greent's mfw journey

Karmacat · 29 December 2019 at 1:56PM

Thats amazingly positive for 2019, greent, well done you - so many achievements!

Suffolk_lass · 30 December 2019 at 8:16AM

Your progress is so impressive. Well done.

You mention some pension money moving to a SIPP - I just wanted to nudge you that if your new job's pension is a DB scheme you might want to look at/take advice on transferring another/others into it. This is usually a time-limited offer of 6 months to a year (many have reduced) and the bang-for-buck-buy-in is well worth a look. I think your OH moved in August or September to FT role so worth a look at his occupational pension rules too. Personally I would not do so for a DC scheme but the benefits of a DB scheme may offer real value.

Happy New Year!

Saving_Glut · 1 January 2020 at 10:26PM

Greent, you have made such great progress, you are living up to your mantra!

Wishing you great results for the New Year!

greent · 4 January 2020 at 9:24PM

Moneyfordreams wrote: »

How annoying about your kitchen door... ggrrrr
hope you get some resolution

Got the replacement quote through and it is about half the price I anticipated (am assuming they kitchen co are including fitting in the price..... :undecided) so fingers crossed the logistics co approve it ok....

Karmacat wrote: »

Thats amazingly positive for 2019, greent, well done you - so many achievements!

Thank you, Kc

x

Saving_Glut wrote: »

Greent, you have made such great progress, you are living up to your mantra!

Wishing you great results for the New Year!

Thanks, SG! Gotta love a bit of Invictus - Henley was a local lad and attended the school which my husband went to (although obv not at the same time! :rotfl:)

greent · 4 January 2020 at 9:31PM

Suffolk_lass wrote: »

Your progress is so impressive. Well done.

You mention some pension money moving to a SIPP - I just wanted to nudge you that if your new job's pension is a DB scheme you might want to look at/take advice on transferring another/others into it. This is usually a time-limited offer of 6 months to a year (many have reduced) and the bang-for-buck-buy-in is well worth a look. I think your OH moved in August or September to FT role so worth a look at his occupational pension rules too. Personally I would not do so for a DC scheme but the benefits of a DB scheme may offer real value.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to you, too, Suffolk lass! (slightly belatedly!)

Good point - thanks for that - husband's new job is a DC scheme but I have no idea about mine....

will need to have a look at the paperwork.
We both have old (rather decent - banking) DB schemes and he also has an old DC scheme which encompasses a couple of previous other employers and we both have small NEST ones (not particularly brilliant, so was already considering transferring those this year) and I have a very tiny council one from a couple of year working for a school and a small AVC from my banking days.

greent · 4 January 2020 at 9:59PM

Firstly, it has to be to post on here more regularly - I've been rather remiss of late, and it *does* make a difference, so I should get back into the habit!

I'm going with similar themes to 2019

FAMILY
* Make Memories - a perennial favourite! The big one in 2020 is our 3 week Summer holiday - with DD now 22 and DS1 will be 20, there can't be too many more of these! This one will also have DD's boyf and my bestie and her hubby with us. Other things happening in 2020 are a big birthday for me and DS3 starting secondary school in Sept.
The Summer holiday will take up a lot of OH's annual leave (and a lot of money!) but I'd still like some days out/ nights away around half terms. DD will also finish her Masters in Sept - so will hopefully have a job sometime soon thereafter....
* Family Events - my 50th birthday (March), our 25th wedding anniversary (Aug), a new baby in the family (May - to one of my cousin's who got married last year), my Nan's 90th bday (March), my Mum's 70th (May) - all need marking in some way!
* Continue to support DD and DS1 whilst at uni (financially and otherwise!!), DS2 in y9/10 (GCSE options!), DS3 Y6 into the start of secondary
* Weekends - one a month to be DIY/ decluttering/ garden project based. 2 to family and 1 floating to whatever

HOME
* The House - update the spreadsheet of jobs to be done around the house (I've done it - just need hubby to agree/confirm). Aim to achieve something each month from there, especially if little/ no cost, just time.! Big jobs (time and/ or money) = family room and office. Poss boys bathroom. Fencing.
* Garden - probably won't grow anything other than the fruit already in the garden this year, due to 3 weeks away. New fencing needed (sigh) Some more new lights and lots of pretty plants again - was lovely last Summer and I'd like it to be lovely again this year. Get rid of the caravan..... which will then mean a patch of the garden needs redoing where it has been stood for the last few years.....
* Maintain decluttering - see above re caravan for a biggie (in terms of sheer physical size!

) Lots done on this in past few year, so it's more a case of just making sure it doesn't build back up. Any sales first half of year will go to hol fund. After holiday any monies will go to BTL mtge.

FINANCES
* Pensions - check out my new one re above post. Look at transferring NEST ones. Maybe look at increasing OH's contribs (esp as he is HR taxpayer)
* Do tax returns (will be back to me to do them once we get rid of accountant in around E weeks!) quickly after April
* Extra funds (sales of items, surveys, cashback, £2 coins, invigilating money) to be added to 2020 holiday fund - and then paid to BTL after holiday over.-
* Reduce outstanding capital balance on BTL mtge by £6K over the yea as a first target - will increase this to 8K if easily achieved.
* Maybe increase S&S ISA monthly payment - will review in new tax year, as will have better idea of monthly budget then
* Make our money work harder (eg: P**kb0x vouchers for shopping, look at switching a couple of old accounts for easy cash)
* Get rid of old/ unused CCs (I personally will never get rid entirely - we do use them responsibly and pay them off and benefit from reward schemes) and investigate if any new/ better ones out there
* Make sure all insurances are reviewed and switch energy suppliers at end of fix.
* OH has 2 old 're: ……..' bank accounts which are very likely dormant (re family members who are now both in their 20s!) - get these closed off and money sent to the respective family members (one of whom is the cousin expecting a baby)

MY HEALTH
* My fitness levels to be regained to minimum where they were a few years ago. - plan= walking, Zumba, c25k (assuming Achilles ok), and using gym equipment which we have here....
* Lose weight/ reduce dress sizes - big 5-0 and holiday coming up, after all....

That'll do.....

:D