Pay off mortgage and start having fun!

themadvix

No judgement from me on the chips front.... chip-shop chips are too good to miss.... In fact, I have a lunch of chips planned for Saturday with my FIL - he's coming to do some DIY at the BIL's (nearby) and it's a tradition to have chips (from the days when he'd come and help us with DIY while I was working). Our cats love a chippy chip too

I'd be careful with gift cards - so many companies are unstable at the moment. I know what you mean about asking for things that help the budget though - it's tricky!

newgirly

Hi vix, I see what you mean about gift cards, I feel awkward asking for cash (which would be very handy!) though.

Good afternoon out with dd yesterday watching phantom, we had amazing second row seats, although slightly spoiled as it seems even in a theatre, it’s ok to talk and eat packets of crisps :mad: I restrained myself from attackng anybody though and we had a great time anyway :rotfl: No dinner afterwards as she had an emergency call from her boyfriend as his dad needed to urgently tell them something - rushed back to find out it really wasn’t urgent oh well it’s part two of our mum and daughter week today we are off to the Harry Potter studio for an evening tour with expert staff who worked on the film and a takeout dinner in the cafe afterwards.

Due to all the flitting about I’ve lots of washing to do, Xmas stuff to order and wrap and two sets of tickets to try and buy at 9am which will be tricky! Ds1 a wants Bob Dylan ticket for Xmas and Dd and I want to try for tickets to see Tom hiddleston at the Pinter :happyhear

newgirly

Oops, where have the last few days gone?

The Harry Potter studio tour was great Friday, the Groupon deal good value for the extras too, every time we go there are new things to see. Saturday we went and bought a tree worthy of Clarke Griswold himself £82 including stand :eek: it does look rather good though, I’ve missed having a real tree 🌲

Back to to the point of this diary then. Still no proper figures but a lower normal monthly overpayment of £600 (due to the cruise )plus interest , plus an extra op made up in November of the extra daily bits and bobs of £91.77.

I’m not going to do a payment a day for December as it’s so busy, but I’m still being more careful than usual, I’ve just used a £10 off code for next towards a personalised necklace for mil for xmas, I’ll use the gift voucher I had bought towards the Xmas food order payment, £10 saved. Plus I’ve requested £21.43 from tcb that’s tracked today.

Also the cash reward for the year has been paid on the cc of £38 odd, all of these extra bits will go to the mortgage.

This week will be a dear one posh xmas do Friday plus an Uber across London home. Also it’s best friend London day out, afternoon tea and cinema this year. It’s still helping massively not drinking now and this is the time I would be buying for Xmas (and then drinking it through December and buying it again!) one month teetotal yesterday :T

newgirly

It’s not going well this week, Tuesday came home to no water pressure- after a couple of hours and a visit from dad it’s came back on. The last night came home to no plug sockets working, dh spent hours unplugging everything - it’s not an appliance but probably a fault with the electrics :eek: the loft and kitchen work and we’ve run a massive extension lead to the living room for tv and internet , but everything elsewhere including the main bathroom won’t work (all works on a macerator, which has only just been repaired ).

Don’t know who we will get out as builders next door are way too busy Dads popping round to have a nose too soon.

Today is xmas day out though , so I’ll try and forget the house issues, toast in town then up to the west end for a quick shop, a lunchtime afternoon tea, the nutcracker film and then back for a local prezzo meal deal I’ve a voucher for.

I’m going to keep a track of December spending ,it will go from yesterday (when I could use the cc again!) until the same time in January. It not going to be pretty with all the socialising but I may doing it more to get into the habit properly as I want to track fully next year.

So far £11.40 in Morrisons (£5 on 5x butter statues, couldn’t get any last year so bought a few to gove to people too )

newgirly

So the electric is back on, it’s was the cats fault! Dh found a puddle by a plug socket in the conservatory she’s denying it of course....

Good day out yesterday, dodgy film mind - the nutcracker. We’ve decided next year we will go the the royal opera house instead
Best part of yesterday was doing or usual visit to “flying tiger” shop to find everything Xmas related £1 :T bought enough garlands and lights to go up all the staircases, a couple of retro reindeer, 3 pairs of slippers , a couple of festive slankets , a Xmas tree hat plus loads more :rudolf:

newgirly

Date night with dh last night, a lovely curry locally - my first sober curry for a very long time I think ordered some sparkling water in such a nice glass bottle that I took it home with me

Roast dinner today and a shed load of ironing done. My youngest son has strangely acquired his “Xmas spirit” this year, obviously he had it as a child but it feel by the wayside a bit! he’s been blasting out Xmas music all day and seems very festive, all rather unusual but I’m embracing it :rotfl:

I’ve joined the mfw thread for 2019 , still to decide on a target yet. It’s a bit hard to know really as ds2 is possibly going to uni next year, so as usual it will be a figure picked out of thin air that’s probably waaayyy to high to be realistic, just like every year then really :eek:

newgirly

It’s been a successful mse day today

After our second disappointing cruise this year, I pinged off a long (but polite) email explaining how it was not up to the usual standard. This was a few weeks ago and they rang today, after an apology they have offered to upgrade our cabin on the week long fjord cruise next year from an inside to balcony :j The price difference when we booked was around £1000 extra :eek: I am so over the moon as I really wanted a balcony but could not justify the cost.

Not much else to report and no work done towards a target for ops next year still

themadvix

Great result! :T

CathT

Children in a festive mood and a cabin upgrade. Sounds like a great day!

newgirly

Thanks guys

Busy week again, I took ds2 to see fantastic beasts last night, tonight I’m off for a quick dinner then to the ballet to see swan lake. Also going to costso today to have a look at the ham for Xmas day.

Dd visited where she is thinking of doing her post grad course next year, it sounded great and they are keen to have her and suggested she sits in on a few classes to make sure beforehand committing. She will also speak with the events comany where she is working tonight (running the event for the first time :T) to get their take on the value of it.

Financially it’s a bit depressing, the course is just under £8k - the amount that’s squirrelled away for a new kitchen and not included in our mortgage figures, what a coincidence right :rotfl: she is of course saying she has the deposit and will take a loan out for the rest, we want to pay though.

Not sure what to do about our targets for next year now,the kitchen is really in such a state it can’t be left (no dishwasher now, rotten cupboards , many cracked tiles, dodgy cooker/taps etc) my parents know that dd is thinking of doing the course and said they could help out. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful but I don’t rather not take their word for it, they have offered to take the kids away a few times and not done it as we’ll as saying they would set up premium bond savings and then said it was not possible as they were too old....

Anyway, I need a plan and fast. I have a few hours before going on a ham hunting expedition so will have a look at the spreadsheet