Eating a Vegetarian Elephant

Chiglepig

Project Bedroom has been canned for today (work took longer than expected, but my Out of Office is now officially back on). Roses have been deadheaded in the back, just the front to do once I have spoken to the Consultant.

It's not going to help get the mortgage paid off any sooner, but we've decided the doggo would benefit from a walk to the pub later this afternoon!

Chiglepig

I got bored waiting for a phone call, so I added the content of a bag of change I found in the bottom of the wardrobe to bits and bobs from yesterday's drawer tidy. I have the grand total of £7.32, 15MXP, €0.05 and $0.51 . But if I can find out how to make small payments direct to Nationwide - does anyone know - for some reason NatWest won't authenticate the account for payments, I will make it an extra OP.  Whoop Whoop!

Karmacat

Doggo and the pub is a very good short holiday mix   though I'm not sure how helpful the Mexican pesos are going to be 

Seriously, the authentication thing drives me crazy when I have to use it.  Best of luck  

Chiglepig

KC, the pesos will be passed on to a friend to put in a charity box next time he visits, the € joins the other small change in my holiday purse!

The pub walk was really nice, and useful  Mr C and I sat strategising Project Bedroom, and came up with a plan - we're going to start by gutting the guest room which will eventually become a bigger, better study, we can then move in there while the Master is remodelled, then eventually, the old study will become the guest room. Thinking about the built in wardrobes, they are storage - but largely for things that went in there when we moved in (seven years ago) and haven't been used since. Things may change, and it will probably take us until this time next year to get everything done by the time we have fully planned, designed, and booked in all of the trades.

Cheery_Daff

Nice to have a project and a bit of a change of scenery with your rooms! 

greent

Opticians still take glasses - well - there are 2 within 2 miles of my house that take them

Chiglepig

Good morning Everyone.

It was an eventful weekend at the Chigle house.

Tour de France started - that may not be exciting to many, but days two and three are through parts of Brittany I know really well, and particularly day three today, they are racing within a few km of my parents house. Argh, ANOTHER year I have missed it coming through, but at least on TV I can spend this afternoon saying "Been there" Oh look, there's so-and-so's house"!

The main thing though was Mr Chigle who did a very un-MSE thing (with my permission) and reserved a puppy We are ridiculously excited - we were looking for rescues for months, but haven't been able to find one that would be suitable with our existing dog and cat. NewPup will be joining us mid-July, so we have three weeks to puppy-proof the house   And lots of new spending to factor in

It's also almost time for end of month financial review, and the next premium bond draw (fingers crossed!)

Chiglepig

The mortgage and OP for June has gone out, our new outstanding balance is £121285.46, and the overpayment reserve now stands at £9570.95.

SIPP and S&S ISA are both doing well, particularly the ISA, which is up considerably after a very flat May.

The nectar points (Christmas Food Fund) are currently worth £78.71

And we got £15 in John Lewis vouchers from our credit card use.

Next month will be expensive because the car repairs will be on next month's bill (paid off in full though), and there will be the pup to pay for, but at least it's double state pension month for Mr C!

Chiglepig

£25 PB win for me - no news on Mr Chigle's luck yet this morning!

£300 monthly payment has gone into the S&S ISA and has been invested. June was a good month, and July has started well.

£100 (plus tax relief) more added to SIPP - this is an extra, most of my pension income will come from TP when the time comes.

A few days ago I said July would be double state pension for DH - it's not, it was June - I just can't count (or don't know what day of the week it is)

But add to the spendy month list, Mr Chigle's birthday - dinner booked for a few days before because we will have the puppy by then, trip to London for Under Milk Wood, Chichester for South Pacific, and a two day trip to stay with friends I haven't seen in person for two years.

Chiglepig

PB update, Mr C won 2 x £25