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Challenge of a lifetime!
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How lovely to have been missed and had people searching for my diary! I'm sorry to not have posted for so long - life has been so busy since the summer. Keeping four small children entertained over the summer holidays was a full time job in itself, and meanwhile work was continuing on our back bedroom, which went significantly over budget but is now finished and looks lovely. It was expensive but I'm so pleased with the result. Far too nice for a lodger so we are experimenting with bed and breakfast to see how it goes (and we still have one lodger in the main house anyway). We need to have 5 nights a month booked to make the same amount as a lodger would pay us, and in September we managed 10 nights, so a good start and means that we are already seeing a good return on our capital investment.
Sadly the building project meant that we couldn't overpay on the mortgage for a few months, and we still owe a small amount to OH's limited company which hopefully will be paid off by the end of this month. So I am hoping to get overpayments back on track (ish) by November. In the meantime, I am enjoying having a more healthy bank balance for a few weeks which isn't being constantly paid out to builders!
My accountancy business is going well and I have picked up a couple of new clients in recent weeks - fitting it all in around the children is quite challenging though! DD has now started school so the logistics are now a little easier in term time with just DS3 at home. He's 3 now, and does 3 mornings and an afternoon at preschool, so that gives me some time too.
I am determined that once November comes we will return to a more frugal way of life as well - we've splashed out a bit recently on a couple of nice weekends away - which are both paid for but not taken yet. OH and I are planning a lovely weekend away for our wedding anniversary, and we're doing a city break with the children.
Another thing I am planning to do now that I have a tiny bit more time on my hands is get round to doing some proper meal planning. Our meals have really suffered in recent months as I haven't had the energy or time to think of exciting home prepared meals to cook. I am intending to change that though!
We have managed to clear quite a bit of clutter from the house over the summer - several items were sold on ebay and a local facebook page, which generated a small amount of cash. I have quite a bit more still to sell though - will try the same avenues and then charity shop anything that is left. The cash is nice, but it's the space which is the biggest advantage to offloading old junk - although our house is large, it is lacking in storage (built-in cupboards were not considered a necessity in the 1700s!) and we have just about reached capacity!
Sadly our second washing machine died recently and, although I have tried, it is impossible to cope with just one. With six of us plus a lodger, a holiday cottage with up to two weekly linen changes and a B&B room, we need two! The fridge and dishwasher are also on the blink, both leaking water suspiciously. On a more positive note, we thought the Dyson had also reached the end of its life but OH managed to clean the filters and revive it - a little too much I think as the suction is now far too powerful, if that is possible! Lego on the floor doesn't stand a chance...
Mortgage balance is currently around £359k. Next goal £350k. If we get back to our planned OPs of £3k per month, we'll have broken the £350k barrier by Christmas. Now that is a nice thought! I look forward to catching up with everyone's diaries very soon.November 2007 £570k 25 years - MF March 2033
September 2012 £405k 20 years - MF January 2032.
January 2015 £301k 16 years - MF January 2030
January 2020 £231k 10 years - MF January 2030
Mortgage Free Goal: In progress!
June 2020: Outstanding mortgage £75,211 (£222,414 mortgage offset by £147,203 cashpool)
August 2020: Outstanding mortgage £59,262 (£134,598 mortgage offset by £75,280 cashpool)
Sept 2020: Outstanding mortgage £56,682 (£131,760 mortgage offset by £75,022 cashpoool)
April 2021: Outstanding mortgage £17,278 (£64,646 mortgage offset by £47,313 cashpool)0 -
Just had first of the lovely weekends away for wedding anniversary - was very nice and especially nice to have a complete break from the manic life we seem to lead. Back to normality now though!
Rather pleased with my MS efforts today - I applied for Royal Mail shares at the eleventh hour last week, a few minutes before the deadline, got their standard issue of £750, and have just sold them for £1067.75! That will be a nice overpayment coming my way in a few days when the cheque arrives.
OH and I talked lots over the weekend about our house and how we could improve it - both of us coming to the conclusion that it is the clutter that is dragging us down. We have both vowed to make significant efforts to reduce it! It isn't even that bad - it's just 4 children and not much free time take its toll, and we just seem to have accumulated stuff over the years, much of which we don't need I am sure.November 2007 £570k 25 years - MF March 2033
September 2012 £405k 20 years - MF January 2032.
January 2015 £301k 16 years - MF January 2030
January 2020 £231k 10 years - MF January 2030
Mortgage Free Goal: In progress!
June 2020: Outstanding mortgage £75,211 (£222,414 mortgage offset by £147,203 cashpool)
August 2020: Outstanding mortgage £59,262 (£134,598 mortgage offset by £75,280 cashpool)
Sept 2020: Outstanding mortgage £56,682 (£131,760 mortgage offset by £75,022 cashpoool)
April 2021: Outstanding mortgage £17,278 (£64,646 mortgage offset by £47,313 cashpool)0 -
Hi CA:wave::wave:
I have a rare child free/work free day and have just sat for an hour with a cuppa and read all of your diary. Really enjoyed and it and glad you are back posting.
I can't begin to imagine how lovely your home is! Lucky children to grow up somewhere like that.
Will subscribe.
Muser. xMortgage Jan 13 99260.00 87253 April 2017
Emergency fund 700.000 -
Hi CA, great to see you posting again
Congratulations on your wedding anniversary, sounds like you had a lovely time and a well deserved break
Well done on the Royal Mail shares, I'm really envious as I totally slipped up and missed the boat :mad:
Regards
ATTMFW Start Date 1.4.08. Updated 23.1.18. MFW date 1.8.18
Original Mortgage o/s £187,643 / £71,904 (-115,739)
Repay o/s £92,661 / now £55,900 (-36,761)
Int Only o/s £94,982, now £16,004 (-78,978)
Total daily interest £1 [a) £0.77 b)£0.23
Total OP's:2018 target £TBC YTD £1,9950 -
I look forward to reading your diaryI’m a Senior Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Pensions, Annuities & Retirement Planning, Loans
& Credit Cards boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.
All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.0 -
I love orangeries or an extension with bi-fold doors. Some day we'll update the extension we inherited by increasing the size of the windows and to bi-folds and installing a velux window into the sloping roof.
Our building project is a garden room rather than a conservatory. Since the house is south west facing at the back it would get far too hot. Instead we have knocked through from the kitchen with 5 panels of bifold doors onto the garden, one full wall to keep us private from the neighbours, and a big lantern roof with automated vents to open when it gets hot but close when it rains. It should be finished by the end of Nov fingers crossedI’m a Senior Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Pensions, Annuities & Retirement Planning, Loans
& Credit Cards boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.
All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.0 -
Thank you all for the lovely posts! I shall endeavour to update as much as possible. Getting a child-free moment is a bit of an impossibility around here. As I type this I am reading out letters to my daughter for her to write in a card - she's started school now and is very keen on writing! I have one eye on the ice cream maker, trying to make some home-made vanilla ice cream for dinner with friends tonight, but I think it's going to be a complete disaster as it has been churning for ages and no sign of anything setting yet!
Mallygirl, your garden room sounds amazing. How lovely to think of it being finished for the winter. Our architect is taking his time to get back to us with plans - which is fine really as we can't afford it anyway, it's just good to know that it is happening slowly!
No cheque yet from Royal Mail, but hopefully it will arrive in the next couple of days.
We have made a good start on the decluttering, and I have so far managed to sell a sofabed (about a million years old and very chintzy!) for £10, a set of speakers (came with a hifi unit but not needed) for £10 and some toys for £3.50. It is nice to see people arriving to take away our clutter, and better still paying us for it!
I've been working hard recently to try and clear a bit of a backlog, and have sent out a few bills which will hopefully be paid soon. Most of my clients are fairly prompt at paying and don't need to be chased, which is good.
Income is a bit slow from our holiday let, as demand is starting to drop off towards the winter. We do have a few B&B bookings lined up though, which will hopefully continue even in the quieter months.
Hope everyone has a good weekend!
CANovember 2007 £570k 25 years - MF March 2033
September 2012 £405k 20 years - MF January 2032.
January 2015 £301k 16 years - MF January 2030
January 2020 £231k 10 years - MF January 2030
Mortgage Free Goal: In progress!
June 2020: Outstanding mortgage £75,211 (£222,414 mortgage offset by £147,203 cashpool)
August 2020: Outstanding mortgage £59,262 (£134,598 mortgage offset by £75,280 cashpool)
Sept 2020: Outstanding mortgage £56,682 (£131,760 mortgage offset by £75,022 cashpoool)
April 2021: Outstanding mortgage £17,278 (£64,646 mortgage offset by £47,313 cashpool)0 -
How nice that it is half term! Everyone up far too early due to the clocks going back, but at least we don't have to go out to school in the miserable weather. Must say I was quite disappointed by the lack of storm last night - had been looking forward to hearing some howling winds and driving rain in the middle of the night but even though I kept waking up, nothing much was going on! I think it must have passed the Cotswolds by.
This morning's task is to buy car insurance - hence why I am delaying on here, rather than actually doing some productive research. One of my least favourite tasks, but it has to be done. And I must remember to go through Quidco.
Had quite a MSE weekend - a free photoshoot of the children and a children's party on Saturday, and OH and his brother took the children out for most of yesterday so I could do some work. Have managed to get an outstanding accountancy invoice paid which is a relief, and also sold a bulky toy on facebook for £5 so that's some space cleared too. I must list some more things for sale - the local facebook selling page seems to do well, and I have a load of DS3's old clothes to sort and sell - seems very sad to be finally getting rid of them but it will be nice to make some space! We had B&B guests too, who liked the room and breakfast so much that they gave me £5 extra on top of their bill! Lovely that people appreciate all of our efforts.
Should be a nice cheap day today too - we have no fresh food at all, so I must buy some fruit, veg and milk, but otherwise DD has a friend coming to play and DS1 and DS2 are going out with friends this afternoon. I'm determined not to be too busy this half term - we rush around like headless chickens most of the time, so we are all going to have a rest this week whether we like it or not!
Hope everyone in its tracks is surviving the storm!
CANovember 2007 £570k 25 years - MF March 2033
September 2012 £405k 20 years - MF January 2032.
January 2015 £301k 16 years - MF January 2030
January 2020 £231k 10 years - MF January 2030
Mortgage Free Goal: In progress!
June 2020: Outstanding mortgage £75,211 (£222,414 mortgage offset by £147,203 cashpool)
August 2020: Outstanding mortgage £59,262 (£134,598 mortgage offset by £75,280 cashpool)
Sept 2020: Outstanding mortgage £56,682 (£131,760 mortgage offset by £75,022 cashpoool)
April 2021: Outstanding mortgage £17,278 (£64,646 mortgage offset by £47,313 cashpool)0 -
Coming to the end of half term now - it has been fun but will be quite a relief to get the children back to school tomorrow! It is quite full on with them all at home all of the time...
Had a lovely weekend away this weekend, including firework display on Saturday night, although DS3 was quite traumatised and hated the bangs. He recovered quickly afterwards though.
Just checked up on my mortgage balance after being a bit behind on doing so in recent months - now at £353,733. On track to go below £350k by Christmas I hope!
I am determined not to overspend at Christmas this year. I've done a tiny bit of shopping so far - good value books from the Book People. Annoyingly I forgot to use Quidco but will make sure I don't forget for future purchases.
I am trying to think of something nice and homemade that we can give teachers, club leaders etc for Christmas presents as there are so many people to think of at Christmas and buying gifts for them all from the children will cost a fortune if we are not careful. Handmade gifts, usually Christmas cakes or biscuits, always go down well if they are well made and nicely presented.
I'd also like to buy things locally where I can. We don't have a huge range of shops in town but it would be nice to support them if I can do. Probably not much good for children's presents, but for adult gifts there is some choice. Lots to think about!November 2007 £570k 25 years - MF March 2033
September 2012 £405k 20 years - MF January 2032.
January 2015 £301k 16 years - MF January 2030
January 2020 £231k 10 years - MF January 2030
Mortgage Free Goal: In progress!
June 2020: Outstanding mortgage £75,211 (£222,414 mortgage offset by £147,203 cashpool)
August 2020: Outstanding mortgage £59,262 (£134,598 mortgage offset by £75,280 cashpool)
Sept 2020: Outstanding mortgage £56,682 (£131,760 mortgage offset by £75,022 cashpoool)
April 2021: Outstanding mortgage £17,278 (£64,646 mortgage offset by £47,313 cashpool)0 -
Hello CA, I’m ashamed to say you are a bit of a celebrity in my eyes… big house, big family, and you seem to be the hub of the home keeping on top of it all between your own work, lodgers and holiday lets, that’s just how I’d like to have it in a few years! So of course I am keeping a close eye on your diary for inspiration; be afraid!Mortgage Apr 18 £417,894 BTL Mar 18 £162,857
Mortgage now -- £350,085 BTL now --- £162,6680
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