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Learning to live my dreams not trample on them

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  • savingholmes
    savingholmes Posts: 29,087 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    hi gill don't worry I didn't think it was a criticism - I genuinely admire how well you live within really tight constraints. As you say it will be nice when children related costs go - f they ever do LOl
    Achieve FIRE/Mortgage Neutrality in 2030
    1) MFW Nov 21 £202K now £171.8K Equity 36.37%
    2) £2.6K Net savings after CCs 10/10/25
    3) Mortgage neutral by 06/30 (AVC £27.9K + Lump Sums DB £4.6K + (25% of SIPP 1.25K) = 34/£127.5K target 26.6% 10/10/25
    (If took bigger lump sum = 60.35K or 47.6%)
    4) FI Age 60 income target £17.1/30K 57% (if mortgage and debts repaid - need more otherwise) (If bigger lump sum £15.8/30K 52.67%)
    5) SIPP £5K updated 10/10/25
  • savingholmes
    savingholmes Posts: 29,087 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    One good thing - I had put in my budget £25 a month for V cc but instead in Sept will pay the £170 I then owe them when 0% ends and then that payment can stop which will be good. I had forecast it in until this time next year.

    If my job does get made perm it means we could potentially have paid MIL off by this time next year unless mortgage rates rise quickly...

    We would also want to book a holiday abroad next year too! But would see this as coming out of funds after debt repaid...

    However looking at our actual spend this week and planned spend next week we still have a long way to go before we get our budgeting right!
    Achieve FIRE/Mortgage Neutrality in 2030
    1) MFW Nov 21 £202K now £171.8K Equity 36.37%
    2) £2.6K Net savings after CCs 10/10/25
    3) Mortgage neutral by 06/30 (AVC £27.9K + Lump Sums DB £4.6K + (25% of SIPP 1.25K) = 34/£127.5K target 26.6% 10/10/25
    (If took bigger lump sum = 60.35K or 47.6%)
    4) FI Age 60 income target £17.1/30K 57% (if mortgage and debts repaid - need more otherwise) (If bigger lump sum £15.8/30K 52.67%)
    5) SIPP £5K updated 10/10/25
  • savingholmes
    savingholmes Posts: 29,087 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Well I have just made the £1550 payment to BC so that finishes off that card! Decided I wanted satisfaction of paying it now so didn't wait for statement.

    I have also arranged for £170 to be paid to V late August so there is no risk of paying interest on that either.

    I also noticed that when I put my budget statements together I had put a £44 payment in 3x too many so that was good too as I have now taken it out.

    We are currently paying massive amounts to npower - so hoping that will build up a reserve for winter and that our payments will soon come down again.

    There is a hose pipe ban here too so hoping that will have a positive effect on my water bill this year - although I must remember to check our fish pond!
    Achieve FIRE/Mortgage Neutrality in 2030
    1) MFW Nov 21 £202K now £171.8K Equity 36.37%
    2) £2.6K Net savings after CCs 10/10/25
    3) Mortgage neutral by 06/30 (AVC £27.9K + Lump Sums DB £4.6K + (25% of SIPP 1.25K) = 34/£127.5K target 26.6% 10/10/25
    (If took bigger lump sum = 60.35K or 47.6%)
    4) FI Age 60 income target £17.1/30K 57% (if mortgage and debts repaid - need more otherwise) (If bigger lump sum £15.8/30K 52.67%)
    5) SIPP £5K updated 10/10/25
  • savingholmes
    savingholmes Posts: 29,087 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Taking DD into town shortly to put her money in the bank we have at last found her bank book! :jShe has been eaglerly saving her money box in a digital money box. I am very proud of her:T

    I am planning to fill up with diesel then - but had allowed £50 for that. I have to do a lot of mileage for work next week so I am hoping the expenses they already owe me and what they will owe me for next week will come to over £100. I only fill up about twice a month so at the moment it feels like they are covering my personal monthly fuel bill.:cool:

    I may get out the cash for next week them including for groceries and then that is sorted. If I leave the office at lunch time to get cash out that is when I get tempted to spend!

    I withdrew £10 from free daily scratchcards the other day and it has already hit my account which is nice. :cool:I am half way to a w amazon voucher at the moment too. One of my V scratchcards is getting closer to pay out.....

    It is my mum's birthday soon. Need to decide what to get her as seeing her straight after our holiday. It may be that her present has to come out of the holiday budget for the week after next unless I see anything good in town today!
    Achieve FIRE/Mortgage Neutrality in 2030
    1) MFW Nov 21 £202K now £171.8K Equity 36.37%
    2) £2.6K Net savings after CCs 10/10/25
    3) Mortgage neutral by 06/30 (AVC £27.9K + Lump Sums DB £4.6K + (25% of SIPP 1.25K) = 34/£127.5K target 26.6% 10/10/25
    (If took bigger lump sum = 60.35K or 47.6%)
    4) FI Age 60 income target £17.1/30K 57% (if mortgage and debts repaid - need more otherwise) (If bigger lump sum £15.8/30K 52.67%)
    5) SIPP £5K updated 10/10/25
  • savingholmes
    savingholmes Posts: 29,087 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Well just come back from town

    Diesel was £43.08 so pleased with that - so £6.92 under-budget for that

    Gave DD £2 for her pocket money as she put £22 in the bank so I gave her 50p extra as a reward

    However I spent £30.72 over budget (if I ignore £5.50 owed me by the kids) minus £6.92 underspend above - leaves £23.29 over budget - could be offset if OH and I spend less this week on personal spends - or on groceries

    £1.99 on a recipe book "Waste not want not" - hopefully that will give us more food ideas on a budget
    £4.99 soft pastels for DS - I agreed to go halves -so he owes me £2.49
    £2.99 on a sketch pad for DS - I agreed to go halves - so he owes me £1.49
    £2.99 on a mosaic crystal journal (craft make) for DD - I agreed to go halves so she owes me next week's pocket money!
    So spent £12.96 - there but kids owe me £5.50 ish of that out of next week's budget

    Also bought DS jeans for £18.75 in the River Island sale - reduced from £45! I haven't bought jeans for him for years so it is fair enough really. He gets most of his clothes handed down. The ones he's got all have major holes in them - kind of beyond fashionable to just worn out. He can carry on wearing those for messing about in - but I wanted some more respectable ones for church and visiting MIL and the grandparents.

    I also spent £4 in a bargain shop but that included £2.79 on sun spray, some sweets and cans.
    Achieve FIRE/Mortgage Neutrality in 2030
    1) MFW Nov 21 £202K now £171.8K Equity 36.37%
    2) £2.6K Net savings after CCs 10/10/25
    3) Mortgage neutral by 06/30 (AVC £27.9K + Lump Sums DB £4.6K + (25% of SIPP 1.25K) = 34/£127.5K target 26.6% 10/10/25
    (If took bigger lump sum = 60.35K or 47.6%)
    4) FI Age 60 income target £17.1/30K 57% (if mortgage and debts repaid - need more otherwise) (If bigger lump sum £15.8/30K 52.67%)
    5) SIPP £5K updated 10/10/25
  • savingholmes
    savingholmes Posts: 29,087 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Some good money news though - I went into a jewellery shop to look for a present for my mum and had a sudden thought that I had bought her a present from there in January. Searched for it when I got home and found it plus a really pretty gift box I bought ages ago. So that is pretty much her present done and dusted so that is good doesn't have to come out of this month's budget.

    Still need to finalise OH's present. We have put off buying the £350 padi course as you have to do a fitness test and he is not sure he would pass. So we want to improve his fitness level before booking the course! He's already had a computer graphics card for £130 plus I've bought him some CDs and DVDs using my amazon vouchers so at the moment he will get about 3 wrap ups on the day and that is about it!! It's his 40th this year tho which is why we are pushing the proverbial boat out. His mum is paying for most of our holiday as a present to him and I am hopeful my parents will give him money towards the padi course. He doesn't really want to go out with friends and celebrate or anything so we shouldn't have that cost....
    Achieve FIRE/Mortgage Neutrality in 2030
    1) MFW Nov 21 £202K now £171.8K Equity 36.37%
    2) £2.6K Net savings after CCs 10/10/25
    3) Mortgage neutral by 06/30 (AVC £27.9K + Lump Sums DB £4.6K + (25% of SIPP 1.25K) = 34/£127.5K target 26.6% 10/10/25
    (If took bigger lump sum = 60.35K or 47.6%)
    4) FI Age 60 income target £17.1/30K 57% (if mortgage and debts repaid - need more otherwise) (If bigger lump sum £15.8/30K 52.67%)
    5) SIPP £5K updated 10/10/25
  • savingholmes
    savingholmes Posts: 29,087 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Well I sent OH out to get some groceries - he spent £14 so have £16 left for the rest of the week. I knew he would spend less than me so that was good.

    Still chuffed that Barclaycard now completely paid off. Next target is the post office to which we owe after this month's £90 payment - £2892. I want to get that paid off by the end of October at the latest so that I can hopefully clear a third card by Christmas.
    Achieve FIRE/Mortgage Neutrality in 2030
    1) MFW Nov 21 £202K now £171.8K Equity 36.37%
    2) £2.6K Net savings after CCs 10/10/25
    3) Mortgage neutral by 06/30 (AVC £27.9K + Lump Sums DB £4.6K + (25% of SIPP 1.25K) = 34/£127.5K target 26.6% 10/10/25
    (If took bigger lump sum = 60.35K or 47.6%)
    4) FI Age 60 income target £17.1/30K 57% (if mortgage and debts repaid - need more otherwise) (If bigger lump sum £15.8/30K 52.67%)
    5) SIPP £5K updated 10/10/25
  • savingholmes
    savingholmes Posts: 29,087 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    I have just partly redone my budget - allowing £70 for hair cuts every 6 weeks for me and OH and allowing OH £27 a week for fuel rather than every other week. I also increased monthly family treat from £25 to £50. Luckily I had missed out the child benefit income of £134 so these increases are "affordable"

    I do feel better now I have a budget in place again - but must admit to feeling completely obsessed again!
    Achieve FIRE/Mortgage Neutrality in 2030
    1) MFW Nov 21 £202K now £171.8K Equity 36.37%
    2) £2.6K Net savings after CCs 10/10/25
    3) Mortgage neutral by 06/30 (AVC £27.9K + Lump Sums DB £4.6K + (25% of SIPP 1.25K) = 34/£127.5K target 26.6% 10/10/25
    (If took bigger lump sum = 60.35K or 47.6%)
    4) FI Age 60 income target £17.1/30K 57% (if mortgage and debts repaid - need more otherwise) (If bigger lump sum £15.8/30K 52.67%)
    5) SIPP £5K updated 10/10/25
  • savingholmes
    savingholmes Posts: 29,087 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Well today's spends - £0.25 which was just to get change for parking! Plus a £30 gift to someone.

    I have just spent over 2 hours going through a box full of papers plus 3 intrays to find the relevant tax info to do my tax credit return. Right at the bottom of the box I found the final payslip I needed so hopefully I can renew my tax credits tomorrow. I was sure I would be able to find everything so that was good. That will be a relief when that is done - as then we should get our £450 refund as well as secure payments for the rest of the year.

    I am also waiting for a quidco payment but they wanted proof of purchase which I also found while sorting through the above! So hopefully £65 will be coming to me shortly too!

    Both kids happily and hopefully safely away staying at relatives so hoping for a peaceful and relatively restful week. We are going to pick them up on the way to our holiday so we had to be super organised and make sure they had stuff suitable for this week and our holiday week! They will then have a 1 or 2 day turn around before going to the grandparents so I need to make sure we keep on top of washing... although tempted to just let them take their dirty holiday clothes to my parents and then they can wash them!! I am sure it will work out!
    Achieve FIRE/Mortgage Neutrality in 2030
    1) MFW Nov 21 £202K now £171.8K Equity 36.37%
    2) £2.6K Net savings after CCs 10/10/25
    3) Mortgage neutral by 06/30 (AVC £27.9K + Lump Sums DB £4.6K + (25% of SIPP 1.25K) = 34/£127.5K target 26.6% 10/10/25
    (If took bigger lump sum = 60.35K or 47.6%)
    4) FI Age 60 income target £17.1/30K 57% (if mortgage and debts repaid - need more otherwise) (If bigger lump sum £15.8/30K 52.67%)
    5) SIPP £5K updated 10/10/25
  • tirlittan
    tirlittan Posts: 3,397 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker Debt-free and Proud!
    Oh my gosh, your life sounds really busy!
    Doing very well though. :)
    DEBT FREE OCTOBER 2012!
    Proud to have dealt with my debts!
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