Prosperous soul embraces creativity & mortgage neutrality

savingholmes

Thanks @skint_spice @mark55man @beanielou @doingitanyway @EssexHebridean

I've been fighting for a regrade for years so glad it's finally come.

I've slept on it - and booked a P inn near Kew and will go to Kew on my birthday. I then have the option to see a sis on my birthday or not depending on how I feel. I have booked breakfast too - all for £90 so I'm happy with that. I can chill out in my room until 12 if I need to recover from the previous day's exertions and crowds. Kew is 1.2 miles from there so depending on where I end up parking (which is extra) quite how I get to it. I don't want to exhaust myself before I get in though so its a balance.

Mark - If I treat getting to an EF of £3K by year end as a concrete goal that will help. I already have targets for extra pension savings - circa £50 a month. I'll need to keep it under review with inflation, energy and fuel but hopefully it will work out. I will still try and sell stuff to help meet the goal. If I get PIP it would be a game changer. Still heard nothing on that. It's been 3 months so far so could be another 3 yet.

savingholmes

Just had some other great MSE news. My (on divorce) water bill debt of £150 is now cleared. They have read my meter and I am now in credit. Our usage has dropped - not quite to half (DD uses a lot) but significantly. My bills are dropping by £20 a month which feels fantastic and offsets the £15 gas direct debit increase yesterday. I think there is room for it to come down more but I guess - I may use more water over the summer e.g. on the garden than I do in winter. I need to look into getting a water butt as that would pay for itself in the first year. I already use containers in the garden to help catch water.

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

So glad to see your regrading has finally come through, fingers crossed for the two increments. 

Good news too re the water bill, will certainly help with the other increases.

MvTMM

EssexHebridean

Fabulous news on the water bill - that'll make a difference won't it! well done also on committing to a plan for your birthday - I've not been to Kew in years but do remember it being wonderful! 

MovingForwards

Welcome to the cheat club or as I call it a bit of luck. When I get out of that mindset I'll let you know how long it took, for now I look around my flat and know I wouldn't have got the other half of the deposit together and become DF without the big dollop of luck that landed on my lap, twice 🤭

All sounds great with the regrade, hopefully not much longer.

You'll have a fantastic time at Kew, so many sights and flowers to smell. The open space will provide much needed freedom to unwind.

Well done with offsetting bills too.

jwil

Good news on the JE and the water bill!

Thanks for the mention about the NT - I got the gift card but couldn't remember how much it was for  

Blackcats

That's great news on your re-grade.  I think your present self and future self will thank you for extra annual leave.
I recently joined RHS - I live near to their Surrey garden and 1 more visit in the next 12 months will have covered the cost of membership.  Got a £10 cafe voucher too on the day and another £5 voucher when the membership card came through.  Their ice lollies at my local garden are fabulous, made using some kitchen garden produce - mango and mint - delicious.  

FootyFanDan

mark55man said:

Great news @savingholmes.

There is a definite trend on the newly DF to feel a bit lost/unsettled - I know I'm oscillating at the moment - especially with it coinciding with lock down easing and more freedoms (=things to spend on)

You'll work through it, @footyfandan found treating his EF's/savings targets as debts to repay helped concentrate the mind

I admit I did have a feeling after debt freedom of yay all this extra money, this then turned in to slowly losing track of it and feeling wasteful. The debt freedom is brilliant but as Mark said I now treat my EF and savings as debts. I have them sent to an account I barely use for any spends and they stay there. They are set up as SO on day I get paid so I know they are sorted and I have found this really useful

PiggyBankShaker

Great news on the regrade, water bill and also your lovely birthday plans. There's been a definite shift in energy I think and good fortune is flowing towards you as a result. Long may it continue. 

savingholmes

Thanks MVM @PiggyBankShaker EH MF Jwil @Blackcats @FootyFanDan

I am trying to work out whether it is coming back from having two weeks off, being debt free and/or having future plans of nice things to do - however I am feeling more relaxed. I imagine it's a combination. It feels like my £ is more my own again - and that my budget aka guilt free spends - really is guilt free. Not having a 100 mile round trip to do on Monday of this week or next week is also a major win. 

I note what MF said about the good luck / cheat club - but as it says in the Alchemist there are times when the Universe conspires to give you what you want - similar to PBS idea of positive energy attracting good things.

Not made any decisions on memberships yet. Looking forward to HP and Kew next weekend. I've booked next Thursday and Friday off - so I am more rested before my mini-break starts. This is novel given that before my last holiday I worked until 1am of the day I was going away!! I may book to go to a flower show this year too so I have some more things to look forward to. I may be able to get discounts through work. Will see how I feel. I think I've been to 2-3 ever. There's one not too far from me - my issue with them is the crowds rather than the cost. I might see if a friend wants to go with me. There are also proms and plays in the park and concert type events I may look into. Now I only have to please myself - I have more freedom to go - and budget wise the cost feels less.

@FootyFanDan
Thanks for visiting my diary. Always nice to read others experiences. I set up a regular saver a while ago to improve my 'interest' and gradually shuffle my EF out of current accounts. I leave some in as a buffer too.

DD has repaid the balance of what she owed me for the IPAD so CCs are back to zero again.

All set for a positive weekend. Hope you are all good.