Single Mum: Freedom in Narnia

jak

South_coast said:

I tick off all my payments as they go out as well. I've done a paper budget for years and it's never done me any harm 😀!

Good luck with the move and your plans for the house and OP'ing x

Excellent! I Love my money book. It's changed my life, quite literally. My Grandma (who is 98) taught me and it's brilliant. 

Well I've just had a very funny convo with the mortgage people! Every time I make an over payment I have to call them to request it comes off the capital! Ergh! Anyway I have requested that my £1 be taken off the amount I owe and now my amount is:
£99,999! Woooooo. 

Man, they are going to get so tired of me calling them.... 

Right, off to the new house to check damp man is doing his thing and not just sitting around with a coffee. 

Oooh and my sister May have found a dining table in the charity shop she volunteers in so will pop in to have a look. The photos look lovely but it may be slightly too big. It's the huge amount of £25 tho so I'm hoping I can make it work! 

Thanks for all the replies, you lovely MFW folk! 

JAK x

jak

Oooh I've bought the most beautiful table in the world! It was £25 plus delivery, so total cost £41.50! It's actually wood lol. My aim is to have all wooden and second hand furniture. I'm going to go up the tip tomorrow and see what they've got as I still need 6 chairs. 

Also my £20 Amazon voucher from Toluna has come through so that will go towards Christmas presents. And my won Brewdog t-shirt arrived today. Just waiting on my free glass now. All to go into Creative Boy's stocking this year. So far I've spent less than £20 for tons of stuff for him. Luckily I managed to get a load of hoodies and stuff in the Sports Direct sale so he's fairly well finished in terms of stocking fillers. For his main present he wants gaming stuff tho.... Ergh. Very expensive. BUT he is aware of the new budget so i'm hoping we can get it for less than £80.

Anyone else got a gamer? It's like a license to SPEND. Well, not in this house!

JAK x

doingitanyway

Well done on the table. Like you I plan lots of secondhand furnishings. You get quality, save money and spare the planet. Win. Win 

Mumoffourkids

Love the fact that you are so excited about moving in and also overpaying your mortgage. I’m a single mum as well and only just recently bought my house by myself. Its such a huge achievement, so well done you. I also did a £1 overpayment just to check it worked. I’ve also managed to set up my usual monthly repayments as higher than the required amount. I rounded mine up to £600 a month from £561. So I should be making overpayments each month from now on, no matter whether I have the extra money or not. I shall subscribe to your diary to see how you are getting on.

jak

Agreed @doingitanyway. All the good stuff. I just need 2 chest of drawers and a few wooden chairs now. The is a second hand place near me that's like an enormous warehouse that's great. The stock changes daily so I need to keep visiting. They deliver too, which is fab. 

Good idea @Mumoffourkids. I've not decided how much each over payment will be yet, mainly due to the fact I need to figure out my bills first. I'm currently paying double everything while I wait for the house to be sorted out- damp work, electrics etc. It feels like swimming uphill financially atm BUT It's not forever, just until 7 Nov. Then I can finally start to figure out my budget properly.

First world problems time..... My dishwasher at my rental place has died. I'm more disappointed because I was going to sell it lol, plus it's annoying to have to wash up! There is a full size one at New-House Narnia tho. A Full size dishwasher! I'm in raptures over that! My one here is a counter top one and hasn't been great.

I hope my animals all settle in well to the new place. I've got 2 crazy little doggos and 2 cats. One cat is a recent 'lend' from my sister who isn't allowed animals at her new place. She came to stay for a month, 5 months ago- the cat, not my sister. My dogs are very sweet but one of them is long term sick- she has meningitis and encephalitis- this requires 5 weekly trips to a vet miles away for chemo. Yes, I have pet insurance, No, I can't claim on it anymore.... So she costs me £250 a month about. I love her but it's a Lot! I'm hoping we can reduce the vets visits/medication as time goes on. That's the plan anyway. So far she's cost me over £9,000... I love her big lots!    

Anyway, best go and do some work now. Those vets bills aren't going to pay themselves!

JAK x

Mumoffourkids

jak said:

Agreed @doingitanyway. All the good stuff. I just need 2 chest of drawers and a few wooden chairs now. The is a second hand place near me that's like an enormous warehouse that's great. The stock changes daily so I need to keep visiting. They deliver too, which is fab. 

Good idea @Mumoffourkids. I've not decided how much each over payment will be yet, mainly due to the fact I need to figure out my bills first. I'm currently paying double everything while I wait for the house to be sorted out- damp work, electrics etc. It feels like swimming uphill financially atm BUT It's not forever, just until 7 Nov. Then I can finally start to figure out my budget properly.

First world problems time..... My dishwasher at my rental place has died. I'm more disappointed because I was going to sell it lol, plus it's annoying to have to wash up! There is a full size one at New-House Narnia tho. A Full size dishwasher! I'm in raptures over that! My one here is a counter top one and hasn't been great.

I hope my animals all settle in well to the new place. I've got 2 crazy little doggos and 2 cats. One cat is a recent 'lend' from my sister who isn't allowed animals at her new place. She came to stay for a month, 5 months ago- the cat, not my sister. My dogs are very sweet but one of them is long term sick- she has meningitis and encephalitis- this requires 5 weekly trips to a vet miles away for chemo. Yes, I have pet insurance, No, I can't claim on it anymore.... So she costs me £250 a month about. I love her but it's a Lot! I'm hoping we can reduce the vets visits/medication as time goes on. That's the plan anyway. So far she's cost me over £9,000... I love her big lots!    

Anyway, best go and do some work now. Those vets bills aren't going to pay themselves!

JAK x

Oh yes, I know how it feels to have two lots of bills to pay. I was in rented before I bought my place and had two lots of bills to pay for a month so I completely understand. I am lucky in that I work and. I was able to do a load of overtime over the summer to build up a stash of cash ready for the move as I knew things would get expensive.

L9XSS

Not long till move in date for you! Best of luck in your new home.

jak

Thank you @L9XSS

I've packed up some of the kitchen today! I'm taking a few boxes over to the new house tomorrow. I've also got a £15 Al-di voucher to use so have made a good list of basics to get with that. I can get a few bits that last to put in the cupboard, make it easier when I move in. In true MSE style I've worked out the cost of everything on my list! I will go £3 over but the freezer will be full! 
Yay! I Love food shopping. What a saddo. I think it's because I can legitimately spend money. All budgeted for thankfully.

The damp man is doing the rendering today, then plastering tomorrow. I hope the house is okay. It seems very sad for it to have a load of work done. I've avoided being there for the messy bits. I think I'd cry! 
I have to be there tomorrow through as the table is coming! Eeek. Exciting. 

I'll try and work out how to post a photo of it. It is very lovely!

JAK
x

L9XSS

Your table sounds a right bargain. Great timing. I did something similar a few years back, buying quality furniture (solid wooden table and walnut chairs, coffee table, beautiful lamps, light fittings, etc etc.....).thankfully I had a huge van and everything was off Gumtree.
i saved a fortune and the interior looked stunning for a fraction of the price.

jak

Sounds amazing @L9XSS, that's my aim! I hope to furnish for very little and make it just lovely x