Pay off mortgage and start having fun!

Moneyfordreams

I did easy shopping last week - for easy cooking. ready prepared stir fry, ready prepared chicken. meat already in sauce to just bung in the oven. Mind you with OH doing most its always hard We've had extra for dinner this week with DD1 and GD coming as she is having her kitchen fitted. At least that is only for a week you deserve a medal. 
Strangely he has come home from work (nights a a big SM) with 12 microwave basmati rice!! it must have been a good offer.   

themadvix

I think using frozen is very good - for the planet (less wastage), for your pocket (much cheaper) and for convenience for you with them all coming and going - don't knock it. 

It's good that you're still allowed to go and get a coffee at the factory after they made you redundant. That's something in their favour!

newgirly

I think colder weather suits frozen more, veg and gravy mmm 🙂

Vix, don’t give the so called “manager” any credit for letting me go back!  the owner has only ever visited once for 20mins before he took over, and the manager has no experience or interest in manufacturing he is basically just a shop manager in a tiny boutique in London that sells our products, he pops in a couple of hours a month to do a stock take of what he’s sold, he literally just sells stuff to customers who walk in, others do everything else he’s useless (and hopefully not a reader of this diary 😆)  oh and he’s told some members of staff he’s a bit scared of me 😂 

Still on a more positive note ds2 has a job 🥳 it’s temporary until new year, but fingers crossed! They take on thirty staff and keep on average three after a few months, it’s in the same type of business as what he was doing for us so that’s hopefully a plus point having previous experience. Don’t know many details but I believe they pay actual real money in return for working, in my kids experience that’s shockingly not always the case 😱

Moneyfordreams

Great news for DS. fingers crossed its longer for him

themadvix

It's definitely good that the manager is scared of you!

Excellent news for DS2 - even if it's short term, it looks good, is money in the bank and is more experience. Hopefully they keep him on though.

newgirly

Thanks mfd’s and Vix 🙂 not such great news for ds1 who has been told all along his job is safe, they have now said they may make him part time ☹️ he’s gutted and says he will look for something else, but he loves that job so I think he should wait it out a while as they are getting busier now. 

Dh has been in a grumpy mood all week and last night I found out why! He’s been told by the manager there’s not enough money to pay the wages this month at the moment. They have many other businesses that make vast amounts so it’s not much of a worry for them, they can just shut. But there is vast amounts of work not going out as they got rid of me and I’m the first step in the process so there’s a huge backlog, Crazy when I offered to go zero hours to get on top of it. He’s really had enough I think and is slowly shifting things into place to start up in his own if he has to. I must admit I thought ahhhh I’ve just paid £2k off the mortgage this week more or less, but you know what I’m not going to be reckless but I can’t keep living for what ifs anymore, it’s not good so I’m pressing on with my plans whatever happens.

I’ve spent some money and joined weight watchers again, I am eating pretty badly lately and want to get fitter. Weight wise I probably only need to lose 1/2 - one stone depending how I look, got to be careful at 45 I don’t want to look saggy 😆 but hopefully as it’s loads of free fruit veg eggs etc. it will force me to cook. Yesterday I had cheese and crackers for lunch dinner and an afternoon snack 😱 Anyway it was £13.95 pm for two months and one free, online only. 

CathT

I'm thinking of doing the same with accounts NG, have an account that's only open as it was part of a switching offer and the log in process is more complicated than my usual bank. I guess it's just a case of altering the few direct debits and closing them down. Hope work related changes settle down for you all too. Is your new venture still in the planning stages?

newgirly

Hi Cath, I was able to switch mine to my main current account rather than having to manually change direct debits (Halifax /Santander closing and moving to nationwide) worth checking 🙂

The ball is rolling with paying the factory mortgage off 😬 I’ve requested a transfer to our current account from the offset ready and dad is lending us £25k. I’ve also decided to clear the 0% credit card with the holding money in the offset (£6500 odd) which may seem foolish as the idea was to have it there stoozing until he deal ends, but I’d prefer to have what’s in the offset just as mortgage ops. I’m also going to do my personal spending on the credit card and clear the balance from my allowance every month ,it’s easier to keep track of than having everything running through the main bills account. Grocery’s and petrol is a separate cc. Should be a lot less bank reconciling going in every day now 😊

I’m reducing the kids rent and making it all equal as it feels fairer for now due to their situations, one was paying more than the others and will probably be taking a big pay cut anyway. So £100 each pm, I am keeping it separate from the bills etc. and it means we can just squeak by on bills and a grocery/ petrol budget of £535 pm, but there won’t be enough for a personal spending budget for me so I’ll earmark the rent money and split what’s left to savings or ops.

newgirly

Two days on the trot I’ve left the house and gone for a walk now, feeling better for it already 😬 I think I may have been more fed up than I realised over the last few months so thought I’d try and make changes to fix it, rejoining WW to get on track with healthier food and actual meals again plus fresh air should help. I find autumn my favourite season for walks anyway, although the cheapest country park to park in nearby is £2, the dearest about £5 😱 

Iceland delivery coming this morning, but only a £50 odd shop so it won’t go far, I’m waiting to see what boris says on Monday, but it seems a large family Xmas could still be on the cards (now I’ve ordered a turkey for 6-8) was actually thinking it might be nice to be a bit smaller and break the unwritten Xmas family rules a bit 😂 no way of telling this soon I guess! 

newgirly

Oh dear I’ve missed an email about a refund from the Albert hall 🤦🏼‍♀️ “ Let us know if you want a refund by 20th sept or we will email a credit note” It was for dds boyfriends 30th and £144 that she paid, I’ve emailed back and hope they will refund still, but I know they are massively struggling and pushing for you to donate lost money. 

Busy day ironing and doing a bit of work for dh again, nearly 12k steps which is good for a normal day let alone a Sunday 😬 

£5 op made from my personal spending budget as I felt like it 🙂