MF at last! Now for the £300,000 'Mansion' Fund.

earthgirl

Oh Courgette, thank you for your encouraging and thoughtful post. You are truly a sweetie and I don't know what I'd do without you and the other posters!

We are also thinking about what we are going to do a bit longer term. The secondary schools near where we live currently are quite bad. There are 2 good ones, one quite close, one further away. In terms of primary there is 2 awful and one quite good. We were going to save until the lo is ready to go to secondary and then move, but we risk sending him to a dodgy primary as well, and then having to move him away from all of his friends at the end of primary to get him into a reasonable secondary.

We are not ready to move in the next few years really - We probably wouldn't get our forever house, so we might either

a) Wait and move in about 3 years to get him into a good primary and secondary- again would we find our forever house?
b) buy a house in a good catchment area now whilst its cheap, rent it out, use it for an address for school admissions and then sell our current house and move into that one when he goes to school - this way we can't be seen as cheating to get into a catchment area.


Anyway my savings need to be stepped up. We need to really save to either remortgage our house to buy another one, or we need to save to get as perfect a house as possible in about 3 years.

Having a little one has really changed my outlook, and being away from him has made me see what is important. I eventually want to work part time, so a tiny mortgage is essential!!

So what can I do?

Income
- Promotion at work is out of the question, I really think my school is going down the pan - we have been downbanded by 2 bands recently, there is no support and its horrendous. I will just keep my head down and hope we don't go into special measures.


- Step up my work on ohs business (I have been enjoying this recently)
- keep tutoring and try to expand this.
- Try with survey sites - never done this before.
- Mystery shop for Christmas presents and birthday presents
- look into matched betting
- look into tax rebates for clothing and for maternity pay

Outgoings
- Batchcook and really reduce grocery spends (at the moment about £40 / week I have been going to Mr A for convenience, but Mr Ls is a lot cheaper and just round the corner!)
- speak to oh about reducing electricity spends
- go through martins orverhaul your finances guide

Right off I go!

earthgirl

Which survey sites are best and give the best return?

debtfreewannabe321

earthgirl wrote: »

Which survey sites are best and give the best return?

Hi EG de-lurking, I use valued 0pinions, maximiles &mysurvey for surveys. it seems to take me forever to get to payout but i keep the vouchers to use towards gifts so every little helps

Keep going, your diary is very inspirational to a dfw like me :T (who can only ever dream of getting to a MF status lol)

:A

biglass

FWIW Choose a house in best catchment you can afford and yes, start LO there in primary for continuity( my LO's recently moved primary schools and its been hard for one of them)
Don't worry about a forever home- your priorities will change over the years and you can still move after kids secondary education ( education is definitely the most important for the foreseeable)
Don't wear yourself out with surveys .tutoring etc- until your OH is fully onboard (sorry to be blunt re timeshares,wine,suits etc!) you're the one breaking your neck making saves all over the place and getting stressed. Slow down, and take time to get perspective as you're mortgage free ,have a permanent contract with lots of savings and you're in danger of losing a lot(mentally) over saving a few quid. Plan for the future by all means but keep perspective.Sorry to sound nippy but have watched you running around sorting everything out for you andyour OH and think you need to take a deep breath:o
PS make sure you fill in relevant form for pupil's threatening behaviour- you need to do this to raise awareness,protect yourself and force boss to acknowledge this . And don't be afraid to do this each and every time- stuff boss if she makes you feel like a whinge.You musn't take this behaviour as acceptable

ajmoney

Hi, I often lurk and read your thread as it has been inspirational. DH may have got the wrong end of the stick but is about to look into a form recommended by others, a P87 where he can claw back some of the costs with his union (he is also a teacher). Sorry if you already know about this or he has got it wrong but it may be somewhere else you can get some money. Anyway, I will go back to lurking again x

Secret_Saving_Squirrel

Hello,

Personally I think survey sites are far too much work for a few quid in comparison with what you can get for tutoring or exam marking. Your time is more valuable when you are also working outside the house. I think, for what it is worth, move to the area with good schools now, even if to a non forever home, carry on being mfw and in a few years you will be able to move for the last time. And your little ones won't have to change schools and will always have a good education.

Keep the faith, we all waste some money but you do it less than most! It won't be long before the babies are grown up and you don't want to miss it.

Squirrel x

earthgirl

biglass wrote: »

until your OH is fully onboard (sorry to be blunt re timeshares,wine,suits etc!)

That made me laugh!! Yes I remember someone coming round one day with something for my oh - I asked him who he was and he said 'Your husbands tailor, madam' :eek::rotfl:Ohs suits are really nice though!!

I don't think he will ever be fully on board, but he makes me a better person, and its part of lifes rich tapestry, even if its a bit shocking sometimes!

Ok I will maybe just do the survey sites in the holidays or something. I have done a tutoring, and a little work on ohs business, and I am planning storecupboard meals.

biglass

You are such a sweet girl, Earthy,what a lovely thing to say about your OH . Hope he knows what a lucky guy he is to have you! I wish you all the very best for your wee family:) xx

summerday

Sorry to hear that things are going downhill at school. You push yourself so hard, work so many hours, which I can't deny I have been willing to do myself up until now but when I have the baby things will change as I don't believe that they will ever appreciate having a huge house (we also hope to move to somewhere larger eventually, but with a very flexible time scale) more than their mummy having time to spend with them. Please, please don't take that as me being critical of your lifestyle choices because I promise I'm not, I'm a real believer in every woman having the right to work part time, full time, whatever suits her best and regardless of whether she has kids or not.

It's just that so often you seem unhappy at how little time you have left to spend with the family and I know you aspire to work part time and slow things down one day, but your little one is growing up before your eyes, be careful that the time doesn't just slip away before you manage to get off the treadmill. Especially if you don't really enjoy your job to the point of it stressing you out- your health and wellbeing is the most important thing of all.

I agree with biglass, moving to a batter catchment makes sense, even if it's not your forever house- a good school is worth far more than any pile of bricks and mortar, however big, and it's a good point about him being able to make friends that he can keep when moving to high school.

Remember how little you could get by and live on, as you are so used to being frugal, esp as you are mortgage free, as Courgette said- the part time dream does not have to be a carrot dangling in the future, it really could be something you could choose now, if you can bring yourself to adjust the target goalposts. You have already achieved the ultimate goal-paying off the mortgage of the house you live in now- it doesn't have to be an eternal slog hun!

I reiterate- I sincerely hope that none of this post comes across as being judgemental in any way- you are one of the posters who has inspired me the most and your capacity for hard work and looking on the bright side are incredible. Just for your sake, don't be afraid to be flexible and change the plan a little- it would certainly not mean you have failed in any way, especially if you and your family are happier for it. I truly wish you the very best and that the situation resolves itself in the way that works out best for you. As biglass says, you are a sweetie and you deserve to be happy. xx

gratefulforhelp_2

earthgirl wrote: »

I have to put my health and our family first.

earthgirl wrote: »

I have to put my health and our family first.

earthgirl wrote: »

I have to put my health and our family first.

Was this boy being properly aggressive? Are you an established teacher in this school?

If it's not being followed and you feel threatened can you involve the union?

Is your HOD supporting you?

Lots of love xxx