My mortgage free mission!!!!!!

CathT

Fantastic news about the tax credits back pay, let's hope it's in your account/ISA very soon. I renewed mine over the phone yesterday and had overestimated our income by about £6000 so have my fingers tightly crossed for backpay.

Re: your MA. I claimed it on my first child and am sure was asked to submit 3 payslips from a qualifying period and am sure you could send in the ones with highest earnings. The qualifying period is quite a long time before baby's due date I think so maybe you will get it based on your last job?

Damn, I missed the Aldi offer! Will scour work for a leftover paper tomorrow!

Hope you are feeling ok pregnancy wise, not so easy second time around with a toddler is it. Rest up when you can.

frugalfrog

I've now got all of my daughters 2nd birthday presents (nothing big, just lots of little things), just have to wrap them now. Only just over a week to go, I cant believe how fast the last two years have gone! Managed to get most of the stuff off Amazon with vouchers so have only spent around £20 in actual money.

Going to have a small party next Sunday, just close friends/family, I'm not really up to having lots of people at ours. Hoping it is going to keep sunny so we can have everyone in our garden, makes things easier!

Good news on the Maternity Allowance front, I spoke to their helpline yesterday & if I pay full Class 2 NI (the self employed NI) for 13 weeks I will be entitled to full MA without having to provide proof of income - so that will be £136 a week. I am entitled to start claiming already, but have 2 more tax returns to do. So once these are done I think I may have a little break & get everything ready for the little ones arrival.

frugalfrog

Forgot to say - Free Farm Sunday! Loads of farms around the country are open for free this Sunday. Great free day out with little ones!

frugalfrog

Had a lovely weekend, daughters 2nd birthday & she had such an exciting time. Basically 3 days of visits from friends & family bringing her presents. She is growing up soo fast!

Well, tax credit lump sum has been paid, only £1700 and not £2.5k+ which was expected, however, our monthly payments have gone up too, so waiting for the letter to explain what is going on :S

Opened a Nationwide FlexDirect account yesterday, so hoping the transfer goes through soon to start earning interest on the TC payment (currently in my savings which has reverted to basic interest of 1/2%!!!). FlexDirect is a current account which pays 5% on balances up to £2,500. So if I keep it maxed out, we should get interest of £125 in the year, PLUS Quidco are doing a cashback offer at the moment of £70 (Topcashback also has £68) if you open via them. So went through Quidco & it has tracked straight away, so looking at making around £195 just through switching current account.

Just gone through my SOA including the MA I should be getting & my Income less basic Expenditure is leaving me with a balance of £480!!! last time I went through the SOA it was a minus figure!!! Going to be careful & make I keep money allocated to savings/then to mortgage overpayments & might be able to get back on track for my aim of mortgage free by 40! This would involve OP by £4000 per year (on current mortgage deal), however once 5 year fixed is up in 2016, hoping to get LTV to 66%, which should mean a better deal.

CathT

That's great news about your MA and your much improved SOA. Definitely takes the pressure off now. Glad your daughter had a lovely birthday, I think some people go a bit OTT and low key definitely suits us too.

frugalfrog

Received letter from TC today & it confirms that £500 of the payment from 2012-13 has been carried forward to 2013-14 year, so that explains everything, so that means another £60 per month on my SOA. Figures looking better!

frugalfrog

Just been watching superscrimpers on 4od. Young couple wanting to get married but cannot save, but manage to spend £14k a year on clothes, alcohol & food. I initall got annoyed as wonder how people can really that stupid! And daddy had paid for a number of things i.e. her dress and the venue. However the show did have some great tips and ideas to have a budget wedding. Homemade decorations and elderflower champagne. I really liked the idea of elderflower champange as we have a huge elderflower plant in our garden, may give it a go next year (once I can safely have a drink!).

It has got me thinking about when we eventually get married. My brothers fiance got her dress from the Oxfam wedding shop near where they live for under £100, my bestfriend spent over £1000 on her dress and they are still paying for their wedding years later. I know we will never fall into that trap as I am too sensible! The only thing I don't want to scrimp on is a photographer as I do really like good photos. Someone I went to school is a brilliant photographer so hoping she doesn't charge too much!

frugalfrog

As much as I love my other halfs cooking, he does make such a mess! However, he has managed to find how to make takeaway curry that actually tastes like what we get from the takeaway. When I was pregnant with my daughter I got a real addiction to chicken tikka masala, however, on our current budget it is pretty impossible to afford the £20 for a takeaway. If anyone is interested its on youtube

http://www.youtube.com/user/leviteish

It is not a budget meal & does need some specialist items that you can't buy from Tescos (really need an Indian supermarket), however, compared to the cost of takeaways, its a steal!

frugalfrog

another £5 also voucher in mirror today according to extreme couponing on fb. Was about to leave for Aldi, going to stop at news agent on way

frugalfrog

Back from Aldi, managed to spend £56 after the £5 off! Oops! However did get some pants for nt daughter as we are going to start potty training shortly and some plants for the front garden. With the vouchers there was also money off bicard and baking powder 35p each so picked some up and a carton of apple and raspberry juice for 35p. Also lots of vouchers for suncream but already bought loads end of season last year so don't need anymore.

Really struggling with hatfever today, not being able to take antihistamine is a pain. Living on nettle tea to attempt to relieve my head!