Cheery's path to fulfilment - finishing the DIY, looking after myself, appreciating the garden 🌻

Cheery_Daff

Interestingly, the gym guy said there were different options in terms of payments - the first being what I did (just paid the pro rata cost + August's payment upfront, and DD changes from Sept) and the second being a more elaborate scheme to get round the fact that 'most people don't get paid til tomorrow'. 

Feeling very fortunate that I'm no longer in a position where that matters! 

Right, late starting work now - exercise in the morning is all very well but ai just don't seem to get my act together very quickly after it! I suppose I didn't get home til 8.55 after messing about with memberships, but even so!

Washing is on - it's overcast now but the forecast is good. And the guy is coming to quote for windows at half 1. Best crack on!

rtandon27

Interesting chat about the mortgage fix Cheery. Mine is not up for another 2 years, so I'm not overly worried atm, but I love to keep on top of the thought processes of everyone who is going through the renewal process!

The house and mortgage are completely in my name as it was the only way to get a decent mortgage rate.  Given that OH is retired already and on a pension and I'm the working bod, we figure I'll be around longer than he is so it's only right that as I pay the mortgage that it is in my name.  His pension goes towards the rest of the bills and we keep completely separate finances and accounts.  We don't really count pennies between us or formally divide anything 50/50 - basically if it needs to get paid then it does.  We do scrimp and save on a daily basis, so that on the very rare occasion we decide to have a treat (usually a vacation) we don't feel the pinch.

Cheery_Daff

We went down the route of putting us both on the mortgage. Mr Cheery bought his house many years before I came along, and finished the 25 year mortgage a few years after he met me - we put my name on the deeds to that house at that point, and then when we sold it, we put both of us on the deeds to this one, plus the mortgage - didn't seem fair to just sell the old house then put only me on the new one - if nothing else i would have worried how it would look if anything happened to him! 😱

It did restrict things as he was self employed with a pretty low income, and needed to lend til he was 80, which most places won't do (as well as the stupid amount of land, which caused the biggest problem), so it was a bit of a faff. However, as he had both a guaranteed works pension and state pension, and as both of those would add up to more than his self employed income anyway, they determined that we were a good enough risk (especially as my income is decent, and will only be 62 at the end of the 25 year term).

I think the age difference focused our minds in our case. It meant that I would be contributing the bulk of the income in the future - but he was contributing a fully paid house as a deposit. Seemed sensible to just combine everything in our case but I appreciate everyone has different circumstances!

Struggling to get going today. If I'm not careful I'm going to be working late on Thursday night to get everything before I go off til September. Think I'm already in holiday mode after a long weekend...

Cheery_Daff

Windows geezer came round to quote - I know he's office based on Fridays so hopefully we'll know by then and can make a decision. We've got one that needs a full replacement window, and another four misted panes. I've allocated £1000 so far which is probably wildly optimistic (although I'm pretty sure we had several full windows put in for £2k last time...). But time-wise it'll be about October if we go ahead so time to allocate more.

Nipped to cafe to get my motor running, which worked - did a solid few hours of ticking things off and finished work about 7pm. 

Been watching the Olympics since, and I confess we ended up paying for coverage 🙈 I was getting a bit fed up of trying to find specific things in amongst a whole morning or afternoon of coverage - I would have persisted if I'd not realised that the paid for coverage costs £3.99 for the whole month 😂 So we have just happily watched pretty much all of the gymnastics floor rotation (just floor, no zipping between things and missing stuff) with NO commentary (Mr C was pleased - he hates the commentary 😂). Must remember to make a note to cancel! 

Wonder what else we could watch while we have a subscription?! 

Checked TCb and there was a happy £18.25 waiting for me - from the breakdown cover when we went to Ireland. I think it cost about £60 so a nice wodge of cashback!

Cheery_Daff

Windows quote is in - a shade under £1500 for full replacement of one large window, and replacement of four other panes. Happy with that so have said yes.

Windows pot has £1000 in it. July savings pot has £319 (£200 went for the new lawnmower), so just need another £179 - I'll take that from the 'decorating the stairs' pot (which is next on the list) - that pot will be full anyway after August's savings are added. 

He said about October/November for fitting - should have got my timings better so it could have been done in the summer but never mind! 😂

VintageHistorian

At the moment it's hard to predict when tradesmen will have space, some can fit you in quite quickly (especially if you get a cancelled slot) and others have 6 months long waiting lists!

Cheery_Daff

Certainly is! The plumber randomly got in touch about servicing the boiler last week - he was meant to have come back last January! 😂

Just did a YouGov survey - up to £48.15 now, so close to payout! 😂 Just need four more surveys (although they'll probably all be those little 20p ones now 🙄)

Been to the gym so that means I've fully used my gym membership for July, and Mr C has covered the pro rata payment we paid for the last 2 days 😂 Really enjoying hopping over there together 😊 We don't have a lot of shared activities. Individually, we each have a lot of activities 😂 and we spend a lot of time together just hanging out in cafes, but this is a nice evening activity 😊

Just about to attempt YNAB reconciliation - I think I only did it a week or two ago so it shouldn't be too bad...

Cheery_Daff

YNAB done,  not painful at all.  Except we've decided to have a few days away next week to mark the start of my holidays 😊 so I've had to put this month's savings towards that rather than the windows. But it's alright - I've put £445 into August's savings pot, so if that all stays put (which it usually does) that will to up the windows put at the end of the month 😊

Added up July's extra income

£40.36 TCB
£39.80 June's Prolific
£40.56 annual AMEX cashback
-£49.21 MB (yes, minus 🙄)
= £71.49

Still respectable, even allowing for woeful MB! Which,  to be fair,  I've barely done this month.  Need to get back on the case - it definitely evens out over time.

Had a quick check of premium bonds high value winners.  Looks like there's no needed to wait for a call from agent million tomorrow 🙄

EssexHebridean

You've reminded me that I need to sort out both our boiler service AND the chimney being swept. I suspect the sweep will already be getting booked up, and I know Jamie gets a waiting list a mile long for boilers once the weather begins to turn, so makes sense to sort both of those things ASAP I guess. 

Good extra income for July there even - as you say - allowing for the MB! 

I suspect I won't be holding my breath waiting for ERNIE to call, either! 

Cheery_Daff

Ha, I'm holding out for finding out we've won £100k tomorrow 😂😂 although I won't hold my breath for that either 😂

Gosh I've got a dreadful sore throat today 🙄 Woke at 6.30 and couldn't go back to sleep, had a sore throat then and figured it was from snoring 🙄 I've been in the spare room the last couple of nights as Mr C was sick of me waking him up, and I was sick of him waking me up to tell me I was snoring 😂😂 But it might not be that since it's still here 🙄

Hope I'm not coming down with something horrid just as I'm about to go off work, although that would be pretty typical 🙄

Still lots to do today, and I am NOT behaving with the urgency it needs really 🙄 Very likely I'll end up working some of tomorrow atthis rate too, most vexing, but there we are 🙄 One more meeting, and then a race to get as much done as I can!