Pay off mortgage and start having even more fun 😁

newgirly

Oooh thank you that’s helpful 🙂 I already bought a very cheap desk top and legs at the start of the week, the height of the table didn’t occur to me, no idea why as it’s really obvious 😩 some is already unwrapped, I will see if they do adjustable legs that would work with it, if not maybe I could make do and see if I actually do some sewing first and then upgrade 🤔 It’s been too hot to do anything with the room this week though.
As for the scissors, that’s not problem as dh is a bookbinder and has very strong scissor rules and ethics 🤣

Well we have finally reached a temperature in which the cats are not now seeking out sunny spots to lie in, hooray! They still refuse to sit by any fans which might help them but it’s progress. It feels like life is on pause in this heat 🥵 both body and brain are not currently working well 😆

newgirly

I’ve asked my Aunt over for a swim today at the pool near ds2 that I’ve never been to, except there’s only lane swimming today so we will have to go elsewhere, it’s the first time I’ve been swimming in a while and with her since probably I was about eight. I’m a bit disappointed as I wanted to try the new place and was thinking I might join with a swim membership since I gave up the gym.

Last night we met dd and her dh for drink, it’s the first time bar two mins at hospital with mil that we have seen her since last year, it went well but nothing was mentioned about the situation, for a first meeting it went well though so it’s a step forward 🙂

beanielou

Lovely to hear 🤗🥰

daisy_1571

How's things going with the inlaws and their health situation?

Dxx

TallGirl

Glad you can start to rebuild. Annoying about the pool maybe check out the opening times it might just have been a one off. Take care in this heat.

newgirly

Thank you for the kind wishes, it went well with DD but nothing was mentioned about last 6 months, it’s a step forwards 🙂

Aunt and I did end up going for that swim, but at another really grubby pool 😱 where I used to take the kids for lessons, it’s really gone downhill. He new big pool is only open for general swimming in the afternoons as it all lane swimming and lessons, so that’s awkward, I’d rather go early.

Yesterday was spent sourcing and fitting a loft ladder and new hatch for ds2 (fitting by dh not me, that goes without saying 😂) it’s his birthday present. Went £50 over the budget 😩( usually £100) , but I felt bad enough getting a loft ladder as a gift so happy to go a bit over this time. I will get some sweets or chocolate to go with his card still. Ds1 is trickier, new flooring in his hallway (it’s a small area) so I’ll set a budget the same and let them choose and top it up if they want posh stuff, then lucky dh gets to sort that as well 😆 Looks like the meal with the boys is off as ds1 has girlfriends dad staying for a funeral, so trying to rebook him another day is tricky, so many gigs and football games and so little time! It may end up being Sunday lunch out or a week night at this rate.

Yesterday I did take a good look at the finances, I’ve decided to instead of pacing the 0% cc over the life of the offer to just throw everything at it now. It’s currently £9256.33. I have money put by for holidays which won’t be needed until a bit later on and this months and next months money as well as some premium bonds so it seems we can just about clear it all but the end of August if we are careful. This leave us no savings but as we still have the offset until we can close the mortgage next year we can dip into it in an extreme emergency.

After that we will have the rest of the year paying for this years two cruises (spending money and trips) and then paying for one next year, I’ll keep a nice amount ticking over each month longer term into a holiday pot for that and then the rest needs to go towards a combination of savings,pension, home repairs (or moving costs?). It’s probably time now for a bit more detailed financial planning, I’ve been scared to look at the cost of home repairs that need doing. It’s the adult thing to do I know 😆 but honestly I just don’t know of we should stay here, can’t see anything where we want to be that’s affordable and I know this house needs some work. The pebbledash needs stripping and re rendering, DG old windows probably 30 years old, drive replacing etc. all big boring stuff that costs a fortune and is not exciting.

South_coast

I'm assuming he wanted a loft ladder? In which case, don't feel bad about it!

It might be worth getting an estate agent to give you a valuation, so you know what the house is worth and can make a decision from there? They can also give you a steer on whether it would/wouldn't be worth getting the various bits doing, as some will add to the value and some won't

newgirly

Yes he did ask for loft ladder 😂 I feel like the house should be in better state before we do that but that’s probably silly 🤔

Off to the big yellow store today to swap the table legs for a set of adjustable ones for the new room. I also got a few bits in primarni yesterday, a cream ottoman for £10 in the sale (to store crafts and gift wrap etc.) and a nice embroidered storage pocket thingy to hang over the door £7 and a little kind of veg trolley looking wheeled shelves unit for £14, so a bit of spending but from the personal spends and not too much. I am quite excited to be making myself what feels like a second bedroom 😬

Today I’m going to book a night away for the bank holiday, we will be going to to York for the weekend - on a very low budget, but as dh has booked his birthday off on the Tuesday as well, he’s going to have a night away as his birthday present. Probably it will be in or near lovely Durham again on the Sunday night (the cheapest night). I’ve £40 traded of tesc@ hotel vouchers so will add another £40 to that I would imagine. There is a sister museum nearby to the York train museum 🥰 which we have never been to and the flying Scotsman is due to be there that weekend, so far we have never seen it at York as it’s always out and about. So basically I’m taking dh somewhere I want to go for his birthday 😁

newgirly

Such a shame about the football last night ☹️ maybe next time!
The craft room /sitting room is more or less finished. It’s kind of happened around some vague idea that I might use my sewing machine at some point 😬 but even just having a desk is great. We have a big dining table which we never use and I wouldn’t want mess out if I did so it’s actually going to be handy for things like present wrapping anyway. The chair (ikea sale- £50 poang with cushion) is sooo comfy, so I’ve make a little reading nook, however the cats have hijacked the chair so it’s got a blanket on now 🤦‍♀️ Everything else in there is found around the house or in the shed, aside from a cushion I bought,so pretty cheap for a whole new room.

Food budget wise we are hanging in with £173.69 left of £500 except I bought a £129.99 fan from it this month too. If it was cooler it would be a lot easier with batch cooked curries etc. but I don’t fancy that right now and even the human eating machine that is dh is not fancying things in the heat which is unheard of 😆 I do need to do a shop today though that that pot will take a hit.

Last night I booked a mini cruise 😱 showed dh an offer and he said good idea, he fell asleep and I just booked it. Next summer a 5 night from Southampton on a smaller older ship we went to the arctic on , total price £924 and we went for the higher price so we choose the cabin and get table priority for a table of two hopefully. We got £10% off and a £30 discount on top, so £92.40 a night each,which is not the cheapest but it’s July so always dearer- we usually don’t cruise in peak summer. So now I need to find £137.50 to pay the balance by Feb without affecting other financial plans….

newgirly

I had quite rough day Thursday, went to the shopping centre for my weekly shopping centre visit with best freind and get should have been a 20 min drive home took eight and a half hours, after we left the car and got a train 😱 a spillage on the m25 meant resurfacing and it wouldn’t set due to the heat, so we went about half a mile in all that time! Luckily at one point we could pop into dunelm and go to the loo quickly but boy it was a long time. Felt a bit dodgy yesterday with a headache, probably dehydrated I guess, but all good today.

Dh is work this morning and going for a drink (hopefully not five) with work colleagues afterwards so I’m on my own with the cats today putting the finishing touches to the sewing room, I managed to get another cushion and blanket in the sale for £8.50 for both and I think that’s all I need. Might have a little sit and read in the nook with the girls amd a cup of tea later, I am so behind with diaries I need to catch up on those too and see what everyone has been up to 😁