Prosperous & Creative Soul Year 4

savingholmes

Thanks Skint and TG

My broadband was down for over a week!!! Very frustrating. Especially as I was off during that time. However - they are adding a credit of close to £100 to my account so all is not lost. That's around 3.5 months of free internet.

I have been meeting myself backwards recently despite taking some annual leave!! I have therefore consciously not gone to art group or other things a few times so I can try and re-balance. I'm hopelessly behind on diaries, sorry.

I had the equivalent of 1.5 weeks off - and during that did a load more work on book 2. Very excited about the progress I made - and feel it is coming together. I've not actively worked on it since my staycation - although I had a load more ideas for it yesterday when I was sat in the hairdressers and driving home. I also framed quite a few pieces of art work - including colourful life drawings ahead of my family visit - satisfying my inner rebel!! 

I've been more social recently. Held a leaving/Xmas party at a pub function room last week with 15 other people for DS and his partner as they are emigrating. Then 13 of them came back here for tea. Took a lot of effort to have the house tidy enough to support that - as well as the cost of the meals, drinks, flowers, decorations etc. Well worth it though. Made good memories, lots of photos and everyone seemed to have a good time. The pub room was really wide with corners with a table and soft seating for the kids to draw and play in - and people were able to circulate around the room. When they were back here - I got the kids to go in my back L shape so they had more room to play while most of the adults talked in the front room. DS and his partner stayed overnight here and we went for a lovely walk last Sunday. The pub gave me some vouchers towards a free meal - so hopefully go back there this week for that - the vouchers are only M-T and are short-dated.

Then I've met two friends separately for meals this week plus had my hair done. 

I've also been trying to prepare for a portrait exhibition - but got hit by glass breaking on multiple frames, frames splitting etc. Some of my paper also tore - so it's illustrated the importance of using better quality materials wherever possible. I need to invest in learning more about framing and use at least mixed media paper.  Unfortunately, because I missed the art groups - I need to drop 3 pictures off this afternoon - which is roughly a 35 mile round trip!! It is amazing how much smarter things look framed though - and how much difference the colour of the mount and the frame can make to the finished piece. I am hoping to submit 3 that are all slightly different in size and style - but have matching frames and hopefully show my versatility. Two were done at my portrait group - and one was done afterwards.

I'll do a separate money update.

lucielle

Gosh you have been very busy!  Sounds like you need more time off to recover. 

Hope you get lots of interest in your art. 

L

savingholmes

Thanks Merlin, Lucielle and Beanie too. 

I came to the conclusion - that I need to stay here - and not have a separate studio - until I'm regularly selling my art. I need to recommit to going at the 'speed of cash' wherever possible.

Some of my 'malaise' / desire to escape came from trying to get the house 'visitor ready.' I rarely have visitors to the house - so it seems daft to spend hundreds more a month - in reality to meet my perception of other's expectations. 

At one point this month my AVCs went up to close to £30K - but they have dropped £750 in the last week - so it will continue to be a rollercoaster ride. I'm not making headway on paying down my CCs (but have offsetting savings) - but I've had a lot of big expenses this year:

1. Business expenses (now £70 a month fixed costs, as well as materials)
2. My art course
3. Art materials
4. Italy trip
5. Florida trip
6. Wedding gift
7. Leaving party for DS and his partner etc.

I still have £250 worth of work to pay on my car - ideally within the next month - need to book it in. I also have Xmas and family birthday expenses to come of over £350. It therefore looks likely that I will stay fairly 'still' until January. Fundamentally I need to stop using CCs - but I like the cashback points - but they probably aren't worth the stress of working out how to clear my spend CC each month.

I'm hoping to see DS at least once more before he leaves the country - probably on his own. So that may also 'cost' too - but worth it.

I'm coming up to the four year anniversary of my divorce soon - and the start of my current mortgage - so will start a new diary soon. What I think is exciting is that I have started exhibiting my art work - which at least gives me a chance of selling some. I recognise I need to do some pop up art stalls but don't think I have what it takes to do that yet. Still progress not perfection. Listing at least some art work for sale is progress.
 

jwil

That's loads going on.  Hope all goes well with the art.

beanielou

Bitter sweet on DS. Lovely news on the art. 

savingholmes

Thanks Jwil and Beanie. 

I have done one of my biggest art works to date this week - it's not finished but I'm really pleased with that. I'm going to try and make a collection of similar themed works. Wish me luck. 

I have an art exhibition with others tonight so it will be interesting to see how that goes. 

This weekend:

• I want to try and get some prescriptions.
• Ideally get a chiro appointment
• Make some art
• Go to art exhibition
• Write more of my book
• Get dryer fixed - it's about 18 months old but the heating element seems to have stopped working. I may qualify for free parts - need to check.

savingholmes

I've been paid today - so another £1.1K has gone into my AVCs.

savingholmes

I've started my year 5 diary a week or so early. You can find it here: Prosperous and Creative Soul Year 5 — MoneySavingExpert Forum