Climbing the Mortgage Mountain step by step

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi All

savingholmes said:

LOL at nearly Friday 

@savingholmes - my DH usually starts saying that on Sunday night!!!  We can't wait to retire but I have another 15 years before I get my State Pension!!

Slightly less stressful day yesterday.  The roofer came out, doesn't think we have anything major to deal with but until he takes the tiles off obviously not 100% sure, he's hoping it will just be a day's work and I'm hoping that means it's not too expensive!  DGD was at ours last night and her mum decided to text at 10.30pm, when we were all in bed, to say she had a school trip today and needed X,Y and Z labelled and in a named bag   We will work around anything for DGD if we have suitable notice but she had already sprung a party on us yesterday afternoon which we were unable to take her to.

Easy dinner last night, Pizza, sweet potato fries and onion rings from the freezer.  Tonight I am making a beef curry with the leftovers from the roast, chick peas and spinach, fish n chips tomorrow and then gnocchi on Friday night.

I've got another V!nted sale to post today, loads of people have favourited items, just need them to press BUY!

Really snowing heavily here now and settling which hardly every happens as we are a coastal town.  It looks so pretty 

MvTMM

badmemory

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain said:

Hi All

 DGD was at ours last night and her mum decided to text at 10.30pm, when we were all in bed, to say she had a school trip today and needed X,Y and Z labelled and in a named bag   We will work around anything for DGD if we have suitable notice but she had already sprung a party on us yesterday afternoon which we were unable to take her to.


MvTMM

She sounds a grade A manipulator to me.  Fancy doing something like both these things knowing that they would upset her daughter.  No conscience at all.  Sorry to delurk here but I just couldn't help myself.  Your DGD is lucky that she has the four of you (I'm including your DD) to show her she is cared for.

Moneyfordreams

It's really sad when people weaponise children   

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi All

@badmemory and @Moneyfordreams, thank you for your comments, just re-enforced what I have been thinking, I am biting my tongue really hard and being polite and accommodating to try and to keep things running smoothly for DS and DGD.

We've had a lovely few days.  I took DD to Big Town on Friday for some girly time, we had a lovely lunch again and did some shopping, bought DD some bits, including 3 tops in Pr!marn! which were reduced to £1 each.  Also bought some leggings, shorts, tshirts etc for DGD to keep at ours.  I bought myself a nice faux leather dress that was £3!  Saturday I met with my 'longest' friend, we have been friends since we were 2 years old but she now lives overseas.  We met at 11:30 for a coffee and catch up and were still chatting at 4pm!  When I got home DS had returned from a day out with DGD and they all decided to get Takeaway pizza, DH and I just had cheese and biscuits as we weren't hungry.  Yesterday DS and DGD met with his dad and stepmum for lunch, I made fajitas for myself, DH and DD and then we took her to the station in Big Town to go back to Uni.

I've sold a couple more items and have reduced the prices on some bits I have had listed for a while so hoping that triggers a few more sales.

I just need to get through this week and I'll have a week in the sun, I can't wait, I think I'm getting near breaking point tbh, work has been so stressful.  I am going to see how I feel when I come back from holiday, if things are no better I will ask for counselling and consider taking some time out.  I have ordered my currency and will collect it today, printed off my covid pass and travel insurance docs, my friend has all of the tickets sorted.  Tonight I will pack my case, I haven't had the physical or mental space to do it until now, I think I have everything I need, just need to organise it.  I'm not planning to do much while I'm away, lie in the sun, reading my books (I've got 3 to take) and drinking cocktails, I might pop to the local town 1 or 2 mornings.

Must go now, have a great Monday

MvTMM

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi All

Well I have put everything I'm taking on holiday on DDs bed but it's not actually in the case yet!!  I need to get my toiletries and shoes to my friend as they are going in the shared hold bag.  

Awful, stressful and manic day at work yesterday, I felt tearful most of the day, hoping today will be better.  Didn't cook last night, DH treated us to a Chinese takeaway which was lovely, I had a nice hot bubbly bath and chilled with him watching rubbish tv

DS's birthday today, 29!  I'm cooking him a steak dinner and have some of his favourite wine (all in stocks).  DGD will be at ours tonight too and my son has the next couple of days with her courtesy of the teachers strikes so that has worked out well.

Have a good day

MvTMM

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi All

No shouting please, I'm a little bit delicate this morning, may have had a tad too much wine last night!! 

DS really enjoyed his evening, loved his steak dinner and the birthday cake DGD and I decorated for him, she chose it, I had suggested a cheesecake as he doesn't really like cakes but she insisted that he LOVES chocolate cake, I think a little person loves chocolate cake rather than her daddy!    He was really touched with the present she got him too, it was an ornament of a little girl on her daddy's shoulders, something they do all the time, again she chose it.

I need to finish my packing tonight, can then drop the bits off to my friend tomorrow and go and see my mum before Mother's Day as I will be on holiday on Sunday (think I've mentioned it once or twice).  I picked up my Euros yesterday, 400euros for £366 which I will add to the 112euros I brought back from my last holiday.

No real money saving news, picked up some reduced beef mince yesterday so making a cottage pie tonight which should last a couple of days.  A couple of £2 coins put in my jar, I seem to get so few of those now.  More money to the 1p for 365 days pot, I'm up to date with that and a couple of £1 for UUs in my toilettries pot.  Payday a week after I fly back, that will be a frugal week and then I can update my totals again.

Have a good day

MvTMM

savingholmes

Hope you feel better soon. You have a lot going on currently. Lots of adjustments. Hopefully your holiday in the sun will help a lot.

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi All

Very quick check in before I go on holiday.

 savingholmes said:

Hope you feel better soon. You have a lot going on currently. Lots of adjustments. Hopefully your holiday in the sun will help a lot.

Thank you @savingholmes, I am so excited for this holiday, I really do need the break.

Just finishing off at work, been a manic week but I've boxed most things off, still not packed though, although I did drop my stuff for the hold bag off to my friend yesterday, dyed my roots and painted my nails, so there is progress.  Quick curry for dinner tonight, pack my things, bath and an early night as I am being picked up at 7:30am.

A bit of Money Saving news, I had an unexpected refund of nearly £84 from the Water Board yesterday which was nice and our DD has been reduced from £66pm to £58pm.

See you all in a week

MvTMM

savingholmes

Enjoy your holidays 

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi All

It's been a few weeks since I posted, my holiday was lovely, very relaxing, but life has been full on since I got back and I was in tears on my first day back at work!  I think things have evened out a bit since but still finding it hard to come into the office.

We had a lovely Bank Holiday weekend, spent 2 days sorting the garden, cutting grass, weeding, planting and painting all of the woodwork (pergola, seating, sheds etc) to freshen it up.  I got a rare bargain at the garden centre, they were selling off pots with 3 large plants in for 50p each, nothing wrong except they were ready to be repotted and needed a little tlc, we bought 8 of them which has sorted our 3 long wooden planters on the drive.  Saturday night we had a night out with DD and friends, saw a band and ended up at the karaoke.  Sunday I did a large roast for us all, DGD was with us as well, I did  the leg of lamb slowly in the oven, studded with garlic cloves and rosemary and basted with red wine, it was lovely, DH and DD went back for seconds!  Yesterday DS bought his new girlfriend around and we managed to light the pizza oven and make pizzas despite the patchy weather.

Next weekend is a busy one, Mum and Dad's 60th Wedding Anniversary, we are hosting at ours as they wanted to come and make pizzas rather than going out for a meal so all of the family will be descending, we will get the bar stocked up, I've ordered a cake and bought decorations, just hoping the weather is kind.  I have requested their telegram from the King and my sister has sorted a newspaper announcement.

We're not being very Moneysaving at the moment what with birthdays and celebrations and DIY projects.

The roofer has been out and hopefully sorted the leak but we have not had the bill yet, I'm hoping it won't be too much as they completed it in a day, didn't seem to buy much in materials and there were only 2 men working on it, plus I know he has been very fair in the past when he has done work for me.  Once we have paid that we will be ordering the new gazebo for the decking and setting up the hot tub again we are also going to order the new slabs for the patio as DS is going to re-lay that for us.  Oh and DH ordered some new garden furniture as ours had finally given up the ghost and the pallet seating was rotting, we decided to demolish it after I had repainted it all!!  I think in all this will come to about £2500, which is a big chunk of money and will knock the savings, BUT, it is all planned and the garden will be pretty much sorted apart for a new shed which is on the cards for next year.  Internally, we will be repainting the lounge now that the leak is repaired, we should have enough paint for this though.  Our bedroom also needs redecorating but this will probably be after the summer, I would rather get the garden sorted and make the most of the summer in the sunshine.

Just realised I haven't updated my totals from payday so will try and do that later.

Have a good day

MvTMM