The 'scenic route' to mortgage freedom...

greent

Brilliant news re DHs payrise and that he's excited about the additional responsibilities 😀 

PiggyBankShaker

Not a lot to report. DS is now Covid-free and out of isolation and DH has tested positive. So far DD and I are still testing negative and long may it continue! Fingers crossed.

It's seven days until payday and whilst we're not 'skint' we're down to essential-only spending. We saved money not having to do the school run for over a week, and with the fuel duty drop last night I think we managed to avoid having to fill up when the prices were at their highest. We're also doing great at pegging out the washing and not putting the heating on!

We borrowed some savings off DS (he earned £30ish interest on them this year) and made a lump sum mortgage overpayment, with the plan to pay him back over the next 12 months. I worked out that we'll save £175 in interest this year alone, so the maths stacks up.

The builder got in touch and we had a decent convo about the extension. I told him that his quote was still too high (£120K+VAT+20% contingency...?) he said something like, 'blah, blah, well let's say you've only got, for example, £70K..' and it really got my back up, because actually £70K is a HUGE amount of money! Round these parts you can by a whole house (albeit small and in need to TLC) for that! Anyway, he's putting together a proposal for us next week, but I'm honestly so jaded by the whole experience (yes I know I keep saying it!) that I can't see us going ahead with it. But at least we know we exhausted every avenue and can progress the kitchen makeover with a lighter heart.

Less than three weeks until we go on holiday, I'm excited and nervous in equal measure - normally, it would be pure excitement but after the disaster that was Athens I am a bit apprehensive. In theory we're super busy before we go, DH has a work trip to London, he brother and kids are mean to be visiting for a weekend, but either of those could change at short notice so we'll see!

Right that's all for now. Stay safe everyone!

savingholmes

Great news on DH's job offer and it having new responsibilities that he's looking forward to. 

Hope you and your kids recover quickly.

PiggyBankShaker

Been in bed for three days straight with Covid. Mothers Day was a wash out (but at least it wasn't an actual disaster like my birthday) 

I would say one benefit of not being able to leave the house is not spending any money, but even that's not true! Ordered a couple of bits online; prescription sunglasses £86 (always wanted a pair but was never organised enough to buy them) a hair wrap £33 (to look a bit 'glam' on days I can't be arsed to do anything to my hair) They can be my birthday/Mothers Day presents considering that no one gave me anything on either day.

I got sent two free books (one physical and one digital) which was a nice treat (especially as I would have bought one of them!) and asked by a publisher to take part in a blog tour, even though I don't actually have a blog. Also, a wallpaper company shared a picture of DH's home office on their Insta account, which is always nice.

There's no money news, bit its payday in 2 days! We have £110 left and only £13 scheduled to go out. Has March been the longest month ever or what?

themadvix

PiggyBankShaker said:

Been in bed for three days straight with Covid. Mothers Day was a wash out (but at least it wasn't an actual disaster like my birthday) 


I got sent two free books (one physical and one digital) which was a nice treat (especially as I would have bought one of them!) and asked by a publisher to take part in a blog tour, even though I don't actually have a blog. Also, a wallpaper company shared a picture of DH's home office on their Insta account, which is always nice.

Sorry to hear you've been feeling pants with Covid.... 

However, it's all sounding very glam with the publisher and the photo of DH's instagrammable home office! Wow!

Where did you get your £86 prescription sunglasses from? I'm feeling done now, and I thought I did well to get mine for £160 (prescriptions may vary, of course!)

PiggyBankShaker

themadvix said:

Where did you get your £86 prescription sunglasses from? I'm feeling done now, and I thought I did well to get mine for £160 (prescriptions may vary, of course!)

There's an online shop I use called RetroPeepers. The frames are fab (I have several pairs) and reasonably priced. You have to email them your prescription and they send you a price for prescription lenses. So my frames were £29, my lenses were £49 and P&P was £5 - my lenses were single vision (so not bifocal) and scratch resistant.

themadvix

Thanks, that's good to know. And a very reasonable price for the whole lot. 

PiggyBankShaker

DH has been paid and had about £400ish extra, so his pay rise must have been processed. Unfortunately we used the credit card quite heavily this month so approx half his pay has gone on clearing it. We have exactly the right amount left to cover our 'average' monthly spending (as per spending tracker) however this month will not be normal as we are on holiday for 9 days.

Any savings/mortgage OPs will have to come from my pay tomorrow and my 2nd pay later in the month.

In other news, we still haven't put the heating on or used the tumble dryer.

Even though I'm still(!) on my sick bed I entered a 10K in September yesterday. On a whim. I don't run. At all. I think it was Covid messing with my brain.

Builder hasn't come back to me with his 70K kitchen extension proposal... 

I'm giving a video tour of our house tomorrow to a dog rehoming centre to see if our house is suitable to rehome one of their dogs.

And our calendar for next week is totally crazy and right now I don't feel equal to the task at all. DH will be in London and there is so much to do, literal 'being in two places at the same time' stuff. Doctor's appointment, orthodontist appointment, counselling, school transition event, inset day, two meeting do with the book-thing... all on top of normal work and family stuff.

Send help!

themadvix

Not sure I can 'send' help, but would just say, given how you are feeling health-wise, to cancel what you can and be reasonable about expectations of yourself - you need to prioritise your health (especially for that 10k!! - Covid definitely does mess with people's brains though, you're right!).

Fortune_Smiles

What themadvix said 🙂

Fortune x