Pay off mortgage and start having fun!

Moneyfordreams

I wish I had your staying power.. Well done :T:T:T

newgirly

Thanks mfd’s , although it’s not been based on will power or I would have caved after a day or two

Great day at the spa today, two hours each way though. We didn't try the heat and ice rooms, instead opting for a day of lying round the pool and eating and talking non stop, plus a nice massage it’s amazing sometimes how we never run out of rubbish to talk about :rotfl:

I’m fully in the xmas mood now after spending four hours in the car today listening to xmas fm :santa2: Tomorrow I’m going to finish my xmas shopping (aside from the sonos Alexa I know ds2 would love but i’m waiting for Black Friday for that , and a LP or two for ds1 nearer the time) Dad is the problem person to buy for, if he wants something he tends to buy it for himself anyway. Both dds boyfriend and his Dd want trees planted, it’s a charity that plant one tree for every dollar donated which I think is a lovely idea, I will buy a few little things to open for them too though

Tomorrow I vow to spend some time at home organising the finances and tick of the to list list I didn’t complete last week....

newgirly

Back on planet mse

Feeling rough with a cold today but I’ve managed to tick a few things off the to-do list :

- car insurance renewed £232 3rd party f&t plus protected ncd

- home ins renewed £110 buildings and contents

- gas an electric switched £30 tcb and predicted reduction of £296 per year

- currency ordered for Budapest next week £150 (not much!)

- deposit paid of £100 for Alton towers cottage next Halloween, £178 left town to pay

Also lots of time spent researching the cost of keeping dads car which dh is very keen to do tax is about £350 and insurance about £650, a total estimated cost (with £50 pm float for repairs - it’s a 9 year old 3 litre BMW X3 sport) of about £4200 over the course of the two and a half years left on our mortgage.

With a ridiculously tight budget WITHOUT the car we are about £27,200 short at the end. This has not been helped by the fact the new bosses want to do daily deliveries into London now so he won’t be able to take the electric van home anymore, therefore needing a car for about four days a week. He could however get lifts pretty often from a colleague....

I’m against it personally but he works a lot more than me so I feel it’s his call as he’s pretty low maintenance usually

themadvix

Hmm... I agree that it's a tricky one, but think that the car is going to be pretty expensive to run with those costs plus I hate to think what the MPG is. Would he have to pay congestion/ULEZ charges too, or would he not be using it in Central London (I suspect not, but presumably there's a possibility?).

Could he not be persuaded to buy something smaller and cheaper to run? You could buy something with the cost of the tax and insurance for a year! (Total sympathy though - it's so difficult when you can see the issues but it's not your call to make!)

Moneyfordreams

I had a BMw for a few years. Every time it needed fixing it was around £500... twice a year. It was 3-6years old. I gave it back half way through. Just before my husband went belly up.

newgirly

Hi guys, the mpg is not too terrible to be honest as it’s a diesel. I believe that diesels are now banned in central London as of 2020 although we would’nt need to use it for that anyway. It does feel wrong to me though, I’d never buy a diesel now. Mfd’s I totally agree, we had an old one years ago and that was dear too! My dads been telling us what a great car it’s is and how it never has problems (it’s defiantly needed some repairs).

A smaller cheaper greener car is my preference (well an electric mini is actually, buts that’s not happening ) but persuading dh its better would be tricky - it’s been my dads car since new, great condition, leather heated seats, big and lovely shiny black. He loves it He has actually said we will give it back , it’s not like he said digging his heels in, I just feel bad.

Dd is short of money, we are paying her tube fares plus about an extra £50 pm on top to help pay for site visits on her course and it’s really not enough I’ve sent her an extra £100 today to see her through until payday. I’ve budgeted £300pm for the 6 month course/work placement and we are half way through, plus I have paid her a month in advance so she’s just realised shes spent it too fast. She’s being very careful and not eating out at all, but she needs to pay entrance fees into venues. I thought we were covering stuff ok but I know we are falling short now.

Feeling rough still and am in bed, really not sure how I’ll cope with work tomorrow, but having a day off and have all the guys at work take the Micky for being a wuss might be just as bad as going in, I’m clearing suffering with man flu though

Moneyfordreams

I would love solar panels and an electric car.. ( more so for tax reasons … My commute is 12miles a day but not a journey you can bike or walk. I may out my location/self with further info a 15min journey turns into 50 mins each way with 2 buses or a bus and train.

I loved my BMws heated leather seats. but you can buy heated seats to plug in now (lid1 !! ) I love more my no road tax, £40 petrol per month super little ayg0 . so does my husband as he keeps driving it whilst I'm asleep !!! I'm short and need to adjust the seat

themadvix

I think you've got your answer there NG - if things are getting tougher due to having to sub DD, then I think your husband is doing the right thing, even if it's not the thing he wants to do! It won't be long till you're mortgage free though - and I'm sure you'll both be saving up to splash out on cars!

PS Thanks for comments on blog

newgirly

My friend has an aygo it’s really cute will see how it goes over the next few months I guess, a 2 litre fifteen year old convertible automatic beetle is probably not the most green choice either Hopefully dds money is finished with this year as I’ll give her a last lump sum of £600 in Dec as I don’t want to carry over to 2020 , then she can have a fabulous well paid job and splash out on her mum

Off work today as I’m not sure I would make the drive let alone work, will drag myself come what may tomorrow though as I’ll need a doctors note and getting an appointment is impossible quickly, at least I’m up and about today.

After realising our Budapest trip is in two week not one, I’ve decided to go to York this weekend :j my parents and aunt are going today as the xmas market starts this week, they will be gone Friday morning
though. It’s the only chance we will get to drive down on a Friday as dh cant take time off in Dec and it’s either booked up or we are away all other weekends. Driving down on a Friday night after work is too much stress really, I would rather arrive early Friday and leave Sunday lunchtime.

It will be a chance to cost up the diesel on the journey which ive not done properly before, making it easier to decide when we can afford to head off last minute. If my parents have been there may be crisps knocking around and no doubt plenty of booze for dh quite excited now, just hope I’m recovered enough to want to go.

PS. The madvix’s blog is well worth read, link to it when you click on her name

themadvix

Thanks NG!

York sounds like a great idea for the weekend - I'm only a tad jealous! And a good idea to get an idea of mileage costs too.