A Ditherer's Diary (again)

MFWannabe

Naomim said:

We found a pair of trousers. They are too big in the waist but the smaller waist means they don't fit the legs (with shorts). So now need to get a belt. 

I also need to replace our tumble drier that died earlier in the year so will take a trip out later to have a look. I've been looking at the heat pump ones that are more expensive to buy but more economical to run. Lots of reviews say that because they dry at a lower heat clothes are often left damp. So I think I'll be sticking with a condenser. 

MrM & 15yo have gone to football and taken the dog so I better crack on and get the floors cleaned whilst I can! Doggo absolutely hates the hoover and attacks it. 

Hope you all have a frugal Saturday. 

I have a heat pump dryer and worth every penny 
There’s different settings to how dry you want the clothes to be 
I think the complaints are from people who are used to clothes being dried at seriously high temperatures (condenser type dryer) and therefore don’t get used to the heat pump type 
They cost significantly less to run 

Naomim

@Throughmyfingers no I haven't looked. Due to a number of reasons we actually have four mortgage products but all with Nationwide.  I'm thinking I might only be able to overpay by £20 a month as I need to rebuild my EF.

This has just been brought sharply into focus with one of my friends husband just being made redundant in his mid-50's and not a lot out there. They have no EF, live in their OD and on credit cards. I think they are hoping his redundancy package will save them until he has another job and going to interest only on their mortgage for a while.

But I will definitely take a look. We have 12 years left so if I could even bring it down by two years I'd be happy.

Throughmyfingers

I think by overpaying £200 a month it knocked 27 years off, which is staggering!! Mine is high interest and high term though so obviously might be an extreme but just goes to show x 

FootyFanDan

Naomim said:

@FootyFanDan hey! Good to see you!

I just realised I wrote toffee but latte. Butt latte would not be nice! 🤣

Snoop is one of those apps that there's a free or paid for version. You link your accounts and then click on the bills section and it shows how much is in your account, how much on bills is due and checks them off as paid as you go through the month. Obviously I only use the free version so I get limited categories for budgeting. If I remember rightly, you were gung-ho on YNAB? 

🤣 Yeah - I am sure that won't be on the menu in local coffee shops

YNAB is still very much what I use, although I always have my trusty spreadsheet in the background. I go very on/off with YNAB to be honest but when I am consistent it works really well for me.

I think recently I am more focused on savings than anything else, all other stuff is pretty much dialled in. I would love to get savings grown.

WinterWarrior

I’ve been paying £100 extra a month for a couple of years now, but I’ll look for the tracker as I have no idea what difference it’s making. Our good deal runs out in about 6 months I think and then it will increase. I should have 5 years left so I’m hoping the overpayments will have reduced that when I come to the final deal. I’ve finally got to the point where the overpayment is a touch more than the monthly interest 😅

Naomim

At the moment, anything we have left at the end of the month is split 50/50 between savings and overpayment on the credit cards. Maybe I'll look at splitting this three ways instead. It does vary every month due to whatever expenses we have.  

I think I should revisit my SOA and see what I can do. 

EssexHebridean

We went from throwing literally a few pounds a month at our first mortgage to really getting stuck in with higher amounts later on, and it not only knocked the term from 25 years down to clearing it in 13, but also saved an absolute fortune in interest. Needless to say we've not hung about with OP'ing the  new one - and have already hammered a good chunk off it. Even if you initially just round the payments up to the next £10 level, that's as good a way as any of making a start! 

Naomim

Yes, I'm definitely going to make a start on overpaying. 

On another note, MrM's car was MOT'd today. Passed with a couple of small advisories. Money paid from the car maintenance fund. Not bad for a 20yo car! 

Naomim

I've had a brainwave so just popping it here as I'll likely forget. 

We're having a garden office built but it's depleting a large chunk of my EF. I've paid the deposit but thinking for the balance, I can check if they'll take cc payment and apply for a 0% interest on purchases. Funds are there so will definitely be able to clear it within the time (however long) but it will help keep the EF pot flowing. 

KajiKita

Very good thinking! 👏😊

KK