Cheery's country living adventure

Cheery_Daff

greent said:

It's the Cheltenham Festival this month - lots of opportunities there for  on  good moneyMB if racing is something you're ok with (I know some don't play the horses because of their beliefs)

Ah yes, of course! But I confess I don't do horse racing (which does mean I rather miss out!) I've actually been doing pretty much all casino lately anyway, but I've realised over the last few days that there are plenty of welcome offers I've not done yet, both sports and casino, so plenty to be getting on with 😊

BB, no, we can't reclaim overpayments 🙄 But we're overpaying by at least £600 a month at the minute so it'll mount up pretty quickly if we stop. At the minute I'm favouring making what I can for the time being, and then stopping mortgage OPs for a while to build the stash back up when we've paid the builder. 

Chaos is reigning supreme here 😮 Mr Cheery is on a massive clear out mission, and has spent quite a bit of time in the loft, bringing down all sorts (including a load of mouse droppings...). Plenty has gone to the tip, there's a load more stacked by the back door waiting to go, and piles all over the place for me to look at and make decisions about 🙄

My tea is in the microwave so I might just spend 10 mins doing normal tidying (washing up etc) before I start on any unusual stuff... 

Cheery_Daff

Gosh, things are moving quickly now! 

Had a quote from the builder - £11,200-£15,000, not including the kitchen, but including everything else. He mentioned yesterday he's taking an oak kitchen out of somewhere else in a couple of months, and we might be able to rehome it, so that would be ideal if it works out. Alternatively, we've got plenty of time to find a different one, whether that's new or second hand. 

So we've said yes, and I must say it already feels like SUCH a relief to have decided. I know I have had no other quotes so far... but really, this is roughly what I thought it would cost, and I have been SO impressed with this guy throughout. He's got great feedback on the council's Trusted Trader thingy, and he's been swift to reply, open and honest, done everything by email (rather than saying 'ring me back in a couple of weeks when my van might be fixed'...) etc. I don't really feel the need to keep chasing other, more awkward and hard to get hold of people. 

Still expecting it to cost about £20k all in. Just won £6 doing MB so that's a start

Karmacat

That sounds really good, Cheery - both him and his quote.  And the decision to MB again: it's not like you "need" the money, but it would be great to get some of it from MB.  Mine was from my inheritance when my mother's house sold, of course - and I don't think I said at the time, but I only got one quote too, from Wickes, I didn't even know what builder would be allocated to me, but 80% of people I spoke to had used Wickes, and they all liked them.  So I did it   

Cheery_Daff

That's good to hear KC. I always feel like I 'should' get multiple quotes, but really, if you're happy with the first one... why?

Having a right old palaver this morning, all of my own making of course! Had a text to say there wasn't enough in the bank to take the breakdown cover payment (it's only £60!) Not sure why as there was £117 in it when I looked - but still, that's FAR too low with almost a fortnight to go til payday. 

So I reluctantly decided to cash in some premium bonds. You can do that online, it takes 3 working days. Except they automatically cash in the OLDEST bonds first!!

Got all sentimental about my ancient (and so far entirely useless) £5 worth of bonds So instead, I... 

* transferred £1300 from TSB current account, leaving £86
* Amended standing order due to Nationwide account on 18th to the 27th instead (after payday, and after Regular Saver ends)
* Amended Nationwide standing order to TSB from 18th to 27th as well

That should give me chance to top everything back up after the regular saver money arrives, and still meet the 'transfer £1000 in every month' requirements for both accounts (although I only had them for regular savers, which have now ended, so there might need to be some tidying there, but not today). 

Anyway, then I discovered a separate online form where you can cash in specific premium bonds, so to be on the safe side I've cashed in another £1000 - from the most recent batch, which aren't in the draw yet anyway. 

Except because you're requesting specific bonds, not letting them just grab the old ones, it takes 8 working days - which is takes me to the day before payday anyway... 

And now I have to ring and sort out the flippin breakdown cover as well! 

Honestly people - don't wang all your dosh in savings accounts and leave yourself short, what a faff!

(I suppose I could have pinched some from the regular saver... but I'm not sure whether that invalidates a whole year's worth of interest... Too late now anyway!) 

Cheery_Daff

Anyway, I have decided on a compromise plan

I'll continue with the regular monthly mortgage OP as usual - that's all set up by standing order. 

But anything extra that I would have thrown at the mortgage, will now be put aside to offset some of the kitchen costs. I've got a separate bank account I can use (which already has £5.51 in it - hooray!) and I'll just throw stuff in there and see it build up. 

Ultimately the kitchen dosh will have to be taken out of premium bonds (best give myself time so I don't lose my ancient ones!) so anything I can save up before that means the bonds can stay put! 

So extras for the kitchen fund will consist of
* premium bond winnings (due £50 from this month)
* vouchers from the covid study (due another £50 in a few days)
* anything else from surveys, Prolific etc
* MB money - since I'm doing casino rather than solely MB it's fluctuating up and down, but I'm using the Oddsmonkey tracker so I can see the amount made at the end of each month (currently minus £29 for March, oh dear!)

Would be nice to have at least a couple of thousand in there by the time we have to pay for everything (likely July/August)

Eek, it's also just dawned on me we're going to have to pay for the windows probably early April as well, that's another nearly £2k. Ah - I'll keep the regular saver money aside for that. I'd underestimated how painful it would be withdrawing from premium bonds!

Karmacat

Oh my word!  That's a lot of effort sorry to hear that's taken up so much time as well.

Cheery_Daff

Well it serves me right for getting overenthusiastic about premium bonds! 😂 I confess I hadn't realised that if you cash them in, they automatically take the older ones first. All sorted now, and breakdown cover reinstated too.

Bloke turned up from BT, checking the power lines. Apparently he has to dig a bit round the bottom of all the poles to check they're not rotting. Don't envy him that job! (Although right this second I'd probably swap him some aspects of my job... 🙄😂)

Feel like I need a rest before starting work!! 

Chiglepig

Morning @Cheery_Daff - I've read your whole diary over the course of a month so I thought I'd pop on to say how much I've enjoyed the journey, and to commiserate with the pain of withdrawing any sort of savings, even if it's for something you want and need. We will have to do the same later this year because the master bedroom and ensuite need completely reconfiguring and we've put up with it for six years - enough is enough!

But at least it means no new debt.

South_coast

I am definitely going to be keeping my refurb pot in nice, easily-accesible cash!!! Well done on the sorting out though, think how lovely it's all going to be when it's done. 

And please stop beating yourself up about spending the money. I know it's not fun taking money out of savings, but you didn't take the lump sum from Mr Cheery's pension simply to hoard it!

Cheery_Daff

Ha, you're right of course SC! I shall stop complaining forthwith! 

Chiglepig, hello! Well done for reading back on all my drivel 🙈😮😂 Good to hear you are being refurbished too! 

Just had an email to say I've had another grant rejected. 😕 It was only a little one, but it would have been quite prestigious. Hey ho. Not unexpected (they had over 700 applications and only funded 19%) but always a disappointment, especially hot on the heels of the one a couple of weeks ago.

Might just go back to bed today, already had enough and it's only 10.30!