Edinburgher gets cracking!

edinburgher

probably cause so many on here were taking the Mickey

The fact that so many MSE forumites are very zealous is both a blessing and a curse!

Overpayments can be done by BACs/online banking transfer but you need to phone and tell them you have have done it so they know what do with your money.... Bit of a pain but works well in practice.

That's interesting to know. Our documentation specifically said cheques only, so I thought my choices were more limited. It is a bit crappy that they don't have online servicing, but I'm glad to finally get a mortgage regardless.

I've set up Quidco to go directly into the newly opened mortgage OP savings account and cashback of £30 or so from yesterday has tracked (ordered a comfy new bed and mattress (50% off the mattress, free delivery and Nectar points, to boot)).

Also considering cancelling our DD for the lottery. It's only £4/mth and we may win the lottery (stranger things have happened). That said, if we OP an extra £4/mth, it will definitely take 4 months off the term. See, those are the sorts of chances I like!

edinburgher

OH agreed to getting rid of the lottery DD without any debate - good woman

edinburgher

A busy week with lots of stress at work.

Also had some bad news that a relative has died, which will lead to an unplanned £350 expense to go down South to share our condolences with the extended family. Not someone I knew, but feel terrible for his widow and children and think it's important to show face at the funeral as my Dad seems very upset. Got the best prices we could for transport etc., we should at least get £3-4 cashback for the hotel and train tickets.

On the OP front, have continued making £2 daily payments into the pot and my wife has given me a couple of Wii games to sell on Amazon Marketplace, which should bring in £20 or so when they sell. I've changed the DD so that any Marketplace payments go straight into the OP pot.

Wife has also said that she'll switch to Halifax for the £5/mth, which she has agreed to OP. She'll be spending the £100 reward for switching on frocks tho, which seems fair enough!

Other than that - hurrah it's the weekend - relaxing with a couple of beers

lvm

Just wanted to say good luck from a fellow Edinburgher...although shouldn't you be changing your name to "weegie" or something?!?! Lol

Anyway, try opening a TopCashback account as well - usually pays more than Quidco and you might as well recommend your wife to join as well and you'll get an extra £10 (unless they've changed it again).

Good luck!

edinburgher

Just wanted to say good luck from a fellow Edinburgher...although shouldn't you be changing your name to "weegie" or something?!?! Lol

Very true! I was an Edinburgher when I joined MSE, so an Edinburgher I will remain My Dad still lives there, so I'm at least part Edinburgheronian :rotfl:

I really will need to check TCB - do they have an annual fee as well?

sweetdaisy

edinburgher wrote: »

I really will need to check TCB - do they have an annual fee as well?

There is no annual fee for TCB and they pay quickly too.

edinburgher

Excellent, I have registered and will use the cashback comparison tool in future

Off to count my change - wish me luck...

Edit: £368 worth of change, £18 of which goes straight into OP fund, the rest I'll think about!

edinburgher

I have been continuing with small contributions to the OP pot, have closed a bunch of old Natwest accounts and did a massive clearout of old financial paperwork this evening.

This included my letters from the debt collection agency who I was best pals with for several years as I paid off my student debts Things aren't often genuinely catharthic, but this was! Everything is starting to feel very real Like I've been off in a financial wilderness and have finally made my way back.

Work continues to be fairly pants, but payday is a week tomorrow and I'm looking forward to going South, even if it's for a sad reason.

Found a Reid outlet store in Glasgow city centre today, they have some lovely leather recliner sofas at great prices - OH and I are going there at the weekend with the intention of sorting out some seats for our massive new living room.

edinburgher

Had quite a good weekend all in all. We ended up ordering our sofa in Harveys (a very comfortable squishy corner group in chestnut coloured leather). It cost about £960, which wasn't cheap, but I only had to pay a 10% deposit and have a year to pay the remainder at 0%. The plan is to put the £850 or so into an ISA and withdraw it a fortnight or so before we have to make the final payment next year, call it furniture stoozing!

I also got very excited about DIY (is 'man nesting' a thing?) A trip to Ikea let me see lots of affordable LED light fittings etc. and I'm setting myself a DIY target to ensure that every light in our new home is energy saving, with the intention of keeping our power bill the same as it is now (we're moving from a one bed to a two bed). If I succeed, I'll up our monthly OP by the 'difference' (predicted usage - actual).

Also have plans to replace the unit fronts in the kitchen, which should set usback about £300, far more reasonable than the £5-7,000 we'd have to pay for a 'new' kitchen. Aside from painting, the old fashioned kitchen cupboards is the only thing we don't like about our new flat.

Payday tomorrow - hurrah!

edinburgher

Payday has come, with another £120 or so winging its way into the OP pot.

Don't want to go crazy, as we're holding back £1,000 or so for a new wardrobe, washing machine and incidentals when we move. Only 17 days 'til we get the keys