Coffee and chocolate

MatyMoo

We can have a good laugh at their appalling taste :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Lemon_Tree

i'd def. like to see a piccie of the lampshades as well.

i grew up in Poole, but definitely not stalking you two lol. i never really did like lardy cake and i hate pontefract cakes with a passion, and yes you can get them down here.

miggy

I can't find a link for the lampshade but the tree looks like this, but slightly more plasticy.

Too tired tonight to reinstall Bluetooth which I deleted absentmindedly and load the phone pic of the shade, but I wouldn't want to give anyone nightmares anyway!

miggy

I had a search online for horrible lampshades but the nearest I could find got bleeped out by the net nanny!

Today I could do with a duvet day but there are things to be done. I have chipped away a little bit at the heap of things to do for Mum by placing an order for a bedspread she likes and getting rid of a bag of newspapers. Exciting stuff.

Why is it harder to get motivated when the sky is grey?

miggy

Today I seem to have acheived a few things, which is unusual for me. There is dinner in the SC, jelly in the fridge, half a dozen items of handwashing on the line, a load of ordinary washing - ditto - , some woollens in the machine, rabbit in the run not the hutch(which was deep-cleaned last night... and reassembled after dark... ), and nothing spent yet. I'm going to put that right shortly. It's birthday time in Miggyland again (not mine) so card, paper, croissants etc. need to be bought.

miggy

Said birthday got off to a flying start and everyone except me is now out and about. I really ought to be getting on with something so I sense a list coming up.

We're still within this week's food budget but I think it will be stretched by the end of the week. Yesterday's casserole, however, was big enough for a couple of portions to go in the freezer, so we may be having more of it tomorrow. The birthday boy wants a 'feast' tonight so I will be getting lots of cheap party food and making a buffet, though we won't get everyone in from work till 7.30 so I will have to find a tea-type meal for him and me after school.

We have also promised a meal out once his brother gets home (not till next week) so that's a big one to budget for.

Other money stuff: not a lot of Christmas shopping done and the shops are getting busier, oo-er. Must discipline myself, set aside a day and hit the High Street - but with a plan and a preliminary trawl across the Internet because that will save stress and possibly also cash.

And the mortgage statement has come. That's not a bad thing, except that DH and I immediately disagreed as to whether we try to pay off any more, he says we can't - the money is needed elsewhere. I am so tempted to try for an overpayment, even a small one. The discussion goes like this:
Don't overpay:
Lots of other calls on our money, esp if DD goes to Uni.
DH's employment is still uncertain.
We may well inherit money in the next few years in which case we could use that to pay it off.
Do overpay:
Feeling of achievement
Capital repaid = monthly repayments go further
If & when we inherit, more money will be available for us to use.

The real question is proportion and it's hard to be realistic about this. How much difference will an overpayment now make to the end date of the mortgage compared with how soon we might (or might not) have enough money to pay it off?

There are a couple of very significant sub-questions (this is a sad one to consider): we don't know whether there will be Care Home fees for DH's side of the family. On my side, fees are less likely but I don't want to sell off the house where I grew up, though I don't want to move back either. Again, in the shorter term, would it be better to rent it out, the market being what it is? In that case, there wouldn't be a lump sum available to repay our mortgage. That one may well come down to necessary selling, of course, in which case there would be some money.

I have a list of priority bills to be met before I can start to make any overpayments anyway, so I shall have another look at that and do a few sums.

First, however - lunch and some housework.

miggy

I forgot my list! Will do it in a minute as it may force me to get something done. Meanwhile I have had some lunch and done a bit of research - DH is right and we could realistically expect to pay off the mortgage in a few years because it's likely I will inherit enough. That doesn't take into account my secret ambition to be a landlord, LOL! Actually I've been there before and it wasn't a good experience.

For now: our current fixed-rate comes to an end soon and I've not yet done the figures to see what our likely repayments are going to look like after that. One interesting statistic from a glance at the papers is that our interest this year is equivalent to a £100 approx for each year remaining on the mortgage. I wonder what the significance of that is, if any?

Conclusions so far: I want to overpay, and I think we can but that might just be me and a touch of MS OCD. DH doesn't want to overpay because he thinks we need the money now, and can afford to do it later. I'm not sure he's looked at it longer term, though.

Sorry this is sustained waffle, I need to think aloud.

To Do List:
[STRIKE]Make cake[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]clear table[/STRIKE]
sort some more papers
[STRIKE]Shopping[/STRIKE]
Pick up meds - put off till tomorrow
[STRIKE]Washing onto line[/STRIKE]
Hoover - done by DS
[STRIKE]Put makeup on[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]Persuade Small Furry to sit out in the garden[/STRIKE]

miggy

Mmm... the post came, and with it my pay advice.

They are starting a staff benefit scheme, which I'd forgotten about but which will be operational any time now and could give a bit of cash back. There is also an unexpected bonus of a voucher which could be worth £50. I think I can find ways to spend it!

miggy

One more thing (I am doing jobs, honestly):

Mum has offered to get me a new coat for Christmas. That would be really nice and I know she means it and can afford it, also know I need a new one for work/everyday (I have a 'best' one but it would get spoilt at work). My current 'everyday' coat is dearly loved but coming to pieces.

So why do I feel guilty about accepting?

miggy

My inbox seems to be inundated with Black Friday emails - do I actually want any of them or are there going to be better ones nearer Christmas?

I seem to have plenty to do today but other than going to see Mum I have done quite a bit of it. Made a phone call on Mum's behalf and a parcel has come for her. DH picked up my prescription which otherwise takes me out of my way.

I am seized with a mild bout of indecisiveness - where to start and on what? Nothing's really urgent but everything will either become urgent or be left undone. I think yesterday has worn out my get up and go!

Nice things to do
Watch end of The Choir on catch up
Watch DIY SOS on catch up

Frogs
Place the Christmas order that I know I want - don't faff about waiting to see if I want anything else there because I probably don't. In fact I know I don't. So why wait around?
Go to see Mum - mostly not a problem but it will take away time and most of my energy! Also I have to be careful to eat and drink first so I don't give in and accept high calorie treats because my weight's going up and I'm not doing very well with it.

Other than that... I don't know really. Just concentrate on doing those few things.