats - so true re the builders!  And yes, I think that is probably a good shout.  I also increase my hours (only by 1.5 a week so only slight change) from Sept so a little bit of extra cash coming in then which may motivate me ahead of an expensive christmas period!  I can also confirm the sun is shining!

Parents here at the moment so has been super spendy as they eat and drink A LOT.  They leave Tues though so at least it is a limited time period.  DC2 had a party this afternoon which gave me a bit of relief from my parents, poor DH though had to make pizza dough so got the rough end of the wedge!

We are out to lunch with them tomorrow but they will probably pay.  I've also taken off Tuesday as my initial plan had been to WFH with DC1 who is on half term with my parents watching him, but as builders STILL here it is now not possible so decided it was easiest to take day off and get them out the house (though all mum wants to do is sit on the sofa and watch tv - she won't even venture out into the garden - such a waste).

Blackcats

Hope you are enjoying an extra long, long weekend.
your builders are really eeking out the final stage of their work.  Sagrada Familia comes to mind! 

[Deleted User]

@Blackcats ha ha this is SO true.  They are STILL here.  Playroom to finish (though Mr P is laying the flooring himself - we had budgeted 1k for carpeting there and through to study but we've decided to go with laminate so it's about 300.  Sadly, the "extra" will still be used on pantry cupboards/shelving and also just had to order DC2 2x new car seats at over £200.  Will sell his old ones once they arrive but not expecting to get more than £70 for both).

BH weekend was not as fun as it may have been having to look after my parents as well - they did not provide any help at all, didn't even wash up their wine glasses or put a single dish in the dishwasher.  It's like banging my head against a brick wall.  Trying to eeek them not being here again out until October which I know sounds awful but they really don't help themselves (well really it's mum as dad is poorly so I don't hold it against him).

DC2 had a great party last week and got chatting to one of the mums who has a kid in DC2's nursery class and a kid at DC1's school (year above though) who was really nice.  

This weekend is quiet - having a bbq tonight just us (kids get very excited at a little bit of steak - we don't buy it often, only as part of bbq and just have a few strips each.  DH is making Bernaise sauce.  Lazy morning as DH has hired an aerater (sp?) for the lawn the builders have trashed so he's doing that and I need to nip into town.  This arvo we will take the DC on a quarry nature walk and to park.  Tomorrow is FIL and step MIL in morning then DH's mum wants him to do a load of jobs so he's going to take them to hers and I may go for a run.

Budget obvs just non-existent.  Our car insurance went up 50% so now toying with putting money away monthly for that in the bills account.  I've just suggested to DH we give up drinking for 3 weeks and his face was a picture!

Hoping to flog a lightshade we bought ages ago for DC's old playroom which we now cannot make use of.  It's never been used and is out of packaging but obvs great condition.  Hoping for £12.

DH has also started a veg stall and is currently selling veg plants.  His sales so far have only been £2 but we are hoping to rope the DC in and encourage them to help with gardening so they can sell their bounty for piggybanks.  DH has referred to his sales as his "chocolate fund" as he has been buying chocolate at work at twice the cost of what they would be in a multipack.  I keep buying multipacks but he's pretty greedy so it doesn't seem to work as he just buys another anyway!

[Deleted User]

Not much to report this week - builders still here - DH is about a third of way through laying floor - no sales re lightshade or car seats yet.

Apart from buying flooring and bits associated with fitting it, we've been relatively "good" this week, really just top up shops

Blackcats

Well done to DH for doing the flooring and therefore being able to re-allocate the budget to other works.
car seats are so expensive - I know you can't put a price on a child's safety but the price of the seats is so high.
Good that the DC's are enjoying the bbq's and the steak 😋

[Deleted User]

Had to spend 4 on a southern fried chicken and sweet chilli baguette at lunch as ran out of time (and food) to make a sandwich.  Got us some dinner (and wine) from sparks and 2 x pairs of flipflops from Access0rize at 18 for 2 - I live in them in the summer and they should last all summer (and usually until I give up in October).  I do need to get a pedicure however as my feet resemble that of a Hobbit.

Our snug is now carpeted, DH has brought down our paintings to hang in there which we already had and we've chased the sofa - hoping it will be next week.  That room is then done bar blinds which we will need to wait for until we've more cash.

This weekend got to do "big shop" and think we will be doing beach, possibly both days as it's nice and warm and sunny.  We will take a picnic to save costs and of course it's free - possibly an ice cream to purchase for the DC but that's fine.  Currently sipping on a G&T (from stores) as it's Friday night and sunny.  Tonight is a thai box from sparks which, at 14.50 (cheaper in the uk as we have shipping costs added on), is way cheaper than a takeaway and just as good.

Apart from the builders still doing my head in, I feel life is good at the moment and I'm in a good space.  I do worry about the mortgage and retirement (esp as we had a session with the work pension provider this week) but I will muse on that another day.

Blackcats

how exciting to be getting ready to put the finishing touches to your snug.
I like the m & s boxed meals and agree that they are good value yet feel like a treat.
mortgage and pension concerns are probably always low level worries until the mortgage is gone and your pension proves itself sufficient.  File the worries away for now.  It's Friday and it's sunny!
enjoy the beach tomorrow - what a lovely way to enjoy the weekend.  

Ps - have an ice cream yourself as well as DCs

[Deleted User]

@Blackcats thank you!  Sadly we have just under 23 years to go on the mortgage(!) so some planning of sorts needs to be looked at - as long as we stay in our jobs and interest rates don't go through the roof we should be ok.  But our pensions are gash.

Beach has been shelved today as cloudy so park(s) instead but tomorrow looking more like beach weather!

[Deleted User]

Don't even know where the last week has gone, well I sort of do, have been poorly, I think with covid.  Started Weds arvo and spent quite a bit of this weekend in bed.  Was trying to work Thurs, Fri and today but haven't achieved much - mainly staring at screen.  Feeling better now though so hoping for a more productive day tomorrow.

Builders STILL here.  Fire and tv wall now in but need to be painted.  Couple of doors still need to be done and some painting and (lots of) electrics to do.  Pendant lights for kitchen finally arrived today, which need to go up the next time the electricians manage to get here.

Was a debacle with the sofa for the snug - they couldn't get it in!!!!  Basically, the stairs are too much in the way.  No other way of getting it in so we've had to forfeit 20% of the purchase price - may as well have set fire to it tbh.  So, we've now had to order another sofa which comes in bits and is nowhere near as nice.  DH trying to see if they will knock anything off the 20% but I doubt it.

We've had a couple of plant sales so I think we've made about £8-10 there.  Sold some of DC2's clothes for £12.  But lots of stuff not shifting so may have one more go and then charity shop.

Budget well and truly blown this month so hanging on until thursday when new budget starts and I want us to get much more on top of it.