Prosperous soul embraces creativity & mortgage neutrality

savingholmes

Thanks jwil and MF

Well today is payday. I did overspend last month - and I put it on my CC for points rather than using savings. I have now cleared that however. I currently have about £2.2K in savings but if it wasn't for stupid tax and unnecessary purchases it would have been about £400 higher! If I am good this month and things go my way I hope to hold steady on EF.

I've had my food delivered today in the hope it helps me spend less. Still £50. I still don't have a working oven so a lot of what is in my freezer is useless to me. It's been three or four  months. When DD gets her multi-meter which should be next week - hopefully she can fix it and we can have roast dinners and things. I love eating left over roast for days so it makes lots of easy meals. I have a turkey taking up half a freezer drawer!! 

My mortgage has come out. I estimate that's knocked £645 off the principal so now down to £197.5K from £202K in November. The MSE credit club - should help me validate that when it updates in a week or two.

savingholmes

DD suggested we try the oven today - and it's started working again!! So now defrosting turkey and she's just had pizza. She has sent me the new board payment so that's a relief. So £50 CT and £100 towards utilities. She buys her own food. If all goes well that should mean I increase my EF slightly this month.

Gas bill lowest yet this month at £24. I'm now over £160 in credit which should hopefully give me a cushion for winter. They are now saying I can lower my direct debit having previously told me to increase it to £90+ a month. For the four months I had no visibility of bills between end Sept and Jan though last year my usage pre standing charges was £135 a month... So I am thinking of just leaving it and building up further credit so it's not a shock in winter and hopefully I won't have to increase my direct debit at that point.

Mickyh-s

Great news regarding the oven! 

MovingForwards

Great news about the oven.
I'd keep a higher payment, especially as you don't know how much DD will use.

L9XSS

Making steady progress Savingholmes. Good news on the oven and the gas bill. I’d take the lower direct debit and utilise the savings elsewhere, either mortgage or EF etc. However whatever you decide it’s a nice win and good to be in credit (I’m in debit with my gas bill, but I’m improving it every day, now the weather is milder). You and your daughter sound like a great team helping each other! Have a nice weekend and celebrate your MFW progress.

jwil

Great news about the oven!

savingholmes

Thanks @Mickeyh-s jwil, MF and @L9XSS

I've worked today - but just 6 hours. Falling behind again. Need to catch up! Will try harder tomorrow!

We roasted the turkey and were able to have a roast dinner for the first time in months. It was very tasty.

I had my counselling appointment today. She encouraged me to look for kitchen aids so that I reduce the amount of times I scald myself etc when I spill drinks when carrying them around. I've therefore bought a pod coffee m/c (Ex took the previous one). I am going to put it on my desk when I'm working in my study. You fill with cold water and then it heats in situ. I've also bought an insulated jug with a lid for the milk. The desk is big enough for them so that should help all being well. If it helps, I may consider getting extras for other rooms and rearranging furniture slightly to accommodate them. If I do get P1p - and even if I don't - she suggested I think about what I could buy or what help I could pay for to make my life easier and reduce my accident risk. It doesn't feel very MSE but then health is wealth...  

I went to balance class but they've changed the exercises this week - and I found them quite painful and either had to do really basic modifications or rest out. Hopefully I will improve again as I learn the moves. My knees and wrists were protesting.

I need to fill my car up - but looked at the prices at 3 different garages but drove on hoping the next would be better. They all got worse!! The gov better slash fuel tax soon or there will be riots.

jwil

Protecting yourself from accidents is very MSE!

Drawingaline

My energy company keep telling me to reduce my dd, but I am leaving it while we can afford it to cushion for the larger gas bills from October.

Merlin's_Beard

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" seems very MSE to me...!