The ups, downs, and occasional sideways bits of trying to be mortgage free

armchairexpert · 8 June 2017 at 1:44AM

Practical people are the best people. I've been teaching myself very rudimentary DIY skills - now, why is it that school tech studies taught me how to use metal sheets to construct a pencil case, but not how to use a power drill or basic joinery? Far more useful! - because it would be far too easy to rely on Mr E for all of those jobs. Also using a power drill is fun. I am neither neat nor particularly competent, but I try and do things myself where it doesn't matter (like the chicken coop: I don't think the chickens care very much if there are visible nail joins in their roost!).

Mr E has the job of teaching our girls, though, because he benefited from a lot of childhood tutelage in practical skills and I want them to learn the same things. I'm a great believer in teaching small children practical things: my eight year old can make a decent bolognaise and excellent pancakes now, and my five year old is allowed proper sharp chopping knives for vegetable cutting. I don't know why the schools wait until secondary. Well, lawsuits, probably, now I think about it.

Oh, right, this is a money diary! Let's see.

1. Mr E didn't even get an interview for the job in the end. Since they asked him specifically to apply and implied they might give it to him internally without even advertising, this is v galling. It wasn't a big payrise, and we weren't relying on the money, but it would have been an excellent opportunity to widen his skill set and put himself in line for more senior positions later. Mostly his ego's hurt, honestly.
2. Had a chat with the bank who think yes, they can definitely offer us a better deal than we have now, so we have a meeting on Tuesday armed with various documents to see if remortgaging is a better idea. I'm going to try and see if we can switch the home loan to a P&I with an offset, and keep the investment unit as IO. I'd really like to see these interest payments go down, so cross your fingers for us!

Cherryfudge · 8 June 2017 at 8:34AM

What a shame for you and Mr E about the job. Is it worth his following up with a phone call to see 'what he could improve on'? A colleague of mine has just missed a post because HR made a mistake... it does happen. He was urged to reapply but already has an interview lined up elsewhere.

Yay to the meeting with the bank! :money: Let us know how it goes.

Tahlullah · 8 June 2017 at 7:45PM

To digress from the purpose of the diary for a moment more - yes, schools do fail young people in many instances. I was taught how to whittle a bit of wood to look like a wall plaque but how to change a fuse, I had to learn as an adult. And don't even get me on how often I have needed to use my SMP book since leaving school!

Shame about the job, but galling that they didn't even offer him an interview! As you say, probably bruised egos at work, but I am not surprised and think that would be very normal given the circumstances. Why allow Mr ACE to put himself out there if they aren't even going to allow him to show them what he can do in an interview? Oh well, onwards and upwards. The shame of it is that if another internal position becomes vacant, he may not apply because of the way he has been treated this time, even if the job appears to be made for him. Or maybe I am just overlaying my own feelings on him...

Good luck with the bank. Hope it goes well. After all, they are the ones saying they can improve your situation without seeing your paperwork. The worst is that they don't give you the best rate there is, but an improvement is still a win, and you will still be saving money!

Tx

armchairexpert · 9 June 2017 at 12:02AM

Yes, I was planning to talk to other banks and then go back to ours armed with that knowledge, but truthfully that's likely to take me a few weeks to get around to, so this at least means there's some improvement.

There's not much competition over here compared to the UK, with the 'Big Four' owning most of the smaller branded institutions, so it's hard to feel like there's much power to be had.

We saw Matilda, and it was fantastic. Really glad I splurged on that. And it felt very MSE, because the tickets were bought and paid for late last year, and we took sandwiches and juice so the only cost to us on the day was the bus fare. My face hurt from smiling by the end of it.

emmie26 · 10 June 2017 at 12:38AM

Ooh my DD would love to see Matilda, she has watched the dvd a million times and loves it

armchairexpert · 12 June 2017 at 12:59AM

Another week after a fairly frugal weekend. We did take Little Girl into town for sushi on Sunday, but no shopping after that, just a nice walk around the Botanic Gardens and then an art exhibition. Bank meeting tomorrow.

I have to start doing my tax, too: I have three interlinked 'arms' of my business and they each need a separate set of expenses doing for them which then go to the accountant. The earlier I get it done the earlier my tax return will hit, and that'll take a considerable lump off the mortgage so well worth doing.

Public holiday here today - for the Queen's birthday, in fact! Crazy that it's a day off here and not there. Anyway, the Queen will just have to enjoy her cake and candles without me, because I'm working all day. Partly to make up for Friday, when I was glued to your election results and got hardly anything done. Lordy goodness what a nail biter. I have some pretty strong opinions about this proposed DUP deal, but maybe here is not the place. Just consider me tutting and shaking my head over the garden fence.

emmie26 · 12 June 2017 at 7:20AM

Ooh sushi, Botanic Gardens and an art exhibition sounds more cultured than my weekend, I'm jealous. I'm also jealous that you get a day off for the Queens birthday!!

Good luck with the tax returns, that's one thing I don't envy you for

Tahlullah · 12 June 2017 at 7:49PM

As I am a complete ignoramus, the only thing I am remotely jealous of is the extra holiday.

You get a holiday and we get an election. Would you like to swap?

Tx

Cherryfudge · 13 June 2017 at 1:01AM

armchairexpert wrote: »

Partly to make up for Friday, when I was glued to your election results and got hardly anything done. Lordy goodness what a nail biter. I have some pretty strong opinions about this proposed DUP deal, but maybe here is not the place. Just consider me tutting and shaking my head over the garden fence.

There's a fair amount of that going on over here too.

That and photographing dogs outside polling stations.

armchairexpert · 13 June 2017 at 11:33AM

Tahlullah wrote: »

As I am a complete ignoramus, the only thing I am remotely jealous of is the extra holiday.

You get a holiday and we get an election. Would you like to swap?

Tx

Haha! We are pretty famous for calling elections early (and also deposing our Prime Ministers in between, just to keep things lively) we had one last June and it looks like we'll have another one by this time next year, so thank you but I shall keep my holiday.

The ups, downs, and occasional sideways bits of trying to be mortgage free

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