Climbing the Mortgage Mountain step by step

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi All

I'm back from a week's Annual Leave, so thought it was time for a catch up.

Had a nice week off, saw Rag n Bone Man with hubby, had a free overnight stay through a work hotel and used a voucher given to us by DS and DDIL for dinner out.  Managed to go paddling and went further then we've been before, had to battle the tide on the way back, thoroughly enjoyed ourselves though.  I also moved DD to her new flat ready for Uni, I'm feeling a lot happier now I have seen it for myself, really clean and modern, close proximity to shops and Uni and in a gated courtyard in a dead-end street so not much in the way of passing traffic or noise, I did end up spending about £100 for her on bits and bobs but she is all sorted now.  We also did a few odd jobs around our house, restuck the wallpaper in the conservatory (the heat lifts it off), had a general sort out, I now need to list some items on facebook/ebay.

MSE wise we are trying to prep as much as possible for winter.  We all have the oversized, sherpa hoodies, managed to get the extra long ones for £15 each, I was a bit disappointed when they arrived as they had been vacuum packed, but we washed and line dried them and they have bulked up and are incredibly warm.  I also bought my parents one each, the zipped type as they would have struggled to get the others over their heads.  We are going to turn the hot tub off after my mums 80th birthday celebrations, its a bit of a shame as we have the type you can use all year round but we just can't justify it at the moment.  We are also going to eat out of the freezers for the foreseeable and once we can empty the small freezer that will also be turned off.  We had roast chicken last night which came out of the freezer, will make a curry with leftovers tonight and bubble n squeak and sausages on Tuesday night as DD working and she doesn't like bubble n squeak.  Wednesday night will be a microwave meal as our new cooker is coming on Thursday and we will need to pull out the old one and clean behind it.  We really wanted some new towels as ours are old and most have hair dye or bleach on them from DD, I have previously redyed them but they are varying shades of grey now, I remembered I had a John Lewis voucher I won in a draw at work and have managed to get 8 bath sheets and 6 hand towels in a lovely linen colour for the huge cost of £10!  These are obviously being hidden from DD and we will be keeping some of the grey ones for her and hot tub useage!

I have now received the last payments of Maintenance and Child Benefit, which means £500 gone from the household income, I know we will save some of this with DD not being at home eating, using water, electricity etc and DH will save £200pm in diesel now he is working locally, BUT I have set up a standing order of £25pw for DD to help her with food wish I could offer more but that is all I can really commit to, still no idea if her father is going to help her in any way and hopefully she will get a job fairly quickly.

Have a great Monday

MvTMM

savingholmes

Nice win on the towels and the diesel savings. 

Hope DD settles into uni quickly.

Chrystal

Can I ask where you got your sherpa hoodies from?

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Morning All

We had torrential rain again last night which caused flooding and a landslide on DH's old route to work, this is the second time in less than a month, thank goodness he doesn't have to do that route any more.

@Chrystal, I got the hoodies from Online Home Shop, really pleased with them and quick delivery.

We had a lovely tikka masala and brown rice last night made with the leftover roast chicken, enough for the 3 of us.  Tonight is bubble n squeak and sausages from the freezer.

I need to make a concerted effort to update my pensions, life insurance etc now I am married, I seem to have ground to a halt since doing passport etc, with DD leaving home this will give me something to occupy my mind.  I also need to re-write my will and DH and I want to open a joint account as well.

I need to update my signature, will try and get that done today, if I can focus long enough, bit of brain fog going on!

Have a great day

MvTMM

Chrystal

Thanks MvTM, I'll have a look at them. x

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi All

Hope you are all ok.  I'm feeling a great sense of lose with our dear Queen passing yesterday and DD leaving for Uni this morning, it all seems a bit surreal and there have been a lot of tears shed in the MvTMM household!

In MSE news, our new cooker arrived yesterday, it's lovely and a friend who is an electrician fitted it but wouldn't take any money so that was nice.  DS, DDIL and DGD all came round to see DD before her leaving and they stayed for dinner as I could cook their favourite pasta bake in the new oven, we were all together when the news broke re the Queen so I was grateful of their presence.

DDIL and DGD both want hoodies like ours so I have said I'll get them for Christmas.  

I made a few phone calls yesterday, booked my smear and breast screening ( I have had issues with both before so am a great advocate for doing these things).  I also rang my dentist to clarify the position re NHS Treatment as I had had a letter saying they were going private only but my friend has been told he can stay as NHS.  It transpires that it is only my dentist in the practice that is going private the rest are staying as NHS, I asked to change to another dentist or go on a waiting list but was told I couldn't.  I'm really annoyed and am going to write a complaint as I never specifically asked for that dentist, I only signed up with that practice and actually saw different dentists each time until my last 2 visits.

Rant over!!

have a good weekend

MvTMM

savingholmes

Irritating about dentist. 

Good luck to DD. 

Good about the cooker.

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi All

Well I survived the first weekend without DD, she seems to have settled in ok and has started Fresher's week now.

Did our grocery shopping on Friday night, was surprised just how little we needed, I didn't realise how many items we bought solely for DD.  Also since starting his new job DH has cut down from 3 rounds of sandwiches a day to just one, he's just not hungry, quite bizarre!  We treated ourselves to fish n chips after shopping, but we share a large portion so not too extravagant!  I had a busy day on Saturday as it was my best friend's birthday, we had a girly brunch with prosecco and then in the evening went to see a local band, DH and I had a reduced (70p) red pepper and chorizo quiche for dinner before meeting our friends.  Sunday was a 'pottering' day, odd jobs done around the house, blitzed DD's bedroom, even washed the actual duvet as it is quite new but she had stains all over it (tea etc) it's washed up really well.  I washed all of the new towels and sorted out the old ones to be donated, tided the airing cupboard at the same time.  We even managed some gardening.  Then we made a mini roast, a (reduced) gammon joint from the freezer in the slow cooker, frozen potato dauphinoise, Yorkshire puds, broccoli and beans with half a pack of stuffing, it was yummy.  The rest of the gammon we are having tonight with egg and chips,  Last night was mushroom curry as we hadn't used the mushrooms over the weekend and they were nearing the end!

have a great day everyone

MvTMM

savingholmes

It's always an adjustment when kids leave home. Hopefully you'll all settle into your new routines soon. Sounds like you are managing well.

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi All

Well yesterday turned out to be a bright sunny day after all of the rain we've had recently, 2 lots of bedding dried on the line and DH and I had a drink in the garden after work to enjoy the sun.  Dinner was a homemade broccoli, courgette and stilton flan with some reduced coleslaw, there's enough flan for dinner tonight and then probably fish n chips on Friday after our grocery shop.  Saturday we have family descending as it's mum's 'Big' birthday so the bar will be stocked and the pizza oven lit.  We were going to pack away the hot tub after this but have just found out DSS and his family want to visit in October half term so a good excuse for me to keep it up for a few more weeks!

@savingholmes, I think we are gradually adjusting to the new routine, it's nice going to work with DH, we get a bit more time together in the mornings now and, if I can finish on time, I walk home for a bit of exercise and start dinner or just 'potter' until he gets home, if I get stuck at work I can now grab a lift home from him, win-win!  It does feel a bit like we are rattling around the house, which is bizarre as DD spent most of her time either at work or in her room and the dog seems very sad.

Have a great day all

MvTMM