Spending my dash more wisely while clearing the debt to do so

Nintud

Savings are from reduced tumble dryer usage and new boiler. The boiler savings result from the darn thing being sooooo rubbish! since it was installed we've been unable to cook and run hot water at the same time as the gas cuts out on the cooker. Hot water temperature is temperamental too. I'm a stickler for jumpers on before central heating whenever practical and I run around switching lights off and taking machines off standby.

After my rant this morning ex has produced a cheque for the remaining instalments (£670). Dd1 is delighted. I just wish he could have met his side of the bargain without causing her so much stress (meeting the October payment was tough). All's well though and I didn't have to speak to him which suits me fine

Utility is looking good. I'm ridiculously excited at the prospect of so much storage. Three cupboards and two sets of drawers where previously there was only one cupboard and a wall shelf. Just cupboard fronts and work surface to go in now.

Off to catch up on surveys and to fill in form for a new driving licence. I've been using my married name for a year but completely forgot to change my name on my licence. Oops

Whitefeather8

Thanks for the utility tips! I am so pleased that ex came up trumps and that instalments are one less thing for you to think about in the coming months.

Keep up the great work!

Nintud

:j I'm ecstatic :j

I thought the dual fuel annual reassessment reduction from £180 to £112 was good, but I've just had my annual statements and discovered that could be cut even further.

I checked the comparison sites then rang my current supplier and yayyyy:j I've got it down to £95 per month with £150 refunded to my account whilst still keeping £120 credit to cover winter.

With this saving in the bag I'm currently on hold to my mobile phone company and swapping 3 of the phones I pay for to sim only contracts. An average saving of £50 per month.

Now for where that money will be going (please don't jump too hard on me for loading on more debt....). I had two double glazed windows installed this morning. Well, 5 if you do it by their calculations as bay windows are counted as 3 separate windows. I've bought them on buy-now-pay later and have a year to find all the money or pay a whopping amount as interest will be backdated to today.
So I now need to 'find' £165 per month. The utilities and mobiles bring in a saving of £135. I now need to formulate a plan to hunt down the extra £30

Downside of new windows in I now need new window coverings as my old blinds were fitted to the wooden frames of the old windows. I'm thinking of going back to curtains as I think these will also cosy up the room. Blinds only are a bit stark and did nothing to protect us from the draft (caused by ds1s regular break-ins on forgetting his key. There has been a noticeable gap even on locking one of the bay windows as the little darling tried his best to force it open several years ago.... He then resorted to climbing up the wall and through the en suite window, oh the hilarities that caused when he got stuck half way in and half way out :mad: ).

The house is now much more secure (the replaced kitchen window was similarly rendered enterable by ds1 in his yoof) and, hopefully, will be warmer. They may even contribute to the additional £30 to save. The dodgy new boiler seems to have paid for itself in two years (certainly its dodginess prevents anyone from taking long hot baths or daring to shower while I cook :rotfl:)

Off to wrap Christmas presents before I fetch ds2 for his 4th tooth extraction. It cuts to see perfectly good teeth torn from his gums but orthodontists are merciless in their search for the perfect smile

Whitefeather8

What fabulous results. Cutting your fuel bills in half, shows you are a natural Money Saving Expert, who has just found her true vocation. You sound like you are having a lot of fun with it too:T.

Maintaining your house is very wise, and neglecting it just stores up more trouble and expense for the future. The question is, "Did you get the very best deal going?";)

Looking forward to seeing how you find that extra £30.00 so I can copy you. I have faith. :rotfl:

maggiecon

Great news on the savings. You can justify the windows as they will save you more money on your heating bill

I have kids and OH on sim only contracts as well, £7.50 per month each with Tesco using their family perks package and I also placed a cap on each phone so nasty surprises.

Have you checked to see if there are any other DDs you can reduce to find the £30, Sky/Internet/Line Rental etc?

Nintud

Dh is very reluctant to touch his sky package and has just set up a new line with BT. This is more expensive than our old phone company and broadband contract and has made him very unpopular with me. He sees TV and computers as his area of 'expertise'. I'm cross that his messing has added about £12 to our monthly bill just so we can have the wifi box in the living room rather than in dd1s bedroom (where the previous line was located). I think we're tied in for another 16 months or longer.

That Tesco deal looks really good, do they have good mobile coverage?

Nintud

Latest on the debt front:

Tesco and Santander balances transferred to MBNA and 0% interest. Kicking myself slightly that as soon as I'd made the transfer Nationwide offered me a 0% transfer rate with a lower fee but I think it was for a shorter period so swings and roundabouts and all that....


Latest on the weight front:

Due to double glazing installation I went to an evening meeting rather than my usual morning meeting and had a 2.5lb gain for my efforts. SW leader reassuringly says everyone weighs more in the evening, but I know at least some of that is down to me 'saving the kids' teeth' from their excess of Halloween sweets. Indeed, so keen was I to save their pearlies that I took a mountain of sweets into school and used them as game prizes :rotfl:
I had to get the junk out of the house before it settled in my trunk!


Latest on the house repair front:

Nothing of note. Looking for curtains and poles this weekend. Sanding skirting boards and prepping walls for painting when the mood takes me (I currently alight the stairs with sandpaper in my hands to get a start on the banister as that's my pre-Christmas project!). No response from voice messages left for plumber and tiler so need to source alternative tradesmen, but frankly, I don't have the cash for either until next month (at the earliest).

Whitefeather8

The idea of you sanding the banister each time you walk up the stairs made me laugh. That is efficiency!

maggiecon

Nintud wrote: »

That Tesco deal looks really good, do they have good mobile coverage?

They use the O2 network so excellent coverage.

I am also in the middle of sanding and staining all my downstairs floorboards and the staircase will be my next task. I will definitely look into your sanding techniques for the bannister.