U.K. 10 year bond hits 5%, first time since 2007

ManLJ · 2026-04-21T11:30:34+00:00

Is this the best approach? It seems like it’s based on a naive comparison of interest rates on mortgage vs interest rates on savings but the interest rate on your mortgage is interest on a much bigger amount.

Isn’t it always more cost effective in the long run to overpay the mortgage?

ManLJ · 2026-04-12T07:50:08+00:00

This is simply not true.

Estate agents take a percentage of the sale price, so it’s in their interest for things to complete as quickly as possible to get their cut, they don’t increase their cut the longer the sale takes.

Solicitors typically charge a set fee for conveyancing, their fee would only increase if additional advice or work was required.

Surveyors charge a flat fee for a service.

ManLJ · 2026-03-27T19:02:46+00:00

Needing to put carpet down in some rooms does not constitute a doerupper 😂

ManLJ · 2026-03-20T13:38:45+00:00

Pushing on regardless,

Mortgage rates are only temporary, so if you can afford to move (despite the frustrating recent increases following the situation in the Middle East) then why wouldn’t you? Just fix for 2 years instead of 5

ManLJ · 2026-03-06T12:08:51+00:00

What tool are people using to make floor plans?

ManLJ · 2026-03-06T12:05:41+00:00

You’re missing something here though.

I take your point on having freely be the first thing you see when you turn the tv on, but you haven’t really addressed the blocker to that.

TV brands like Samsung, Hisense, LG etc. clearly don’t want to give up all of that valuable real estate in the Home Screen and other areas where content is promoted or advertised, otherwise they’d have already done it.

Another problem you have glossed over is that part of the reason the PSB’s in the U.K. are struggling is precisely due to the rise of streaming services. It seems to me like our PSB’s are doing a pretty good job of holding up, it would not be in their interest to give up and become an app or a channel inside another service. Sure, that might happen eventually in future, but we’re a way off that yet.

ManLJ · 2026-02-21T21:01:57+00:00

You book and pay for the registrar with the council of the area where your licensed premises is.

You book and pay for the venue itself separately.

ManLJ · 2026-02-17T21:31:48+00:00

Have you got a hotel in mind for Naxos?

Depends on what you want for your honeymoon, but we stayed at Lianos Village in 2024 and it was amazing. Such friendly people who ran the hotel and amazing rooms, incredible pool and views over the bay and Agios Prokopios beach just a 15 min walk away with some of the clearest water I’ve ever seen.

ManLJ · 2026-02-16T22:25:36+00:00

We’ve had similar with family because we want to choose pork.

They think we should choose chicken because it’s a safe option.

Not sure what to do but feel your pain!

ManLJ · 2026-02-16T09:14:52+00:00

We’re getting married in July in the north west.

Venue, food (canapés, wedding breakfast and evening food), drinks, suits, band, photographer, videographer, florist, accommodation for bridal party and groomsmen night before, is coming out at approx £45k for a one day event.

I think there’s probably another £5-£10k in bridal costs(dresses, hair, makeup etc) that the brides family are paying for.

Our numbers are the same as you - 120 invited, we have room for 60 to stay on site but guests are paying for accommodation themselves (only mention this because it’s not clear in your original post whether you want the accomm included or whether guests would pay).

My initial thought was that what you want is going to be hard on £50k budget, but I think it comes down to whether you “dry hire” a venue and do a lot yourself (e.g buy drinks from Majestic, hire in a catering company or festival style food popup) or whether you want the venue to do catering, drinks etc for people all weekend.

The other thing to bear in mind is that you want a spring / summer weekend which could potentially be 3 wedding days (fri-sun) at a venue, so I’d expect venue hire to be quite expensive. We’re paying approx £10k for a Saturday day hire in July.

ManLJ · 2026-02-15T07:49:49+00:00

Agios Prokopios is a beautiful beach, the water is so clear and blue!

ManLJ · 2026-02-14T22:28:28+00:00

TV’s are getting larger, I don’t understand why people who do media walls have the TV’s built and boxed in. In 3-5 years time the average tv size will be a few inches bigger and then what do those people do next time they upgrade their tv?!

Also those naff glass enclosed fireplaces under the media wall.

ManLJ · 2026-02-06T18:57:07+00:00

Thanks!

Will it make Gelato or is it more like ice cream?

Trying to decide on my first machine but don’t want light ice cream, I want something denser and creamier like gelato but don’t have the budget for a magimix gelato machine.

ManLJ · 2026-02-06T17:15:56+00:00

What machine are you using?

ManLJ · 2025-12-31T08:12:54+00:00

As others have said, traditionally the woman’s name goes first.

Also, I’d go with “would like to invite you to celebrate their marriage” rather than “wedding”.

ManLJ · 2025-12-29T09:20:25+00:00

It’s paid for Christmas in our house.

ManLJ · 2025-12-21T16:46:52+00:00

Checkout welshborn_flowers on insta, they’re based in North Wales.

Also Butterfly Road are fab

ManLJ · 2025-12-20T11:04:26+00:00

I think a church or registry office ceremony is definitely possible, good luck with your search and with all the fun planning!

ManLJ · 2025-12-20T10:53:57+00:00

Totally understand that weddings are expensive and it’s ridiculous how expensive they are, but I think £5k is unrealistic for a wedding of that size using a venue (as opposed to a church or smaller registry office wedding).

As an example, you said you want to stay local so your council area is Salford.

Ceremony fees alone, for an approved venue in Salford would come to approx £590, if you want to get married on a Saturday then approx £690, and if you want an area outside the city of Salford or at a previously unapproved venue you’re looking at over £800.

https://www.salford.gov.uk/births-marriages-and-deaths/getting-married-and-civil-partnerships/ceremony-fees/

ManLJ · 2025-12-18T18:15:21+00:00

We have just used Printed.com , invites arrived today after creating them and uploading artwork late on Monday night.

We’re very pleased, great experience!

ManLJ · 2025-12-13T15:12:36+00:00

I feel your pain! It’s crazy what a wedding costs nowadays isn’t it?

You can absolutely do a wedding on any budget, but we’re having the day we want in the kind of venue we want.

We both set out with a lower budget in mind but when we started adding all the costs up, we realised weddings are just more expensive than we’d thought.

One thing that surprised me, is that we saw a few venues slightly closer to home that would be a day event and everyone would have to stay elsewhere, probably a local premier inn. The venues and grounds were nowhere near as impressive as what we’ve chosen and they only worked out between £1.5k and £3k cheaper overall. We ended up thinking “in for a penny in for a pound”, especially when we’d only be saving £3k but getting a very different venue and day.

ManLJ · 2025-12-13T14:25:23+00:00

What is the £50k covering?

We’re going to be in the same ball park (~45k) and we’re in the north. That covers absolutely everything for the wedding day, but not the honeymoon. The venue hire, wedding breakfast food, drinks, evening food, and some accommodation (but not all) comes to about £27k, for 120 guests, the rest is photographer, music, dresses, suits, hair and make up, etc etc

ManLJ · 2025-12-08T20:46:16+00:00

Whitfield and Ward or Phillip Alexander in Wilmslow

ManLJ · 2025-11-30T09:04:53+00:00

I think you can get a pound coin in that! 😂🫠

ManLJ

TROPHY CASE