Final Stretch

LadyWithAPlan

Maybe extra blankets, thermal Vests in the home and a few hot water bottles for watching TV etc.
Plus can you turn the heat off in some rooms? I guess it depends on how drastic you go

Well done on all the PP will follow along to cheer 

MissLemon

LadyWithAPlan said:

Maybe extra blankets, thermal Vests in the home and a few hot water bottles for watching TV etc.
Plus can you turn the heat off in some rooms? I guess it depends on how drastic you go

Well done on all the PP will follow along to cheer 

Thank you 😊 

We usually only have two heaters on. One in the living room plus one low in the hall so going to the bathroom or kitchen isn't such a huge shock. We do have a heater in the kitchen and bathroom which is only occasionally used when it is really cold but none in the bedroom (electric blankets instead 😀😀).

I've just had our new electricity price rise through... now will be £150 a month. So I think maybe more use of the open fire, more thermals and another blanket for the sofa is in order..... 

MissLemon

September update 

Mortgage is now £37,380 🥳🥳
 
Got one more monthly payment left before the annual overpayment allowance is reset so there won't be a big difference until then.

The main household challenge is now getting ready for winter and keeping that electricity bill down as much as possible 😬😬

MissLemon

Energy supplier switch done!

There wasn't much difference in price, just a few pounds but having seen Martin's email today saying another price rise is expected in April I thought I'd better fix!

MissLemon

Of course, the energy supplier I switched to is one that folded last week....

I'm managed to stop the switch so I'm still with my original supplier. Currently my account is in debit by about £100 and so my monthly payments are going up from next month. However, I've been through my bills and it looks like they have over estimated my energy usage as since January they have charged me for 700kwh more than I have actually used. This despite having a smart meter which is supposed to send them readings.

So I have queried it and will see what happens.

In other news I have transferred some of my savings which will be used to make our final payment to Premium Bonds! As I'm getting 0.01% interest on the savings I'm not losing out by putting it into PBs, especially as it only takes 3 days to cash them in. 

AgathaSquirrel

You’re so close to paying off that mortgage!

I see you share my pain with the energy hike.

MissLemon

Only 2 months left before we can pay off the mortgage!

Although I'm now having a little wobble. There are a lot of things that could be improved in our house. A new kitchen, a new bathroom and a fresh lick of paint in the hallway.

We currently have our money waiting to pay off the mortgage at the end of our fix in January. But I keep wondering.... should we instead go for another 2 year fix which will half our monthly mortgage payments and give us the cash to do some home improvements, or do we pay off and then save up to do the work, which could take a year or so...

powerspowers

Hmmm tough one!! How much do you think you need for the house bits and how long would it take to save? If you were mortgage free would you borrow the same amount or would you wait? Is there a compromise ie do one room next year and save up for the other? 

Not trying to sway you either way but some questions to consider!! 

Well done on the OPs so far, your undramatic strategy of plodding away at it has paid off 😁

MissLemon

Well the deed has been done!!!

Final payment made last month and we are now mortgage free!!!

WOO HOOO!!!

Kitchen and bathroom are the next big projects, trying to put the money we would have paid on the mortgage towards those, although the increase in electric has taken a chunk of that away already!!

jennystarpepper

Congratulations  -  Must be a wonderful feeling.