Turning Straw into Gold: Creating Long Term Security & A Solid Home

MillQueen

I’ve frittered away a bit of money today, back to old habits, buying a coffee and a cake at work, and buying lunch because I hadn’t made any. I’m back on it tomorrow, taking a pot noodle that’s been in the cupboard to work and some fruit, then I’ll cook a meal in the evening that will last a few days.

MillQueen

I've paid fully for the sofa today and it's being delivered in a few weeks. It was immaculate and apparently was cheap because it was a cancelled order and no one wanted that colour (pale seafoam green). It's pleasingly plain and non-stylish, as I have been trying to get things that are fairly timeless so they will last. I think getting a trendy sofa would feel like a mistake a couple of years down the line, as I can hopefully keep this one for 10 years. I'm trying to get things I can keep for a long time and only have a minimal amount of items. I test drove the car and liked it. I have arranged to buy it from my friend next week. It's in great condition and will be the nicest one I've owned. It's smaller than the one I have, but that might end up being a blessing as I can't buy unnecessary house things. I am taking the old car for scrap at the weekend as the engine keeps overheating.

MillQueen

I got paid today though I haven't overpaid on anything extra, as I am in my overdraft with all the extra costs from the car and the vets this month, which will take a couple of months to pay off. I had set up some auto payments for a few things already though, like £150 to the long term investments and the regular payment of £100 to my student loan. I have made about £140 from my self-employed work. Not the best for all of the many hours I spent on it, but I have had some expenses to pay for software subscriptions and insurances etc that have reduced what was left and I always immediately set aside 50% of my earnings for later tax and student loan. The emergency savings will be taking a hit with the sofa and the car, but those are one off costs that are necessary anyway. This weekend I have to get a broken lock on the door replaced.

I have updated the figures in my signature and my net wealth has improved a bit, though this progress will be wiped out by the cost of the car (just over 2k) within the next week or so…. I need to work harder at doing more additional freelance work and reducing the cost of any optional purchases for a few months, until I have re-balanced myself from the big stuff. (There is apparently always big stuff though….).

MillQueen

I have made my monthly £50 bulk order of cat litter, kitchen and cleaning stuff etc. I also got milk, eggs and cheese. For the rest of the month I will be using TGTG alongside using up what's already at home. This will be intense for the next couple of days, as I had ordered a TGTG to pick up this evening while I still have the car, but the order has been cancelled. I am getting rid of the old car tomorrow, and it will be a few days before I get the new one, so no TGTG for a few days as I won't be able to pick it up without a car. So, for now I will be eating whatever I can make with what I have at home until I can get the next one mid-week. I had smooth porridge for tea with the remainder of a bag of mixed seeds. I am drinking only water (or tea that I have in the cupboard), so I don't spend on drinks, and trying to drink plenty of it. Interesting food combos ahead… 😂.

MillQueen

I've been to scrap the old car and I got £212 for it. I also got two pairs of leggings, as my current ones are full of holes, and a pack of 2 thermal under-tops at half price for £13. These will help me stay warm so I can use the heating/heater less 😊. I popped in the charity shop and bought 3 novels for £3 - low price fun.

Interestingly, in the charity shop, I found another sofa. A little two seater from Loaf for only £95 in a nice shade of purple that I had wanted a while ago. It would have been over £2,000 new and is perfect for the dining room, which I want to make into a library… or to replace the two seater I already have with the strange smell.

I sniffed it quite a bit in the shop and probably looked a bit weird. There is the possibility also, that I could get a refund on the new sofa that I have ordered (£600) and just have this one instead, but it's only tiny. It would kick the can down the road a bit on affording a bigger one. Not sure about it yet…

Edited to add that I also got some reduced mushrooms for 56p. Fascinating to know, I'm sure.

MillQueen

The locksmith has been and it was only £60 to get the front and back door locks replaced, so that was a pleasing amount and less than I expected. He was in and out in about 20 minutes. He is coming later in the week to replace the lock on the side gate, as that one will take longer and involves ordering a part.

doingitanyway

Great price for the locks. I'm assuming only the barrels were changed. Feeling safe is so important especially when living alone.

Well done for sniffing 😁

MillQueen

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81903708#Comment_81903708

Yes, it was just the inner part, as the back door didn’t have a key at all, and the front one had a key but it kept sticking and was on its way to breaking. It’s better I think anyway when in a new house to get the locks changed. I’ve bought the little sofa, which thankfully smelt very neutral. I just have to decide whether to get a refund on the newer pricier one or have that one too.

Dakota_Rose

That’s an amazing price for a Loaf sofa and I think replacing the bad-smelling one would be worth the cost. Did you have an amount of money in mind for scrapping the car? My sister has recently had hers taken away and didn’t get a penny for it. Such a waste as with a bit of TLC, it would have been good for o drive for quite a while longer.

MillQueen

@Dakota_Rose, the sofa did feel like a blessing for that price! I will ask the charity people if they want to take the smelly one as a donation when they deliver the Loaf one. I had wondered if I could get more for the car if I advertised it and sold it through a private sale, but the hassle of haggling and arranging viewings put me off. I scrapped it through a website (the famous one) that buys cars. If the car is drive-able, my experience is that it's sometimes a bit better than a regular scrap yard. It's a shame I have no mechanical knowledge or skill, as it probably would have been fixable. But it wasn't worth the expense to invest in it, with it being 20 years old and worth next to nothing. Excitingly, the newer one is less to tax and insure, and with it also being cheap to buy and being low mileage enough to last 5 years (hopefully more), it will end up paying for itself in savings.

Today I am using up food and I have eaten porridge with cinnamon and plums for breakfast. Later I need to make something, I think carrot soup (or carrot risotto for a change maybe?), as I have a bag of carrots that need using, and I need lunches that can be microwaved at work. I have a small job this morning that will bring a little bit of self employed income, about £30 I think, and then a ton of extra tasks to do for my employed job.