Pay off mortgage and start having even more fun 😁

skint_spice

Just caught up with your diary at last, I can advise that once cats settle they are a great source of heat😂 my little hot water bottle is keeping my legs warm right now😂

South_coast

newgirly said:
....will try and get dh to courier it from work if it’s better than royal mail….

Probably more chance it will actually get there on time, too 🙄

Good luck with making the last of the money last, you're getting really close 🤞

daisy_1571

Seconding ramouths curtains.   I've been putting up curtains over various doors and it makes a huge difference.  One at the front door - there is enough space to stand between it and the door and it is always noticeably colder in behind the curtain.  I've also put one over the door that goes from a little room up to turret stairs and it is the same, colder behind the curtain.   

If you get a curtain rail it can sit fairly close above where I imagine there was once a wall or doorway and as long as the curtains go right to floor with a bit of an overlap at the middle it will keep heat in your living room.   You will lose light but if its a mild day you can pull them back to move the air around and ensure nothing is getting damp.  (You can use a curtain pole but there will be more space for draughts as they sit further from the wall.)

The other thing that has made a huge difference without being overly costly was secondary glazing on magnetic strips.  We got acrylic for 2 old double glazed windows, a single glazed sash and an enormous arched stained glass window where there is stone window sill.  That one in particular leaked warm air out the many cracks and gaps but the acrylic is so clear I've bumped my head on it forgetting it was there.  Its made that little turret room usable again for us.  Maybe it would help some of your cold double glazing 

Daisy xx

newgirly

Hi thank you everyone for the comments, we could actually have some curtains across the conservatory, the only problem is the very long table we have goes through beyond the dining room Ito the conservatory 🤔 it could be worth the upheaval I guess. Daisy your house has stained glass and turrets? I’m intrigued and very envious 😬 skint-spice, I do use the little cat as a hot water bottle, I actually call her that sometimes 😆 

Had the heating on all day yesterday to dry mountains of washing as I was behind, how nice I was I must say, went to bed after it been off a couple of hours and I was still fairly warm, no icicle fingers! 

It snowed last night so the York trip is cancelled 😢 main road is clear here but we are thinking it’s not a great journey to do just incase, although if the others change their minds I’m up for it like a shot! So much planned and we won’t get up together until next year otherwise. 

Moneyfordreams

Staying safe is a much better option. My girls are planning a trip to Wales to a cabin today! I wish they would stay at home too 

themadvix

I second Ramouth's suggestion of a heavy curtain across the conservatory if possible.

We've had the heating on as normal until yesterday (17 degrees from 7.15am to 9pm), when Mr MV realised that this was costing a fortune (I could have told him this, but he gets a bit funny about scrimping when we can afford otherwise). So now we're experimenting with having it off for a bit at time - fine by me. So cold overnight - temp got down to 12 degrees and the cats were cold when we let them into the bedroom. We have an oil-filled radiator which I'm going to put on a smart plug in the living room and pop it on for a couple of hours overnight on the cheap rate electricity - both for the cats and so that it doesn't take hours to get back up to temperature in the mornings!

daisy_1571

newgirly said:

Hi thank you everyone for the comments, we could actually have some curtains across the conservatory, the only problem is the very long table we have goes through beyond the dining room Ito the conservatory 🤔 it could be worth the upheaval I guess. Daisy your house has stained glass and turrets? I’m intrigued and very envious 😬 skint-spice, I do use the little cat as a hot water bottle, I actually call her that sometimes 😆 

Had the heating on all day yesterday to dry mountains of washing as I was behind, how nice I was I must say, went to bed after it been off a couple of hours and I was still fairly warm, no icicle fingers! 

It snowed last night so the York trip is cancelled 😢 main road is clear here but we are thinking it’s not a great journey to do just incase, although if the others change their minds I’m up for it like a shot! So much planned and we won’t get up together until next year otherwise. 

Lol, its a conversion of a building built in mid 1800s.  Beautiful,  amazing and (in the winter) draughty haha

Daisy 

newgirly

Sounds wonderful daisy! 

Hope your girls had a safe trip mfd’s 🙂

Vix, ours was 12 degrees when I got back from York on Wednesday 😱 told them to just put it on please, I don’t want to be responsible if they freeze to death! 

The trip went well, just as cold up there but no snow. We didn’t get into York minster as it was shut when we went by and I think it was just me that was really keen anyway 😆 However I’m now going back next week anyway with dh as ds1 is in Leeds for Xmas with his girlfriends family so I offered to collect them as dh has a few days holiday owing, plus the trains are quite £££ at the moment as well as unreliable. 

Spending update: 

• £10.50 Poundland - cold medicine and food (had a cold all week ☹️) 
• Asda £5.25 tub of chocs and a carrier bag
• £4.05 birthday cards for next month 
• £18.50 fancy brekkie when out for day with dd 
• £15.20 sarnies and tea in tk max  on day out shopping with dd 
• £72.24 Tesco delivery 
• £4.89 Local shop milk and frozen fish 

That’s now a total of £1669.39 / £1800 spent leaving £130.61 until 1st Jan 😬 it could weirdly actually work out, although this year has been a bit different in the run up to Xmas, I’ve bought nothing much extra like I normally would and we are not entertaining so it’s helped save massively! 

newgirly

 Not much to report, went out with dil today to buys ds2’s Xmas present of stick insects, different I guess 😆 

Also spent some money on some whiskey and Prosecco that’s been couriered to ds1 as he’s in Leeds for Xmas with his girlfriend, so spending update: 

• £60.97 on whiskey, Prosecco, bit of food Sainsburys 
• £2 binbags Poundland 
• £18.44 Lidl, Xmas flowers for mum, pastries for the lads at work for breakfast today, curry paste 
• £9 on an Asda sale cardi I wanted full price a while ago, I couldn’t resist! 

£1800/ £1759.80 spent and £40.20 left this year. 

newgirly

Doing my good deed today do collecting great aunt and bringing her here for a coffee and to meet the cats, then have a friend over for lunch this afternoon. Diesel is almost at a lights on situation, I might top up with £10, as dh is off from the 23rd hopefully we will only need to drive to the in-laws with others so can use the electric van for a little if we do go out. 

Almost time to make some 2023 plans hooray! I pretty much already have a plan though really and it’s to budget for virtually nothing but the mortgage for another 30 months or until something comes along to mess it up 😆

I’d like to tweak the birthday / Xmas budget a bit higher though as those are the trip ups and I’d like to buy a Xmas dinner out next year for them all, will need to have a think about it. 

Still hanging in to see if dh has a Xmas bonus this year, last year it was a massive £100, this is after his 20% pay cut ☹️ If he does get it, it will pay for our trip to York after Xmas to collect ds1 and girlfriend and drive home, an excuse for a couple of days away really 😆