Keeping our options open

savingholmes

You can get 3.5% at FD/HSBC

Glad you are going to be able to OP again. I assume that's due to childcare costs coming down?

becky170

Thanks Savingsholmes, I'll have to start looking around at other savings accounts as there are obviously some better options out there. 

Yes the reason we can start overpaying again is mainly down to a reduction in childcare costs. I also have two loans coming to an end in October/November which together total £400 a month so that will be a big saving. I may divert that to paying off my student loan though as the interest rate has just increased on that again. Not making any decisions this weekend as I have covid again and feel poorly with it. Trying to make the best of being in the house this weekend with the kids after having to cancel lots of nice plans. Currently trying to think of a nice craft project to do with them today to keep them occupied. At least we have food in the house so could be worse! 

becky170

We had covid pot luck last night. It was a bit of a mish match but we had garlic prawns, leftover cheesy mash and tinned sweetcorn. The prawns were lovely. I was planning on having a 'use it up day' each week before our shopping is delivered so being stuck inside with covid has forced me to do it. I need to sort through the cupboards and see what tins I have and make some plans to use them. I've got lots of beans and chickpeas in there but I don't often cook with them as no one else in the family really likes them. I've got an online shop coming tonight but I haven't really meal planned as I was too tired to be organized. Oh well hopefully next week will be better 

LadyWithAPlan

Well done on being able to start the OPs again - liking your use what’s left day !
hope your DD has coped with the start of school and no naps (I am with her it’s a silly idea to have no naps)

savingholmes

Hope you recover quickly 

becky170

We're all better now so it's time to move onto operation clean the house. I'm off work next week whilst DD does half days at school, so I'll have 2 hours a day childfree to do some tidying. The plan is:

Monday - kitchen

Tuesday - living room

Wednesday - living room and bathroom 

Thursday - bedroom

Friday - bedroom

I'm hoping to get the house in some sort of order ready for my mum staying for a week. To be honest I could probably do with a month to sort it out but I'll just have to do the best that I can do with a week 

I've done a meal plan for the next week and have had my shopping delivered. I've penciled in a use it up day on the day before we do our next shop. I can't take credit for the 'use it up day' Ladywithaplan it was in a Tesco email and thought it was a good idea 

savingholmes

Good luck with the tidying. Perhaps declutter and get rid of stuff forever might help. I am trying that currently 

becky170

Yes I'm going to try and be as ruthless as I can be whilst no one else is looking 

I have just sold another 6 items on vinted so that's another 6 things out the house 

savingholmes

Well done on the selling - I'm on a decent run with FB this week - still need to try vinted although DD has successfully sold and bought stuff on it.

becky170

Another small overpayment to the mortgage today. £6 from Vinted sales. That brings my overpayments for the year to £179. 

Glad to hear you're having luck selling through FB Savingsholmes. I got a bit fed up of people not turning up when selling on FB so have stayed clear for a while. May list some stuff this week though but will see how I get on!