Debt, Endo and Reno

birdsfoottrefoil

As ever a slightly mixed week.   

Gave blood yesterday so treated myself (and boyfriend) to steak for supper, £9.10 including some potatos etc. I’m fine with this financially. I normally have no issues donating but quite a sore arm this time. It’s a bit worse this morning and I can’t fully bend my arm. feeling quite frustrated as it seems to be one thing after another recently. Please don’t let that put anyone off as it’s quite unusual!!

Otherwise, up to £10 on prolific. 

Pay day tomorrow! 

birdsfoottrefoil

Hi all! 

Definetly not a no spend day today!

Wage has come in and a few things have gone out. Firstly mortgage, then £250 on a trip to the dentist and first credit card payment of the month £100. That should be it for today and have left over pheasant curry for supper. 

Tomorrow should be no or low spend except from direct debits. 

Spending in this month has been the lowest since I’ve started the diary so really pleased with that. 

Have left a message for a friends husband who’s and electrician to see if he can finish of the electricians work. Fingers crossed!!!

vampirotoothus

Hi your ladder incident sounds scary, I hope you recover quickly.
Good idea to be looking for another electrician, I hope he will help you. Have a great weekend V x

birdsfoottrefoil

THE ELECTRICIAN HAS BEEN!!!!!

Was on the phone to my father and said I’d had some very exciting news, too which he thought I’d got engaged??!! Oh so Bridget Jones, had to point out that the electrician coming was far more longed for on my part and important to the future. I do find it funny how you get to over 30 and everyone thinks any news will be babies or weddings. 

Anyway he’s done the bits I needed to get the joiner back… who’s now gone on holiday but assures me he’ll be back when he’s back. I’m presuming he will as he hasn’t billed me yet. Popping to the builders merchants on the way home from work too look at some bits I need that are on sale. I want to have a look in person first and then check at the other builders merchants to see if it’s a “real sale”. 

Otherwise going to make Pad Thai tonight to use up some veg. We had a smoked mackerel soufflé and salad on Tuesday night, I’ve not made soufflé before but the mackerel was getting near its date so thought it was worth a try. Would recommend!!! 

vampirotoothus

Hi birdsfoottrefoil that's great news. Hopefully the joiner isn't away to long. 
Only buy what's necessary and does the job for your rental - no point in investing good money for a house being rented. Have a good weekend V x

birdsfoottrefoil

Sooo mixed blessings. Financially not great but the house is moving forward!!

• Joiner has been… I’m a bit worried about him on a personal level he’s got very into “sovereign citizen” “freeman on the land” theories and is in a bit of legal trouble. So this did seem to be mainly on his mind to the determent of other issues. I had saved some cash up from bits and pieces to partly pay him but because of how he was I’ve decided it was better to pay him out of my bank, so there’s a record of the payment. So it’s great that nearly all the joinery is done (there’s a few final bits me and the boyfriend will do) but my bank account is unexpectedly down £740 this early in the month…. It’s going to be tight!!
• Flooring guy is coming in two weeks, I’m going to paint the floorboards upstairs but the downstairs is concrete so needs covering. That’s a further £1450, I’m happy with the price though as it’s about £250 less than I’d estimated. Was hoping I could pay a deposit but he doesn’t want paying till it’s all completed.
• I’ve picked up a sofa off FB marketplace with all the correct fire labels for £100. It’s in such good condition, I’m slightly concerned the boyfriend likes it a bit too much and thinks it would be nice at his…
• Also needed to get a new vacuum cleaner as mine has died. I’ve got a Henry through Topcashback which was in the sale, so £133 inc the cash back.
• Also I’ve been in the office everyday this week so spent £50 in fuel so far, it’s reminded me what a difference working from home more has made in other weeks.

I need to go and work at the house tonight (things have been rather manic with work and some volunteering/community work I do), as I’ve not been so far this week.

I’m quite worried financially this month but just tying to reassure myself that it’s necessary to get the house over the line!! I do think the worrying is good in a way as I didn’t used to as much and I guess that’s why I got myself here….

birdsfoottrefoil

Hi!

I’ve been slightly avoiding updates, as it’s been rather a spendy month. I’m a bit ashamed! 

In addition to the house stuff mentioned in the last post I also needed a part for the boiler…. So additional spend last month was about £2800 on top of normal expenses. Which has increased my debt this month by £2,000 and wiped out my final cash stash. 

I spent last night having a tally up as I was assuming the debt increase would be worse. I did turn down quite a few things socially this and last month, which has made a difference thankfully!! 

On the positive side that’s the last of the big spends on the house and we’re on the last push! I’m trying to do an hour there most nights after work (in addition to the weekends) but I still feel like I’m moving at a snails pace. 

So plans for the next week or two:
- paint bedroom floors
- finish other painting inside (bathroom, hallway, spare room)
- paint window sills and front door (I’m thinking yellow… possibly controversially) 
- tidy outside (I picked up some low maintenance herbs to put in the pots at B&Ms)
- mega big clean!!! Everything is so grubby from plastering, joiner etc
- so I’ve missed my April deadline so now aiming for Easter/May. I think I’m having to admit that I just haven’t the time to be quick, do work myself and fit in my work hours. Still big achievement that that’s the last major work done. 

- have a low spend week! OH is working away this week which helps as it over half’s the food bill.
- plan out what electrical items I need to buy (kettle etc) and can I get them through Topcashback. I’m still having a fight with them over my internet order!! Had to ring Plusnet for the order number to give to Topcashback, now had an update to say it’s not a correct order number and Plusnet have turned it down!!! I need to ring them again but what a fight.
-try not to stress about work…. We’re all a bit worried about our jobs and one of the guys in our team seems to be on a mission to stir and cause rifts. Ironically if I was to choose who to make redundant he’d be high on my list, as he spends most his time telling everyone how he used to be a manager but he can’t possibly do X or Y task as he’s not an expert in that field.

Anyways! I need to get back to work!

mrosie

Are you going to rent the house? That will make a huge difference to finances and offset the money that's gone into it!

birdsfoottrefoil

Thanks @mrosie yes that’s the plan with the house. Makes me feel a wee bit better about the increase in debt. 

birdsfoottrefoil

Hi!

So financially April has been a bit of a shocker…. Unexpected bill due to joiner, thought he’d included the timber in everything but he’d just charged it to my name at the local timber yard and it was overdue by the time I got the bill. So the was a £400 unexpected bill and the debt has gone up.

Honesty I feel a complete fraud as things are not going in the right direction.

In other notes I’m completely behind on work as I’ve had a few funerals this month. One was my parents sibling and was quite traumatic as the siblings partner had isolated them from the family prior to the death. I’m not going to go into more detail as there’s so much but mentally my head is feeling full up.

Work has been mental we’ve got some major deadlines this month which with one thing and another I’m a bit behind on, so needed up working extra on Sunday. Was expecting a telling off from the boss but instead had a slight talking to on why I should maybe have some take some holiday, lovely idea but between the deadlines, working on the house when I’m not at work and lack of budget it isn’t happening.

I have noticed a bad habit I have, after I went over budget I had a bit of a “whatever” moment and went a bit mad on the grocery shopping. This seems to happen when I go over budget my brain seems to be like “well there’s no point now” and I spend. Need to stop it!!!

Anyway onto the good:
- getting there on the painting, I’ve been really struggling with time this month with personal matters and work deadlines. Front door is done and looks fab
- outside has been spruced up.
- have my first booking!!! Admittedly for late summer so need to pull my finger out!!!
- plan for the bank holiday weekend to sand and paint the bedroom floors.
- taking inspiration from @twiggy86 I’ve reviewed my budget spreadsheet, was budgeting about £110 less pm then really for debt and had over budgeted on petrol routinely for the last few months. 

- need to do the little short tax reclaim form, I used to be able to claim for working from home but I think they’ve tightened that so it’s only really for washing uniform that I can claim back now. So won’t be a big amount but everything helps.

Hope everyone’s had good months and has lots of nice and cheap things planned for the bank holiday!