GAP and LMG, can we become mortgage free?

girlatplay

@beanielou the closest I've ever been to private medical care was when the NHS sent me to a private hospital for a scan  (NHS paid, it was to keep them within their waiting list targets).  It was a far more pleasant experience.

@savingholmes and @LadyWithAPlan thank you.  The problem is a tooth which has been a minor problem for about 27 years but has now turned into a major problem (but no pain, thankfully).  I'm hoping for some kind of instalment payments.

girlatplay

Good news:

- We still have 3 meals left on that meal plan from about a fortnight ago!  LMG had pizza with a friend tonight (friend is moving to Oz soon) which is good because I had leftovers from last night and there was only one portion.
- We have bought bits and bobs of food but no big spends so grocery budget is still fine so far.
- Our gas and elec tariffs were over the price cap so they have been reduced.
- I've managed to get through a weekend since payday only spending £3.

Bad news:

- Things keep breaking beyond repair (started with the tooth, now it's house contents - an appliance that I have owned for over 15 years has just given up.  It doesn't owe me anything, but still..) and I'm having to fork out for new things.
- D-day is closer (Thursday)
- Winter is coming and the mood is heading downwards.

Grateful for:

- Having enough money to cover broken things, or at least partially and being in a position to work to cover the rest.
- LMG.  Apart from the daily arguments (which is actually just me ranting at her for 5 solid minutes) about dishes, I feel happy to have her around.
- Having a roof over our heads.  The heating is still not on yet but we are keeping ourselves warm with blankets, etc.  it would be awful to be on the street.
- Having a grocery budget with funds in it so we can eat.

badmemory

Just make sure the blankets aren't costing more to run than the heating is.  Why do things keep breaking & they always seem to break in the same week!  Most important in my week is the kettle, without which there is no hot drink & even worse no hot water bottle.

girlatplay

badmemory said:

Just make sure the blankets aren't costing more to run than the heating is.  Why do things keep breaking & they always seem to break in the same week!  Most important in my week is the kettle, without which there is no hot drink & even worse no hot water bottle.

The blankets are just regular ones.  We only have one heated one and I use that for a couple of hours to warm up when I'm working.

Everything that is going to break seems to break at once.  I've noticed that my toaster is playing up and I really hope that doesn't go as it's not that old.

I hope you mean that the kettle is your most important appliance so it would be the worst one to break, not that it is broken already.  I agree, it is an important one.

savingholmes

It is irritating when everything seems to break at once. Hopefully you will get a better run soon.

beanielou

Keep plodding. Xx

badmemory

The kettle did actually break, luckily just before I went out, so I came back with a new one.  At least it didn't break AFTER I got back.

EssexHebridean

Oh GAP what a nuisance about the tooth thing - but how lovely that LMG's immediate reaction was to offer a solution on the money side of things - even if you aren't going to take her up on it that she was thoughtful enough to offer is wonderful. Fingers crossed it will both be less traumatic and cost less than you thought anyway - and thank goodness for having the means TO pay for vital stuff like this eh?

Our toaster (22 years old in May!) has been threatening to die a death for ages but so far it's hanging on. As and when it does die we can hardly complain - I'd say we got our money's worth from it but actually we've got someone else's money's worth as it was a wedding present! It'll be a nuisance though - this one sits perfectly in the space we have to store it and it's a struggle to get ones the same size now. 

girlatplay

Thank you @savingholmes @beanielou @badmemory and @EssexHebridean

@badmemory I'm sorry to hear about your kettle.  Good that it was before you went out.  Coming back to they and not being able to have a cuppa to ponder it would have been extremely disappointing.

@EssexHebridean that's some going on your toaster.  I thought my 21 year old kettle had done well (replaced it last year when it just wouldn't switch on anymore).

girlatplay

Well, tooth is out, purse is lighter, I came home to wallow and found a vehicle tax reminder behind the door.  I have to confess I forgot (even though it's the same date every year) and I only have £85 in the yearly payments pot (after the costly MOT and service).  I'll pull money from the dipping pot to cover it and be thankful that I'm in a position to do that.

Tooth, appliance and car tax.  Hopefully that's my three things and my card can get a rest now.