The 9 year plan...hold onto your hats and here we go!

taxi73

That's what I'd like the slow pace of life and the peace.
Enjoy your do tomorrow ..sounds really nice.

boredofbeingathome

Glad the weekend was good EH and sounds like this one is going to be equally as nice.

EssexHebridean

Proper finance type update coming up....

Checked the banking last night and transferred £120 into savings - this is made up from a combination of the expenses payment I was expecting and a surplus in my account. I have also just checked the joint account again and have transferred a further £30 from my account over to there to cover the small shortfall that there would have been when the CC bill cleared.

I have rejigged the savings to allow for the decrease in the cost of MrEH's travel - and as previously mentioned have also now got a regular monthly amount going into a new account for car costs. I'll need to tweak the increase in the regular savings amount down a little mind you as I forgot that he is still going to need diesel and reorganised things to make sure that the full amount of his travelcard now goes to savings...! :rotfl: A little TOO effiecient there, methinks!

We checked the pig that we save our Good Food show money into the other week and that's looking healthy - should easily cover all spends from that weekend. Still have to book the Travelodge though - I've been waiting to see if the costs drop but no luck so far. There is some credit in the Clubcard plus account at the moment so I shall withdraw that in cash and feed back into the bank so the travelodge can be paid on a debt card - I resent their new extra cost for paying on a CC and won't bookvia that route any more. :mad:

I am thinking of setting up yet another online savings account for Holiday money - not sure if there is any real benefit though TBH. I've talked about looking at some sort of "regular saver" for the monthly savings too so that's another avenue I need to explore. If I was going to do that I really ought to have done so earlier in the year I guess but with the car purchase I knew there were going to be some leaner than ideal months. With the increase in ISA allowances from next year we ought, by rights, to be able to feed all our savings into those next tax year - although that relies on me "encouraging" MrEH to open one as well!

The Tesco CC will need paying off this month I think - I'm going to be watching the statement carefully when it arrives so I can be certain when the interest free period finishes - as soon as it's approaching I will send a cheque for the full balance - it's done me a massive favour though as better the money in my account for the past year than in someone elses pocket.

taxi73

Sounds like a very positive and thoroughtly thought out financial plan.
It's hard to find decnt paying ISAS and Savings accounts at the moment which is very annoying as well.

Lemon_Tree

taxi you're so right, it's terrible trying to find decent interest rates on savings. It bugs me that loan, CC's etc still keep their interest rates so high. I know banks etc have to make a profit but it's indecent.

EH we need to do a proper financial rejig now that OH has a car, but his income is never consistent. It makes things so frustrating as you can't set things up and let them go each month. We have to sit down each month and figure it out. Don't get me wrong i do enjoy playing with the numbers but it would be nice to know what's happening in a couple of months time.

EssexHebridean

LT is it possible to set some sort of monthly payment across into a car account based on the worst case scenario on income and then aim to pay in a "top up amount" on the months when finances allow? At least then you'd have the satisfaction of feeling that you were doing something planned, without the worry of not being able to make ends meet.

Got some good news tonight in the shape of the speedway Grand Prix dates for 2010 - the Polish one I went to last weekend is once again going to be the final one of the season so I think MrEH and myself will be planning to do that one. We'll have to pay out for flights fairly soon I guess - we'll be wanting to book those as soon as Ryanair release them, but we'll have a whole year to save up for the rest of it. I'll know this time to use the debit card rather than taking much cash out in advance, too. :rolleyes:

gallygirl

EssexHebridean wrote: »

Got some good news tonight in the shape of the speedway Grand Prix dates for 2010 - the Polish one I went to last weekend is once again going to be the final one of the season so I think MrEH and myself will be planning to do that one. We'll have to pay out for flights fairly soon I guess - we'll be wanting to book those as soon as Ryanair release them, but we'll have a whole year to save up for the rest of it. I'll know this time to use the debit card rather than taking much cash out in advance, too. :rolleyes:

Do you have an Electron card or do you have a 'spare' bank account you could ask them to change to an Electron? Then you could avoid Ryanair's fees also :T. You may find the flights are out - our flights for Spain have been released this weekend but no publicity that I've seen. Won't be booking at the prices they're charging though _pale_, we may be flying with a proper airline with inside toilets & everything . And I won't have to suffer the hell of Stansted at 11pm when 1/2 of Europe arrives at the same time so it takes you hours to get through passport control & then you get a bus to Kent or wherever their long stay car park is . Still love O'Leary though :T

Sorry for hijack

taxi73

Sounds like something to really look forward to.

EssexHebridean

gallygirl wrote: »

Do you have an Electron card or do you have a 'spare' bank account you could ask them to change to an Electron? Then you could avoid Ryanair's fees also :T. You may find the flights are out - our flights for Spain have been released this weekend but no publicity that I've seen. Won't be booking at the prices they're charging though _pale_, we may be flying with a proper airline with inside toilets & everything . And I won't have to suffer the hell of Stansted at 11pm when 1/2 of Europe arrives at the same time so it takes you hours to get through passport control & then you get a bus to Kent or wherever their long stay car park is . Still love O'Leary though :T

Sorry for hijack

That's a really good idea GG - I've not got an account I can use at the moment but maybe I should look into that. The number of companies charging extra for using cards to pay when there is no option but to do so really makes my blood boil. Travelodge now charge a surcharge for paying on a CC and as for Ryanair's charges for debit cards...grrrr!

Lemon_Tree

it's a complete rip off isn't it what company's charge you for paying them. disgusting, they are almost as bad as the banks but i doubt there will ever be a proper investigation into them.