£14310 off mortgage 2010 lets make 2011 better

sarahevie

Really enjoying the hot and sunny weather.

DD2 did her first day in the school nursery where she will be going next year and settled in well.

DD1 looking forward to starting school.

OH away on a lads jaunt abroad so just me and my girls having fun, I thought that it would be really hard work alone, but actually its not.

OH has had a big promotion so his salary is going up about £10,000 a year from August so should make life easier. Still doesn't make us huge earners especially as I'm going on mat leave in Aug - but he's going to be earning £31,000 so will have to have a go at another SOA especially as we have been in the new house for seven months, so have an idea of utilities etc now.

sarahevie

Treated the girls to soft play yesterday and left after ten minutes as their behaviour was awful. Came home and they were delightful did jigsaws, books, bit of DVD (we don't have a TV.)

Probably taking them swimming again today, I'm not keen but they love it, we went four times last week, and it is better for them.

Lots of spends creeping in at the mo. £58 in Asda living on baby clothes, new duvet, bedding on Sat. New freezer, we have done without one for over a month as ours broke, £170. Full tank of petrol £49. Food shop £52 (included re stocking the new freezer.)

I asked OH about his wage increase yesterday and what he intends to do with the extra £300 a month, plus approximately £8000 in bonus' and surprisingly he is setting up a direct debit for the £300 (from his basic wage) into savings. Like he said we have lived on this budget for two plus years and he doesn't need the extra. We have very minimal savings around £4000, which isn't enough when you consider we pay £1500 in mortgage payments alone a month.

Now to get him to pay it off the mortgage, small steps though, small steps. He's also quite keen on keeping our old house, it isn't selling but would rent very very easily. He's always been so against my student property and now he wants to be a landlord. It's odd. Maybe he's just growing up.

sarahevie

Been really busy just enjoying the holidays with my girls.

Trying to prepare DD1 for school and DD2 for school nursery, they are both starting new in September - as well as getting ready for the baby.

Not being particularly MSE as we have had to buy things for the house, plumbing has needed some work, bought a few things for the baby as we got rid of a lot of the girls things when we moved, also we bought everything for them second hand and then used them to death with having two girls 20 months apart.

Really worrying about the cost of childcare for next year to finish my PGCE but know that it will be worth it in the long run.

OH loving his promotion, and now looking at the next step wtihin two years, I know that it is a much smaller step up the ladder this next one (not in terms of salary but in time it will take to achieve, as he is now management, and they only promote management from within.) So it's a smaller pool of applicants for the jobs.

sarahevie

I'm back to MSE ways, had another beautiful baby girl, so now a mum to three girls all under the age of five:eek:

DD2 started back at school nursery and seems to be settling in well. dd1 back next week, she is doing phased start, as its reception year.

I should be back at uni next week with a 2 week old, but I'm not missing DD1s first day of school, so will have to have that out with my tutor.

Childcare expense is a real worry but my mum is having the baby so I can finish the PGCE 2 days a week, so that's a relief. Mum lives near the uni as well so I'll be going for lunch, won't be away from the baby for more than 5 hours at a time which is good.

Bought lots of baby stuff at a carboot and I'm exclusively breast feeding again so that's MSE

skint_spice

Congratulations on your new arrival.

Anna_Glypta

Congratulations - you've definitely got your hands full:j

sarahevie

We've been adjusting to life as a family of five.

we love it, but we are loving it so much we have been having a lot of fun and not very MSE.

Have also decided on a couple of extravagant purchases like a holiday next summer probably going to cost £3000 as its school holidays and we won't have been abroad for 6 years.

starting to think that there's more to life than constantly scrimping and saving. We have lived on pennies for years so really enjoying our Friday teas out etc.

OH hasn't been saving his pay increase, it's been spent on entertainment but actually for the first time in about 5 years as a family we are all truly happy and a lot of it is because I'm not scurrying away every spare penny but actually enjoying taking girls out to soft play, socialising.

It's embarassing but in the last five years I've avoided uni meet ups, as the cost of train fare etc, we've dodged weddings cost of transport/gifts etc. no eating out, no takeaways we are doing it now and actually it feels pretty good.

when OH gets his bonus next year it will be about £10,000 after tax we are going to try and take that straight off the mortgage. I might even sneak another OP before the end of the year but I feel pretty chilled at the moment

sarahevie

I'm back on the MSE bandwagon, for the moment.

November is going to cripple us. Extra £350 on childcare, (for my PGCE placement. Almost 2 weeks down (tomorrow), 3 weeks to go after half term.:j

Car insurance £265. MOT (hoping it'll pass first time) and Road TAX all due.

Plus rental house expenses £290 so far with a bill to come in for a new thermostatic radiator valve around £90.

However, current account stands at £4500, so we have a buffer and will definitely OP before the end of the year. Was hoping for £4000, but the way things are going anything would be a bonus

sarahevie

Just a mini rant, the EA who is trying to sell our old home. Emailed me today to arrange a meeting, as she's the new branch manager and wants to move our sale forward.

They have had the property on their books for 5 months, have had 14 viewings, 5 cancellations. We are always chasing them for feedback, they never call us.

They've been rubbish, we signed up with the old branch manager but she left about 3 months ago and not a lot has happened since really.

Anyway finally she gets in touch and gets the property address wrong twice. I sent her a snotty letter back, saying the least they can do is get the address of the property right. :mad::mad:

SmlSave

starting to think that there's more to life than constantly scrimping and saving. We have lived on pennies for years so really enjoying our Friday teas out etc.

Having just eaten a huge sausage bap I agree sarahevie and you should enjoy your holiday next year, you deserve it! Just look how much you've reduced the mortgage already.

Sounds like the new EA branch manager isn't much good, perhaps you should see if there are better ones out there? I say better ones....I don't have much respect for EA's