Pay off mortgage and start having fun!

ahem_47

newgirly wrote: »

Its been an exciting day for dh, I couldn't mention it before but he has had lunch with the queen and prince Philip

I hope they picked up the tab

newgirly

ahem_47 wrote: »

I hope they picked up the tab

Well of course, we are on a budget now

Strange week all in all really, started the week in a backstreet theatre in north London watching DDS first play with some very well interesting people celebrating her 18th , had a week of stress and worrying over losing our house and then dh has lunch with the queen, talk about ups and downs.:D

getmore4less

newgirly wrote: »

I think you are right about the boredom setting in after a while, that's happened in the past a lot.

It is a good idea to try an understand the kick you are getting from doing the analysis/planning and try to replace it with something when you get in the routine phase of just tracking.

A bit like the kick people get spending money that is very short lived, they need to find a replacment or just become too busy to shop.

newgirly

Had a nice meal at the in-laws for fils birthday last night , and travelled in the electric van as it was just then two of us :T

Before going though I visited my parents and my Dad wanted a "chat " with me. He wants to pay himself for the kids passports to be renewed, I have in the past had this conversation at least two times ,and thanked him but turned him down.we won't be going abroad anytime soon and the kids foreign school trips are usually at least 1k each , so they go on the cheapy pgl ones if they go.

He said they could maybe take a day trip to Calais , which I said was a large expense for a day out, he clearly doesn't agree with my decision as this keeps coming up.I rather bravely said do you think I am holding the kids back from opportunities they may crop up, he didn't answers but my mum more or less answered for him said yes! ( I should add, mum also said they are her kids, respect that! )

I basically bit the bullet and said we are in no position to travel abroad, we have serious issues with paying the mortgage back in the short term we have, so I have to prioritise home food and petrol at the moment.

I know he means very well, but its a bit frustrating that they don't seem to want to hear about things being tough. Ive woken up this morning thinking have I made the right decision ? Should I have just let him get them for the same of it?

I should add I am quite proud, and have said previously that if I felt the kids needed them ,we would be paying ourselves.

Anyway, onwards and upwards:

DD at work with DD
Boys in bed (for the foreseeable :rotfl:)

Plans for weekend:

Today:

All washing done including beds
All cleaning
Mass tidy up to enable cleaning
Fride hunt to use up old veg
Cook a lovely curry
Make bread
Mooch on mse


Tomorrow:

Iron all clothes
Attempt to start packing for Monday weeks hol, it keeps the clean clothes safe from being used
Mooch on mse
Hold a film showing with popcorn for the kids if I can persuade some to join us

getmore4less

If they are so keen on the kids welfare send them to stay for a couple of weeks during the summer hols and they can take them to Calais.

newgirly

They only live around the corner, worth a try though :rotfl:

Alchemilla

Your folks sound JUST like mine.
My Mum thinks the grandchildren are her kids too.

newgirly

Oh dear al! Mine usually are OK, not sure why the passport thing keeps cropping up.

Anyway, I've done a yearly plan, as for a six year 10month plan, the emergency fund will hopefully pay for things like new washing machine or burst tyre etc. Although I've only budgeted £40 pm I'm hoping to add a bit more from selling stuff.

A six year ten month plan is basically the yearly plan rolled out further, it has to be virtually the same as there is no leeway in the budget for saving up for more unusual one off large costs. Trying to look forwards , if we need a new car it will be of the "bangernomics" variety. Big holidays are unlikely and DD has already said she wants to go to uni in London which would be a huge relief cost wise as it will just be the travel costs.

Emergency fund is only going to be £40 pm, I'm not selling the rings but will be prepared to if needed.

The mini will probably go, but at the moment its on the back burner for a few weeks.

I know many mfws have advised me to just stop spending and monitor everything for a while before setting a budget. I think for me what will work best is to have set budgets for each category, I will still track all spending and adjust the allocations as and when we see a more regualr spending pattern forming.

So ;

Food...................................................£400
Petrol..................................................£75
Clothes\fun\school...........................£170


Xmas .................................................£35
Birthdays............................................£35
Holidays..............................................£30
Emergency fund.................................£40
Me pocket money..............................£30
Dh money...........................................£50
Kids.....................................................£35
Oyster.................................................£30


Mortgage repayment level amount...£1839
Extra overpayment..............................£61
Minimim cc payment .........................£79
Cc extra payment................................£21


I know some of my choices will not be popular however I want to set as realsitic budget as possible and this is a starting point.if we can afford to save up for some of the non essentials they will be dropped, if we can than life will be a little nicer along the way.:)

Ive upped the mortgage payment by an extra £61 pm which eqates to a 1% rate rise (Im realsitic that it will probably go higher than this in the seven years , but its a start.if the rate stayed the same it would knock two months off the term , ending in Feb 2022.

The cc is only an extra £21 a month and would clear the balance the same month, or it would allow a couple of extra spare months money to pay for the transfer fee costs.

I work best trying to succeed at sticking to a budget, and have to admit I am terrible at saving.

getmore4less

I know many mfws have advised me to just stop spending and monitor everything for a while before setting a budget

You do both.

budget is the plan of where YOU want to spend your money.

You track and if on target the holiday money will exist, just don't book one till the plan is working.

People don't really care what choices YOU make it's not their house at risk.

When the numbers don't add up it is up to you what options you choose from those people give you.

There will be people here telling you're doing great job even as the repo letter comes through the door.

newgirly

Got lots of washing done yesterday and only a couple of loads left, seem to have inherited a few other families washing judging by the amount we have.
Unfortunately this is not an area that can be cut down on to save money, teenagers are not always the freshest even with daily showers and lots of lynx

Curry didn't get made , so I might have a go at that today. I thought I'd get as much packing for Monday week done as possible. It's the twins birthday next weekend and it would be nice to ahead of schedule. They are having a cake each, I am giving ds2 money for the cinema and lunch for himself, ds2 I'm taking to the new imax near us to see antman, (during the week before five of course when it cheaper!) The money will be from the birthday savings I will have just started

Once the kids birthdays are over its full swing into :xmastree: mode, controversial I know, offers honest everyone except my kids are more or less done via lots of good offer since last xmas. It's going to be just as fun, but far more frugal this year.

Groceries £148
Petrol £30

Both since 9th July and includes lots of food to take on holiday