Getting sorted

It may be a bit early for new year's resolutions, but one of the things I am determined to do next year is to buy a house - or at least be in the best position I possibly can be!

There is no possible way that I can afford to buy by myself in the current housing climate, and as no rich knight in shining armour appears to be on the horizon, my best option is "affordable housing" (a paradox if ever I've heard one!) - or shared ownership as it's traditionally called. To buy a new 3 bed house in my area, I'm looking at around £140-£150k, around a £70k mortgate and the remaining 50% in rent. At a rough guess this is likely to cost me, in total, around £650 month.

Before I can go down this route though, I need to:
1. Repair my horrific (though not so bad as it was) credit history
2. Save around £2000 for legal/moving costs

Being absolutely hopeless with money, neither of these is an easy task, but I have been working on the first and this is a much more acheivable target than saving - particularly as money always "seems to burn a hole in my pocket" (to quote my parents!). However, I have just taken a big step towards the second, by applying for (and being accepted!) an Alliance & Leicester Premier Savings Account. This is a fixed term account, which means that I can't withdraw any money at all from this account until a year after my first payment. Perfect!! So, as of 2nd December 2008, at a rate of £250 month saving and 12% interest, I shall be the proud owner of £3195 in savings, and well on my way to my very own (half share) house!

Now, I'm off to write a PPI claim letter!

PS. If you decide to follow me and want to open an account, please let me know via email, and then we can both get an extra £40!

Sometimes

It doesn't happen very often, in fact, considering, it's a bloody miracle it doesn't! But occasionally, like today, it would be so fucking great to get home after a shit day and have somebody say "you sit down and put your feet up, I'll sort the kids out and do dinner". I don't really get lonely, and I don't have any major aspirations for an "other half" (other than the obvious one!). Sure it would be nice, but it's really not high on the agenda at the moment. But today, today it would have been nice.

Work is shit at the moment! Fucking public sector! I am sick of having to scrabble around for pots of money to keep a service that at first sight seems to be an unnecessary and specialist service, but that in actual fact fits a vast array of health, crime, drugs, housing, community and young people targets both locally and nationally! How any service can develop, grow and improve when fighting the battle of public funding year on year begging is fucking beyond me!

Rant over.

Stars for the week ahead

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink. You can take a teetotaller to a bar but you can't make them drunk. This week, we need to look at what's allegedly impossible and keep looking at it until we see a route to success. The world is full of people who think they know where their own limits lie and what their companions are restricted by too. How do they know this? It is a moot point. Just as a positive prediction can easily give rise to a self-fulfilling prophecy, so a pessimistic belief can turn into a miserable reality. You can do what you think you can do this week. You can't do what you think you can't do. So think positive.

Hibernation

It's about all I'm good for at the moment! Not low, but just feel generally wiped out and can't be arsed. Don't know if its old age or crappy weather, but whatever it is I seem to have lost all energy at the moment, so just taking it easy.

I'm reading blogs and comments but just not able to reply anything remotely constructive, let alone post anything even remotely interesting. Am there in spirit though and am sure I will buck up again soon.

Bleeding Love

Most deserved...

Stars for the month ahead

Some people get a real thrill from being pessimistic, critical or unhelpful. The more petty-minded they can be, the happier they can grow. Such characters have a particular dislike of people like you. You embody all the qualities that they secretly envy but pretend to despise. You are ambitious and adventurous. You have courage and clarity. You see the big picture. How satisfying it must be to stop you in your tracks by enforcing an archaic rule or unnecessary regulation. How they must chortle when they see you stumble. Don't rise to their bait in November. And don't give ground to your own inner critic. A true triumph is imminent.

Darn

bloody mouse is knackered. Will return..