Right, finally home from work and have a cup of tea. I know it's only the end of Thursday, but it's my weekend now, and it feels like it's been a jolly long week!
Going to do a bit of financial sorting out, so bear with a load of adminny posts...
* pay builders merchants for supplies * pay apprentice invoice * compare my estimations with the ones the builder sent * add new stuff into kitchen spreadsheets * might as well do banks/YNAB while I'm messing about * check if premium bonds dosh has arrived - transfer to kitchen fund if so * check if covid vouchers have arrived - transfer to kitchen fund if so
* pay builders merchants for supplies * pay apprentice invoice * compare my estimations with the ones the builder sent * add new stuff into kitchen spreadsheets * might as well do banks/YNAB while I'm messing about * check if premium bonds dosh has arrived - transfer to kitchen fund if so * check if covid vouchers have arrived - transfer to kitchen fund if so
In terms of comparisons between my guesses and the builder's new costs
* labour for installing extra pipes = my guess £880/builder cost £900 = +£20 * labour for installing insulation = £150/£100 = -£50 * lintel labour = £1200/£220 = -£980 * sort out windows = £150/£220 = +£70 * cellar wall = £150/£440 = +£290 * extra 1st fix electrics = £1320/£500 = -£820 * extra plastering costs = £4160/£950 = -£3210
So pretty good guesses on labour for pipes, insulation, windows; cellar wall cost more than I thought, as did windows (but I was forgetting downstairs needed doing as well as up). And wild over-estimations on my part on electrics and plastering, thank goodness.
So in terms of actual known costs, we're up to £29,381. There will be extra second fix electrics, probably extra for granite, and I imagine various other things, and stuff we need to buy ourselves like paint and carpet, so we'll edge over £30,000 but hopefully not by too much.
We've now paid out £15,167.44 (between ongoing builder invoices, radiators, appliances, deposit for kitchen etc) so at least the final invoices aren't going to come as too much of a shock!
Need to go and withdraw the latest batch from Premium Bonds...
Ooh, forgot to say - covid vouchers haven't arrived, and neither have premium bonds winnings. Mr Cheery's SEISS grant has though, and has been transferred to the kitchen fund, which now stands at £4851.25, which is 69.3%.
Another £48.75 to get to 70%! So once the covid voucher arrive we'll be there!
Need to get back on the case with the Happy Wheel, it's been a busy week and so far I'm only up to £9 in October
Lou~ Debt free Wanabe No 55 DF 03/03/14. **Credit card debt free 30/06/10~** MFW. Finally mortgage free February 2021**** "A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of" Jane Austen in Mansfield Park. ***Fall down seven times,stand up eight*** ~~Japanese proverb. It starts with you, it starts from now. *** It is ok to be me.***
***Keep plodding*** Out of debt, out of danger.***Be the difference.***
Oh Cheery! How annoying about the Happy Wheel - beanie's right, of course, but still, grrrr!
OTOH, it's your weekend now, hurray!
Downsized and paid off mortgage 2010 Retired August 2016 Paid off French mortgage September 2018 New kitchen fully installed June 2019 Not counting this! 2020 Garden fencing completed, woohoo 2021.......... October 2021: aiming for £5,000 new money for premium bonds or a car.
Cheery, it sounds as if it has been a long week and you will be glad of your weekend.
Well done for overestimating on costs, that makes the reality much less painful. Talking of painful - I would be chewing the table over the granite 'salespersons' by now! We just have cheap, composite worktops and, having read your diary, I'm happy to keep it that way.
It's not difficult! 'Wander' - to walk or move in a leisurely manner. 'Wonder' - to feel curious.
You're right of course Beanie, and plenty of sign ups left for Mr Cheery so it will all work out in the end I hope!
As for granite, I was about to say we've not had prices back, but trawled through emails just now and we have - one at £3426, and one at £3936. Ridiculous really - the more expensive one is the same colour as we had a quote from the other guys for £2900 ish. Yawn.
Obviously Mr Cheery wants more expensive rounding on the edges 😂 so they've quoted that at £495 extra.
It's likely we'll go for the cheaper one, which is about £550 more than the original quote, then add the extra edging.
Hope they've remembered to include VAT in those costs this time!! At least we have enough info to make a decision now, and an option that is at least vaguely close to the original quote).
What a palaver.
They also sent me a link to look at door handles, so we've chosen those. No prices from the places they get them from as it's wholesale 😂 but they've included £50 in their original quote towards them. Probably turn out to cost £50 each the way we're going 🙄😂
Right. We have been to the cafe, chemist, and charity shop, had a cup of tea in the garden with the chickens, pegged the still damp washing outside, and now I am in need of a ludicrously overambitious list for the weekend ahead.
So. Not sure what order this is going to go in, feel like I need to be outside while the sun is shining...
HOME * washing up * put dry washing away * sort clothes in bathroom * tidy kitchen * hoover
DIY-RELATED * get 'new' sink out of garage and give it a good clean (it came out of a skip 😂 ) * give everywhere a good brush and hoover * remove extra doors and radiators from by back door * remove gash carpet that the plasterer has spilled water all over 🙄 * see if there's anything in my study I can shift * put up some bits of kitchen ceiling and see if I need some more plasterboard (plasterer used the 3 massive sheets I had - I said he could, there would probably have been a mark up if he'd ordered more!)
GARDEN * clean out chicken house * more scything * shift some cut grass for mulch * move lintel off the lawn * tidy up - there's old sand bags and bits of building stuff everywhere
ONLINE * email re granite and door knobs (YAWN) * update spreadsheet * cancel Hello Fresh - I'm at the end of trial period and now way paying full price
That'll probably do for the time being.
Anyone want a free Hello Fresh box? i've got a load of vouchers- you do have to sign up for a subscription but I think the first one is free (then presumably you can just cancel, or get a couple of weeks of discounted ones like I did). Been interesting having it, and a decent idea to get me cooking again. Not really worth it for veggies though in my opinion. VERY heavy reliance on halloumi (I don't mind, but a bit more variety would be good). Some of the meals have been nice, but nothing exceptional, and while it was worth it for 3 means for 2 people for £12 in the first week, and for £16 in the last couple of weeks, it definitely won't be worth it (for me anyway) when it reverts to £30.
* washing up * tidy kitchen * hoovered kitchen (but not anywhere else yet) * given new sink a good wash
Builder texted to say they were coming back on Monday to do skirting and electrics upstairs! Very exciting - that means upstairs will be finished, and we can get on with painting and carpets. Except the council is digging up the only access road on Monday - not a problem for us, as we'll be out all day, but the builder will have to be here by 8am and then won't be able to leave til tea time - no good if he needs to go and pick stuff up, and also no good for the electrician, who only needs to be here for half the day.
They're going to postpone til Wednesday, but that still means that by next weekend upstairs should be back under our control, hooray! (Although quite frankly I'll believe it when it happens...)
Right, just finishing my tea, and then I'm going to drop this get well present off at my friend's house so her husband can take it to the hospital for her.
Replies
Going to do a bit of financial sorting out, so bear with a load of adminny posts...
* pay builders merchants for supplies
* pay apprentice invoice
* compare my estimations with the ones the builder sent
* add new stuff into kitchen spreadsheets
* might as well do banks/YNAB while I'm messing about
* check if premium bonds dosh has arrived - transfer to kitchen fund if so
* check if covid vouchers have arrived - transfer to kitchen fund if so
That'll do I think.
* pay builders merchants for supplies
* pay apprentice invoice
* compare my estimations with the ones the builder sent
* add new stuff into kitchen spreadsheets
* might as well do banks/YNAB while I'm messing about
* check if premium bonds dosh has arrived - transfer to kitchen fund if so
* check if covid vouchers have arrived - transfer to kitchen fund if so
In terms of comparisons between my guesses and the builder's new costs
* labour for installing extra pipes = my guess £880/builder cost £900 = +£20
* labour for installing insulation = £150/£100 = -£50
* lintel labour = £1200/£220 = -£980
* sort out windows = £150/£220 = +£70
* cellar wall = £150/£440 = +£290
* extra 1st fix electrics = £1320/£500 = -£820
* extra plastering costs = £4160/£950 = -£3210
So in terms of actual known costs, we're up to £29,381. There will be extra second fix electrics, probably extra for granite, and I imagine various other things, and stuff we need to buy ourselves like paint and carpet, so we'll edge over £30,000 but hopefully not by too much.
We've now paid out £15,167.44 (between ongoing builder invoices, radiators, appliances, deposit for kitchen etc) so at least the final invoices aren't going to come as too much of a shock!
Need to go and withdraw the latest batch from Premium Bonds...
Another £48.75 to get to 70%! So once the covid voucher arrive we'll be there!
Need to get back on the case with the Happy Wheel, it's been a busy week and so far I'm only up to £9 in October
**Credit card debt free 30/06/10~**
MFW. Finally mortgage free February 2021****
"A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of" Jane Austen in Mansfield Park.
***Fall down seven times,stand up eight*** ~~Japanese proverb.
It starts with you, it starts from now. *** It is ok to be me.***
***Keep plodding*** Out of debt, out of danger. ***Be the difference.***
OTOH, it's your weekend now, hurray!
Retired August 2016
Paid off French mortgage September 2018
New kitchen fully installed June 2019
Not counting this! 2020
Garden fencing completed, woohoo 2021..........
October 2021: aiming for £5,000 new money for premium bonds or a car.
Well done for overestimating on costs, that makes the reality much less painful. Talking of painful - I would be chewing the table over the granite 'salespersons' by now! We just have cheap, composite worktops and, having read your diary, I'm happy to keep it that way.
'Wander' - to walk or move in a leisurely manner.
'Wonder' - to feel curious.
As for granite, I was about to say we've not had prices back, but trawled through emails just now and we have - one at £3426, and one at £3936. Ridiculous really - the more expensive one is the same colour as we had a quote from the other guys for £2900 ish. Yawn.
Obviously Mr Cheery wants more expensive rounding on the edges 😂 so they've quoted that at £495 extra.
It's likely we'll go for the cheaper one, which is about £550 more than the original quote, then add the extra edging.
Hope they've remembered to include VAT in those costs this time!! At least we have enough info to make a decision now, and an option that is at least vaguely close to the original quote).
What a palaver.
They also sent me a link to look at door handles, so we've chosen those. No prices from the places they get them from as it's wholesale 😂 but they've included £50 in their original quote towards them. Probably turn out to cost £50 each the way we're going 🙄😂
So. Not sure what order this is going to go in, feel like I need to be outside while the sun is shining...
HOME
* washing up
* put dry washing away
* sort clothes in bathroom
* tidy kitchen
* hoover
DIY-RELATED
* get 'new' sink out of garage and give it a good clean (it came out of a skip 😂 )
* give everywhere a good brush and hoover
* remove extra doors and radiators from by back door
* remove gash carpet that the plasterer has spilled water all over 🙄
* see if there's anything in my study I can shift
* put up some bits of kitchen ceiling and see if I need some more plasterboard (plasterer used the 3 massive sheets I had - I said he could, there would probably have been a mark up if he'd ordered more!)
GARDEN
* clean out chicken house
* more scything
* shift some cut grass for mulch
* move lintel off the lawn
* tidy up - there's old sand bags and bits of building stuff everywhere
ONLINE
* email re granite and door knobs (YAWN)
* update spreadsheet
* cancel Hello Fresh - I'm at the end of trial period and now way paying full price
That'll probably do for the time being.
Anyone want a free Hello Fresh box? i've got a load of vouchers- you do have to sign up for a subscription but I think the first one is free (then presumably you can just cancel, or get a couple of weeks of discounted ones like I did). Been interesting having it, and a decent idea to get me cooking again. Not really worth it for veggies though in my opinion. VERY heavy reliance on halloumi (I don't mind, but a bit more variety would be good). Some of the meals have been nice, but nothing exceptional, and while it was worth it for 3 means for 2 people for £12 in the first week, and for £16 in the last couple of weeks, it definitely won't be worth it (for me anyway) when it reverts to £30.
* washing up
* tidy kitchen
* hoovered kitchen (but not anywhere else yet)
* given new sink a good wash
Builder texted to say they were coming back on Monday to do skirting and electrics upstairs! Very exciting - that means upstairs will be finished, and we can get on with painting and carpets. Except the council is digging up the only access road on Monday - not a problem for us, as we'll be out all day, but the builder will have to be here by 8am and then won't be able to leave til tea time - no good if he needs to go and pick stuff up, and also no good for the electrician, who only needs to be here for half the day.
They're going to postpone til Wednesday, but that still means that by next weekend upstairs should be back under our control, hooray! (Although quite frankly I'll believe it when it happens...)
Right, just finishing my tea, and then I'm going to drop this get well present off at my friend's house so her husband can take it to the hospital for her.