Get a grip woman!

A rather large bill for the boiler repair has arrived. I am ignoring it until pay-day. My credit card is already just over £1100 next month with five weekly train tickets on it (£142.70 :eek: each), among other things

On the up-side I have three delay-repays to do tomorrow and I won £25 on a premium bond. I don't suppose it's a mis-print... three zeroes left off. Maybe we will buy a euromillions ticket for tomorrow haha

boxofpaws wrote: »

Very good. I don't really know what premium bonds are. I'm guessing it would dangerous if I did.

Premium bonds are a 1-number-for-one-pound enduring government lottery. Your bonds remain your money and you get back what you put in, but there is a monthly draw with a relatively low ratio of winners and winnings. If you buy a £100 bond you get a sequence of 100 numbers for the lottery. Basically, you are lending the government your money, interest free and they will pay you back when you want the money back

The fact that your money is safe and intact is attractive on the surface. The problem is inflation. The smallest you can buy now as an adult is £100 (but if you win £25, you can reinvest this) - I think it is lower for children. My Mum's family used to buy a £1 premium bond for my sister and I when we were children, and I have never cashed mine in so have about £24 in singles, plus a couple of bigger ones. The point re inflation is that £1 was a stretch for my Grandad, now we might spend it on a chocolate bar (ahem, not me, of course).

I'll check today to see which number won.

If you want to know more, the National Savings and Investment web-pages will tell you. I know several people who sold their houses and put their capital equity in premium bonds for a few months until they bought their next house. One or two had a regular stream of small wins but if you are looking for return on investment, it probably isn't for you.

DEBTS
The big news was the use of DH's Tax free lump sum from his DC pension pot that we drew down and used to pay down the mortgage - hence the slightly disproportionate reduction in debt and doubling of our efforts to pay off so far.

Were it not for the now-booked trips at Easter and again in August, I would pay another thousand off but I know I still have the December boiler repair to shell out for, as soon as my pay hits the account tomorrow. And two pairs of glasses having new lenses. - £670, just for lenses. I know it is complicated but that is ridiculous

Mortgage [STRIKE]£110,621[/STRIKE] 75,939.14 (£34,681.86 paid so far)
Barclays 0% Finance for double glazing [STRIKE]£8,755.54[/STRIKE] £3,183.84 (£5,571.70)
DH's car - paid off on 21st Aug 17 [STRIKE]£3,476[/STRIKE] £0 (£3,476)

Total [STRIKE]£122,852.54[/STRIKE] £79,122.98 - that is £43,729.56 or 35.6% paid off so far.


SAVINGS
£11,075.53 Emergency pot
£12,342.66 S&S ISA with Fidelity International (original £10,000 some years ago, no further capital added)
£7,130.74 DH's S&S ISA (with Charles Stanley Direct]
[STRIKE]£3,155.32 2 year Bond with Skipton BS @ 4% Finishes 31 Jan 2018 - This will be used to reduce the mortgage![/STRIKE] all finished
£11,330.58 7 year bond with Skipton BS - matures Oct 20
[STRIKE]£38,630.43[/STRIKE] £41,730.85 Total actual cashable savings

Shortfall -£37,392.13 (all debts)