Saving £100k for mortgage, living a simple life

earthgirl

Do you have any experience of campervanning?

I know I couldn't cope with a caravan on my own, so little campervan might be quite useful.

Anyway, money saving activities going on here -

Collected first few batches od brambles, and made a couple of jars or jelly. I need to collect more and fill the freezer, and make jelly for gifts next week.

I have been through my wardrobe and sorted my maternity clothes, determined that I will make them last the last month!

I am doing work for oh's business now (boring but neccessary)

Went to shops this morning and got weekly shop for under £30. Would have been even better if I didn't forget my purse! Baby brain!

Love and bank hol happiness to all

earthgirl

Long break from posting, but it’s because I have been reallypreoccupied with various house and car related money saving things (for once!).

I have been given a beautiful very good quality hardly usedsingle bed for ds1 from his godmother. Ialso sold the double bed out of the spare room, quite cheap as I needed a quicksale, and after buying his god mother some bedding for her new bed as a thankyou, I have £40 profit J.

To fit it in as its full size, we had to move the wardrobesand chest of drawers around. Doing this has made me really want to focus onreducing the number of clothes and clutter I have. I will have to anyway, asfor the next 2 years new baby and I will be sharing a wardrobe, with no chestof drawers either! I have bought a hanging storage thing for the wardrobeinstead. I won’t be wearing many different types of clothes when off onmaternity anyway.

I have also exchanged and spent all my mr t’s vouchers on abed guard for ds2, and stocked up on nappies.

In terms of getting a new car, I really need to, and I havedecided against a campervan (to high mpg for daily use) and instead I amlooking at a fairly new mpv, which I can put an airbed in the back for campingwith ds 1 and new baby next summer, if the weather is a bit dodgy. The extrasthat you get with a campervan just don’t make sense when I compare to the cost of a good van, and the amount oftimes I’ll have to fill it up! I have researched the prices and most economicalspecs, and have a short list for shopping with. I would like to buy soon as motdue in 21 days and baby due in 19 days!

I have also bought a night in a hotel in Scotland onChristmas day via the premier in £19 sale – bargain!!

Other changes to routine – ds 1 now doesn’t have a nap, andis going down much earlier. I now don’t have a bath AND shower each day, just abath when I bath him (and the next one) which has saved on heating water by50%. I am also making oh be more vigilant with switching things off.

Still to do:

Routine:

- Confirm parent toddler groups (one more weekleft at work first L)

- Continue bringing lunch and snacks to work

Other:

earthgirl

- Finishoff reorganising rooms, collect bed guard and curtain tie, making sure there is a place for everything.

- tidy garden and focus on winter veg.

- Sellmy current car when I have finished work next week.

- Buy anew car (not THAT urgent as I can share OH’s and friends etc for a while andwill be having a little baby soon anyway)

- Stockpile easy cook meals and snacks ready for the first few weeks after new babyarrives home.

- Last fewthings for new baby – sterilise things etc.

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

Hi Earthy... long time no speak.

I also resent going half way round the world during my holidays to see OH's family. They never take us anywhere so I say I've been to Oz twice but only ever to in-laws houses.

Seems like you're having an ebay blitz... wishing you lots of bids!

earthgirl

Wish I could get up the enthusiasm for ebaying, but I will have to soon, as I have too much stuff!!

Well I am 38 weeks and 3 days, and its my last day of work today. I could probably have gone longer, and made a bit more money, but I have to be a bit sensible about it I suppose!

Looking forward to having a weeks sort out (and ebaying!).

I bought a new (to me) car yesterday. It is second hand 'crossover' type, with 33,000 miles, years warranty, and low mpg. It is as new. It should do us as a family car for a long time, be efficient to run and it has loads of space - I can even fit a double airbed in the back for my style of camping with a baby next year! I part exed for £2,300, and bought this one for £8,985, so I have £6685 to pay.

This has dented my savings a little, but I just couldn't work with a 3 door hatchback and tiny boot anymore, plus my car was 6 years old and starting to get a few ominous rattles, and I am pleased about the deal I got.

I have looked at insurance, and it is about the same as my previous car, and the tax is no different either.

It should arrive a few days before this baby!

I have saved £2000 from Augusts pay, and expect full pay in September as well. For now my savings are at £45,505. I really hope not to use them on mat leave.

I have been taking my lunch and snacks into work, so saved money there, but I have started stocking up on snacks and food for after the baby is born, so spent £60 on shopping this week, and bought the oc@do deal, as the free delivery for 6 months will be useful I think.

My to do list is still prettty much 'to do' so here it is again with a few extras

1. see if I can get maternity discount on union membership
1. find out if 'free insulation deals' covers a new loft hatch
2. Finish off reorganising rooms,
3. ebay bundles of clutter
4. tidy garden and focus on winter veg.
5. Stockpile easy cook meals and snacks ready for the first few weeks after new baby arrives home.
6. Last few things for new baby – sterilise things etc.
7. return 2 unwanted items that I don't need and shouldn't have bought! (I am sure baby brain makes me impluse buy)

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

Hi Earthgirl,

You sound like you have it all planned out and will be on top of the last few bits in good time. Best wishes!

earthgirl

Thanks MRN... you know what they say about best laid plans!!

But so far, all has gone swimmingly.

I have decluttered everywhere, but decided not to ebay incase I go into lobour and can't post!

I am feeling a bit bad about taking LO out of nursery, I like him to have lots of contact with other LO's, so I will take him to the church group today and the playgroup tomorrow.

To do list
[STRIKE]see if I can get maternity discount on union membership

1. find out if 'free insulation deals' covers a new loft hatch

2. Finish off reorganising rooms,
[/STRIKE]3. ebay bundles of clutter
4.[STRIKE] tidy garden and focus on winter veg.
5.
Stockpile easy cook meals and snacks ready for the first few weeks after new
baby arrives home.
[/STRIKE]6. Last few things for new baby – sterilise things etc.
[STRIKE]7. return 2 unwanted items that I don't need and shouldn't
have bought! (I am sure baby brain makes me impluse buy)[/STRIKE]

Still to do:

Some ebaying after baby is born
some tidying in loft
get house and us ready for winter
sterilse baby things and get birth stuff ready.

Baby no 2 due in 6 days!!:eek:

CathT

I can't believe you only have 6 days left!

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

Any time soon... no wonder ebaying is risky! Have you pre-listed ready to release post-baby? Or is that a bit too organised?!

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

Any news for us?