Moving onwards, the family home and making it MF. LP diary pt2

LilacPixie

Wayhey ar insurance has settled . Only issue now is I am on maternity pay and our savings have been blasted away a fair bit over the last 3 months. I feel we are badly positioned for rest of maternity leave.

Good points:

I have money in seperate account to cover mortgage payment up to 1st November, we need to 'find' £700 for 1st December payment.
Store cupboards/freezer full thanks to whoopsies and approved foods
I have been plugging away with surveys and glitches and have a fair bit of kids christmas sorted.

Not so good points

OH car tax due end of August
We have a sun weekend booked start of august for a break so need spending money

Bad Points

we are spending too much on a monthly basis
DD1 is taking a stretch again so that means new clothes

The Future

Well My SMP finishes in October and really really I don't think we can make it to January to allow me the full year off as we will not be able to raise the money for December and Januarys mortgage payment. DH loan finishes in May 2012 ad that will ease pressure on us by a huge amount. I am still planning on paying £150 council tax money from feb and march into mortgage as an overpayment but we are also considering taking kids to disney in Paris come next easter.

Overall I think i need to do an SOA and see how much money we are up/down or what.

LilacPixie

I think I am self destructive tendancies!! We decided to book a holiday for next year, it does not need paid until next March though so we are OK, It is all inclusive, july 2012, majorca, under £1600 for us 5. I will be starting another challange to make that cost neutral over the next 9 months of so, It should spur me on to be super frugal oh and to declutter.

Does anyone know if i buy sun cream when they sell it off in Autumn will it be ok for next summer?

Brodiebobs

i think they usually have use by dates on, so as long as its within that date and unopened it'll be fine. Just checked a boots soltan one and it says use within 18 months of opening so yeah will be fine.

cha97michelle

Most are 12 months after opening, but I am still using up some from 2 summers ago and we haven't been burnt using it. I think they just say it to protect themselves as I am pretty sure it never used to have dates on it.

Get frugal mrs. Stop spending.

Failing that, earn some. Have you got back into surveys/reviews? Chow are currently doing a promotion where you earn £0.50 for writing reviews in house and garden, of health categories. I have been doing stuff like my bed covers, kids bookshelf, washing up liquid, hayfever tablets. It is on till the end of the month, so you could earn your first few quid there. It doesn't require much brain power to review loo roll and bathroom cleaner.

yukkibear

where are you going? we have just come back from majorca in the north and it was lush. That's a great price for all of you.

LilacPixie

Alcudia Yukki. I have only ever been to magaluf, santa ponsa and callas de mallorca so alcudia is a new one on me.

Michelle - I need to get earning i think, i have been threatening reviews but something always gets in the way, usually a child. I'm all talk and no action half the time I think. But hey this holiday is booked so it needs paid for.

cha97michelle

Well get on with it then. You could write it on word through the day, and then post when you get a free minute. It needn't all be written in one go.

Holiday sounds lush. We just got a tax credit rebate of nearly £1k, and I was so tempted to do a holiday, but I whacked £900 off the mortgage and £50 into the ISA. I know what I am like if i leave it sat in the current account.

You also need to get this extra for Decembers mortgage payment don't you?

I know you can do it hon.

LilacPixie

cha97michelle wrote: »

Well get on with it then. You could write it on word through the day, and then post when you get a free minute. It needn't all be written in one go.

Holiday sounds lush. We just got a tax credit rebate of nearly £1k, and I was so tempted to do a holiday, but I whacked £900 off the mortgage and £50 into the ISA. I know what I am like if i leave it sat in the current account.

You also need to get this extra for Decembers mortgage payment don't you?

I know you can do it hon.

yeah I do but i am thinking of going back to work, well using holidays. My SMP ends mid October but i think I have about 7 weeks holidays to take before 1st Feb 2012 so I was thinking about using them to mean I can stay off work until December but get full time pay so we would be OK for Decembers mortgage payment. I need to see exactly what holidays I have left though.

yukkibear

we went just past alcudia to peurto pollensa. Lovely part of the island.

You've made me look at prices for next year!

LilacPixie

holidays are infectious. I am even looking at Disneyland Paris for a weekend later in 2012. It sounds very very bizzare I guess when we should be payig off the mortgage but I have a savings bond maturing October 2012, our fixed rate ends November 2012 and OH big big debt ends in May 2012. We can do our summer holiday plus a small break away without it impacting on our MF date but obviously if we din't have those breaks then MF would be closer. I am a bit of a believer in balance, nothing wrong with having a holiday as long as its smart like no spending 3k on a 5 day DLP break via a travel agent but nothing wrong with using airmiles for flights, tesco voucers for parktickets etc etc.

So there we have it, I am on the look out for a nice deal..

Can someone PM me a list of current survey sites that are worthwhile. Just logged into OP for first time in ages and its changed a bit, i lost interest when i hit payout so i'm trying to get back into it again. Basically I need my hand held to get back into a routine