Climbing the Mortgage Mountain step by step

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi All

Hope you have had a great weekend.

We had a lovely weekend with friends and family.  6 of us went to see the band on Friday night, they were pretty good and we then went to another pub for Karaoke before wobbling home.  Saturday I was doing housework as OH was at work and then we did the weekly shop, managed to get 2 of the £1.50 veggie boxes with fresh mangos and some really tasty strawberries amongst the haul.  DD and her friend went to the new Cinema and then we dropped friend home, as we were coming back DIL rang and asked if we could have DGD as she didn't want to stay at other grandparents as planned.  Sunday we took DGD and the dog for a nice walk in the morning, got home and the new microwave etc had been delivered so that prompted me to have a good sort out of the cupboards and worksurfaces and re-arrange things, the kitchen looks lighter and brighter now with the new cream coloured appliances instead of the old black ones.  DS and DIL came around in the afternoon and we all chilled in the sunshine, made pizzas and used the hot tub.

MSE wise, I have made sure my 1p savings are all up to date; used up some face cream and shampoo so more £1s in the tin, need to put £2 more in today as I decanted a couple of perfume miniatures again.  I've cashed in my Family Bond today which I have been saving for DDs 18th, will be getting £2244 straight in to my account which I will use for her celebrations and she will have a lump of it as cash towards Uni.  BT owe me £25.67 following my switch to another provider and again this will be going into my current account.  I've finally set up my NS&I online account and double checked my Premium Bonds, no wins sadly but I am toying with buying some more, just need to decide which savings pot to use for this.

I've made the final payment to our wedding venue today, 44 days to go!!  Will pay the photographer tomorrow then it's just flowers, make up and caterer to pay.  I'm trying to lose some weight before the wedding as I have gained a fair bit lately so I'm back to my intermittent fasting 16:8, drinking plenty of water, trying to sleep better and have also ordered some body wraps that my friend swears by.  I have my first haircut in over 2.5 years booked for Thursday, my hair is waist length and lightened but despite that in pretty good condition with no split ends, I have trimmed it myself a couple of times.

MvTMM

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Morning All

It's a bit drizzly here today so the washing is on the clothes horse in the conservatory. 

Had a money chat with OH last night, put together a rough plan for the next 3.5 years until the fixed rate ends.  Hope to be able to carry on with the current level of over payments, despite cost of living rises, which will leave £85k at the end of the fixed term.  OH is already 55 and by then I will be, we both have a couple of very small pensions aside from our bigger pots and will probably cash in the small ones to reduce the mortgage even further.  Both of our loans will have ended by then too so we could use that freed up cash to cover increased mortgage payments (with the way rates are currently rising) or for home improvements such as new kitchen and bathroom.  It's so lovely to be with someone that doesn't run a mile when you start discussing money and is also on the same page, not spending money willy nilly on gadgets and gizmos without considering how it's all going to be paid for!

I actually managed to leave work pretty much on time yesterday and I had the car as had to nip home during the day for the Dishwasher repair man so I got home nice and early, DD was already home, she has completed all of her A Level Coursework for Art and Photography now so only has to attend lessons for Business until her final exams.  DD requested Spaghetti Bolognaise for dinner but when I went to the freezer we had no minced beef, I must have used the last of it without realising, not to self look out for low fat yellow stickered mince!  I really couldn't be bothered to go back out and buy any so I used a tin of corned beef instead and it was really lovely, made enough to serve 6 people so I have frozen half.  Whilst I was cooking that I prepped tonight's dinner, Venison Stew, with meat from the freezer and veg from my £1.50 veggie boxes, it's now in the slow cooker ready to put the dumplings in when I get home, loads to feed us plus DDs friend who is staying over, should do tomorrow as well.

I'm picking up DGD from Pre-school at lunchtime so working from home this afternoon, need to try and sort out the laundry as well, I seem to have a bit of a floordrobe developing and DD's friend will need the spare bed cleared for tonight too!  I'm hoping that my wraps will arrive today but knowing my luck I won't be in and I'll have to go get them from the Post Office, can't wait to try them out and see if they really do work for me!  In the meantime, healthy eating, moving more and trying to sleep better is the way forward.

Have a great day everyone

MvTMM

savingholmes

Sounds busy busy.

Great news on the savings bond. It all helps.

Not long now until the wedding.

Well done on the long term planning

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Morning all

My wraps have arrived, I did one last night, no cms lost but not disheartened, probably need to apply more of the gel or something, will persevere.  I also received some lovely bath goodies which were 85% off, nice big bottles and smell lovely, just waiting for my personalised hair products now which were 75% off, I have been a bit spendy in the toiletries department this month but all on good offers and will last a while plus I am still using up products and putting the £1s away, just don't want to empty that tin until it is full, hoping there will be about £500 then.  I dyed my hair Tuesday night, covered up the roots which should be good timing as they will then need redoing just before our wedding and I'm ready for my haircut today now.

Our venison stew was gorgeous and there's enough left for tonight which will be quick and easy as after my hair appointment we are going to the cinema with a group of friends, we have decided to have our own weekly film club, our new cinema is so cheap and we all agreed that we need to see more of each other.  Last night DD cooked fajitas using one of the Maggi cook in a bag mixes, I just left her to it and OH and I enjoyed a glass of wine in the sun whilst she was doing it, she did really well, it was all yummy.

I've not had the Bond money through yet but have been pricing everything up for DDs 18th, she doesn't want a party (we had devised a plan for a mini festival in the garden) so the two of us are off on the train for a day at the spa, lunch, bubbles and some shopping, I just need her to decide which treatments she would like and I'll get it booked.  She's been to spas on holiday when younger but not in this country as they tend to discourage young people and then of course we had the pandemic.  

Anyway, lets see what today holds, have a good one.

MvTMM

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi All

I had my hair cut last night, first time in 3 years, cost £40 which was a shock as my old hairdresser charged £25 for both myself and DD!  However, I am really pleased with the results, she's taken about 3 inches off of the length of my waist length hair and thinned and thinned and thinned so it's much lighter now.  She said that it was actually in really good condition considering I dye it myself and haven't had a proper cut in all those years.  I now look much more presentable for a wedding we are attending tomorrow, I have a lovely navy and white zebra print dress bought from the Next sale for £10 and I'm using a shocking pink clutch and accessories from a previous wedding plus some navy shoes from my stash, should brush up ok!!  The weather is looking good too so should be a really lovely relaxed day.

We had a lovely time at the cinema last night, 5 of us in our little gang, its definitely going to be a regular thing and it's my turn to book next week, just need to decide between Dr Strange and Firestarter.  OH and I went for a drink afterwards at 'Spoons, just a pint of cider each and shared a portion of chips so cheap and cheerful but some nice 1:1 time.

The Bond money came through, slightly less than quoted so I have put £2200 into my ISA and will draw it out as and when I book things.  I'm so proud of the young woman DD has become and want to make sure she has a memorable 18th.  She's received an invitation to presentation night at College so that means she's getting an award for either her Art or Photography, something else to celebrate.

40 days and 30 minutes til our wedding

savingholmes

Glad the haircut went well. Enjoy the wedding.

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi All

Well we had a lovely weekend, the wedding was great, very relaxed and the sun shone, we had such a laugh with our friends and the bride looked radiant and very happy.

We did our grocery shopping on Friday, picked up some reduced parmentier potatoes so that gave me inspiration to make corned beef hash for dinner and for the first time DD ate it and enjoyed it.  We had a lovely roast yesterday, popped a joint in the slow cooker whilst we were gardening and visiting the parents and then came home and made roast potatoes, cauliflower cheese, braised red cabbage with raisins, savoy cabbage, carrots, stuffing and Yorkshire puddings all from the fridge and freezer.  There is enough beef left to make pulled brisket burgers tonight, I just need to get some buns on my way home (hoping to find some yellow stickered ones!) as we have cheese, gherkins etc in our stores.

Our little cinema club is going full pelt, we have booked Firestarter for this Thursday and Maverick for the following week, can't wait!  I'm sure there will be some weeks when nothing appeals to us but I'm determined that we need to use it regularly, our town has been without a cinema for so long and at £4 each its a really affordable night out.

My personalised haircare products arrived on Saturday and I tried them out last night, they seem good, smell lovely (I went for a botanical option) and have left my hair feeling lovely and soft.  I've also been trying out some gel type nail varnish from Next, two bottles base and top coat and it seems really good, lasts well over a week and easy to remove and doesn't appear to be drying out my nails like other brands so fingers crossed that's my wedding nails sorted, unless I break a load of nails between then and now in which case I'll be getting acrylics done!

Anyway lets see what today brings.

MvTMM

savingholmes

Community cinema sounds nice.

Good luck with your nails

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi All

Happy Hump Day!!

Trying to keep spending down this week.  Managed to get reduced baps for our brisket burgers on Monday, I had mine on their own, DD had the left over cauli cheese and OH had the left over roasties, they were both very happy with this!  Last night I got a YS Chicken pie for £1.50 which we had with new potatoes, peas and sweetcorn, again all from stocks.  DD is cooking tonight, no idea what she has planned but there are plenty of options in the fridge and freezer.  I did pick up 12 cans of Fevertree tonic reduced to £3, which I thought was good, day to day I use Lidl own brand but these will be coming away with us for our wedding, a nice little indulgence!

We had our zoom meeting with our wedding photographers last night, they are rated amongst the best in the world but are so lovely and down to earth, they love our venue and know it well so hoping they will really capture the day well and we'll have some lovely images to share with family and friends afterwards.  OH is collecting his wedding suit on Saturday, can't wait to see him in it   and the flowers should be ready by the end of next week, it's all coming together

Used my new hair products for a second time last night, straightened my hair this morning and it definitely seems easier and my hair is in great condition, not sure I could justify the normal cost long term, even with the 75% discount it was far more than I would ever usually spend on hair products, but with our wedding looming I wanted to have my hair looking good, after the wedding I will save it for when we have a special event coming up and go back to my cheap and cheerful options.  I need to ramp up my skin care too, I have plenty of lovely products but have become a bit lax again in sticking to a regime, will make a conscious effort between now and the wedding with an added bonus being more savings in the pot.  I've been watching what I eat, walking to work and doing my wraps but as yet the weight and the inches have refused to budge, I have a month to go and will keep trying, however, my dress fits ok anyway so I'm not going to stress over it, just want to feel the best I can on the day.

Have a lovely evening all

MvTMM

savingholmes

Sounds good overall then. Half or more of beauty is confidence