Escape to the country & living off savings

SuzeQStan

SYA so good to know you have that buffer for prioritising heating - and everything 🤞the snow behaves and you are able to get to your sisters 🥰

doingitanyway

Skint_yet_Again said:

doingitanyway said:

Skint_yet_Again said:

Maybe 9.5’ overnight is right dia if you are only heating to 15’. Mine is down from 18 to 12.5. Thermostat is set to 17.5 but residual heat takes it up to 18. I would struggle at 15’ unless I was doing something active like exercise or hoovering. According to my weather app it’s meant to warm up to 8’ on Sunday 🏝️ 🥵 😂

I bet if you had an electric throw while you were relaxing you would be fine at 15 ' I love it. A definite game changer. Without it I too would need to be moving about or have the heating a bit higher. I sleep with it on top of the bed too. Sooo cosy  Lidlees have a double electric blanket coming up for £25 and I am tempted to buy one each for the guest rooms as apparently they use 4p an hour. 

Thanks dia 😊 I don't feel cold at night in bed so have never fancied an electric blanket but they sound like a great idea for your guests. I know if my house gets cold for any length of time it will start to smell damp & fusty and I will need my dehumidifier on more. When I got back from my sisters after Christmas it was 9.5’ inside and smelt & felt damp. 

Oh, just realised I have an electric throw/over-blanket and not one that goes on under the sheet. I misdescribed. I just checked and the Lidlees one is not a throw so I am not sure now...I might just buy a few new hot water bottles...I bought my throw/over-blanket  at JL so if they go on sale in the summer I will buy 2 for the spare rooms for next winter.

Like you I paid my CT over 10 months. I am pleased about that now 

I hope you feel less achey soon!

Skint_yet_Again

Skint_yet_Again said:

Just parking this list here to try and motivate me to start to work through it tomorrow / next few days

1. House insurance renewal (mine)
✅2. car breakdown renewal 
✅3. phone building society (sadmin)
✅4. Phone tax office (sadmin)
✅5 phone dwp (sadmin) 
✅6. bring dining chairs out of my bedroom (maybe put in spare bedroom)
✅7. Once number 6 done can get to storage wardrobe in my bedroom & put away Xmas tree & decs etc 
8. Cut up Christmas cards for tags next year 

Thanks Arrietty, Suze and dia. Sunny day with a strong wind so I have 2 loads of washing out on the line including bedding and some jeans. Did some sadmin. Tidied my bedroom. Went for a walk round the village to try and stretch aching muscles & posted a birthday card into my friends mum’s house for her birthday. 

Had bacon in the air fryer for lunch on a sandwich. Have chatted to a friend down south this afternoon. Then done my breakdown renewal. Last year £63.84 renewal £143.36 (not a chance!!) down to £59.36 now arranged to pay as one-off on renewal day. 

Yorkshire water bill arrived this afternoon underpaid £31.10 due to increase in usage plus increase in charges up from £21 a month to £29 a month from 1 Feb. I have updated my monthly budget. 

Just house insurance renewal to sort tomorrow & chop up cards for tags. Then off to my friends in the afternoon for cuppa and cake 😋 we are trying to cut cake to one a week 

Skint_yet_Again

Have received notification of 1 yr bond due to mature in a few weeks & offering a new fixed rate e bond at 4.11% The bond is £15k of which £10k will be withdrawn for living off April 26 - March 27 and £5k will be reinvested. I will look at interest rates being offered for 1 year fixed 

Current account balance £216.17. Food 3 x £40 = £120 Petrol 3 x £10 = £30 Remaining entertainment pot = £66.17. Can’t believe there are still 3 weeks of January to go 

Meeting up with my niece and little great nephew next week to take flowers for mum & dad then we will go for lunch. Niece has been poorly since I last saw her before Christmas and little lad both viral infections so I will pay and give her a treat and will be good to see them both 🥰

Skint_yet_Again

We have a booking for a viewing of dad’s house next week 🥳 Not holding my breath for an offer but at least someone wants to view it. First time buyer according to EA 🤞

SuzeQStan

Brilliant news SYA - everything crossed for the viewing. It makes perfect sense as everyone has had their 1st post Christmas CC bill so they are ready to draw a line under 2025 and look to their future finances now

KajiKita

First time buyer would mean no chain as well 🤞🤞

KK

doingitanyway

Good news about the viewing! It suggests you have the price point right... 

Tresinia511

Good news about viewing.  Will be more now Christmas is out of the way.  Btw 4.11% is excellent, who is this with please as ask the ones I've seen fixed are below 4%

Skint_yet_Again

Thank you all for the good wishes 😊 

Went to bed around 10pm and woke very suddenly after 1pm. Must have been dreaming but can’t remember and can’t get back to sleep so I’ve been looking at interest rates. 

Tresinia I was offered 4.11% by virgin as a maturing bond rate so may not be available to all. However I did a quick search online and found mr T offering 4.1 - 4.0, virgin 4.01 and MBNA 4.12 all 1 year fixed. Not sure if I can post links but let me know if you would like me to pm them to you