Keep calm and carry on....

themadvix

Ruby - if it's likely to cause an issue, have you tried repackaging the Lidl stuff in the Sainsbury's packaging? I did this with own brand cereal when I lived with my Dad and once I admitted it, he never went back! It really does work!

South_coast

🤣 It works with vodka too - a younger and much more unscrupulous me *may* have turned up to parties with cheap vodka decanted into more expensive bottles 😀! The cereal trick works on Eat Well For Less too, would be worth giving it a go!

I fear I have created a monster with BF. I took the Lidl magazine round to him as they're having a craft beer festival next week, he has requested 6 bottles of three different types of beer, plus 2 jars of manuka honey, plus 4 bottles of wine 😮 That's a lot of glass! Think I'll need to make two trips, it'll weigh a ton (or I could get a trolley, but that means queuing to pay 🤔)

In Nectar points news, I have cashed-in £5 more of points this morning and earned back 95p on offers and £1.25 for count up to Christmas (it looks like that was the last level now 🤣). I've also earned 81p in surveys so far today, so that's my next £2.50 increment taken care of 😀😀😀

themadvix

The Nectar stuff sounds so complicated, but I'm glad you're on top of it! You could start a blog on how to maximise your points (wonder how long it would take before Sainsbury's cancelled your card!)

Can BF not go to Lidl himself? Or is that a step too far? Remember you're still convalescing!

QueenJess

South_coast said:

More thinking about the mortgage 🙄 and I think I'm being a bit of a wally. My back-of-an-envelope figures suggest that even if I only make the 10% fee-free OP's in the last two years of the fix (do-able), switching to SVR on the remaining balance at the end will only make the monthly interest go up by a pound or two, so hardly worth worrying about. So the focus is on building up 2x 10% so I have those ready to go straight away, then anything above that goes onto the mortgage straight away to bring forward the end date. Once the mortgage is gone, I automatically have an extra £250/month for the refurb fund, so hopefully this will make saving up faster than paying off!

Now I just need to, er, start work....

At least interest rates are going to be low for the foreseeable future, so you have time 

South_coast

I think him going to Lidl was a one time only thing! Now I can (mostly) walk again, it's back in my domain!

South_coast

QueenJess said:

At least interest rates are going to be low for the foreseeable future, so you have time 

That's true, although the current SVR is 3.59%, which seems outrageous! I think when BF bought his first house the rate was 15% though, so I just need to apply some perspective!

QueenJess

South_coast said:

QueenJess said:

At least interest rates are going to be low for the foreseeable future, so you have time 

That's true, although the current SVR is 3.59%, which seems outrageous! I think when BF bought his first house the rate was 15% though, so I just need to apply some perspective!

Yikes - that does seem ridiculous.  Just looked randomly on HSBC's page and they have 3.54% SVR.  My previous fix I was paying 1.14%!

I guess it also depends on the amount you have left as 3.59%/3.54% on a small balance won't be too bad and particularly if you can clear it reasonably fast.  If you thought it would take 2 years+ you could always fix and then put all the cash for overpayments in a savings account and pay it all off at the end of the term.

themadvix

Possibly, although I’m not sure you can get a mortgage deal for less than 5 years - you certainly can’t online with Santander - the minimum term is 5 years. Which makes it a tricky balancing act!

QueenJess

Sorry, I said term when I meant end of the fix rather than end of the mortgage term itself.  I assumed as SC was overpaying and would continue to that the term would be longer than that still.

South_coast

I'm with Natwest, and when I log in it tells me the minimum they need for a new deal is £10,000, however on their remortgage page it says the minimum is £25,000, so it's a bit of a mystery! I think the balance will be just under £11k if I OP the 2x 10% and nothing else, however the last time I switched deals with them there was a £995 fee - which is massive in comparison to £11k! Think I'll just OP as much as possible and make sure the balance is under £10k so I don't have any choice and can't agonise about it 🤣!