Climbing the Mortgage Mountain step by step

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi All

Hope you had a good weekend, ours was very quiet.

We did the pub quiz as planned on Thursday, it was great fun and we won again!  So that's the prize money put away to pay entrance next time and a round of drinks.  Friday night I was working late so hubby cooked a chicken in the bag meal, Cajun style which was yummy and we had it with coconut rice.  We stuck to the meal plan for the weekend, Saturday was mushroom chow mein and beef satay and Sunday I did my Pork Wellington type dish with roast potatoes and vegetables.  Tonight I am going to do jacket potatoes with chilli and cheese.

DH has had letters from the 2 pensions we were chasing, he needs to ring them during office hours though to be able to activate his online accounts.

I have some days off this week, Wednesday onwards, so am going to have a really good sort out and list a load of stuff on Vinted.  I also need to parcel up some returns for Next as the items I ordered I have since managed to get on Vinted   I've also managed to get some of my anti grey shampoo on there for £5 instead of £20 so I have a good stock of that which means no more dying my hair   I'll just keep getting the shampoo when I see it pop up.

Mileage claim going in this week for £75 which will help boost the coffers.

Have a great day.

MvTMM

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi All

Back at work after a lovely few days off.

I managed to sort through my wardrobe, took 2 bags to the charity bins and listed about 25 items on Vinted, 7 of which I have sold and posted off.  I think I will wear pretty much everything that is left, at least it all fits me!  I do have a large pile of jumpers which I am hesitating over, I am aware that this winter has been quite mild and I don't want to discard them and then miss them next year, likewise I'm really conscious that I haven't worn them at all this year!  Next returns processed.  

We had a lovely Valentine's day, both had the day off and went for a lovely meal in the evening.  I wore a new dress, one I had seen in Ne+t but they didn't have my size, thank goodness, as I found it on Vinted for £3 brand new!!  DH thought I looked lovely and I felt really good in it, it fits like a glove and is so flattering.

DH and I went and ordered the tiles etc for the shower room at the weekend, we have finally found someone to do the work and he is starting on 3rd March, I am so relieved as it felt we would never get this done.  He has given a very competitive quote and if his work is as good as we have been lead to believe we have a couple more jobs for him to do.

One of DH's pensions has transferred across to PP, just waiting for updates on the other 2.  We've printed off the verification form for his passport, need someone to sign it now.

Have a great day

MvTMM

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi All

We're trying to use up food from the freezers etc, so last night I used half a pack of really chunky smoked cooking bacon to make a crustless quiche which also used up some out of date pasta and sauce packets!!  The other half of the bacon went into a sweet and sour dish at the weekend with peppers and onions.  Not sure what to do tonight, will see what falls out of the freezer!!

Todays mission is to find someone that can sign DH's verification form for his passport, not so easy these days with no dentists, doctors up to their eyeballs and limited bank branches, just hoping to see a Nurse friend who might do it, or possibly a PCSO.

Another sale on Vinted so will package that up this evening and post tomorrow.

have a great day

MvTMM

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi All

Still trying to find someone that can sign DH's passport, one of our local PCSOs has said he'll do it but our shifts never seem to coincide!

Exciting news....I have a dentist   No one locally is taking on NHS patients but I have found one that is doing an 'affordable' scheme, prices seem on a par with NHS and the surgery have a good reputation, so I've signed up and have my first appointment today, am nagging DH and DD to sign up too!  I can reclaim the costs via work Healthscheme.

I still have to submit my mileage claim, will do that today.  V!nted sales still going well and I have a few more bits to list.  

I meet with DD in Big Town on Tuesday for a girly shopping/lunch day, the sun was shining, it was lovely.  Got a couple of Primarn! bargains, DD got a smart long coat for £7 and I got some lovely chunky ankle boots for £3, couldn't find the bomber jacket I wanted though which was a shame.  We eventually found DD a pair of sandals for her holidays, £8 in New L00k sale.

Payday tomorrow so I will update my signature.  Will take another £250 out for holiday spends, this is the Council Tax money that we don't need to pay this month.  I also got some of the cheap sun protection from L!dls for myself and DD, 99p for the factor 30 and 49p for aftersun, that was all they had in our local one but will check again when we do the shopping tomorrow.

Have a good day

MvTMM

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi All

So I went to the dentist yesterday, no real issues, however I have several very, very old fillings from when I was young and 4 of them need replacing, can't say I'm surprised, I also need a hygiene appointment for staining etc (black coffee and red wine are to blame!!), he has quoted £250 for the work, does that seem reasonable?  We're not NHS, couldn't get a NHS place anywhere locally, but this is stated as being an 'affordable' dentistry plan.

Payday today so grocery shopping later and DD is home for a few days

have a great weekend all.

MvTMM

Humdinger1

Sounds reasonable to me; you can't price good teeth- and by that I mean ones that are healthy and not causing pain.  Well done on all your progress! Love Humdinger xx 

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi All

Well I seem to have been MIA for the last 6 months, not sure what happened there!  Well actually that's a lie, I burned out and hit a wall big time.

I think I was posting in February about how manic work was, well it didn't ease up.  I went on holiday with my best friend on March, had a fab week, but the week before that I was basically doing 4 jobs, with one of those being 24/7 on call!  The week after our holiday I had my annual asthma review, BP was sky high, almost emergency hospital level.  GP asked me to monitor for a week and I then got a call to attend at 9am the next morning.  I was signed off for 2 months and prescribed Amlodipine.  My Anxiety was also sky high, couldn't go in town on my own, horrendous chest pain etc.  I had some really frank conversations with my manager and one of our directors and whilst they didn't want to lose me and my 20 years experience from my role, they certainly didn't want to lose me from the organisation.  So I have moved to a different department, originally on a secondment to make sure I liked it, it's less money, more travel but far far less stress, I turn my phone off at 5pm and that is it!!  BP is dropping, sleep is stabilising, anxiety has almost totally gone, I feel like a different person.  DH is now the chief cook and bottle washer as he is home a couple of hours before me, but he seems to be loving that, says it is payback for all the years I have taken up that mantle!

A lot of other things have happened in the last six months.  We finally got the shower room done, about £1000 over budget, but at least it is finished and we are pleased with it.  DH and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary, went to our usual place for the night, had a fab time and booked for 2 nights next year.  I went to see the Stereophonics with my bestie, had a great weekend.  DSS turned 40 and we visited for the weekend and went to his surprise meal.  DD turned 21, she and I went to Rome, did a Vespa tour of the city, threw a bit of a surprise 'Do' for her when we returned and she was thrilled to see some of her Uni mates there!  She has now returned home, has a job but is missing city life and plans to get back there.  We have her Graduation in a couple of months time which will be a lovely couple of days away.

Financially, our mortgage rate expires at the beginning of December, I have been in touch with our mortgage lender and our broker, who couldn't beat the rates our current lender offered, plus there will be no fees, no forms and no affordability checks to worry about so we have locked in a 7 year deal which will take us to our planned downsizing and escape overseas.  If rates fall as predicted we can still change to a new product before December.  I will be dropping my salary from beginning September when my secondment ends but DD is paying 'rent' and DH's loan ends in December so even with the increased mortgage payments we will be ok.  I seemed to be perpetually in my £400 overdraft but I have cleared that and am avoiding using it. 

I am avoiding buying new clothes etc, continuing to use V!nted and constantly amazed at what I find on there.  My Graduation outfit is a brand new pair of brown knee high, leather, Cl@rks boots (£10), a new full length M&S wool coat (£10) a £5 dress and £5 Next bag that looks like a Mu1berry, it all looks fab and I feel great in it, smart and sophisticated.  I have also got a brand new pair of black knee high leather boots from Cl@rks for £10 and 2 Swe@ty Betty jumpers for £5 each, there is no way I could have afforded the new prices on these.

Utilities we are monitoring closely, especially now DD is back home, so far so good.  We haven't been using the hot tub so that is saving on both water and electricity.  I have got a new mobile, I was paying Lebar@ £5 per month, sim only, but my handset was starting to play up, so I bit the bullet and managed to get a new handset, 25g, with free S@msung Bud 3s and G@laxy watch 7 for only £10pm for 24 months, I'm sure it was a glitch as the deal was pulled a couple of days later and I really didn't expect it all to arrive, but it did!

So I think that's me, pretty much caught up, there may be bits I've missed.  I will try and be more present.

Oh, just realised I need to amend my signature!!

Take care all

MvTMM

debtfreewannabe321

Morning @Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain I was just catching up with you as you popped into my head (I'm making plans for a shower room lol)...I'm so sorry to see you've been dealing with all that. The new role and less stress sounds good though and yay to the shower room finally being completed! Hope life continues to be a little easier for you.

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi @debtfreewannabe321

Thank you, I think this change of role is definitely for the better.  I hope your planned shower room runs smoother than ours and takes a lot less time, worth it in the end though.

MvTMM

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi All

Not really money related but I had a blip at work today.  Made a silly error, that can be rectified but it sent me spiralling back and my old anxiety and chest pain started rising, it's really knocked me!

Good news is that DH's Irish Passport finally arrived this week so that is one step nearer our retirement plan, it's taken seven months to get it!

Have a good afternoon

MvTMM