Prosperous soul, mortgage neutrality & creativity Year 2

savingholmes

Thanks WD, Beanie, EH, Welcome @ruby_eskimo

Including my recent handyman and garden costs - is partly what pushed my housing costs percentage higher - but so do the energy bills - which as we know is not fully in our control.

I have to submit a reading tomorrow - and I'm expecting my gas bill to have multiplied. I should find out quite quickly.

I plan to do a no/low CC challenge in December - as my spends ran away with me this month. Thanks to P1p - my in-month income normally balances - but with bringing the handyman £200 spend and most of my gift spend into this month - and too much spend on food etc - I have spent a lot more than planned. By a week tomorrow I'll be clear again. I plan to put £ into savings at the start of the month and then manage my £ accordingly. 

Next pay period I have a boiler service to arrange - which is a 5 year one - so expecting that to be £110.

I will book my next dental treatment for mid Jan and use a CC for that - and pay it off once I've had it. You have to pay on booking - and I've budgeted to pay it in Jan £350+. I will try and reclaim £150 of that - I'm hoping I get at least £50 back - but will only know for sure when I come to claim. That's for the final bridge. It will be well worth it and my smile is the best it's been in years. I feel far more confident in meetings and when meeting new people.

I still need to send off my increased AVC form. One of the reasons I like AVCs is that it is automated and pre-deducted so no temptation to get it back out. I don't fully trust myself with savings yet... However, the downside is that it doesn't help my EF situation.

I still need to ring the Osteopath - and get at least a consult booked in. I can recharge that to the health cashback thing.

savingholmes

I've had a letter from my mortgage company which confirms that I overpaid £842 and a few pence last year. Therefore my standard monthly OP that started out as £20 a month is now worth £21 and a few pence. (I did a single one off large payment at one point in the year). The £21 and a few pence is due to add up to £1038 over the life of the mortgage in OP interest saved. However MSE suggest over the life of the mortgage I could lose out on £2716 in interest (if I'd otherwise get 5%) paying it off the mortgage instead of putting it into savings! I think I'll therefore revisit that over the Christmas break. 

It also incentivises me to stop my gym membership which I have stopped going to currently. If I put that £24 towards my mortgage instead (via regular savers) I could knock another 6 months off my term at least over the life of the mortgage and potentially more. I like the new calculator.

lucielle

Overpaying the mortgage sounds good.  If you're not using the gym it makes sense to cancel it.  You could always just pay for a class if you're in the mood and fancy doing something.
L

savingholmes

Thanks Lucielle 

Freezing 🥶 here today 

beanielou

Freezing here too.

WelshmansDaughter

sun here. Melting the frost 🤣🤣🤣

savingholmes

Beautiful WD

Hope you are managing to keep warm Beanie. I have 3 layers on and my elec blanket. I have had some heating on intermittently. 

I have got my xmas tree decorated, put up heart wreath on my door and a snowman wreath inside. I've also put some lights and baubles on a tree outside. I still have the banisters to do but getting there. I've put some snowmen and similar type sit up decorations around the place. I have a projector light outside too. Need something to warm the cockles of your heart in this kind of weather. 

I took another gas reading today but I haven't input it yet - I did work out what it would work out to and it's still less than I budgeted so I'm hoping a) I will be okay - and b) the cold snap doesn't last too long! It needs to go in tomorrow or Saturday - but I figure I'll do it towards the end of tomorrow as with it being so cold out - the figure could change quite a bit between now and then.

beanielou

Freezing here too.

I fancy a snowman wreath.

badmemory

I am so glad I got some blackout curtains just before lockdown started.  The difference it has made to the drop in temp as it goes dark & very cold at this time of year was really surprising.  No-one ever seems to notice that I did them in addition to my normal curtains & they are actually on a shower curtain rail, which fades into the surrounding window frame as eyes tend to see the original curtains which I don't even bother drawing now.  I am a coward & don't do any hole drilling!

savingholmes

Waves at Beanie - HB special. It was -4 here first thing this morning and due to be -5 tomorrow.

BM - sounds like a good plan - I like it. 

I've found enough books to give 3 lots of kids presents so that makes me happy - and covers a couple of birthdays I've missed. I then will just need about £40 for the littlies presents. Still debating whether to buy anything more for one sister who has no kids who I buy for but if so - don't know what. Will think on. - Actually I did see something yesterday that I have - new in packaging that she might like... Need to see what other wrap ups I have for people. I bought some cellophane cones a while ago so I can make some packages. Other than that just need to finish decorating the house.

I finish for Xmas on the evening of Tuesday 20th all being well - but I have a feeling I could be asked to do some last minute extra work which could then spill over. Getting very close to Xmas now. DD is away this weekend which we're both excited about. She leaves early Saturday morning trains permitting and doesn't return until Monday. I'm seeing friends tomorrow night. I potentially need to go out and buy a pudding. I may try and see another friend one night too. Hopefully I can make time for art and maybe even writing.

Still watching 'Til debt do...' Fascinating - but I find myself laying bets on whether they will stick together long term or not. As always can also see parallels in me and others both past and present. For those who had an early in life intervention - it's hard not to wish that someone had taught us about £ earlier and that we'd listened. Could have been in so much better a place. Doing well now - even if I am impatient to have more freedom - I also don't want to be bored. My Mum still works sporadically and she's late 70s! She loves it as it keeps her brain working. Who know what I'll want later in life. I think right now / next five years I'd just like a sabbatical - but if I create a big enough EF - I could ask for unpaid leave and create one at some point...