Pay off mortgage and start having even more fun 😁

themadvix

Sounds like a good night!

I guess the hot tub is the issue then (and 5 adults!). Our neighbours got an inflatable one during Covid but have told their (adult and not living there) kids that there’s no hot tub this summer because it costs too much. At least it’s getting used though - if you can afford it and it’s worth it, then that’s the important thing.

newgirly

We used to have an inflatable one, they are good but a lot less efficient I think. I should really work out what it actually costs 🙄 

I’ve just popped to the new local food shop round the corner, nothing special just an ordinary cornier shop, where a loaf of white sliced bread was £2.19 😱 so I left and went to the posh bakers instead I usually only used on special occasions and bought one there for £2.10, ouch! Feeling too tired to walk into town and not worth driving for a loaf.

I made a little splurge purchase this week and bought a new rucksack for going away, we have one each that’s easyJet “free” size but it’s too big for Ryan air, so I’ve paid £39.99 for a fancy one with many pockets which will be my new suitcase for short trips away, I’m determined to try to rarely pay for luggage charges as they are often more than the flight itself, I must admit it’s a tiny bag though, I should probably lose weight so my clothes are smaller 😆

newgirly

Just done a shop at the frozen food store online last night, I’m fed up with cooking and nobody being around to eat it so have ordered some easy frozen bits, will be easier while a bit busy anyway 😬 wow some of the prices have gone up, staying the obvious I know but 😱 
After the wedding I’m fully back onboard, it’s been ages since I cooked properly and got organised, it was like a military operation in lockdown with lists of what we had etc. 

Also hanging over us if the spectre of the big back diesel guzzling car, Sadiq khan is now definitely introducing ULEZ to EVERY borough from next year 🤦🏼‍♀️ Good news for the planet but bad news if u live in one! So I believe £12.50 a day to get off the drive 😩 plus congestion charge if driving into London. 

killerpeaty

It seems like poor timing, people who want to get a new car are struggling due to prices/availability and are getting punished for it. Any chance of being able to swap cars for you or is it out of the question now?

I love the convenience of frozen food 

newgirly

I’m not sure what we will do yet Kp, we could sell and get something old I guess but its whether to take a chance on something going wrong. 

The convertible beetle will be sold after dds wedding (she’s arriving in her) I LOVE her and she’s great fun in the summer but is not so practical as her boot doesn’t open, if you lock her the alarm goes off etc. 😂 plus she takes up one of only two car spaces on our drive, and we have dh’s electric work van and my dil’s little Nisan micro too. 

The big gas guzzler is going to have to go , but it will be a change as he is huge and like a big comfortable armchair 😆 I’m looking at second hand and new replacements, but they are so expensive and getting something quite old is a bit of a worry. I just don’t want to spend money on a car right now, however that might not be very sensible and having another car might make it easier/cheaper to travel around the uk for weekends away, for example we can go up to York whenever we like but it’s getting quite expensive and we the risk the gearbox might go! Electric would be the dream but I think that may be a mf wish sadly, I don’t really want an older one as the range would be too low for an only car. 

Wedding prep in full swing, I’m doing lots of little bits and bobs they don’t have time to do, it also pains me a bit to hear “don’t worry we will get it all on Amazon!” So I’ve been trying to but stuff at various shops. It’s such a busy year, what a contrast to lock down! 

killerpeaty

Cars are possibly one of the worst things to make decisions about. I really feel for you!

Lots of work for weddings! But it will be worth it. My bride this year has been getting things from charity shops and carboots and Hobbycraft. The last one isn't for money saving, she just loves it there! Looking forward to hearing about this one.

newgirly

Phew, wedding two completed! It’s been crazily busy here, it went ok in the end but we had many last minute drop outs, a couple of hospital admissions, many train strike victims, German family’s coming over toddler had chicken pox, Covid etc! 

Dd looked amazing and it was a great party, very stressful in the run up days before and myself ds1 and girlfriend missed the vintage bus getting dd ready and raced behind her to the registry office where I was then told I couldn’t park (in one of their many empty spaces) and had to go to sainsburys in town even though she was about to walk in 😱 about to cry he relented 😂 

Much dancing and an absolute ton of booze left even though dd told all the guests to take armfuls as they left. I’ve managed to store what’s left in the log cabin. 

In other news the big car has been fixed but it may not last long and is not running on all cylinders now 😩 looking at cars from new to literally old bangers I have no idea what to do! Cars I sold like ten years ago are going for more than I sold them for back then, what’s going on? Big car is now basically worthless and beetle looking not much better. 

Will do a finances check later, I’m dreading it, we did’nt really keep paying for stuff for the wedding after the lump sum we gave but the little bits really add up, takeaways as too busy to cook for the he chip shop that sort of thing. 

A nice new plan is needed I think, a car will have to be factored in somehow. 

LadyGnome

I am so glad it all went well.  You've had an amazing start to this year.   The finances will be what they will be - you wouldn't have wanted to be second guessing every bit of spending around the weddings.

killerpeaty

Once you know the state of the finances then you can make a plan (come on you love a good plan!) Not knowing is more stressful than not!

Glad the wedding went well, sounds like there were only a few little issues.

Cornish_mum

Con glad to hear that the wedding went well, sounds hectic! I know what you mean about the cars, we found it overwhelming and stressful when we needed to replace ours earlier this year. And so expensive… good luck with it all CM