Prosperous soul embraces creativity & mortgage neutrality

SandyShores

Painting curtains!  I've not yet gotten over painting leather yet savingholmes, steady on   I love your positivity, it sounds like its all coming together and nothing going to stop you.  You're very motivating.

beanielou

Happy new mattress day 

savingholmes

I've also been to my balance class - and my teacher said my single leg balance was the best she'd seen me do. She can't get over how much better my posture is in the very short period since the divorce and how much happier I look. Always nice to get feedback like that. She's really supportive and encouraging. 

MovingForwards said:

I get an annual paper statement for my mortgage, makes it feel like I'm dealing with a quaint BS or something. 

Set your lender up as a faster payment payee, transfer money as and when you've got a bit extra. 

On the valuation point, see it as a bonus. When it's revalued in the future there's even more equity just for you.

Would you have enough paint to do a feature wall in the lounge for now. Again it stamps your mark on the house and would provide a different feel for the holidays. 

I think they legally have to send you an annual statement. That on it's own is pretty useless though. My previous bank sent you an updated statement each time you OP'd something or changed your regular payment amount. You could also see your mortgage balance daily on the app. I will set them up - but have to wait up to 10 days for them to post me the details!!! In this day and age!!! Seriously!!!

I want to do the lounge - but I'm now thinking of doing my bedroom first. It's weird. I've spent so much time in the lounge over the last 20 months - including WFH in there - I've not been able to face going in there this week since I've done up my new study / garden room. Having this room how I want it - feels like I've got a brand new extension - except it was here all along - it's just there's room for me now.  I am now itching to have that same feeling throughout my house!! Last week I literally felt I couldn't breathe in the lounge there was so much stuff in there - particularly related to WFH. I really need to go through the whole house and declutter. I just need to pace myself. 

I changed the curtains in the lounge which helped over the summer. I also have bought a tiffany stained glass floor lamp for in there and a 1940s style upcycled writing bureau in navy grey and a small 1910 upcycled navy octagonal table in there from FB. The problem is I still need to move the small desk out and a cupboard... I will get to it.

On the equity front - I think everything I do should add value. I am trying to make sure that I put my stamp on things where it merits it - without creating unnecessary work for myself if I ever do come to sell. I can't get over how peaceful this room feels - as white with splashes of colour.

savingholmes

DD and I just manhandled the mattress into the car folded double. Won't be nice driving but glad it saved me £45 for disposal!! DD was like 'it's impossible - you should have just paid the money - it can't be legal driving like that...' but hey I got it in and that's what side mirrors are for. I even reversed onto the drive earlier to make it easier to go to the tip tomorrow. Happy days. If that hadn't worked someone from work offered to help me at the weekend.

boxofpaws

I have been on a decluttering drive, slowly for around 3 years off and on. It has gathered momentum lately but it started out small. 

I started with the sock drawer. I decluttered and tucked all the pairs into squares. Cos you go in your sock drawer every day, so it’s a bit of order to your life every morning. And the order radiated out from the sock drawer.

savingholmes

Thanks boxofpaws. I do sometimes k0nd0 fold my underwear because it fits a lot more in then!!

I love that your decluttering radiated out to the rest of your house from starting small. My problem is I have multiples of everything because I can't find them when I want them and give up. I therefore want to get to the point where each item has a home - even if there are multiples of the same thing - for it to have its own slot. That should then help me let go of more stuff. With my kids having either left / or shortly to leave home - I'm thinking of using some of the multiples to fill a care box for them to take away with them.

I can't abide waste and like things to go to good homes... which is partly why the idea of upcycling furniture appeals. I need more balance in my life though. I will sell things where I can. Give away others and then will have to bin some stuff just for my own sanity. Things feel so much better when it's all clearer. 

skint_spice

I have finally read all of your diary, you are doing so well despite a difficult year.  2022 shall be a breeze...

savingholmes

Thanks @skint_spice
Wishing you an easy year for 2022 as well. Let's both increase our net worth and cheer each other on. Thanks for reading. 

I do love reading diaries and seeing a less filtered version of life than I often get in RL. It's encouraging seeing how £20 here and there adds up in a good way when you apply it to becoming debt and mortgage free.

EssexHebridean

Another one here who’s done a LOT of decluttering over the past few years. We started 2020 going through the place literally room by room and got rid of SO much - honestly it was ludicrous! Of course just a few weeks later though we were locked down and my goodness were we glad we’d got a calmer, less cluttered home to spend more time in. It’s ongoing for me - particularly remembering that just 15 minutes once a week relocating things that are not where they should be has a huge impact.  My issue is MrEH who would keep everything if he could, and doesn’t “see” mess - or can just ignore it, I’m not totally sure which it really is! 

Well done to you and DD on the mattress too - that will be a relief to get that gone! 

savingholmes

Hi EH - I still need to do that purge - but I like @boxofpaws idea of just starting with one small area so it's not overwhelming. 

Mission take mattress to the tip accomplished. It took 2 helpers at the site to get it in the skip - although he got it out of the car on his own and then we dragged it together to the side of the skip. Very proud of myself and DD for what we achieved between 2 of us yesterday!

My second switch has gone through okay. So just waiting for the cashback now! Should get £100 from one in early Jan and the other one early March. I have another account I'm thinking of switching. Need to set up some direct debits on it first though. Will soon need to set up an energy direct debit so can use that as one... Need to consider which other one to do. San - er still  hasn't linked my CC to my new acct. May have to contact them to resolve. Given it is the CC to be paid off first it is a priority.

Unwrapped my new mattress last night. It's definitely firm! It was weird having one that was no longer shaped to me (no I didn't have memory foam before)  It will take a bit of getting used to I think but nice to have in place. I think I'm back on - sorting the lounge... although as EH has rightly illustrated - decluttering would transform most of my house and would be a more logical and lower cost place to start.