Single gal balancing my way to mortgage freedom!

frankersBri

Payday tomorrow which means some jigging of money around before bills day on the 1st. 

Water bill came through today too, and due to increased water usage (I guess from more time at home and watering the garden) the direct debit is going up 50%. Annoying, but fair as I'm on a meter!

Also set a reminder in my calendar for when my current SIM only phone contract runs out. I'm not using everything I pay for so hoping I can save £5ish per month (I'm only paying £20 currently).

But a more MSE worthy celebration is HMRC putting the £1000 bonus into my LISA! I thought they would do it pro-rated per month, not the whole lump at once, but a nice surprise to see a 25% return on my £4k savings there within a month!  Feels sooooo good to get money from the tax man!

Sistergold

Wow congrats on the “Tax” money coming in! That’s a good amount there and will boost up your finances! I had to be watering the garden too! I try not to worry about the water bill, all along I was not on meter but sometime this year they just came and installed one without my knowledge well maybe I missed the notification? Then one day I just got a letter that “now that you are on a meter your water bill is going to be blah blah” anyway now I am also on on meter from beginning of this year! Bills bills hey? 

X 

MovingForwards

Fantastic news about the bonus!

Can you save the water from washing up / bath etc to help water the garden? Just thinking what we had to do as kids when there was a hosepipe ban 🤭

Sistergold

@MovingForwards
Thats a good suggestion about using bath water! It will take some effort though, but will be good exercise? Will the garden be okay with the soap? 

Hazelnutty

My mum saves all water into a bucket, like left over from glasses, or from a water bottle after a walk, or from boiling veg then uses it daily for watering. I'm not sure about dishwater but I'm sure I'd read somewhere that the proportion of detergent is fine for most plants (but I'm a novice so definitely don't take my word for it!)

Sistergold

Hazelnutty said:

My mum saves all water into a bucket, like left over from glasses, or from a water bottle after a walk, or from boiling veg then uses it daily for watering. I'm not sure about dishwater but I'm sure I'd read somewhere that the proportion of detergent is fine for most plants (but I'm a novice so definitely don't take my word for it!)

Good points as I am actually guilty of pouring clean water down the drain eg water left in water bottle or glasses! 

frankersBri

Saving the water is a good idea! I don't actually use that much watering the garden. Part of the increased bill is also I've filled a big pool up twice, and my housemate left the outside tap on low overnight once, oops! It's not crazy so I'm ok with it, but it will go down again when my housemate moves out as she's someone that loves a bath too!

frankersBri

Start of August update: standard monthly payment with £200 regular OP showing on my account this morning. And I did a Monday round down of my current account. 

Which has pushed me into the £168k's! 🎉
Still weird to celebrate that much debt, but it's another small milestone 😄 Probably won't hit the £167's this month, but I'm quietly hopeful of £165k by the end of the year 🤞🏻

I put 2 things on eBay this weekend.. not the 10 I intended, but a start. I also sanded, painted and waxed a chest of drawers and made more progress installing my wardrobe. Bedroom getting there. 

Bought some art for £160 too. Not very MSE but by an artist I've loved for year. My first art purchase and I love it! Now to budget for the expense of framing..

I also ordered more camping bits for my holiday at the end of the month. So far a fair bit of spending this month but hoping to reign it in now. Need to find another £66 to hit my £300 OP goal for August which should be doable!

Sistergold

Welldone @frankersBri, £165ks is not far off and it will be a nice figure to reach! Keep it up! 

Xx

MovingForwards

It's moving in the right direction, which is the main thing.
Art makes a house a home, the finishing touches make a huge difference 😊