Settling in for the long haul

_Dolly_Rocker_

Defo get the mattress - girl math to me means this is essentially free!

Dakota_Rose

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81955782#Comment_81955782

Girl math is definitely at play here. I could easily spend that money 5 times over and justify it in my head this morning 😂

I’ll try to be sensible. The mattress will be purchased at that price on the 0%CC and either paid off in the next couple of months from my pay or from the home improvements pot. Either way, I’ll not pay any interest on it.

_Dolly_Rocker_

Good plan!

RhiBi

I’m with you both on the girl math!

Dakota_Rose

Thank you both 😊

We have ordered the mattress on the 0%CC, which is an M&S one so also build up some rewards points. It’ll be a couple of weeks wait for delivery by the looks of it.

The refund money has gone into the home improvement pot which now has £415 in it. This is more than enough to cover the mattress if nothing else problematic happens with the bathroom this week.

As we’re likely to be busy at home till the end of holiday, the family voted on a takeaway for our family spends pot. The children chose a Mcds and Mr D and I will order a pizza a little later on (I’ll make a batch of homemade wedges from the 4p potatoes we have left). This leaves us with £15 in the pot for any little treats through the month. I still have my personal spends intact and £20 of petrol with a full tank. I’m hoping this won’t be needed but with 3 weeks of work still to go, it may well be.

Tomorrow will see us on a what I’m calling a shop hop - stocking up on lots of essentials from different shops. I’m actually looking forward to it. I may try and attempt some work prep and if I’m really brave, the boys’ haircuts.

Dakota_Rose

A little tilly tidy has been swept over to the EF and it’s now at £1085. If I can get another £15 in there before the month end, it’ll be £1000 in the account and £100 in premium bonds so I may separate the two and have my first ever long term savings pot started in PBs.

Home improvements continue to be our short-term priority. We have £415 in that pot at the moment and about £1000000 worth of improvements we’d like to make 😂. Of course I’m joking about the amount but it does feel never ending. There’s only one Mr D though and he has enough to be getting on with at the moment, so little and often in that pot seems the way forward.

Priorities for home improvements are currently:

• Complete the bathroom repairs/upgrades
• Replace double mattress
• Replace front door
• Move patio
• Purchase large shed

We already have the tools and parts for other jobs inside the house such as replacement doors and door handles, and paint for the monks’ bench, kitchen wall and banister/hallway. I’m not even going to start with the wishlist of improvements we’d like to make, and had planned to make, upon moving in 🙈

Of course, all of this could be side-swept with any manner of issue that this lovely old house seems to present us with.

We’ve been in our house for two and a half years now, and it definitely feels like ours now. I described it as a vintage B&B when we first moved in. It definitely had that style and feel about it. Lots of things have crumbled upon touching them (vertical blinds I’m looking at you) due to their age. At lunch the other day, we grumbled about how slow-moving the work felt and our friend said she couldn’t believe how much we’d done to it since we moved in so that was nice I suppose.

Now to enjoy my last Friday off work. Hoping you all have a lovely day too.

_Dolly_Rocker_

I know what you mean about the never ending list of things that need done in the house.

I bought my flat 5 years ago and really need quite a bit done but it's saving the money to do it!

Dakota_Rose

We won’t talk about the huge amount of shopping we did today. All food and home spends as the house has been cleared out over the holidays. The youngest two had a brilliant shopping spree in Home Bargains with their Easter gift money. My mum was really pleased to see that they’d stretched it so far and on so many sensible items.

£4 Vinted sale has gone so that should clear in the next day or two.

Little lady is having a sleepover with my mum tonight, and she’ll be lovely company for her as she’s at the age of being very independent but enjoying a good chat.

Haircuts have not been done and my work laptop remains in its bag!

Dakota_Rose

After a very late night and an early wake up, I don’t think this is going to be my most productive of days but we’ll see how it goes.

In MSE news, Mr D got a voucher through for his MOT, which is due next month, for £20. He booked it straight away as we actually have a car pot with funds in this year. That’s a good chunk less than we were expecting to pay which is great.

I also sent £5 and some pennies of my personal spends over to the mortgage as a token overpayment. I won’t miss it, as I haven’t spent anything yet this month, and every little helps.

Dakota_Rose

All has not been lost and I’ve felt more energetic than expected with the lack of sleep. It’s been a more money sensible day today:

• Home haircuts done for the boys
• Did not go to the shops!
• Work prep done
• Stretched our 2 dinner menu plan to three dinners and may even have enough bits left to put Monday’s packed lunches together without another top up shop.