museumworker's quest to consign mortgage to history!

museumworker

Thanks for posting eastcote - and always nice to meet another museum worker! What type of museum do you work in?

Received my mortgage statement today: balance as at May 1 = £187,107 :j! This is before normal mortgage payment and OP came out

earthgirl

Great priorities, an a good reminder for me too - thanks!

museumworker

You're welcome earthgirl - your mortgage seems to shrink even smaller every time I come on here! Looking forward to the day I only owe £1k!

£400 paid off mortgage today from letting room .

Exhausted at the minute - busy on every front. Had family over during the weekend, and OH's aunty and uncle over for dinner last night. Giving public talk tomorrow :eek:! Have more to do to finish it, so will do another hour or so once DD wrapped up in bed.

Loving Make do and Mend on 4od, much better than superscrimpers.

CathT

Good to see you back, I hoped it wouldn't be long. Good luck with the work stuff.

OP's are going well for you - well done.

museumworker

DD at dad's, OH out for the evening, and I have a few hours before head round to friend's house for eurovision, food and catch up! Have been working today, a tour of the stores, so glad to put my feet up for a bit.

Today we put a deposit on a new (to us) car :eek::D:j! It is a diesel Ford C Max, 07 reg, for £6,500, 40,000 miles on the clock. Purchasing from a small dealer who has been in business a long time and prices things well to get a quick turnover. OH is hoping to collect on Weds. We can trade our old car in for £150 scrap, it is a really old nissan micra with a bit of a dent in, loads of miles on the clock, so not really worth anything for resale. Just need to try and find the site I got that quote from now!

However, the car needs a good clean in the interior and also has a distinct whiff about it according to OH. Any tips from you MSE types on how to get rid of bad smells in a car? It is being valeted at the minute, so am hoping that will sort it out, but just incase might need some ideas up my sleeve!

Once we purchase, OH can claim for an interest free car loan from work for £5k, and pay back over 5 years, so we hope to have most of the purchase money back in our savings where it belongs in the not too distant future!

We have decided to buy now as old car's mot runs out next month, and we didn't want to spend the usual £300 mot'ing and servicing her, only to scrap her a month or so after.

Talk went well, good feedback and well received. Am glad it is behind me, but have not had time to stop and relax yet.

Last night went out with friend, had free tickets to concert at Kings Place, and we had beer and pork pies at a lovely pub beforehand. Great evening for £10! Tomorrow OH and I have stone setting ceremony for a relative in the afternoon. Monday I am off on a courier trip with work, back late on Tuesday. Then my last few evenings with OH before he goes on another 2 week work trip . It is his birthday whilst he is away too, so need to sort him out a present before then!

Hope you're all having a good weekend.

cha97michelle

Probably depends on why it smells. Mine had a leak with water, which had got under the mats, so i took them out, washed the mats and gave the carpet chance to dry out and it was ok.

Bicarb sprinkled on smelly surfaces then hoovered up will absorb smells on seats. I've used that one before to neutralise sick smells on indoor stuff, so it would work in a car.

museumworker

I'm going to try bicarb for sure, having looked at the OS boards that seems to be a firm favourite.

Back from fun but exhausting work trip. Spent quite a lot on booze , and snacks :o - and ordered an exercise dvd on way back via my mobile to make up for it :rotfl:! It is Jillian Michael's 6 week 6 pack (I wish!), at just a tad over £6 from amaz0n. I have been eating far too much of the wrong sorts of foods the last week or so, and haven't been exercising so need to get back on an even keel.

OH's present has come :j:j! Am very relieved as means can give it to him before his trip. Can't say what incase he lurks here .

£207.01 paid off mortgage today .

Now need to get some laundry on, and have some quality time with DD and OH (when they get home that is).

And we get our new car tomorrow :j:j!

twinklie

Glad to hear you sounding so positive. x

earthgirl

Hope you enjoy the car!! Naughty naughty about the wine though (v. jealous - still b.feeding!!)

Well done on the OP.

museumworker

twinklie - definitely feeling more positive. I think the refocus on priorities has been really healthy and made me realise I can't do everything. Anything I do to pay off the mortgage early should be celebrated, rather than beating myself up because I should be doing more. I'm definitely feeling more relaxed, and a lot of things are coming together.

earthgirl - the car is blinking fantastic. We are really chuffed with it. It feels ENORMOUS compared to our old one. The valet brought it up looking almost like new inside, a few minor marks on some of the seats but really nothing to worry about. OH emailed me after first journey into work to say he averaged 56mpg, and that is a mix of country roads and motorway. He is driving much more carefully now with the mpg monitor - and we found some tips on the forums about how to drive a diesel car compared to a petrol one in order to save money. So hopefully it will save us money on petrol too!

It has been an expensive week. We paid a couple of hundred to extend our car insurance to this car from our last wreck, went from 3rd party to fully comp. Will do full shop around in Oct when we renew. We also had to pay the tax too.

On the plus side I was bought dinner one night, and lunch another day. I did my bit and bought a round of teas and bacon sandwiches this morning - but at only £7 I think I got the better deal!

OH loved his present - I got him a kindle! He's been using his phone to read books, so I thought this would be an improvement. I used some vouchers I'd earnt from tcb, and the rest came from personal money, so just need to keep a tight hold on my social spends. Seeing as OH is now winging his way to far east, I don't think it will be too difficult!!

My main priorities for the week are to stay sane and relaxed, spend quality time with DD, get some decent rest, pack for next weekend, and then, only if I can:
* get on top of dirty laundry mountain
* get on top of clean laundry moutain (twin peaks :rotfl:!)
* hoover house
* dust
* exercise
* surveys
* sort crap taken out of old car currently in hallway - either put back in new car or get rid!

Just taken DD for swimming lesson and my free schwim. OH did shop on Monday and spent £53 for week. I think I can use up stuff at home to eat for the next week - am away a week Saturday. Just need some fresh fruit and veg. Am going to make it easy for myself by buying lunch in the work canteen as my main meal, then just having a soup or something light in the evening. Friend is going to cook one night too.

Got a great deal yesterday - waitr0se were doing 3 packs of stewing beef for price of 2 - £3.69 each. They had 3 packs reduced to £2.55 - bought them and it took £3.69 off, so it cost me £3.96 for a kilo and a half of meat! Have put in freezer til ready to use them.

Sadly last evening with OH didn't go quite as planned - had bought steak, was going to make a deconstructed beef wellington type dish. Got a migraine and OH had to cook his own special last meal! It was yum, I just wish I could have made it for him. He totally understood though.

Am working tomorrow :eek: so planning an early night, maybe with some telly in bed or a book. Have a good evening everyone.