Powers’s mortgage free thread

powerspowers

savingholmes said:

Glad the bike got sorted. 

I'm enjoying frozen parsnips currently. Need to look into growing my own. Well done for growing your veg. What else do you grow?

We only started last year! Things that worked well were parsnips, potatoes, spinach, white squash, courgettes. We failed with beans, pumpkins and tomatoes but you win some and lose some! I also put in raspberries, blackcurrants, blackberries and rhubarb which all came to nothing. Hopefully things will be more established next year and we’ve learnt a few things that don’t work! What are you hoping to grow @savingholmes ?

savingholmes

I have fruit trees and bushes. Hoping to grow potatoes, carrots, parsnips, onions, leeks, brassicas, salad stuff. I grew some of those lockdown 1 but Skipped a couple of years. Now want to retry.

powerspowers

A quick check in before I head to the dentist. 

I’ve been trying to be a bit more connected to people, studying online has made me feel a wee bit isolated. It took me by surprise really as I’ve been working from home for so long now. 

So yesterday I met up with 2 women who were on the same funding stream as me and then last night I went the running club despite the cold 🐧 Both felt really good! Sometimes meeting new people or going to groups makes me feel worse, so I’m really pleased and going to try to keep it up. 

 Spends

£7.25 lunch 
£101 Xmas but only got a few bits left to get so going to stick to budget of £150. 3/4 of the bigger presents were second hand so I’m pleased from an eco point of view too. 

savingholmes

Well done on getting out. I went in work the other day and had several meetings and then talked to 2 or 3 people outside those I wouldn't have done otherwise. That felt good for me too - even though I quite like WFH.

Great on  your xmas budget. I still need to add mine up. I've exceeded my planned budget but not anywhere near as much as what I used to spend.

IainHL

powerspowers said:

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A slight money fail that I’ve paid for 5 prescriptions this month 😱 I normally have 1 medication each month and 1 every 6 months or so. This month I’ve doubled up on both meds and trying a preventative for migraine. I don’t think the prepay card would help though as I probably won’t need any more for next 3 months? Maybe if I stay on the preventative. 

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On the Prescription Prepayment Certificate (PPC). The current single prescription charge is £9.35, the annual PPC costs £108.10. That represents 11.56 single prescriptions.

So the annual PPC saves you money on just the once per month prescription by itself (and you're lucky if it really is once a month, most medication seems to come in 28 days packs these days). Then any other prescriptions you need, whether every six months or ah-hoc don't cost you anything.

Also you can pay for the annual PPC by 10 monthly direct debits (£10.81 for 10 out of 12 months of the year).

powerspowers

Thanks @IainHL it’s difficult to judge as it’s an as-needed medication. I’m now only just getting some for the first time in 2 months and dithering whether I do 3 months prepaid or just single charges. I don’t think I’d get 12 in a year. 

powerspowers

It’s money shuffle day and I’ve met my savings goals for the year!! Slightly by accident, as I’ve put my AVCs up in line with my pay rise but the new amount wasn’t taken this month. So savings pots-
£5000 EF ✅ 
£1000 windows ✅ 
£600 long term car replacement ✅
£600 Iceland holiday ✅
and then £600 spread across short term pots 

Savings goals for 2023:
Move EF into higher interest account 
Increase car to £1200 🚗 
Increase Iceland to £1200  🇮🇸 
£500 house pot 🏡 
Plus short term pot for hols & other 

Last study day today til next year, Ive got an essay to crack on with and a real life meeting, hope the train isn’t too torrid, the 8.30 has been cancelled so I’m shuffling whilst I wait an hour. 

Merry Christmas wannabes xx

savingholmes

Well done on achieving your goals.

Have a fab xmas.

South_coast

Meeting your goals is excellent - doesn't matter if it's accidental 😀!

powerspowers

End of year mortgage figures:
28/12/21 £111,356
31/12/22 £101,048
so ten grand paid off this year ⭐️