Twinklie returns to the property ladder

twinklie

I’ve cancelled two subscriptions - audible and the school lottery. 

Going to suck up the Amazon Prime price increase as we use that ALL the time - daily.

Will look at tv packages I think to see what our options are there. 

twinklie

Ok, so my mission is to get things sorted for winter to reduce the drafts in the house. 

I need curtains for the front door (it’s all open glass with windows so better for security too), curtains for the landing. I also need curtains for our room but that’s because ours are awful. 

And I need curtains for DH’s study. 

I want draft excluders for the doors. 

What else do I need? 🤔

savingholmes

Draught excluder on the windows might help. Foil stuff behind radiators? Blankets. Electric blankets?

Make sure you don't spend more than you'll save. 

What's your life insulation like?

twinklie

I didn’t know you could get draft excluders for windows.

Loft insulation is good. 

The curtains are a mixture of nerd and want because the previous owners took some and we never replaced them. And some are just hideous and need replacing. 

We both work at home a lot and I get cold super easy and am often (in the cooler months) sat with 3-4 layers, my dressing gown and a blanket on. I use not water bottles etc but I figure if I could make the house a bit warmer cheaper too it might help. 

twinklie

Some good news - the kids have been granted 78 hours from social care for short breaks. 

Not sure we will be able to use any over summer now, but it should help going forward. 

savingholmes

It will be great to get some respite

twinklie

I appear to be the last one on the bandwagon for these food delivery services. But…

If you’ve not used Gusto before if you use my link you can get free food. I’ve got 4 meals for 4 people for free by using my friends code. Then it’s 30% of your orders for a month. Or just cancel - it’s an easy on click cancel, not a you’re locked in forever jobbie. 

If you sign up using my link I get £20 to my account as well. 

cook.gousto.co.uk/raf/?promo_code=RACHE43404873&utm_source=weblink 

twinklie

July update
Due to exam marking and then COVID I completely forgot to do June's update, so please forgive me for skipping a month. 

DEBT 

Made up of car loan and DH's phone.
I've decided to take this off because I have to rely on DH for updates on these and it drives me potty. But I'll keep a check on it separately. 
Start of year total debt = £5,432 

SAVINGS
Aim to save £400 per month to build emergency fund and for rainy day expenses (car, house maintenance etc.).  DONE

 

MORTGAGE 

Current daily interest - £13.64

We now own 25.75% of the house - current rough valuation actually puts us as 35.03%.

4 rooms owned (5 if I go with the higher valuation).

Paid off 17.06% of the mortgage. 

Current MF date - Oct Sept AUGUST 2037.

We are away at the end of the month and I need to pay for our home insurance soon, so will most likely skip a big (for me) OP this month and reevaluate next month. 

We also have some home improvements we want to make coming up. 

savingholmes

Great progress. Hope you are recovering well after covid 

twinklie

I’m so excited. I’ve finally got DH to agree on a colour scheme for the hallway so we can buy curtains now - yay! Although as they are floor to ceiling to cover the whole door area which is all glass fronted it’s going to be expensive. 

I’ve also got him to agree to let me paint our existing wardrobes which I hate. So I’m going to revamp them at some point. We just need to agree on the colour! Then we are going to buy curtains and bedding to compliment. We haven’t bought new bedding for 15 years so I’m very excited. And the curtains in our room are awful, we inherited them when we moved in. 

We only moved in the house in 2018!