Twinklie returns to the property ladder

twinklie

Half Term Updates
Day 6 (Thurs) - The weather was awful, so we stayed home today. DH set up some trackmaster sets for the kids to keep them occupied. I also managed to clean the bathroom and playroom, so felt pretty good on the chore front. 
Tea was homemade lasagne and garlic bread. Mixed reviews as DS2 has decided he doesn't like the pasta sheets in lasagne. 

Day 7 (Fri) - Weather was much better today and so we got out and managed to do more of the scarecrow trail. However we had to cut it short because DS2 declared that he needed a poo and we had to rush home. Ahh the joy of kids. They decided they didn't want to go out again after that, so we have just been at home playing ever since. 

I have taken the opportunity to have a day off from chores though and instead focus on some OnePoll and Prolific tasks. There's never usually anything on Prolific when I look though, so I'm pretty chuffed I've actually managed to get somewhere with it all. Tea is a picnic tea of a mish mash of stuff. 

It's nearly time for the end of month update which I always find exciting too. We own in the region of 1/5th of our house depending on the valuation you go with. What we bought it for would mean we own just under, but as prices seem to have risen around here and houses are selling fast the slightly higher estimate puts us at just over. It's kinda fun to watch the Zoopla figures (even if I know they aren't really that reliable). 

twinklie

2 Year Anniversary
So we moved in 2 years ago today. It should have been the next day but hubby couldn't wait so we moved in the night we got the keys with very little furniture. It's a lovely memory and such an exciting adventure. I'm still as much in love with the house as the day we first saw it. It's just got that happy vibe about it and feels like home. 
It also ties in nicely with us owning approx. 20% of the house (depending on which evaluation you believe).  

twinklie

November Update
DEBT
DH's CC -  Was £326.33 - Now £0 

My CC - Was £1,338.94 - Now £0 

Car Loan - Was £8,602 - Now £7,057.20

My Loan - Was £125 - Now £0. 

DH's Phone - Was £194 - Now £131.59 Not updated yet

My Phone -  Was £27 - Now £13.92

Total debt at the start of 2020 = £10,613.27 - Now = £7,202.71
Total reduction this month =  £Still to be updated

Total % of 4K reduction = 85% - very much on target. 

 

MORTGAGE - 

Current daily interest is £15.07

We now own 17.8% of the house - current rough valuation actually puts us as 20%.

3 rooms owned.

Paid off 8.37% of the mortgage. 

Current MF date - Oct  Sept 2037.

SURVEY sites

 YouGov - Oct £8.45

 OnePoll - Oct £21.75

 OnePulse - Oct £9.35

 Swagbucks - Oct £

 AirTimeRewards - Oct £7.36

SweatCoin - Oct 713.81SC

 Shoppix - Oct 10050 

 ZIPZERO -  Oct £0 

Total cashed out in Oct - £0. 

Cashed out Quidco - £0 
TopCashback - £0
Scan and Save - £0
Total cashed out - £0

twinklie

Sooo we have booked the day off to bottom the living room and downstairs whilst the kids are at school on Friday, 13th November. It feels mildly ominous with what's going on in the world!   Anyway, assuming all is well we have also done quite a large order from IKEA to come on the 20th. Hopefully it will bring a 4x4 kallax and pull outs to hide lots of the kids toys that are in the playroom/conservatory. It will also bring cupboards and drawers for the 5x5 kallax which is in the living room in order to hopefully tidy everything up ahead of Christmas. 

I'm hoping we can get the old sofa and chairs out of the house for then too and then I'll hopefully feel more in the spirit of Christmas and we will feel like we were productive like everyone else was over the original lockdown. I'm excited by it anyway. Although I do feel a bit guilty and like it's very much a privilege to be worrying about sorting the house when my friend has lost her job and is worrying about whether they'll actually manage to keep her house.
 

ajmoney

twinklie said:

Although I do feel a bit guilty and like it's very much a privilege to be worrying about sorting the house when my friend has lost her job and is worrying about whether they'll actually manage to keep her house.
 

I felt a bit guilty working on my long term money plans this morning as I know I am very fortunate to have a secure job.  I wasn't very productive during the first lockdown either but I had some jobs done through the summer so may be able to get the organisation in the house finished is we go into lockdown (I am in Scotland so unsure what will happen here yet).

debtfreeoneday

Room reno sounds great, will feel much better when it’s done for sure 

twinklie

I've been curtain hunting and I must say I'm finding it very stressful. Our front door leads into a big hallway, which feels really drafty. The previous owners took the hallway curtains with them and the last two years we've talked about getting curtains to replace them because it's so drafty. The hope would be that it would reduce our heating bill. The second reason is to offer privacy from prowlers and now the kids are getting older too. They both have a habit of walking round not fully dressed and obviously we want to protect their privacy too. 

I'm really struggling to buy online though. I'm not good at visualising and would find it much easier if I could see them and feel them. I appreciate these are all really minor problems in the grand scheme, but I don't want to go to the expense of buying something I'm going to hate every time I see them. I also want complimentary curtains for the landing and need curtains for my bedroom. Urgh...I hate adulting. 

To make matters worse they are all weird sizes too so standard curtains just won't do. Please tell me it's not just me. 

twinklie

I'm also looking at what to do with my easy access savings. I was going to move them into another easy access account when my interest rates plummets at the end of this month (I dare not put them into a longer term fix with the possibility of redundancy looming). Now I'm wondering if I should just move it over to my premium bonds.
I'm filling my regular saver each month so, maxing out the savings potential there. 

twinklie

It's been a pretty quiet week. Nothing much has changed and we haven't been anywhere or done anything. It's been all work and no play. 

We did take the day off together yesterday as planned. Had a lovely start to the day with a family walk to school, although DS2 tumbled and went in crying. Then DH and I went for a short walk just to wake us up and get us going. We came home and set straight to work sorting the living room. The bin men were late coming so managed to fill the bin to bursting. We also filled the paper/cardboard recycling, identified some bits and pieces to sell/give away/charity shop. Managed to put a box into the loft, so plenty of space created. 

Then I got the call from school to come and collet DS2. So now the house looks like we have been burgled.

He is fixated on a hula hoop and another little boy was playing with it. DS2 decided the little boy was finished with it and tried wrestling it off him. Another little boy waded in to try and help and ended up pushing DS2 onto his head. He's made a mess of his forehead and nose and had lost the plot. They couldn't settle him enough to return him to the classroom and he was raging about the injustice of it all. So they thought with the bump to the head factored in he was probably better at home. He has no concept of his part in any wrong doing, but then he can't see things from others point of view. 

Monday will be interesting anyway as he can hold a grudge pretty well and may well try and spark it all off again on Monday. The teacher handled it all really well though and and it he left happy enough. He's fine today and playing trains, so its all good. 

I am feeling very frustrated however. I wish we had achieved more yesterday, it's now a knock on over the weekend. The thing is, most of the stuff is DH's and I can't do much without him. Sigh. 

twinklie

Ooh listed something on FB Marketplace and sold it within minutes. It’s only a small thing for a small amount, but I will not look that gift horse in the mouth.