Prosperous soul embraces creativity & mortgage neutrality

girlatplay

I can't believe how quickly time is flying along.  Congratulations on your first mortgage payment!

savingholmes

Thanks GAP, EH, @skint_spice @beanielou @PiggyBankShaker
Yes - great first milestone. Hopefully it gets better from here. 

Yesterday was interesting. My meeting was over before I could join it. The engineer had to come back - and said it's a problem with the router so has ordered me a new one. I had my counselling session outside but ended up slipping on fallen leaves near the end which scared me. My leg got grazed underneath my leggings - where I still had a lump from a bad fall 2 years ago. I iced and rested it for a while and took ibuprofen. Then I used T vouchers to go out for a meal with DD which was nice. Thankfully, I got up today and my knee feels grazed rather than dreadful which was a relief. 

DS may want a lift home for xmas from the big smoke to avoid the virus on public transport. Sounds sensible but a shame that's likely to land on me as Ex is already ducking... A reminder of why he's the Ex. Always takes the laziest path.

I still don't have login details after locking myself out of an account last week which is frustrating. I also need to find a pin device before I can set up a new payment on an account I need to send £1750 through so that's a priority to find.

Almost no xmas decs up yet. Just feel behind at the moment. Up early today as took DD to the train station for her college day. In better news, my cleaner came yesterday and worked wonders. Today, I have a half day off for a hairdressing appointment. I might try and put up a few xmas lights before DD gets home.

MovingForwards

If you bank with Nwide they hand them out over the counter, just remember to program it to your account before using it.

There will be loads more things you spot with ex, now he's your ex and they will still irritate you.

Hope your knee heals quickly.

Enjoy your pamper session.

badmemory

I don't know if it is still true but my barclays device used to work for nationwide & nationwide with barclays.  The second was accidental & the first a deliberate attempt to see if that would work too.

lucielle

All the card devices work with any bank.
L

savingholmes

Thanks that's really helpful @badmemory and @lucielle that should make the bank thing easier. Thanks MF.

I have put some baubles on a tree out the front. It's a start.

I picked up my work Xmas gift card yesterday. £100. Using it for tools and food. Exciting life I lead. I knew it was coming so already factored into my budget.

It looks like a sister can bring DS half way home which would be a huge help.

Mr A failed to deliver the turkey so still want to find one and sausage meat. I also got them to refund £11 of subs. Still easier to nip out for odd thing rather than all. I have another delivery due next Wednesday but didn't want to leave it that close. 

savingholmes

Well I found some lights for a tree out the front. I now have a lit wreath on the front door. I've put garlands around the banisters. Just need to add lights to that later.

At hairdressers now. 

FD has paid my £100 switching bonus already.  Debating whether to pay it straight off CC or wait and see how much latest solicitor bill is.

Organised boiler service for Monday

jwil

Still making loads of progress!   Congrats on the first mortgage payment

happymum37

House sounds lovely and festive now. 
You are doing amazingly with your finances, so controlled.  
I'm trying to just but spend spend this month- I'm sure my bank account has a hole in it x

savingholmes

Thanks @jwil and @happymum37

As part of the divorce process I planned out my finances for the next 12 24 months showing anticipated monthly payments, what savings I need for annual bills and what kind of money I can free up once certain costs have gone like my CCs, legal fees and counselling etc. So I look at the plan aka spreadsheet - and think about all the other things I would still like to do and then try and find solutions that let me have more play money or more investment / OP £ accordingly.

I've paid the FD switching bonus off my target CC - so that's now £642 - so overall CC debt has dropped to c1900. That CC is part of the account I can't currently access which is frustrating so having to take it on faith that it all reached the right place. About another £45 is due to be paid off during the month between CC1 and CC2. Any spends on CC3 are paid off in full.

In really good news - CC2 - seems to be giving me 6 months interest free from the date of the spend - not the date I first asked for the 6 months 0% rate - so part of it is due end of May and part end of June which is a lot more doable than trying to repay it in full during April payday. This gives me an extra 2 pay days so far if needed - all without incurring any fees. I still need to book my car in the garage and I am still debating when best to do it. 

Boiler service is due to be £65 - unless he needs any parts... I've budgeted £100 - hoping it's not more. I may need a couple of new valves but will see what he says on Monday. The kids' radiators aren't heating up well - but I think that's because they often turned it down to zero and apparently the valve then gets stuck.

My new energy company is still issuing holding type statements - and each one pushes the date back. I still don't have log in details. I've budgeted £250 on top of my £214 existing credit so I am hoping that it is more than enough. I estimate by the date they told us to take readings that my spend was around £270 so hopefully I've completely over budgeted.

I've spent another £62 on xmas food and now have turkey, sausage meat (from FW) and treats from MnS to have over the period DS is home. It's pretty much all gone in the freezer. Probably 'need' some deserts, fresh veg and fruit and possibly some soft drinks but other than that I'm done. I have another delivery booked in for 22/12. I've already hidden the fizzy drink cans (so the kids don't start drinking them early). I've also left some treat food hidden in my car for the same reason - perhaps not just due to the kids I then have a recurring slot organised from the first week of Jan - just in case I want to avoid in person shops and in case it's hard to get slots. I think DD may still want to get stuff direct from A1d1 though... I let her use a £5 off voucher for there today so she was happy. I think I will end up over spending on food for Dec pay period - as I stocked up in case of a further lockdown as well as extra for xmas food. Because I used a voucher for some of it though - I will still be below the 'cash' I budget.

DD has given me some extra 'presents' she wants me to wrap for her stocking. I've asked her to do the same for me from a pile of stuff I 'found' in the garage. What can I say? Still a child at heart!! I spent another fiver on a gift I was specifically asked for but other than that should be done. I picked up a couple of rolls of 50p paper today.