Diary of a 30-something idiot

foxgloves

We have had roughly annual visitations from mice during the 20 years we've been here. Poison is a no-no as we have cats (the current pair are cracking mousers, which probably explains why we didn't have autumn's usual infestation last year). I don't like spring traps & although we've used the humane ones.successfully, you have to check them VERY regularly as it is stressful for a mouse to sit in a tiny plastic box for a long time. I mostly used to release them down by the riverside, where there are lots of fields & undergrowth.
We currently use one of the battery operated traps which kill instantly & are very easy to deal with. My preference is not to kill any creature but the hygiene issues of rodents mean action needed to be taken. Am hoping that the presence of cats keeps them away this autumn too.
F

slm6002

Don't worry about saying no to your daughter.  It teaches them we cant always have things straight away, and if and when you can afford it they will appreciate it more.  As for more month than money, I have been there but it will get better once you are both working.  I know how boring it can be not being able to do things, you just have to get creative and find cheaper / free things to do, like your pass.  Things will be like this for a while I am guessing while doing up the house so hunt around for cheap activities - ever tried geocaching?  Your could take the dog too

foxandflowers

Am on a bit of a doing-stuff-upswing. Probably to combat the existential dread that is creeping up on me whenever I sit still - but whatever works right? 

Yesterday was busy at work, and it turns out there was a fluff up with the solicitors, so the Estate Agent instructed an additional one when there was no need to do so, so I spent most of the afternoon sorting all that out. And it turns out the monies on account needed is £400, not £39. So I have no idea where I'm going to find that money, or what I'm going to do. I keep being reminded of the bloke that put his soul on eBay back in the early 00s. 

Scrambled some change together and bought a bag of sugar on lunch, which promptly spilt everywhere. So had to exchange. Went to pick up a Vinted top, and they gave me the wrong parcel and when I opened it, it was full of tiny blue and black pills?? So had to go back and exchange. Went to TK Maxx to also exchange one of husband's birthday present t-shirts as it was oversized, so went for a size down. Lots of exchanges. 

It would be so great if we could go back to a system of bartering for things. I'll give you a cake if you can sort out why my septic tank keep tripping my fuse box. I'll do two hours of ironing for you, if you spend two hours going through my burn pile. etc etc.

Have eaten my way through a family sized bag of space invader flying saucer things. Don't feel much better for it. 

10 days until payday, and I have £4.26 left. 

foxandflowers

Have been very good today, think I deserve to give myself a pat on the back. Or maybe run a bath when everything is completed tonight.

Had a scramble in the drawer this morning before we left and put my DS Lite & Mario Kart in my bag to take in to CeX. They did not accept it because it didn't have a serial number - BUT the cash generators did. I only expected about £2-5, but I got £20 for it! 

I also re-started listing things on Vinted last night at about 2.30am when I couldn't sleep, and have sold £17.60 worth of things. 

I haven't been sleeping well at all, and I think it's the stress of everything catching up with me. Have drunk a can of Monster, but still feel like a zombie. 🧟

Anyway, the reason I was very good was I didn't spend any money on anything at lunch that wasn't necessary. So I got dog food, and hamster food, and milk... and that was it. Hurrah. This evenings plan is to leave work a bit early, go home, walk the dog and child down to Brownies, drop the child off, run the dog around until he's as exhausted as I am, pick up the child, walk home, make dinner, have a shower/bath & collapse. Hoping to jam some more Vinted listings into that. 

Solicitors have said that they want £50 for identity checks, and then £400 for searches, but if I don't want to go ahead with the searches, I can pay less. So I've done some independent research about it, and have checked the flood likelihood at the new house (minimal risk) and looked at the land registry. There is no information held, which likely just means that the property has never been registered - but I don't want to have to pay to have someone tell me that? I would like drainage and enviro searches, and an in depth survey, but I don't see the point in the others.

Think it might be time to do the updated SOA I keep mentioning... 

foxandflowers

Statement of Affairs and Personal Balance Sheet

Household Information
Number of adults in household........... 3
Number of children in household......... 1 / 3 on weekends
Number of cars owned.................... 1

Monthly Income Details

Monthly income after tax................ 1520
Partners monthly income after tax....... 0
Benefits................................ 100
Other income............................ 108
Total monthly income.................... 1728

Monthly Expense Details
Mortgage................................ 0
Secured/HP loan repayments.............. 0
Rent.................................... 0
Management charge (leasehold property).. 0
Council tax............................. 160
Electricity............................. 105                   down £15  
Gas..................................... 0
Oil..................................... 0                        we still have 150L - I am not topping up again before we move.
Water rates............................. 18                   down £88!!!
Telephone (land line)................... 0               cancelled
Mobile phone............................ 50                 down £30 - DH phone paid off. need to swap to SIM only contract.
TV Licence.............................. 13
Satellite/Cable TV...................... 99
Internet Services....................... 47
Groceries etc. ......................... 480                up £180. It was nowhere near enough, and I am including all pet supplies in this too.
Clothing................................ 0
Petrol/diesel........................... 350                  up £50. Since selling the car, despite fuel prices falling, the van guzzles fuel at an astronomical rate.
Road tax................................ 12                    down £13
Car Insurance........................... 21                  down £45
Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 40     up £40 - we didn't have anything put aside for this, but we are now running a 13 year old vehicle and maintenance is inevitable.
Car parking............................. 0
Other travel............................ 0
Childcare/nursery....................... 0           down £120 !!! 
Other child related expenses............ 0
Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 0
Pet insurance/vet bills................. 0
Buildings insurance..................... 15
Contents insurance...................... 0
Life assurance ......................... 0
Other insurance......................... 0
Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 10     up £10  - again, we had zero contingency fund here, so this is going to be useful to help buffer. 
Haircuts................................ 5            up £5 - my dreadlocks need 3 monthly maintenance
Entertainment........................... 50            down £10 - cancelled Disney+
Holiday................................. 0
Emergency fund.......................... 0
RAC..................................... 15
Total monthly expenses.................. 1490 

Overall: £312.50 better off.

Assets
Cash.................................... 300
House value (Gross)..................... 290000 (price house sold for)
Shares and bonds........................ 75
Car(s).................................. 5000
Other assets............................ 0
Total Assets............................ 295375   

Overall: £39,625 WORSE OFF. Sold the house for less than anticipated, but we are happy with the decision we have made.

No Secured nor Hire Purchase Debts

Unsecured Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
Stepchange.....................27420.....115.......0
Friend One.....................7155......0.........0
Friend Two.....................1000......0.........0
Council Tax Repayment..........630.......56........0
Mayglothling Waste.............930.......35........0
Vodafone.......................398.......0.........0
Ramsdens.......................300.......0.........0
Friend Three...................200.......0.........0
Total unsecured debts..........38033.....206.......

Overall: Despite paying things off... £568 WORSE OFF. However, monthly repayments have reduced by £364 and I am finally getting a handle on making repayments, rather than budgeting for them and then not paying them.

Monthly Budget Summary
Total monthly income.................... 1,728
Expenses (including HP & secured debts). 1,490
Available for debt repayments........... 238
Monthly UNsecured debt repayments....... 206
Amount left after debt repayments....... 32

Overall: Last time I did this I was £652.50 short for making debt repayments. This time I have £32 left over. This makes me 'technically' £684.50 better off each month. 

peb

Get a local, please.  So important.  Drainage only if you plan on extending - risk that there's an extension over a sewer atm though,  enviro, main risk is contaminated land.   Suggest you insist on official as usually quicker and cheaper than agency but ask for costs first.

 unregistered is irrelevant for searches but be aware some firms charge more for unreg plus the actual land registry fee is higher.  I'd suggest you don't pay anything until you have the survey and any ancillary reports though.

Valli

Hi F&F
did you ever check if you can have some of your partners unused tax allowance added to yours?  Can be backdated, too.

Crazycatlady2

Second the marriage tax. I filled it online to give some to my husband as i dont work but not worth it if he going to get a full time job asap

Crazycatlady2

Just looking at tv services and internet and mobile phones….what’s that getting you and can it be reduced? 

Flossymuldoo

£99 a month for satellite/cable TV is really expensive, and it doesn’t even include you internet (which is also expensive!). When we had sky I was £70 and that included broadband. 

Any reductions you can make there?

Well done so far! That’s a massive reduction in your outgoings!