Pay off mortgage and start having fun!

newgirly

Hi cath thanks, you have a good weekend too!


Figures updated a little late :eek: out of the £400 December grocery budget £107.53 has been spent.

Next year's target will be ridiculously high again, this year's was £38,545 and we have only got to £18,366 so far :rotfl: however my view is if you are going to set a target make it a big one

Next year's target to follow.

newgirly

No where near setting a target at the moment as I've just signed up for a free months trial of ynab :eek:

I just can't work out how to integrate my complicated system to it yet, I think as I usually pay by credit card and save for multiple goals at a time it could get tricky. I may have to take a longer term view and rethink my savings goals as it seems you can only have one savings goal to work towards, so I'm going to mess about and see if I can input a year of stuff into it.

If it's too difficult I shall stick to the old system of a huge diary and calculator

newgirly

Can't sleep, I've been up since 1am when the sound of a drunk ds2 hitting the floor woke me. The boys went to a friend's with one bottle of beer each and ds2 has been in such a state I actually rang the NHS 111 helpline :mad: ds1 seems fine, ds2 needs watching so is sat up asleep downstairs with dh, I've tried to insist dh goes to bed and I'll stay up but he hasn't after a few hours so I have.
I was in such a panic as they came back separately, and my alarm had not even gone off yet (I set it regularly so I can check they get in safely -or not!) why are kids so stressful?

daisy_1571

Oh dear, hope the boys are OK when they awake ng. I know I only stopped drinking like that once the hangovers kicked in and that wasn't till I was about 20 I think so you might have a few more of these nights ahead. Not the best way for you both to spend a Saturday night when you so busy with work.

What did you decide about your daughter in the post from a few days ago?

Daisy xxx

newgirly

Thanks daisy, although I don't fancy another three years of this :eek: still not decided about Dd but am leaning towards letting her pay mobile bill, travel costs etc. Will see once she has settled in.

Ds2 has just go at up to have milk and sausage rolls, can't think of anything worse.

We have snow :snow_laugit never normally stops me driving etc. but I confess to being a big girls blouse today, I'm really tired , dh is in bed and then going to work and we have no food - well frozen veg , bread and chicken.

My lovely dad is driving my little brother back to his flat so he's going to take me to Aldi first :T it's a tiny cramped car park up a bit of a hill from the store, so I'm very greatful I'm not going alone.

I think I've already talked myself out of using the ynab system whilst I'm close to the end of the mortgage, it will take a couple of months to work forward not in arrears. Will have a further look today, but I do feel like it would be good for when we are mf and can budget for everything easily to track where everything will go and we don't overspend.

newgirly

Sunday was very Christmassy, not only snow but hot chocolate and an afternoon of watching Xmas films with dd, her boyfriend and his Dd who is 10 and had never seen muppet Christmas carol!

Plan for today:

Finish all washing and bed changing -one left , ran out of energy Sunday

Take back ds1 trainers

Order last of Xmas presents for the kids

Draw out cash to give as Xmas gifts

Change ds1 jeans I bought

Keep on top of cleaning and tidying

Check food budget /current account

If time finish next year's financial plan


Happy Monday

newgirly

Hooray, after two days we have internet again :T how dare it fail while I'm off work and wanting to waste hours mooching.

Great night last night, went to see queen and Adam lambert at the o2 , one of my less mse choices this year at £150 a ticket standing :eek: they were amazing again, only problem my mum fainted four songs from the end so I took her out after for a sit down and water. Trust her to to do it during bohemian rhapsody though :rotfl:

Today I'm staring in a film ds2 is making for college, only a short one but I think will it take hours to do no doubt, I'm not in the mood but it needs to be done and he wanted a scruffy looking middle aged woman and apparently I can play that well, cheeky whatsit

I've been playing with the spreadsheet and working towards a target for next year , well really the rest of the term of 18months ish. I realised whilst doing that I hadn't budgetted for various rather important things :

1) tax bill Jan 2018 for dividends £1k ish

2) tax bill Jan 2019 as above

3). Change in rate rise as 2 year fix ends and I go on svr (currently 4.99 !) from August 2018 to end date.

4). A realistic Xmas budget for 2018 (not the £600 I had planned )

So I think that will add on another month but its pretty obvious I'll never stick to targets set anyway !)

I think I'll have to call it a day for ops this year and stash money away in December to cover some of the extra expenses, my complicated system of varying amounts for all the different major outgoings could be simplified so it's regular amounts monthly for everything over the term.

newgirly

Lovely Xmas best friend day out today breakfast first in costa, followed by a little shopping in Oxford street, champagne afternoon tea at the soho hotel, then went to see GlenGary Glen Ross at the playhouse with Christian slater, followed by the ice bar then home for dinner and drinks locally :beer:

It's a dear day but one I look forward to all year, and probably one of the most enjoyable ways of spending money I can think of! total spends just under about £160 ish each I think this year. Best start saving for next year soon I guess

newgirly

Grocery update:

£400 budget for December , £172.99 spent so far

All Xmas presents bought except a small top up for best friend, I should have enough to stay in the black this month just about.

Next year's plan (well until may 2019really) is just about done :j

So planned large one off expenses are:

£1000 tax bill 2018

£1000 tax bill 2019

Cruise and hotel stay and spending for dd and I (boys trip already paid for) £657

The boys' 18th £1000

Dds 21st £500

Money to throw a party or go out for a couple of meals and treats or whatever I can persuade them to do £500

Xmas 2018 £1200

The big expenses will be paid for by saving £230 pm, plus £500 I already have saved , plus £420 I shall save this month.


Next year's mortgage plans :

I hope to live off £700 pm after mortgage and direct debits , interest payments should be £87.66 pm with an op of £2,813 pm from Jan to August , dropping to an op of £2,677 in September when I wave goodbye to child benefit

So that's a total planned mortgage reduction of £33,310 :eek: I've yet to work out the loan reduction for next year yet as those figures are scary enough :rotfl:

newgirly

Another £58 off the food budget with a trip to Aldi last night, bought a few long dated Xmas platters of antipasti and salami towards new Xmas eve/Boxing Day.

I feel like im already back on the frugal bandwagon even though we still have a few nights out for Xmas (Thai tonight, work do Friday, jazz and meal Tuesday) I think I'll defiantly do a dry January, I've been eating and drinking more than should and seem to have forgetten I'm on WW as we have missed weigh in due to having plans.

Anyway I found an old bag of soap nuts in the kitchen cupboard so started using those again instead of buying a new big box of washing powder, all good so far

Food wise im only shopping in Aldi now, it's a nightmare car park but I'm trying to go really late or early, it's well worth the saving.

The heating is on quite a bit but not at the tropical temperatures which my Dd and dh feel is normal, if I'm alone it's off , but sadly I'm never alone in this house :rotfl:

I think it will be pretty hard to stick to £400 in December and entertain multiple times, £231 spent now I think, I never ordered any m and s food in the end and shall do it on a budget and actually cook something