The Friendly Frugaleers- Autumn is on its way !

[QuiteCleanBanditlovesdresses]

Hi Frugaleers
Sorry lame thread title

quite we’lol be mortgage free for 8 weeks. Then new mortgage kicks in. The aim is to still be mortgage free by the time I’m 45.

So another 12 years. It’s doable if we scrimp. But we may have other priorities.

Mortgage meeting with bank on Monday.

After that things to do are:

• set up investment account - depending on how much the bank will lend. We’re hoping to borrow £460k. But if they won’t lend that much more of our cash from the sale will be put down as a deposit. It all depends on what gets us the best rate.

After we have the house. I’m opening a new account with Lloyd’s. I’m advising my clients to have an account with more than one bank yet haven’t taken the advice myself. So that’s a new job.

Dh wants to buy (depending on if the new house has a washer and dryer which are staying) a Miele washer and dryer. Expensive but they last. Dparents have had their washing machine since I last lived here (over 10 years ago).

Sorry em
I got all excited for you then !
Ah ok-chain free ?
Still all super exciting and positive

mammy its daft how exciting a delivery of loo roll can be 😂😂😂
Definitely doing again as worked out 90 nice loo rolls from Aldi £25 , so 24 kitchen rolls cost me £3.99.
Was worried it would be horrible,thin stuff but was nice quilted with blue pattern, which goes nicely in the bathroom

Spends today will be mushrooms for dinner plus £9.99- 84 wash washing powder.

£460,000 paid off over 12 years 😱 that’s amazing em
I have a low mortgage and could probably pay it off if I was more focused but right now with two teenagers I am haemorrhaging money keeping up with their (selfish) needs.

Feeling inspired by the sorting and tidying activities that are/have been going on I am going to do a ruthless decluttering of our entire house ... Will just have a cup of tea first 😂

Just
Last DC starts Uni this year so 3 years to go hurrah
The plan is not to consider moving until all the house is "ready to go" so probably 2 years ish at the earliest and by then last DC will have a year left to go at Uni and the others should be standing on their own two feet bloody hope so both their degrees will lead to direct entry into a profession .
We do joke that we are going to move when 3rd DC is at Uni and not tell them where we have gone !
I know lots of 20 somethings who move home but Im really enjoying the adult relationship I now have with them and wont be encouraging a move back home.
None of them are keen on that either !

Finally got back home just before midnight last night. Had a lovely day with family in Devon yesterday.
Have updated my spreadsheets this morning and our holiday spending came in within budget, Spain was noticeably cheaper for eating out and fresh food from supermarkets etc compared to France over the last few years.
Have spent £70 today on a food shop and been to a circuit session this morning which was tough. While we were away I kept exercising so i didn't put any weight on and feel like I've lost a bit maybe....yay!! I'm determined to get another 10kg off by Christmas & then I'll set the next target.
Fluffy and Just you're both absolutely right in your comments re ds. If I could choose for him I would probably choose the cricket course, but it's his choice and I think A levels at the same college as his friends will win & I can see why.

Quite our dc (16 & 13) are both very independent in their own ways and we definitely encouraged that in them as I think you're right about enjoying a more adult relationship with them & that's not easy under the same roof. Once they go I'm sure it'll be a wrench in the beginning, but I won't be encouraging them back!

I'd like the DC to have a base during Uni but agree, have no wish for them to be here longer than necessary. I'm enjoying this stage of parenthood more than I ever thought I would, having an adult relationship and watching them mature is fab, I imagine DS will change a lot next year too.

em I've attached the recipe for the stew, if it's readable. It's yummy. I do it for dinner parties sometimes.

And so it begins.... £200 deposit to secure halls. Total cost of accommodation will be about £4100, which is low compared to some other university halls. That's basically DS's entire maintenance loan as he only qualifies for the minimum. DS was going to cover this himself but I've taken pity. That's my extra savings gone!

fluffy - that doesn't seem massively unreasonable, if you factor in covering accommodation costs, some living allowance, that we will still cover the mobile and any books required etc and be totally honest with everything you help them with. He can see how the land lies with part time work and contribute to some of that expense. He's got work here at home to come back to.

This is kind of dawning on me that this is going to be expensive

Sorry em

Dcousin assures us it's a bargain

Been to the bank. It's been handed to the solicitors for a valuation, if all is ok (house has to value at 51k, think it's worth about 80 atm. We won't mention about me paying 119k for it 10 yrs ago ) then it should be about 2 weeks. So, going from mortgage free but eye watering debt, to a small mortgage for me.

So, five years at 3%. Instead on a billion years at 19.9-22%. I can overpay up to 10% per year too. I'll be just under £400 a month better off than I am with my credit card payments as they are now. Plus full time wages too. I won't rest easy until the money is approved and in (and right back out), but I'm starting to think that I can do this.

Three years before we get into the higher education treadmill.

Bought a lot of meat in Morrisons, £60 in there, was fruit and bread etc too.
And bought a swestshirt in White Stuff using my birthday voucher.
£3 parking too.

That's absolutely brilliant Lonely. What a fantastic turnaround!

quite yes chain free!

born that’s the plan anyway £460k gone in 12 years. We’re taking the mortgage out for as long as we can (30 years, fixing for 5 initially) and making sure we can overpay on a whim. So we’ll budget properly and any spare cash will be saved and thrown at the mortgage once a year.

Been to the post office. £10.70. Although Dm owes me £5.70 as this was on stamps for her. Rest was posting eBay sales.

Been riding £30 and then taken the rest of the stuff to storage. Yay.

Riding was phenomenal today. Proper cantering (so my training at the gym is paying off - core and brain are working together again! Yay) and jumps. I love jumping. It’s the added sense of danger I think!!

Catface is snuggled under dh’s pillow...but on the plus side she’s eaten half her biscuits from this morning.

lonely that’s amazing. Xx

Got a £100 bonus from work in gift vouchers and spent part of it on...a waterproof mattress protector for DD's bed!
I'm do try to be frugal but my downfall is coffees and snacks out - although where possible I have the 49p Pret a Manger coffee with my own cup.

I took my travel mug with me to the stables today and joined my riding friend on the bench afterwards. Yay. Coffee out. For freeee.

Although she has a much nicer travel mug than me so I want a new one now. #frugalfail

Great news lonely. Houses go up and down. It's a home that's all that matters

Just sorted out all the old shop stuff I brought from storage yesterday, filled 3 of my boxes. Listed about half on ebay as I went, until I'd had enough, so photod and noted down the rest. I've found the locks, so can send some off to wreck and life. I have a lovely girls combination one life and some strong masterlock ones with keys if that will do you? Will post once you're home though.

Dp has done a spag bol for tea. Is it odd that I listed him as a dependant? He certainly doesn't earn enough to live independently from us, so I guess so. I suppose traditionally working men would list their sahp wives as the same. Hmm.

Thats great news Lonely

Confessing to slight frugal fail but possibly not !
Mushrooms purchased in Lidl plus 2 pairs of lined reflective cycling/walking leggings £5.99 .
Have had these on winter prep list for ages.
But had seen them at £24.99 elsewhere.
Also heated airer from HB £32.99 .
Its exactly the same as the Aldi one I got last year which was fantastic and DH can have one and I can have one.
Paid for from household cushion account so not feeling too bad.
Did get large box of Bold £9.99 which is what I went for

My DC have been travelling north so Im used to comings and goings so no pangs here.

Thanks lonely. Back after the back holiday. Do you still have my address? HM do I owe you?

Rant alert and way to long post ahead....
My friend called this morning, ask if I could have her ds for some hours so she could take her dd to a softplay. No prob at all. After some hours she called. Her dd had fallen on a trampoline and they needed to go to a&e. Her dh is a farmer and she couldn't reach him. I said not to worry Ill keep her ds and he could just stay for dinner ect. While dd2 napped dd1 and the ds made dough for pizza. After I said now time to clear up kitchen while dough is rising. He did say that he never had to do this at home but I just said that here we all help out so there's more time for fun. He helped, no issues more.
We have just eaten and then his dad came. They leave, all fine. And now I just got a call from my friend complaining I made her son so girls work and that it was not on and how badly I had hurt her feelings and assaulted her son Im absolutely gobsmacked.....
Sorry just had to get it out and dh is working till midnight

Your friend is a cheeky fucker Scandi. I'm sorry her child was ill but I would have done the same as you. Visiting children here go with how we do things.

long its not like I asked him to clean the whole house or something. I simply just did what we do everytime we bake and thought nothing off it... Im really speechless

Thanks lonely! Ds will be so happy. Do you still have my address in your PM's? Let me know the cost.

Scandi wtf?! Some people are so odd.

Had someone at work pay for something with a Coutts card earlier

She sounds very ungrateful Scandi. I think it would really be okay to calmly tell her that.

Oh scandi that is bloody awful. You were doing her a massive favour. In frugal news thats a few less Christmas presents to buy! It is utterly not an issue for everyone to help clear up. Lets see how far her precious ds gets along in todays world with his 1950's attitude. The shows her in a bad light, not you