Challenge of a lifetime!

whitewing

Reading some, but not all of your insurance post previously.

I think I (as in me, not necessarily you and your husband), would work on the basis that if something really bad happened to me or my partner, then I would not want to be taking in rent from lodgers as a given. I would err on the side of caution in that respect. The lodgers may not feel comfortable, they may want to move on and you may not have the energy to deal with having new people around. The rental properties are a different matter as you could always use an agency if necessary.

Georges_Mum

:jGood Luck with your journey - will be interested to see how quickly you manage to pay it off.
GM

cotswoldaccountant

Not feeling very MSE today! DD and I met friends for a walk and ended up having lunch in cafe - it was nice, but sandwiches would have been just as nice, and much cheaper! MUST try to plan ahead better!

On the plus side, I have cancelled one of the insurance policies (the expensive one that I think will never pay out). Still deliberating the other one. Also have received a rental payment and OH has received a £20 expenses cheque, so these will be OPd over the weekend.

New lodger moving in tomorrow - not feeling very sorted for that, as I need to make bed, rearrange a bit of furniture and clear a few personal items out of the room, as well as freeing up a kitchen cupboard for her!

Have just made delicious soup as my contribution to dinner with friends this evening, and need to make a traybake for a charity cake sale in the morning. Busy evening I think, and seeing as I only have an hour till I'm going out, I think I should get on!

CA

Heffi1

I hope the cake turned out ok and you got out on time.

cotswoldaccountant

Fun evening last night having dinner with friends, and my soup went down well. Cake was ready just in time, and charity cake sale has gone well this morning - although it was a bit chilly!

Room ready for new lodger - it looks lovely, so I hope she'll be comfortable. Hoping she arrives with first month's rent... We always ask lodgers to pay by standing order to our bank account, with mixed success. I'm happy with cash if they pay on time every month without fail (which our current lodger does), but we did have a lodger once who was a consistent late payer. It became really awkward - we're not renting the room for fun! - so in the end, after endless months of delayed payments (with various reasons given for the delay) we gave notice to that particular lodger. So now I give bank details to all lodgers and make it clear in advance when payment will be due. We're having a welcome dinner with both lodgers tonight which should be an enjoyable evening.

cotswoldaccountant

New lodger has moved in and seems very nice, and we had a lovely evening meal with both lodgers yesterday. It was very nice to cook a proper "grown up" meal for a change rather than eating with the children - I made a Delia pancetta and leek risotto and a lemon tart. Yum! It saves time (and money) when we eat as a family most days, and I think it's really important for the children to have regular family meals together - but although they are not too fussy, I do get a bit sick of "nursery food"!

The weather has definitely turned - am feeling a little guilty as have sent OH off to the older boys' rugby with all four children so the little ones can have some fresh air, and it is now pouring down. I was hoping to last until October with no heating - think it might be time to turn it on in the evenings though as it was freezing last night. Our house is very old, big and draughty with thick stone walls - lovely in summer, but less pleasant in winter, and the heating costs are astronomical. We are listed though so no chance of any double glazing!!

I am looking forward to following Tilly's advice this afternoon and settling down with a cup of coffee and my recipe books, to plan the meals for the week. I'm actually quite excited about doing this - just hoping that I can find time to actually make the meals in between the manic after-school to-ing and fro-ing to various activities.

Hope everyone has an enjoyable, if slightly wet, Sunday.

CA

shala_moo

Hi CA, sounds like you've had a busy old weekend.

Enjoy your meal planning, let us know what you come up with, so we can [STRIKE]steal [/STRIKE]borrow some of your ideas to try..

I haven't meal planned in a while as I've had too much going on and I've noticed a definite increase in the grocery bills as well as the amount of time spent fetching shopping!

Enjoy x

cotswoldaccountant

Oh this weather! Everything is leaking - at this rate, the mortgage overpayments will have to go towards a new roof rather than the mortgage. Apparently we've had a month's rain overnight...

I hate doing the school run in the rain - while settling DS2 into the classroom, DS3 sat into a puddle which necessitated a full change of clothes. DD then fed DS3 her lunch while I wasn't looking (at 9am) so has come home hungry. Good thing I have some Chelsea buns ready to go in the oven - never made them before and I keep checking under the tea towel to make sure they're rising! Looking good so far...

Anyway, the lodger's rent has finally arrived in our account so that has been OP'd. Not much cash left to last till the end of the month, and still £400 of OPs left to keep on target. Hopefully an invoice or two will be paid this week which will help. I also have a storecard which I set up to buy some nice new dining chairs - purely because it was 0% interest for 6 months so I could spread the payment. I do keep forgetting about it till the statement arrives each month, and then realise I have to find that month's instalment of the cost!

Looking forward to a unexpected night at home tonight as a meeting has been cancelled - I've been a bit under the weather over the weekend so it will be nice to have some productive evening time when I actually feel like doing something! Well I hope it will be productive - DS3 was up with a nasty cough a lot of the night so I am quite tired already! After-lunch coffee calls...

Sandstone

Great start, OP!
I've got a hefty mortgage too and will be following your progress with interest.

whitewing

I am enjoying your thread.

We were making mortgage op very comfortably until DD arrived, and then other things took over for a while. I'm hoping we'll be able to get a better rate when our fix ends later this year. Then hopefully even if we keep the payments the same there will be an element of overpayment.