Little by little, and with love

Buffythedebtslayer

Happy New Year Rosa XXXX 

RosaBernicia

doingitanyway said:

Happy New Year Rosa x

Thanks DIA, welcome!  Happy new year to you too

RosaBernicia

Buffythedebtslayer said:

Happy New Year Rosa XXXX 

Happy new year Buffster, let's hope it is more peaceful for us both!

bellevie

Happy new year Rosa x

We've been putting things up on our walls too, photos, and wall art really makes my heart swell ♥

RosaBernicia

bellevie said:

Happy new year Rosa x

We've been putting things up on our walls too, photos, and wall art really makes my heart swell ♥

Happy new year Bellevie, lovely to see you!

RosaBernicia

So I played about a bit more with YNAB last night, and I think I have now managed to pull back out the money it had allocated to the 0% CC too, so that I can see my actual available money again.  It is a bit of a shock how much of a dent the counselling makes in my budget, but it is needed so that will just have to continue. 

I also did meter readings yesterday and my estimate was pretty good - they added up to about £105 for the month, and I'm budgeting £120 for the next six months.  I've got the heating tweaked so that it comes on for a half hour here at intervals throughout the day, and that seems to be working pretty well - it keeps the house warm and is sufficient to dry clothes overnight without resorting to the tumble dryer.  Goodness knows what bills will be like by April, but at least by then the weather will be warmer. 

My other MSE job for today is to check my credit reports, so off I go to those!

RosaBernicia

!!!!!! I have no idea what the credit reference agencies think they're doing - one gives me a perfect score and thinks I've been on the electoral roll for 11 months, another is only just about to add it and appears to have got my name wrong in the process.  Fortunately I don't think there is anything too dodgy on any of them atm - one soft search I don't recognise, but it's the same day as my last checks so I probably just investigated one of the offers.  Just as well I keep an eye on it though. 

RosaBernicia

More small things...

Collected storage boxes which will at least mean I can box up things easily during work on the house - some nestable RU ones, which should be a bit more flexible for use and cost about £8 for 3 after using a Christmas voucher and waiting cashback.  I still need to do quite a bit with the rooms throughout the house as I have just felt overwhelmed with other stuff and not got started, but it is slowly getting there.  Hung two more pictures which was cost neutral as taking back something else to Dune7m covered the cost of the frames (I thought the prints were A4 and was very annoyed when they turned out to be 10 x 8 instead, fortunately there were just the right frames as the last two on the shelf and they turned out to be reduced!).  Replaced a table lamp shade that the puppy bumped and I couldn't get to look decent again, just as well I chose the cheap plain ones as that was a whole £4 .  And used another Christmas voucher in M&S, so some easy options for tonight and tomorrow as well as some basics for free. 

Gave up trying to fix a blind and rang the company - glad I did as they pointed out it was still under warranty, and instead of charging me for anything are just sending me a whole new header rail, hurrah!  I've been glaring at it and occassionally trying to fix it again for weeks . 

Currently trying to resist putting in a B0den order as I suspect the key worker discount will be coming to an end soon.  Same is happening with M supermarket so I will think again about having deliveries once that's gone (currently the 10% off a weekly shop more than covers the cost of petrol and I can usually combine it with other things I need on the same trip, but it looks like after that they will still offer free delivery which beats paying for a pass with any of the others). 

Plans...

Need to review my emergency home insurance as it has doubled after the first year and I know the house and its situation better now. 

I'm finding that doing one thing in each room is easier than a few things in the same room.  So will be trying that instead of the usual clearout options. 

Phone calls tomorrow for quotes, once I have those I can look at the cash situation and what I can pay off the CCs. 

Tax return

EssexHebridean

HNY Rosa - glad to hear that your Christmas decision making was the right thing for you and that you are finding your way on the tricky family issues. 

On wills - if there is even a vague POSSIBILITY that you think anyone might be unhappy with your wishes, then go to a Solicitor and get it done that way - no question about it. A cheap will can be adequate for people who don't really "need" a will - so for example an only child with parents and other close family no longer living, with a husband/wife or civil partner but no children, assuming that they are content that the lot goes to their significant other. Outside of that narrow situation, it's a false economy to scrimp. (And in the grand scheme of things it's not that much money anyone unless you are literally living hand to mouth). 

Great news about the blind, and that the lampshade was a budget friendly replacement cost! 

I must say your drive to get the house jobs done really is inspiring - I think we need to get similarly fired up and knuckle down and get ours sorted...while it's a lot easier to coast along telling ourselves there's no rush, it will be SO much nicer when it's done! 

RosaBernicia

EssexHebridean said:

HNY Rosa - glad to hear that your Christmas decision making was the right thing for you and that you are finding your way on the tricky family issues. 

On wills - if there is even a vague POSSIBILITY that you think anyone might be unhappy with your wishes, then go to a Solicitor and get it done that way - no question about it. A cheap will can be adequate for people who don't really "need" a will - so for example an only child with parents and other close family no longer living, with a husband/wife or civil partner but no children, assuming that they are content that the lot goes to their significant other. Outside of that narrow situation, it's a false economy to scrimp. (And in the grand scheme of things it's not that much money anyone unless you are literally living hand to mouth). 

Great news about the blind, and that the lampshade was a budget friendly replacement cost! 

I must say your drive to get the house jobs done really is inspiring - I think we need to get similarly fired up and knuckle down and get ours sorted...while it's a lot easier to coast along telling ourselves there's no rush, it will be SO much nicer when it's done! 

Thanks EH

My situation would certainly be complicated as it would include friends outside the family.  There is a solicitor in the village and I've just emailed them about an initial appointment.