Saving £100k for mortgage, living a simple life

earthgirl

Thanks Cath! The viewings were not good. On one the access wasn't good enough for oh with his trailer, and the other he felt was too close to a road.


It just takes so much time to research it all, I think that with our odd requirements, we are just going to have to wait and see what turns up in the next year.


It is very difficult to be objective when looking at houses, so I have started a list of our ' Life Priorities' and then 'House Priorities' I know we will not get them all, but I have tried to get them in order:


Life Priorities
1. Health and safety (incl. stress reduction, small mortgage, peace and quiet, access to outdoors, for LOs - road safety, away from the ‘wrong crowd’ as far as possible etc.)
2. Marriage and relationships(incl. stress reduction, time and place to relax, small mortgage and part time work or SAHM)




House Requirements

Me and LO's
1. good primary and secondary schools
2. Small mortgage
3. Rural and quiet
4. outside space
5. Gated (or possibility to gate) and no main roads
6. easy to get to work/ school
7. Fairly close to friends





OH
2. appearance of house
3. access to house
4. access to motorway
5. outside storage / outbuildings
6. 4 bedrooms




We have 2 left to see and them I am going to limit myself to checking once every couple of weeks for new houses. The hardest thing is getting near the good primary and secondary!

earthgirl

Well the last few houses we saw were no good either, mainly appearance and access to the property. We don't have any more to look at so we will just see what happens.

I have not been living a very simple life this week, in fact it has been quite stressful. I restarted an old tutoring client, but she could only come at 6pm, so bath time was a bit messed up last night - need to be more organised.


Also things have been really crazy at work in terms of pupils fighting and generally being really badly behaved - 3 more working days till the end of term. I can't imagine that I will have much to do in September - I have decided to come back for 2 weeks.


We are going to our neigbours caravan tonight with them for the weekend. It should be a nice break and cheap too. I am so looking forward to relaxing!

earthgirl

Hi All,

Well true to my word I have set up house alerts on RM and I am not looking at any sites! I have finished work and am enjoying plowing through my to do list, and spending time with lo.

I am finding with a toddler in tow, who gets bored of being in the same room quickly, that I am mostly getting half of jobs done, but its better than not at all!

So far still left to do:

-Tidy attic (make into play room) 1/2 done
-Ebay items - going away on holiday on Sun for 2 weeks so will have to wait till I come back
- clean and tidy car - incl car seat still a bit whiffy after travel sickness nightmare
- clean house
- pack for holidays
- take LO to the barbers

I have updated my signiture after getting locked out of our mortgage account, and we have £48,070.50 saved towards another mortgage, most probably on a buy to let property of around £150,000.

I aim to save £2,000 each month until my maternity pay kicks in (in october) and then just save anything I am paid in savings. We will get there!

*Jellie*

Wow- look at those savings!
So good to see you back on MFW. Much of what you are saying resonates with me- I'm also looking for a more simple and balanced life. It is inspiring to read from others with similar goals.

earthgirl

Back from my hols and unfortunately they were not as relaxing as I had hoped. I had a bit of a virus and spent most of the time exhausted or in bed, oh and I didn't get on very well, and I had lots of his family staying as well, nt a very nice combination. Anyway after a horrible journey lot and I are chilling out at my dads and I am getting lots of thinking done! Will update about money soon.

CathT

Hugs EG, sounds like your much needed break turned out to be rather stressful. Hope you are feeling much better.

earthgirl

Hols weren't too bad, but I am determined not to not enjoy them next year, and I have already put my foot down about having all of ohs family to stay when we are on holiday - then its not really a holiday for me, and I can be selfish about my holidays I think!!

Anyway since I have come back, I have managed to spend £1.80 on a library fine :mad: which I completely forgot about, and £2 plus tesco voucher exchanged to buy 120+ nappies, and £1.50 plus a returned item to buy lo some more cutlery, so all in all not a nsd this week, but pretty good bargains.

I also tutored last night so £25 for the pot.

I have paid another £800 into ISA to meet our entitlement for this year. And I am awaiting on opening a new savings account before transferring over another £1,200.

My mum is here at the moment, and I am trying to use the spare time it gives me to declutter and get sorted for the next month or so. I have decided to work until 39 weeks (it seemed pointless to put lo in nuresery for 1 week in Septemeber, so I went for 2 weeks), so I need the last 2 weeks at work to be as simple and easy as possible.

Also, I hope to be able to ebay a load of stuff on Saturday and Sunday whilst mum is here to entertain LO.

Off I go!

Secret_Saving_Squirrel

Hello,

I am sorry that your holiday was disappointing, as teachers with our holiday times dictated to us they are really precious, it's not as if we can take another break when we feel like it!

Good luck with staying on track with the money saving, working until 39 weeks sounds lie a tough call though!

Squirrel:j

earthgirl

Hi All,

To make up for my holiday I just had a lovely night away with oh and LO. It was great to relax and spend time together. Not too much spent and we missed the bank holiday traffic, bonus!

I am planning an easy weekend, and have some friends coming over on Sunday.

The journey away in my car have just proved that there will not be enough space for us 3 and the new arrival comfortably, so I will need to change it soon, I will buy outright rather than get credit, so it will eat into my savings a little.

I am also thinking I might make it a campervan, or converted small van, which will be more expensive to run but will give us lots more flexibility in terms of weekends away and holidays.

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

Swings and roundabouts.... more expensive to run but easier/cheaper for camping holidays.