FinancialBliss: My mortgage free journey…

star_gazer_3

Hi there FB,

I have read your whole post with great interest - your numbers stack up similar to mine (although I am massively behind you in terms of completion!) - and I had my bathroom done at the same time...!

Anyway, I noticed that you use MS Money - can you recommend this and also is it possible to undertake a mortgage forecast with different overpayments/interest rates on this programme.

Thanks for you help and keep up the great posts.

Cheers,

Star Gazer

financialbliss

SmlSave wrote: »

You going to have a party for No#1?

Well...
He's been to quite a few parties lately - children from his reception class mainly. We asked him not long ago what he actually wanted for his birthday and he replied he wanted to go on holiday...:eek:

We've priced up some easter breaks - prices hike up at the easter period, and recently decided that although it would be very nice, we though it was a bit on the pricey side.

On the other hand, he was at a party a few weeks ago at a local soft play area. If you calculate say 20 kids at 8.95 a go (educated guess can't remember the exact price), then that's the better part of £200 for a few hours soft play. Ouch.

We're not quite sure what we are doing just yet!

FB.

Lunar_Eclipse

financialbliss wrote: »

We asked him not long ago what he actually wanted for his birthday and he replied he wanted to go on holiday...:eek:

We've priced up some easter breaks - prices hike up at the easter period, and recently decided that although it would be very nice, we though it was a bit on the pricey side.

On the other hand, he was at a party a few weeks ago at a local soft play area. If you calculate say 20 kids at 8.95 a go (educated guess can't remember the exact price), then that's the better part of £200 for a few hours soft play. Ouch.

Well, we've just booked a holiday which compares well financially! A weekend away with Haven for £99. I'll have to report back on whether the bargain was worth it; I'm highly skeptical after our (much more expensive) Disney experience. But we'll only be an hour away from home should we feel the need to escape!:rotfl: And the kids will love it I'm sure.

SmlSave

Scary how much a childs party can be now, my work colleague's child is having one soon and it works out the same as you've guestimated - poor thing was in shock.

I guess you've got to decide what to do now....

financialbliss

Just getting over the costs involved in the en suite, when the downstairs toilet decides it wants a piece of the action too…:mad:

Mrs Bliss was locking up the front door on Sunday evening – (Sound of water): “You just used the toilet?”. Quick check shows that the cistern is bust and despite the arm being fully upright, it’s throwing out water! Wall and floor slightly wet, plus it was also overflowing to outside.:eek:

Quick turn of the isolation valve on the toilet inlet and we’re just about saved – except the isolation inlet didn’t fully stop the water and it’s still dripping slightly – that’s broke too!

Fix existing toilet. The cistern has already been fixed before. Fixing is certainly the cheaper option. Leaves us with an older style toilet – no dual flush. Suite is whisper grey – not exactly the height of fashion.

Replace suite. When I say suite, I really mean toilet and hand basin as it is an entrance / cloakroom suite. Quick check earlier this evening and we can certainly pick a toilet / basin / taps up for less than £200 – add on fitting costs and we’re still well under £500. New dual flush system.

So, we’re now in a quandary. What do we do now?

I’m definitely split over this – one part of me says invest in your house / keep it up to date and replace broken items – house was built in 1990, thus the suite has been in ~18 years and is due a change as we’ve had fair use out of it.

Another part of me says that we don’t really need this expense just after the washing machine and en suite and the cheaper option is certainly the best route.

We could afford to refurb / replace this, but if we want to or not both of us are unsure at present. After a quick trip this evening to a few DIY stores, plus some on-line price checking, we’ve not had a moment of clarity, and still unsure as to which direction to jump.

We’re going to sleep on it…

...and go back to "roughing it" with just two toilets. How on earth did we manage in our last house with just one toilet? - no kids I suppose :rotfl:

Financial Bliss.

Kaz2904

TBH I would wait for easter to get some money off at the diy sheds. Or look at buying separates.
I feel for you having to manage with only 2 loos though!

Dreamingalound

You can get 10% off at B&Q in the next two weeks as they are celebrating their 40th birthday. I actually went shopping last week for a new sink and toilet, B&Q were quite expensive and needed 3 weeks minimum for delivery and then said it isn't guarenteed...i didn't wait. So off we went to Wickes and they had everything there and it was half the price. Worth checking it out. Good luck, let us know how you get on.
ohhh and remember to sell your old taps on ebay, you may only get £5 for each one but thats better than nothing.

SmlSave

Poor FB, everything seems to come at once doesn't it. Thank god you were there to catch the 'exploding' cistern and minimise the damage.

financialbliss

Kaz, Dreamingalound, SmlSave,

Thanks for the tips / pointers. After I posted that last night, I had a quick surf and I think I'd just need an arm, similar to that below:

http://nextday.diy.com/app/jsp/product/productPage.jsp?productId=88427

at a mere £3.29. But that's the trouble - I only think, I'm not sure. Perhaps even a plumbing numpty like me could have an attempt at fitting that?

Mrs Bliss doing further recon work today. Still discussing pros and cons of both approaches.

FB.

TallGirl

Personally I would replace it if you can get a good deal. I assume you have a plumbers, tilers etc contact from the last job so it would be easy to arrange to get it fitted. It may only be £4 to fix but what if it happens when you are on holiday and your downstairs get water damaged.

In new builds they only put the cheapest possible suites in which is in my opinion why they don't last. Don't forget to have a look at bathstore they have some nice small cloakroom sinks in their sale. http://www.bathstore.com/_application/bathstore/products/basins/cloakroom-basins/

Good luck