Brand spanking new to money saving and to my MFW diary

Penny_pauper

Thanks Setmefree2

Doc thinks it was a pregnancy induced migraine without the really horrific migraine style headache, so I was very lucky! Gald it's nothing untoward as other than the vomiting at the start, I've been disgustingly healthy.
Took a long hard look at finances for the years mat leave last night. It's gonna be tight :eek:. Have rounded up the mortgage over payments to a total of £310 on the big mortgage and £16 on the wee one. Keep justifying to myself that the over the year all the £16 will equate to an extra months payment which can only be a good thing.
I think as the year wears on lots of things like the home insurance etc that we have paid out right this time will come back around and we'll need to direct debit them and take the additional direct debit money from the mortgage overpayments. So started the Mortgage free in three take 2 challenge in a blaze of green columned glory this quarter but by this time next year will probably be in the red, but hopefully not behind on any of my bills. That's the plan anyway.
A lot of it is guess work. As this is my first I just don't know how much money will be needed to have a life but not end up having to go back to work early
Who knows maybe I'll be lucky and discover I'm cheaper in the house with baba than out working for the evil men of commerce
I can but dream!
PP

setmefree2

Awww glad your ok

Best wishes

smf2

Penny_pauper

Hi
Haven't up dated in ages as have been really rushed at work trying to complete everything before I stop (5 days next week, then 4 the week after, then 3, then 2 then off :T:j:T) and am pretty knackered by the end of the day. Can you tell I'm desperate to finish?!!!
Have been busy though, gave finances yet another overhaul . Did my own grocery challenge and ended the month £1.52 in credit. Have painted nursery & bought carpet. Have the bathroom guys in and are half way through the bathroom re-fit (if we ever do this again, we'll be moving into a hotel for a week, turning up at friends and family to have a shower at odd hours is no fun, particularly at 7 & 1/2 months pregnant). Opened up a new alliance and leicester isa for a final push at upping the maternity leave savings before my pay is cut.

To do
1 Get radiator back on wall in nursery (plumber booked)
2 Get nursery carpet and kitchen lino laid (fitters booked)
3 Pay £600 to council tax (trying to pay it all off whilst still have 2
wages, one less bill to think about when off)
4 Paint doors of kitchen and bathroom as soon as fitters are finished.
5 Move furniture into nursery (v. kind friends gave us a wardrobe and
chest of drawers)
6 Buy a cot!
7 Carry out the grocery challenge for May with a budget of £200 for the
month.
8 Put my feet up!

PP

Penny_pauper

Have just spent last hour watching a midwife pushing a doll through a plastic pelvis and even that looked painful, mind you not as painful as watching her swing the placenta round and round after she 'delivered' it. Hope to God she is not on shift when I go into labour! Bathroom is creeping ever closer to completion. Think it will be mainly finished by tomorrow with some tidying up to do on friday. Of my to do list, I've not done very much at all :mad:

To do
1 Get radiator back on wall in nursery (plumber booked)
2 Get nursery carpet and kitchen lino laid (fitters booked)
3 [STRIKE]Pay £600 to council tax (trying to pay it all off whilst still have 2 wages, one less bill to think about when off) [/STRIKE]
4 Paint doors of kitchen and bathroom as soon as fitters are finished.
5 Move furniture into nursery (v. kind friends gave us a wardrobe and
chest of drawers)
6 Buy a cot!
7 Carry out the grocery challenge for May with a budget of £200 for the
month.
8 Put my feet up!

PP

setmefree2

with all your tasks -don't forget that last one "Put your feet up"

Penny_pauper

Thanks Set me free

I really do need to start taking it easy. Was at midwife appointment and blood pressure has gone through the roof. After a quick trip to hospital and lots of monitoring I've been told to take it easy or they will sign me off work. Fortunatly all seems to be ok with the wee one. Only have three (mini) weeks to work and I'd be gutted if I was sent off sick now as it would mean maternity pay would kick in so I'd have less time with the baby once it actually gets here.
Bathroom is finished, looks beautiful but unfortunately some how the plumbers have hooked up the toilet to the heating and we are getting a 'hot flush' :rotfl: :rotfl:. Refusing to get upset, all is calm and deep breathing in my world :cool: and we haven't paid them so they'll need to come back and sort it out!
PP

Penny_pauper

Bathroom all sorted :j
Up date on the mortgage as of today balance is £146,768.77. I hate the fact that roughly £21 gets added everyday so you can only really take a 'snap shot' of your balance :mad:. But onwards and downwards!

2nd last mini week of work hoo woo :T. As we have had some reasonably nice weather, have turned my attention to the garden and realised it's a complete tip. Unfortunately both hubby and I are complete novices and don't really know how to drag a garden back from the wilderness that it decended into before we bought the house. Will try to sort it a bit when mat leave starts.
PP

greent

Hello PP

Just read all of your diary. Congrats on bubs - not long to go now!! Don't overdo it in the garden!

greent

Penny_pauper

Thanks Greent
You are absolutely right, not long to go now at all. Should point out my idea of gardening is being the gaffer to my husband as he works and visiting gardening centres and having a coffee and a cake

To do
1 [STRIKE]Get radiator back on wall in nursery (plumber booked)
[/STRIKE] Plumber did this and a service £145, had budgetted £100 :mad:
[STRIKE]2 Get nursery carpet and kitchen lino laid (fitters booked)
[/STRIKE] Done budgeted £100, actual £70 :j
[STRIKE]
3 Pay £600 to council tax (trying to pay it all off whilst still have 2 wages, one less bill to think about when off)
[/STRIKE]
4 Paint doors of kitchen and bathroom as soon as fitters are finished.
[STRIKE]5 Move furniture into nursery (v. kind friends gave us a wardrobe and
chest of drawers)
[/STRIKE] Done, looks so like a real nursery now
[STRIKE]6 Buy a cot!
[/STRIKE] £128 for cot, foam mattress and 2 fitted cotton sheets amazingly from John Lewis, will be delivered next week
7 Carry out the grocery challenge for May with a budget of £200 for the
month. £112 left so far
8 Put my feet up! Was off today and tomorrow so plenty of reading and cups of tea for me

Am tempted to do a spot of painting tomorrow to get those doors done and my list complete, or I could just take it easy, hmmm, difficult decision!;)
PP

Penny_pauper

Mortgage update balance is £146,243.81 that's a reduction of £1609.72 since the 1st mortgage free in three chart and bang on track :beer:. Very proud of this as we have been saving for maternity leave (fund is currently £4800 planning to take the year off so trying to over save rather than under save).
Have started maternity leave and am thoroughly enjoying being off. Being very indulgent and putting my feet up and reading lots as I know I won't have the time later.
Only one more big expense for the house before the baba gets here is to put up a new fence as old one has rotted/collapsed. Slightly concerned we might have issues with neighbours as their whirlie drier over hangs the hedge into our garden and we plan to put in a fence that will effectively mean they need to move the drier about 4 inches further into their own garden. Oh well, will wait and see what is said by fencing people first.
PP