Ouchy - yes, no NCB will rather increase things.

Hopefully I'm not saying anything I shouldn't when I say that I'm very glad that you got in OK and weren't hit by any of the horrendous weather we're being threatened with on the way. (I know you're not confirmed that i here yourself yet, but bearing in mind your wobbly internet problems...!) Hopefully you now have your all weather tyres as well in case the aformentioned evil weather does decide to arrive.

Hopefully you've also managed to get proper confirmation on that life insurance now too - and you're right, I'd have assumed email confirmation as well!

Hmm, that's a good point actually - I'd already forgotten about the life insurance! Will add to list for tomorrow!

Nope - ridiculously the guy coming to fit the all weather tyres broke down in the snow and had to be rescued looks like we'll be taking our chances.

Yes we are in and finally starting to get warm internet is indeed patchy but we have a phone line now

More soon

Evening MSE chums

We are settling nicely not much option really as we've been snowed in since Tuesday afternoon had to cancel work and everything oh dear!

Lots of financial goings-on...

Water here is £13 a month rather than £48 in old house suspect this will be more than offset by having to empty the septic tank periodically (when?! Must read up before it becomes necessary...)

Had to top up gas/electric at old house by £97 as we'd used up our surplus.

Seems there was already quarter of a tank of gas here when we'd been told it was 'nearly empty' - that's about £200 worth

Car insurance has been driving me potty today Rang existing one to change address and switch to commuting occasionally (but storing off road) - got a refund of £56

However they don't do a multi car policy, and they also don't do insurance for people with no claims, which sadly I hav, as I've only ever been a named driver so far despite having driven for over 12 years.

Spent nearly 3 hours !!!!ing about this afternoon getting quotes ranging from £710 (if I have a black box fitted into the car, which I'm not willing to do), right up to £2700 (from M&S, whose praises I was singing in relation to house insurance last week )

After much frustration, many dropped internet connections, much going round in circles etc, I finally have a policy for £777 - which is £200 more than we paid for the bloody car

Let's hope I don't crash the damn thing and it'll reduce next year!!

What else? Checked with bank and life insurance people have set up a direct debit so i assume we'll get confirmation in the post - when the postie can get through the snow

Had one new home card waiting the day we arrived but was a bit sad not to get any more - until I realised we don't actually have a letterbox and there was a small pile of them pushed through the dog flap into the porch, which we hadn't been using however that was Tuesday, and we've been snowed in ever since and had no visits from postie or anyone else!

Did venture forth to local shop today 2 miles each way, which with snow and biting howling wind took a good hour each way cafe was shut so we ended up having a cuppa in the pub Met a neighbour who gave us a lift the rest of the way home and introduced us to our nearest neighbour who is nearly 90 Good that he's got folk dropping in on him regularly, we didn't stay today as he wasn't expecting us but i'll drop our phone number round soon in case he wants anything (didn't look like the type who would use it though )

Phew! Car insurance proper took it out of me today, I'm sure it would have been easier with a properly functioning internet connection but we don't get broadband til next Thursday apparently so wafty phone internet it is til then!

On the plus side, being snowed in has meant we've had several no spend ays

Really must get a new budget set up in YNAB tomorrow, not recorded anything since a few days before we moved

So pleased you are in, the cards in the porch made me laugh.

Lovely to hear from you Cheery, that you are safe, well and settling into your new-community life with aplomb

Ouch! to the motor insurance. Yes, I hope you can rapidly build up ncd too - ouchy!

I'm pulling up a chair, and very much looking forward to more episodes of Cheery's 'Country conversations, cakes, coffees, cuttings and (general) cheeryness'

Greying X

Thank you lovely people

I have finally got round to setting up a new YNAB budget Tried to do it before we left the old place, but got all confused. As much as I'd like it to include EVERYTHING we've spent on the new house so far, I really haven't kept track these last few days So I've just done a fresh start from NOW - what's in the bank right now - and I'll track everything from here.

It'll need a little adjustment over the next couple of days as I've paid for a couple of things that haven't gone out yet, but we're getting there

Time for a celebratory cup of tea I think

Ooh, that reminds me, I was going to start a shiny new mortgage free diary! But not right now - I've been online for several hours this morning already trying to sort out various things so it's about time I went and did something else I think!

Happy new life, snow, cards, cars and all.

Been keeping an eye via fb and looks very chirpy indeed!

Both hounds send their best my lovely xxx

Lots of love to you and Mr Cheery in your spiffy new pad. It has been a long time coming but I'm so glad it has come through!

You've probably already tried but there are some insurers that will count claim free years as a named driver.

Another thing might be worth trying is to ring your old insurer and ask if they can give you any no claims years - this worked for me when I split up from my hubby and had the same issue as he had always been driver no 1 on the policy. My insurers gave me 2 years I think (out of a possible 7) and it made a huge difference as you can imagine. I don't know if they do things like that any more and I also totally appreciate you're sick to the back teeth of insurers and phone calls now!!

I'm so relieved for you both! XXX

Hello lovely people

LHG - sadly my own insurer wouldn't even consider me on a separate policy, let alone give me no claims years to take somewhere else Fiends Never mind - I have paid up, and at least we got a small refund from the other insurers for moving out to the sticks

Cancelled old house insurance today too - I would have kept it, but they could only cover 2 weeks between exchange and completion so I set up a new policy. As it turned out, we had less than 2 weeks between exchange and completion so I could have kept it.. but we've got the new one now, so I've cancelled the old one and got £100 refund as it only started in the middle of January

We are finally able to leave the house Main road was clear yesterday so we nipped to the local village, and then on to the nearby town.

Today Mr Cheery was planning to venture to the other town for a loo seat (ours has the teensiest crack in, which keeps, er, pinching one's posterior ) And we are due a parcel delivery (between 10.11 and 11.11 ) AND a friend has just rung to say they're going to pop out for a visit this afternoon

AND I'm meant to be back working today Internet seems to load MSE fine, but not work emails

The internet knows you, Cheery!

Fancy it taking such a long time to get out easily - I hope you're going to keep a good storecupboard at the new house? Sounds a bit fierce out there, as well as very lovely. And quite busy, with Mr Cheery being there, a delivery, and a friend visit have a great day!

Yes, a storecupboard is a definite must KC! I'm impressed we managed so well this week actually - especially as we didn't realise how long we were going to be snowed in for

Not impressed with John the delivery man - delivered our parcel within the window (at 11.02) - but for some baffling reason delivered it to the local post office, which is over 2 miles away!! No idea if he attempted to get up here but the little lane still has snow on, or whether he just realised he wouldn't make it within the window and dropped it off there instead. Oh well, we've got to go past there tomorrow so we'll collect it then - it's the broadband router and the internet isn't being turned on til Thursday anyway so no bother.

Right, off to do a little bit of hoovering before pals arrive for lunch

Well we had a lovely lunch with our cheery pals And they brought all kinds of goodies with them too, most jolly

Also did a day's work, which came as a bit of a shock to the system after a week off, in which my life has been turned upside down (in a good way)

Today I am waiting for the tyres people to arrive (for the third time) - I asked for the first appointment 'first thing in the morning' and they said the first one they had was 8.45. Just had a call (at 8.45) saying the bloke was 1 hr 15 minutes away... I suppose I did originally pay for a 2 hour window, so as long as they're here by 10.45 they're within that... I'll eat my hat if he's here by 10am though!

Tried to reconcile YNAB, and got all confused I think when I put the cleared starting amount into my new budget the other day, there were still some things to go out, and I got all confused So I've started again from now (there's nothing to go out now that hasn't already gone out) so hopefully it'll all be clear now

Nowt else to report I don't think. First trip back to the big city for a work meeting this afternoon

Just popping in to report a bit more admin

* received new driving licences in the post so cut old ones up and posted back (along with V5 to change address for old car)
* Paid £4.72 which we apparently owe to the lpg people who topped us up a tiny bit too much
* paid £500 to the solicitor, who seemingly got his completion statement calculations wrong Hopefully that's the end of it!

Been out for a cheery breakfast with Mr Cheery to one of our local cafes - we now have a loyalty card and they stamped us for last time too cos we'd forgotten Only 3 more drinks and we get a free one! They do PANCAKES for breakfast which I am most excited about

Friends came over for lunch, so while we were waiting Mr Cheery did a bit of sorting in the garage, and I did some surveying of the land (er, wandering about looking at the scenery ) and starting filling in a couple of potholes - extremely slowly as I don't have a wheelbarrow so I'm just going back and forth with a spade

Had a nice wander about with pals but it had started raining by then, and we had a three year old with us who was in danger of wholesale disappearing into some of the puddles in the field so we came back in and spent the rest of the afternoon looking out of the windows

Now I've got a shepherds pie in the oven, the radio on, the wood burner merrily burning away, and I'm making a cake to take round to the local farmer to introduce ourselves properly tomorrow.

So cheery in lovely new house It was quite a palaver but well worth it

First mortgage payment went out yesterday My first mortgage payment ever Planning to start a MFW diary to start the process of getting rid of it, although as there is approximately £214,500 left it might take a while

Lovely to see you back posting Cheery

Thanks for the cheery update about the house

Greying X

Glad to hear of the first of your adventures in your new house!

Don't forget to leave us directions when you move to the MFW board!!!

Lovely update glad to hear you are settling in. Pancakes sound lovely. I think you will find a wheelbarrow useful though with the spade your daily step count will be great

My step count got up to 10,000 the other day INSIDE THE HOUSE!

Anyway - I have started a new diary!

Come join me over at Cheery's Country Living Adventure