greent's mfw journey

Suffolk_lass

I wondered what was going on as I logged in this morning. A bit bright...

killerpeaty

Hi greent, your strawberries looked amazing! Loving your pb the wins as well

debtfreeoneday

Worth still clicking through on the laptop ones. Probably 60-70% still complete on a phone. 

debtfreeoneday

Oh and awesome strawberries!!

greent

Now that the strawberries have come to an end the cherries are ready - this week ahs seen me have cherries and yogurt for breakfast - yum 4 big tubs in the fridge and more in the freezer. Will leave the remaining ones on the tree for the birds - the starlings are really enjoying them and the pigeons would like to - but they are too big and heavy for most of the branches!  

Biggest news right now..... I have a 'proper' job - as in regular hours! Not sure I necessarily want it (and we don't need the money) but was persuaded to apply by my boss. Term time only - but 37h pw (with flexibility - at certain points it will be more like 60h pw!!! ) We shall see..... I can always quit if it's too much   Starts 1st Sept. Will mean some big changes in our house - I plan on getting a cleaner, for starters - my lot are rubbish at helping around the house - DH is probably the worst. I will try and sort one to start in Aug, so that it's all up and running when I start work. It also means I need some new work clothes - I despise clothes shopping! I will happily live in the same few things day in and day out - not really gonna be possible in this role - sigh. And with Debnums gone I'm stuck (I usually can find something I like in Tu but nothing in there recently) (I am so low maintenance ) The new job will hopefully help me get back on track with better eating habits, though - I'd like to buy smaller clothes if I actually have to go clothes shopping!!  

Have been in isolation all this week (well, since last Fri) as someone I worked with tested positive. Some housework has been done as a result, though And some life admin - inc our self assessment forms (just awaiting details of DH's GAid donations and then I can submit his) He has a tax bill - no surprise, as it's from the child benefit - DS3 has not long turned 12, so was worth keeping for the HRP it gave me for NI Not the full amount to be repaid, though, due to pension contributions. I will arrange to get child benefit payments stopped at some point (adds to to do list..) as there is now no point in me getting it. What with he BTL gone and me now having just 1 regular job and no self employment/ own company our tax returns will be a doddle!   I might even be able to stop doing them in the near future : (Not so for DH, as he is a HR tax payer and has variable extra pension contribs to his SIPP and also variable GAid

Not much else to report - this week's life admin has also seen me up DH's share purchase thing through work to the max £150/ mth (I always forget about it) - his employer gifts 1 share for every3 he buys, so will top it up approx £50/ mth - whoop I want to increase his pension, too (he pays 10%, employer 7.5%, I think) - but you only get the opportunity to change it during a 3 week period towards the end of the year, so can't do it at the mo. I figure that makes more sense than sticking more in a regular/ monthly saver at a very small interest rate. (Plus we have 6 regular savers between the 2 of us already)

Had to cancel my hair appt due to isolation - haven't had it cut since the day before we went into lockdown #2 (so around 2nd Nov last year) - need to book a new one but have decided am also going to change salons as the other is rather incompetent and I've only gone there because it was so local, but all the decent staff have left and the salon has moved premises to somewhere not so convenient. Sigh. 

I hear other people beginning to wake up (I've been awake since before 6 - silly time on a weekend!) - will switch the kettle back on

Suffolk_lass

Ooh big changes @greent - sounds fantastic. I have a window cleaner here (fantastic!) - once every 5-6 weeks - well worth the addition if you don't have one.

I am guessing your DH will have to make sure his pension savings don't exceed the maximum pot size - I'm sure you have thought of that (you have with everything else) but putting more of your new salary into your pensions and living on more of his might be a good move, after you have legitimately reduced his tax liability through contributions to pensions and charities.

We've only got one RS left now (4 months left) and we are finding a few wins on premium bonds as our holdings there increase, are outpacing the 1% we could get (just). No chance of us reaching the maximum holding unless we were to win something big though!

Karmacat

Strawberries and cherries, oh my sorry you've had to self isolate, but you're *really* using the time well and congratulations on the job.

f0xh0les

What a lovely happy positive post. Well done you. 

greent

Thanks, Kc and S-l I will definitely be adding in a window cleaner, S-l - I have found a traditional style one on fbook this  morning that I will contact. Our house has (I think) (not inc the loft conversion) 17 windows (some rather large - 4 panes across), French doors, patio doors and a front door with a full length glass panel next to it, so it won't be cheap.

I definitely need to keep an eye on DH's LTA for his pension (I appreciate this is a nice place to be in) I hold just under the max in PBs and have just started buying some for DH now each month but may increase the amount I'm putting in there for him. I like to try and reduce his tax liability where I can - he pays more in tax pa than I will be earning gross (and I will be earning more than my DD gets in a 'proper' full time role as a graduate - she was astonished at how much tax he pays) - again it's a nice place to be in (can't have the tax liability if you don't earn the money in the first place...!) and his employers do their best at making pretty much everything they can be salary sacrifice. What I also want to avoid is too much lifestyle creep - I appreciate my new role means a cleaner and a window cleaner and less likely to go to different smkts, but I don't want to get into too many 'easy' takeaway options, for example. Although some weekend breaks thrown into the year could be a nice thing for everyone. I have no idea on the pension scheme for this new role - I have 2 different pensions from 2 other schools so far (both very small) - contracts and details of things will appear at some point....

A takeaway was planned for tonight as a celebration (seeing as I'm still in isolation!) but where we had planned is closed for bothe eat in and takeaway (possibly due to staffing issues re c0vid?) - so it's back to the drawing board!...

apple_muncher

Oh no! Will Robbie the robovac be out of a job...??!!