So close, we can smell mortgage freedom!

Suffolk_lass

I'm so glad that method of preservation worked for you. I am going to gradually move all fruit preserving over to that (except rhubarb. Chopping wiped clean rhubarb into resealable bags for the freezer is so simple and not easily abandoned). Adding strawberries to rhubarb to make preserves and crumbles is one of life's simple, rewarding pleasures. I extracted two more bags of frozen fruit (rhubarb and gooseberries; and we had gooseberry crumble yesterday (naturally, DH and I had custard, DS did not) - so I made rhubarb fool this morning. Just stewed rhubarb, whizzed with cold leftover custard and a swirl of cream. 4 dishes of dessert! And still half a litre of rhubarb left over.

Have a good day

themadvix

Leftover custard? What is this of what you speak?! Sounds good though 🤤

I'm not sure how, but we didn't actually end up with any rhubarb going into winter this year - I did make rhubarb and ginger vodka (and will be making *much* more of this this year as it goes beautifully with some sparkling water (or neat!)) and rhubarb and ginger jam. I also think we didn't pick as much, and maybe gave more away. I was hoping to force some this year, but I haven't yet found something suitable to put over it (hoping for an old bin really). The stuff in the garden is already well on its way (Timperley Early) but the stuff at the allotment isn't showing its nose yet.

I was intending to chuck the syrup at the bottom of the plums, but when I discovered that some alchemy (and pectin) had turned it into jelly, I chucked it into the crumble along with the fruit. The man who supplied the apples - a friend of FIL - was so impressed with the two jars of apple butter I gave him that apparently I'm getting even more of the crop this year! (Of course, it might be less of a crop anyway, but I think I'll be jarring and jamming for hours!)

themadvix

Had our annual mortgage statement through - opening balance last year, £34000. Closing balance £23000, now £20297

Topscooby

themadvix said:

Had our annual mortgage statement through - opening balance last year, £34000. Closing balance £23000, now £20297

Seeing those numbers tumble is so encouraging…good luck and keep going! 

Take it from me, as someone who managed to pay off my (our) mortgage five years early, the feeling of being mortgage free is amazing!

Andy 👌

themadvix

Hi @Topscooby, thanks for dropping by! Yes, we are very definitely on the home run now - on course to pay it off 13 years ahead of time, which will be so satisfying. As mentioned elsewhere though, this is probably not our forever home, so it won't be our last mortgage, in all likelihood... but who knows!

EssexHebridean

Goodness TMV you're on fire at the moment with productiveness - love it! Also loving the convoluted route to get to the name of the agricultural merchants - love MSE abbreviations and code! 

That's a right pain about the boiler - fingers crossed you can get it sorted. Isn't it just typical that it's done it just as the weather turns cold again too? 

Suffolk_lass

EssexHebridean said:

Goodness TMV you're on fire at the moment with productiveness - love it! Also loving the convoluted route to get to the name of the agricultural merchants - love MSE abbreviations and code! 

That's a right pain about the boiler - fingers crossed you can get it sorted. Isn't it just typical that it's done it just as the weather turns cold again too? 

🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️! 

By the way, my boiler got fixed on Saturday (£160 for a replacement expansion vessel and a slightly leaking valve).

QueenJess

themadvix said:

Had our annual mortgage statement through - opening balance last year, £34000. Closing balance £23000, now £20297

Wow… I’m not even at 120,297 yet 😂

So exciting! I bet it’s tempting to find a spare 298 from somewhere 😉

SusieT

You are really hammering the mortgage, mine can only have 1 overpayment a year, so I have to wait ages in between them before I see a chunk come off! Saying that, with savings rates being higher than the mortgage rate it is financially better if I put anything extra into a higher interest account, but I still like to see the amount borrowed reduce rather than see savings increase, probably a leftover from card debt and wanting it gone

themadvix

Good to know SL - I'm hoping any repair comes under the warranty but would have to be able to get hold of a plumber first.

Jess - we've maxed our OPs for the year (in one small lump sum), so no, we can't do anything about that £297. All our money in heading into savings at the moment, ready for when our fix ends in June.

Susie - yes, there's something very satisfying about seeing the mortgage come down. With our mortgage at 1.89% (I think?), we're definitely better putting it into savings as we are at the moment, but come June we'll definitely be paying it right off the mortgage as the follow-on rate is 6.5% at the moment. Santander have started sending us stuff about renewing our deal, but a) we wouldn't do that until we've had the chance to make a lump sum OP, and b) I'm surprised they're offering us anything when we'll have so little left. We won't refix as it will just string things out anyway.