Buying a little piece of Middle England; Manifesting my way to mortgage free.

debtfreewannabe321

It's been raining here on and off all morning @KajiKita it's like the universe is saying, no!!!- rest today! @beanielou I am sat with some warm clothes on and cosied up on the sofa for a bit. I will get up and do a few jobs, but I think indoor ones like cooking, making some snacks for next week and ironing. My friend was supposed to visit me today but she's had to do more work so is a no show today. I'm alright with that, I am aching and tired and feeling like I need peace and quiet today after such a full on busy week. I must have come across a thousand people in 3 days this last week (and I get easily overwhelmed with too much people'ing). 
I will put a record on, and get on with some pottering around my neglected house  

DP and I finally- 4 days late- moved money into the right accounts this morning. We have over £3k in the EF at the moment. Obviously it's not all EF though, we have ski money, Driving lessons, EF, extension money and whatever else we were saving towards. So we are taking on a new tactic. One I always used to pay debts down quickly. Snowballing the money towards whatever needs paying first. And continually adding to it. So this month we've moved over a grand to that account but it is diluted when you realise how many ways it needs to stretch. So we've made the joint decision to use everything in there next month to get rid of the braces bill. In one. Not pay half and then have a DD of £150+ per month for a year (I can't remember exact amount off the top of my head but it was pretty high). Then we are due the refund from DP work benefit, that will go straight back into the account and pay for the windows/ flooring that we have added to the extension quote. After that we will split the money in half going in there for EF & driving. Skiing we have decided to keep elsewhere now and put that into a small pot attached to my main bank and save for that in there as that is a continual payment every couple of months until November. Holiday- I think next year we will buy a package holiday and pay monthly for it. DD will be 18 next year so I want to take them away before she decides she doesn't want to go with us anymore. 

- side note- we made this decision as we have so much to pay for this year. We also have income protection insurance, critical illness, benefits from DP work if he was unable to work and 0% interest free CC. If we didn't have this then we wouldn't have made this decision..... -

DD has spoken to me about unis, and careers and is doing her work experience in a school locally. She initially wanted to go to Ex house and go to uni there, I have successfully talked her out of it. Ex is not a good stable parent as much as he lies his way into the kids believing he is. His lifestyle is one of a bachelor (was all the way through our marriage) and I don't want my naive daughter being around him and his friends full time. SO she is planning at the mo to perhaps stay at home and go to uni here, she's booked tickets to an open day at a uni that is on the next road to us. So a 15 minute walk tops. No fees then for halls or house shares and only tuition costs and she has a job now (albeit it's agency it is a good start and means she has experience to put on her CV if she sticks at it). 
DS1 is not returning home until at least 2027 (early in the year and possibly late 2026) so it doesn't matter if the extension is delayed somewhat. I feel like someone is looking out for me up there with the delay meaning I can get some money together. 
DS2 is brainwashed by father (idiot) dearest and wants to leave school at 16 and go to Harrogate to college. Lord help me. I need to talk to him when he's not feeling wound up about this. Perhaps I will see how his work experience goes (in accounting) and see if he liked it. If he did I will speak to him about staying on at school.......

I still need to sort out a meeting with the bank to see if they will give us another mortgage on top of what we have for the extension. The other high street bank we spoke to seemed to think they will because they would for an extension, all we'd need to do is show them the plans and quote. It would be good if we could get a mortgage rate rather than a loan rate....But we have been accepted in a few places for a cheaper rate than we already signed up to. 

It's on off raining here so at least I don't need to water the plants. I have little seedlings I threw down the other week popping through - I can see poppies, unsure about what else is coming up, a waiting game to see if it is what I threw down or a weed I extended a bed yesterday and had it filled with the plants I bought yesterday so that looks good. DP Is out there sorting out the base, we didn't have a clue what we were doing but it looks okay just uneven in some places so that needs sorting. Then the greenhouse needs painting before putting up to protect it. I can't wait and hope it's all done soon! 

Right I will get moving otherwise I will seize up too much and not be able to do anything (sciatica is bad today!) Okay, off I go, I may check in later...

greenbee

If your greenhouse is aluminium it shouldn't need painting DFW. Aluminium oxidises to protect itself. 

debtfreewannabe321

greenbee said:

If your greenhouse is aluminium it shouldn't need painting DFW. Aluminium oxidises to protect itself. 

It's wood...I wanted an aluminium one but DP wanted the wood one. He won because of the price difference 😆 he opted for untreated as it was cheaper so it definitely needs something on it. We already have paint from the raised beds so I think we'll use that 😁

greenbee

I'm very envious ... I'd like a wooden greenhouse! Maybe when I work out where I can put a second one...

debtfreewannabe321

greenbee said:

I'm very envious ... I'd like a wooden greenhouse! Maybe when I work out where I can put a second one...

It's not an expensive one. I really liked a green aluminium one with nice details on (Victorian style) but this was very cheap it probably won't even last ten years but I got to get a greenhouse quickly with this one as it was cheaper. 9x6ft and less than £600. 

We've had a complete clock up with the base 😆 we are amateurs after all...so basically we spent an age yesterday pouring concrete over the size that DP had measured out meticulously. Turns out the actual foot print of the floor bit is NOT 9x6. It is slightly less and the concrete did not quite reach to where we needed it to as a base. So we have a lovely outer concrete base now and didn't really know how to fix it. I suggested fitting the wooden structure we'd made on the inside of the concrete base as it sat almost perfectly right into it and then we used posts concreted in and screwed the base to it. So it's pretty sturdy now and won't blow away. The greenhouse will be attached to the base. The concrete round the outside actually looks like we've done it on purpose 🤣 so it all looks okay so far. We have a zillion stones (I think I might have mentioned it before 🤪 ) so instead of using hardcore we've used stones to fill gaps and DP will pour concrete in certain areas (near posts and big gaps) to help hold it in place. The stones look neater than hardcore so it's all looking okay at the moment and I think I saved DP sanity with the idea to do this. He was losing the plot with it as the size was all wrong. He's the builder, I'm the visionary and find the solution usually 😉 we work well together. So I've left him to do that whilst I come in and make a curry. I'm warming up first though it is blinking freezing out there and spitting with rain. 
Also reverse image searched a tree I found hiding behind bushes and it turns out it's a Chilean potato tree. Has beautiful purple flowers on although highly toxic I think to pets ...


If you look closely you can see the concrete edge we did yesterday around the outside (I've filled the front edge with stones though to cover it 🤣 I'll do the same around the other sides when DP is finished). 

debtfreewannabe321

Afternoon all, I'm having a mini break. I've not stopped since getting up. I've painted a gazillion pieces of wood, been shopping and dropped DD off for her first ever shift at her first job 😁🤞🏻. The greenhouse has sides so far. And we've just got to the end of the painting. I've left DP to put some more together but I had to abandon. It's 4pm and no dinner is prepped and I need to hoover desperately (we've dropped mud everywhere from our boots downstairs) and I need to iron enough clothes for us for the working/ school week. 

I'm really looking forward to the greenhouse being done 😁 and just hope I have enough things to put in it to grow to make it worthwhile 🙈😆.

Right long enough break I best crack on I guess....

debtfreewannabe321

I'll be glad to go to work tomorrow for a sit down longer than ten minutes 😆.
Made a dozen burgers and a huge pot of savoury rice for lunches this week and dinner tonight. Hoovering done but the ironing basket still stares at me.... The green house is looking good. It looks ready for the plastic 'glass' pieces to go in soon. 😃

debtfreewannabe321

DP has shared his cold with me 🤧 so my throat feels sore and I'm all bunged up. I slept okay though. I had NO hot flashes last night! 😃 I got to sleep snuggled up under a duvet without feeling like I was about to combust. Amazing. I'd forgotten what that was like!

Burgers last night were good and we still have some left in the freezer. 

Work today and I will be glad to go to be able to sit down 😆 I fully intended to do that yesterday but putting together the greenhouse was a two man job sadly. We have the structure fully in place though and it looks great. 

I'm hoping for my first NSD today....!

debtfreewannabe321

Afternoon all, another day done at work. I am feeling very light headed and dizzy this afternoon and my throat is hurting still and the headache has lingered all day. Very very tired too. I've taken some echinacea and I will make a salt/ clove oil gargle later to use. Dinner will be very quick and easy veg sausages with cabbage and potatoes. 

I've told my line manager I do not want to swap my Monday - we'll see though, I don't have much choice in it I don't think. But I will be sad to see my Monday student go as we've worked so hard all year and he's so close to the exams I want to see him through them. I do his GCSE Maths and English with him so want to see him across the finish line. I suspect me or one other will be up for doing that more difficult Monday regardless of whether we want to or not though...

I saw my Nephew and Bro in law earlier. Again, am sure they both saw me and both walked on by (we were across the street from one another and it was busy and noisy, but I "felt" eyes on me and it was when I looked behind me I saw them both). Again it's made me sad, thinking, wth have I done wrong. I need to stop it and just see that I've done nothing and it's them not me. I think one reason my sis was upset with me was because I messaged her last year to ask if her son would be doing the ski trip and she was kind of rude to me with a flippant comment of 'not everyone can afford that'. She forgets I helped her snowball all her debt she had last year & the year before and I saw what she brings in on benefits and disability and how much goes out (v.v. cheap rent on council and no council tax and special rates on water and elec and gas) and she actually has more disposable income than us........but there we go. The difference between us is where we spend our money. 

I have done my paperwork. I should have had my 6 month final probation to sign me off as temporary but it was cancelled last minute. It will be at the end of the week instead. 

I have finally had a response to the dying hedges situation and they are asking for pictures of them in situ.....umm.....they were dead they got pulled out. And binned. 🤔 how do I do that? I will email them in a bit. I want it resolved and I want some money back! No luck on the surveys lately. Been screened out of lots. I had one payment of around £10 last week which got absorbed into my current account and never left for savings...need to make a few more. I will also email the orthodontist and tell them we plan to use them but not just yet. DS can have his extractions whilst we get the money together though hopefully if they give me the letter to take to our dentist. 

Right off to write a few emails....and then chill before kids get home. 

debtfreewannabe321

Some jobs ticked off:

• Chased up a qu1dco payment that said it should have been paid in Feb. 
• Sent pics to the hedge company.
• Emailed the ortho to say we are saving for treatment first but will go ahead.
• And a NSD was had (I did debate going out after work for treats but I didn't bother so well done me )