Prosperous soul embraces creativity & mortgage neutrality

beanielou

Great progress with the cleaner 

girlatplay

Well done on surpassing your latest EF goal.
Great work with the cleaner.

savingholmes

Thanks Beanie, GAP and @Mrs_Binxtoria

The good news

£200 has gone out to my Reg Saver
c£650 has come off the principal as my normal payment went out
One of my instant savers interest rates with Nwe has gone from 1.4 to 1.79%

Reality check

My fixed tarriff BG for elec has asked for an extra £16 a month as used more in August. I'm hoping this was just due to fans and therefore next month it might ask for less again.

My planned AVCs feel a step too far - if they delay starting until we get the COL rise - that may be okay - otherwise I'm over-stretching myself and causing needless anxiety. Need to contact pensions and ask to reduce but that feels weird when they may not have even formally started yet. Originally my thinking was I'd sacrifice some of my reg savers if necessary - but with the swift ramping up of energy bills way beyond what was envisaged even July/July and lack of clarity re gov help - I need to adjust my plans and be confident I have £ I can access easily if needed - rather than it being locked away until I retire. Makes me sad though.

This is also influenced by planned spending on the home and garden on a handyman - if of course I can actually get them to turn up. Other than the initial £100 planned this pay period - not even added in any new costs for that.

New dental bills which for the three treatments are due to be £1059. 'Only' committed to £353 so far... but ideally wanted to pay £353 per month for the next two months so my teeth would be done by when I saw family at Christmas.

While I could use savings to pay for some of this stuff I'd rather not.

Spending diary

Made my budget tighter last night by buying 2 x 12 place setting Alice dinner set. It was £25 each down from £35 and I've had my eye on them for months. I hate my existing dinner set, some of which came from a charity shop and wanted something fun. However that was £50 that wasn't in my budget minus the 92p in coins I found lying around the house and £1 voucher using their new rewards app.

I spent £7.24 in Mr A, 29p on water at HB and £2.64 on milk and choc in B&M. I went shopping for DD - who owes me £7.25. Again this illustrates why I prefer to send others in for me - but at the same time I do like the set... I may return one set but it looked like it was about to be discontinued so I wanted to get it while it was still there.

Mr A
£1.04 Leeks sliced x 2 52p each down from 74p
£1.20 Grapes
£1 Bananas
50p Mushrooms
10p YS baby carrots
45p Peppers (long thin kind)
£3.88 Chicken breast

skint_spice

Well done on the dinner service, it will give you joy each time you use it so money well spent.

savingholmes

Thanks @skint_spice

Makes me feel better... 

I listed some things on Olio today and there was interest so 4 more things should leave my house soon. Need to list some more...

elantan

loving the sound of the dinner set, it does make a difference eating off of nice plates 

savingholmes

Thanks El.

I chased the handyman and he's going to come and do some work this afternoon which should be good. May need to nip out for more cash though depending on how long he is here.

DD has set off on her travels. Really hope it all goes smoothly for her and her friend. Please God keep them safe!! First holiday abroad without me...

I looked at curtains again last night at Dunelm - but I'm taking what I bought back as it looks rubbish. I went for a cheap option and it looked it! I also picked up a roman blind for £11.25 (originally £50+). I am hoping it can go in my art room to be upstairs. Grey faux silk again. Walls need painting before I can put it up. With handyman coming today I have more faith he might come back and do some of these other jobs too.

In even better news - I am getting a new FF to replace the older one in the garage. Completely free of charge to me as part of an energy charity scheme. Seems amazing. All being well it comes Wednesday of next week. I do however need to empty the existing one and cram it into the newly repaired one in the kitchen... I don't think hers has a lot in it.

Apparently my garage door problem - is just the sensors needing new batteries. Just 3.6v AA ones - so I need to buy some and  fit them (in a dark room where the overhead light fixture needs fixing)... So I'm going to try and clear some of the garage while DD isn't here and then hopefully they can come in and out of the garage rather than all through the house when they deliver the new FF. Wish me luck... 

LadyWithAPlan

savingholmes said:

Thanks El.

I chased the handyman and he's going to come and do some work this afternoon which should be good. May need to nip out for more cash though depending on how long he is here.

DD has set off on her travels. Really hope it all goes smoothly for her and her friend. Please God keep them safe!! First holiday abroad without me...

I looked at curtains again last night at Dunelm - but I'm taking what I bought back as it looks rubbish. I went for a cheap option and it looked it! I also picked up a roman blind for £11.25 (originally £50+). I am hoping it can go in my art room to be upstairs. Grey faux silk again. Walls need painting before I can put it up. With handyman coming today I have more faith he might come back and do some of these other jobs too.

In even better news - I am getting a new FF to replace the older one in the garage. Completely free of charge to me as part of an energy charity scheme. Seems amazing. All being well it comes Wednesday of next week. I do however need to empty the existing one and cram it into the newly repaired one in the kitchen... I don't think hers has a lot in it.

Apparently my garage door problem - is just the sensors needing new batteries. Just 3.6v AA ones - so I need to buy some and  fit them (in a dark room where the overhead light fixture needs fixing)... So I'm going to try and clear some of the garage while DD isn't here and then hopefully they can come in and out of the garage rather than all through the house when they deliver the new FF. Wish me luck... 

Woohoo to a new and free FF

Your blinds sound fabulous

I am sure your daughter will be fine. You probably are aware of this anyway but most mobile providers now charge again a daily rate for using phone in Europe so get her to check as she doesnt want a huge bill a day. She could turn it off and use just whats app via free wifi wherever she can get it

I am in a 2 yr contract where I can use my phone in 81 countries without a daily charge  inc loads of data- not that I have used it much since covid! its running out black friday time (I organised it that way) so I will need to see current deals.

MovingForwards

Great news about the door and FF. Hope the handyman has got stuck in and keeps doing the jobs around his others.

DD will experience a lot and potentially grow further over her holiday.

savingholmes

Thanks @LadyWithAPlan
I got her to check her roaming package and in theory it's okay.

The blinds are a great deal.

Very happy with free FF as it should be more energy efficient too.

Thanks MF. He's put new felt on the shed roof using felt I already have and batons Ex must have bought but never used. He also dug out some of the garden and re-laid 4 flags back again using bags of ands I already had. He's going to pick me up a spare flag from his Dad's and bring it next time he comes and then finish that bit. I need to dig out my metal pegs and put the landscape fabric down when the bins go. He's said he'll come back and do a half day next week. Today cost £38 so that felt okay. Roughly £12.50 an hour - he was here for 3 so rounded it up. I need to take more £ out for next time he comes.

Money wise though I had a shock today. The family member who gave me £ last year and early this has asked to loan £2K of it back - so need to scramble around for that - for 2-4 weeks time. They are upgrading to a new property. I then have the moral dilemma of do I gift it back to her or loan it.