Finally I have a mortgage I can start to pay off!

themadvix

Morning all,

Karma - we're in New Orleans for 3 nights, in the French Quarter. The trips on the bayou sounds very good - lots of different companies run them and there's a variety of options. Lots of info on tripadvisor, which is where we found the cooking demo (you get to eat the meal too) too.

New girly and Karma - we're not looking for a new one, so a new Leaf is out, I'm afraid. DH also isn't keen on a) the look and b) their battery management (although I think this may be less of an issue with newer ones) - my friend was an early adopter and her range is now less than 60 miles in just under 5 years, because the cold winters (she hasn't got a garage) have effectively killed the battery. We're looking for a replacement for our main car too, so to be able to go on holiday in it would require a decent range (the 200 miles is more like it, but they're just not available yet at an affordable price). Thanks for the thoughts though! Re the charging Karma, DH can charge at work for free and as it's a small range and a hybrid it wouldn't have the limitation/charge-anxiety associated with a pure electric. The electric would mainly be used for commuting, although it does act as a range extender for longer journeys.

SL - I love that you think I'm organised! :rotfl: I confess I'd written my original post with rough estimates for the OP target, but then remembered I actually have the details written down and thought I ought to be slightly more precise!

So, this morning I've boxed up £20 worth of stuff for MM and booked collection for Monday. DH thinks that more can go, so we may have another one to do in the near future. Managed a couple of PA surveys yesterday too. Am off for a quick walk to the post box with a survey item and then going hospital visiting - an elderly friend has been in the hospital up the road from me over New Year, but I only discovered this yesterday. I hate hospital visiting, but it's one of those things you have to do! Will call by CS with donations too. (All this relies on my car starting, which it wasn't so keen on last time I used it, which was a while ago!)

Santander have informed us that we can now make OPs online, so it will be interesting to see if that means they've removed the £500/one month's capital payment minimum... I've always been somewhat dubious about that.... If I get time I'll have a play later - standard payment went out yesterday so everything should have settled down ready for OPs.

We're probably going to look at a car tomorrow, which will be a nice day out as it's a way away. DH is calling them today - if that conversation goes well then it's likely that this will be 'the one' :rotfl: .

themadvix

Morning all,

Well... we bought the car!! :eek: Not collected it yet, but hopefully this week (a couple of bits need sorting before we pick it up). So the challenge is well and truly on... and what's more, I've want to find another lump of money to decorate the living room (we'll do the majority of the work, but would like to replace radiator with newer, more efficient one (DH will do the work and we get trade discount via BIL ); ceiling needs skimming and I'd like a new carpet - the expensive bit, which might have to wait a bit).

In other news, we paid the offset for our flights for America - donating to more efficient stoves in Kenya (?) and reforestation in Central America. Also booked New Orleans adventures (with Christmas money). It's been an expensive weekend!

MS things:
* Found more bits for ebay
* Meal plan continues
* Just used Virgin points to book chauffeur service to airport for holiday
* Clicks etc.
* PA survey
* NV survey
* DH has listed his old car for sale

In addition to a budget of £50 for food this month (and I'm already handwashing some dishes as I don't want to use all the d/w tabs and have to visit the zero-waste shop before 1st Feb :rotfl:), I would like to not spend more than £200 on my cc this month (to 26th). Hopefully this is fairly doable. I've also filled up with fuel and don't want to spend any more on fuel this month.

I'd made a miscalculation with the new car - it will save us money on fuel. So while the cap ex is still higher than we're used to, the running costs will be lower *and* better for the environment.

Gratitudes:
* Lovely Freeglers over weekend
* Quality kitty time
* The sales people at the garage weren't pushy or slimey (sorry!) - they were really nice, normal people and would highly recommend them (to anyone near Aldershot!).

Let the challenge begin!

Have a good day all!

Karmacat

Wow! Congratulations! Though the budget sounds really squeaky :eek: :rotfl:

themadvix

Morning all,

Thanks Karma! In some ways it's quite exciting as we've never had such a new car - in others it's daunting as it's a lot of money to be driving! :eek: The budget is squeaky through choice, so it's not the end of the world if I fail, but focus needs to be instigated and kept if we're going to make our OP/savings repayment targets.

We OP'd the £2306 from my inheritance last night using the new Santa system - which is much much better and seems to allow small OPs too - yay! It even clearly shows you how much of the OP allowance is left for the year. Which is £5116.98.... So, to test the new system, I will make an OP of £16.98 (obviously )... when the blummin' system is working again... it seems very temperamental.

In other news, DH transferred the majority of the money for the car - he's going to use his Curve card to pay the last bit, as it means he'll be able to get points using it.

Week 1 food budget update:
- £5.80 milk (organic adds up!)
- £14.70 veg box (inc more milk!) (Won't have one next week, so that will preserve the budget a bit more!)

CC bill @ £113. Might struggle with this target, but £45 of that is special cat food as kitty is showing signs of bladder stones (and was on this food for a long time until recently, and it works).

MS things:
* It's my birthday, so lots of free points from survey places etc.
* RM survey item to post
* Mum is taking me out for lunch (probably to place near her with 50% off
* Clicks etc.
* Evening class tonight, so no meal out for my birthday (in fact, we'll be having a cabbage curry to use up last of veg box - feeling very virtuous!). Might have something Thursday when we hope to pick up car (although DH's work plans have now changed, so that might not happen!).

Gratitudes:
* Some lovely cards and presents for my birthday that really take my zero-waste ethos into consideration - including in the wrapping/lack of wrapping.
* Cup of tea in bed this morning, courtesy of DH
* I can see blue sky - not a given on my birthday!
* A cuppa and cake with mum and niece yesterday afternoon - and when mum dropped me off, she had to ring me to go back out and give niece a kiss because she wasn't happy she hadn't had one!

Life is good, I hope it is with you!

Karmacat

Aww to the niece wanting her own kiss from you :heartsmil


Happy Birthday! Have some more coffee and cake :coffee: :bdaycake:

Cheery_Daff

:hello:

Interesting to read your electric car deliberations :j We've been pondering it for a while, and in a wild moment considered it as a replacement for our little car... but that's the one I drive to work in, so it would need at least an 80 mile range to be on the safe side, as there's no charging at (or near) work. And we're not really in a financial position to be spending that much on a car at the minute So we ran the little old one til it got to 197,000 miles and replaced it with something more efficient for £1300 and that will have to do for now.

I'm trying to file away knowledge about them though for next time :j

What did you get in the end?

Also cheery about your online mortgage system that lets you see all the figures! Our mortgage doesn't have any kind of online access - you can't even log in to check balance, you have to ring them up or wait for an annual letter :rotfl: :rotfl:

themadvix

Morning all!

Thanks Karma! Had a lovely day - Mum and I went to a pub in the village where DH and I got married and had a lovely and very reasonable meal on the lunch menu. And in the end (because we had dessert), DH and I didn't have a proper dinner, just cereal! We're going to have dinner out tomorrow when we (hopefully) pick up the car as it'll help us avoid the worst of the M25 in rush hour.

Cheery, that's the tricky thing, isn't it, balancing the range with needs/cost. We went for the Audi A3 e-tron in the end, which has a posted range of about 30 miles (so actual of about 26ish brand new), which is enough for DH to get to and from work on and he can charge there (saving us money). It has a petrol tank too, so it's a compromise position as it'll be our main car for holidays etc. The one we've bought is 6 years old (vastly newer than the car it is replacing, which is currently our newest car!).

Mortgage system still isn't working so haven't been able to OP the £16.98. However, because it was my birthday I did receive my car tax reminder and a reminder from HMRC that my tax bill is due for payment at the end of the month - I'm sure they deliberately send it on my birthday every year! So car tax paid (with cc to get points) and money transferred from savings for it and have requested the income tax money from my premium bonds.

Can't say I'm impressed with Music Magpie - apparently because MyHermes are so carp at their job, they have a place on the MM website to rebook the courier for when they don't turn up. So courier rebooked for Friday now (should have come Monday).

MS things:
* Clicks etc.
* PA survey
* YG survey (and finally got app set up on my phone too)

Gratitudes:
* Lovely time with mum yesterday
* A return to brain workouts via evening class last night
* My lovely warm and snuggle recycled cashmere fingerless gloves (specifically requested birthday present) - turtle-doves.co.uk (no affiliation, but really pleased with them and keeping me much warmer!) and lovely ethical handbag (https://www.goldisaneutral.com; also specially requested and I totally have an affiliation, they are designed by my wonderful friend - but are also just awesome )
* The Freeglers who are coming to collect today Rehoming stuff is so good!

Have a good day all!

Cheery_Daff

Oops, Happy Birthday from me too! :j :j :j

I have a pair of TurtleDoves too :j I did the thing where you can send in a cashmere jumper and get a free pair of gloves :money: Bought three in a charity shop for about £12, sent them all in and got a pair of gloves for me and two presents :money: LOVE them, and they're so warm! (in fact I'm wearing them as we speak :j )

Have a lovely rest of your day :j

Jessy103

Happy Belated Birthday MV!

themadvix

Morning all,

Thanks Cheery and Jessy!

Cheery, that is a super clever way to get the gloves cheaply - I will be keeping my eye out for cashmere jumpers in the CSs now (although I'll have to go further afield that my hometown I think!).

So... we're not collecting the car today as it's not ready Saturday instead. I've got some work to do, and am off to visit friend who is still in hospital.

We had the plasterer round last night to quote for the ceiling skim in the living room. He'll get back to me today.

In less great news, I've had the heating on too much this year and they're putting our dual-fuel DD up to £72.10 This is frustrating as I'll probably never get it back down now as we'll have to charge the car at home sometimes, which will definitely increase it. However, I have a renewed focus on keeping warm using my lovely gloves and my wheat bag. I wouldn't mind, but it's rarely what others would consider to be warm here!

MS things:
* Heating has not been on since first thing!
* Clicks etc. (and I'm remembering thehungersite)
* Lovely cabbage thoran for dinner last night which used up almost all of the savoy cabbage (kept a few leaves back for another meal).

Food spending:
£1.50 on yoghurt (for hm naans)
£6 on granola for DH
= £28 for Jan so far. Hmm.... now beginning to think I'm being optimistic!
CC @ £128

Gratitudes:
* Sunshine here (although pretty windy too!)
* A new way to eat cabbage (sounds daft but we get a lot in our veg box and don't have 'meat and two veg' meals (funnily enough) which is the standard way to eat it!
* Homemade naans... always a treat!