Going to get rid of my mortgage!

bbh30

NSD yesterday and today should also be a NSD.

I dropped the kids off at school this morning and then went for a 10km run in the HOWLING wind and pouring rain- got absolutly soaked but I just have to keep thinking- it could be that on the day of the half marathon it is windy and raining so Ive just got to get on with it. Got home after and straight into a hot shower and Ive been sitting here with a lovely warm hot water bottle ever since!!

I made a massive batch of butternut squash soup last night for lunches.. there is 6 portions in the freezer and I had loads for dinner last night so that should keep me going for a bit.

Just a quick update for today as Ive got to get off to work in a bit.

bbh30

So so so tired this evening, Ive got such a busy week at work, I think Ive got to go back into school every evening this week for various parents evenings and things.. the only evening I dont is Friday!
Im doing well with my OPs, nearly hit my Jan target- in fact only 77p to go until I have hit my Jan target which is good! Hopefully I will get that 77p paid in in the next few days!

Life just seems so busy, the training for my half marathon seems to take so much time up, that I've never got time to just "be". I will be glad when its all over, although Ive enjoyed taking up running, and I plan to continue, I think I will just run shorter runs rather than having to go out for really long 1-2 hour runs. When I get back afterwards I have about 10 mins to shower and then get to work, then I spend the whole day just feeling exhausted. Tomorrow I have to run 12km, Ive only got a very small window to fit it in before I have to get to work. Still, at least running is a very cheap hobby!!

I did the weekly shop after school this evening (after picking my own kids up, before going back to school for parents eve). I spent 47 which isnt too bad and it was about 10 days ago that I did my last shop. Ive now got some really good stocks of meals and meats in the freezer so all I need to buy on a week to week basis is fruit, veg, bread and milk.
At the weekend, I bought some beef shins (reduced in Waitrose!) and put them in the slow cooker on low for 10 hours!! I added garlic, onions, mushrooms, passata, kidney beans and then for the last half an hour, I also added some mini sausages (left over from xmas!) and some peppers. It made a massive casserole which we all had for dinner on saturday evening and I portioned it up and I must have about 10 "ready meals" in the freezer. The meat was absolutly delicious, and totally falling apart- I cooked the meat on the bone and then just fished the bones out before serving which gave it a really meaty flavour. I think Im going to experiment more with cheap cuts of meat.

Right, Im feeling totally exhausted now, Im going to go up to bed and do a sudoku (living the high life here!) and then get some shut eye, before we have to start the rollercoaster of life again tomorrow.

bbh30

Hooray, I managed to OP by 1k last month which I was really pleased with.
I'm now wondering how Im going to be able to OP by 1k this month, truth be told, unless we get a windfall then I doubt it will be a 1k OP. I have written to the tax office as the husband has worked from home since 2006 and never claimed any tax allowances on it so Ive finally got around to doing something about that, so fingers crossed we hear about that soon.
But this month, both mine and the husbands car insurances are due, which appears to be our major expense coming up. The girl child will be turning 8 in march and Ive booked her a swimming party in march, it cost 100, which I didnt think was too bad really, and then I plan to just take them all the Burger King for dinner.
Ive been suffering with a chest infection for the last week which means I havnt been out running for a week now. Im really worried as my half marathon is in 3.5 weeks and this should be my most intense training point. I dont know what to do. Should I just get on with it and go out for a run? But then I end up coughing non stop and cant breathe for hours afterwards, and will possibly delay my overall recovery. I just dont know what to do for the best.
Ive been fiddling with my spreadsheet this evening and my LTV has gone down from 80% (when we moved into this house in Nov) to 78.5%. Seems like a tiny drop in percentage for such a huge amount of sacrifice! Still, Ive just got to keep plugging away.
Ive got a holiday fund set up now ready for the summer, at the moment there is 500 in there, but Im aiming to add about 200 per month. We have booked to go to France for 2.5 weeks in July/August so need to start saving. Ferries etc are all booked but I want to have a decent amount of spending money also so we can enjoy eating out and not have to count every penny like we do here!

MummyEm

Hi BBH30

Just wanted to say well done on your progress. I have two children too (boy and girl similar ages) and a similar size mortgage so I will be keeping an eye out for your hints and tips! I do also like running but my limit is more like 5k

bbh30

Well Ive only managed to OP by 250 or so this month. Still, something is better than nothing. I have had a lot to pay for this month but I have noticed more "popping to the shops" trips which I need to nip in the bud. Shopping is not a leisure activity!!
I've received a letter from CPP about reclaiming card protection insurance which is good, Ive filled the form in, so watch this space. I remember having the policy and feeling blackmailed into taking the policy out when I was a student, but Im not sure when I actually cancelled it. I have phoned them but they couldnt tell me how much Ive paid, and I can only claim since Jan 2005, and I dont think it would have been much after that, that I cancelled the policy.

I contested our council tax banding when we moved in here and they wrote back and said that their decision on our council tax banding will not change. Its pretty infuriating as this is a new build development and half the houses that are the same as ours are in a lower band, but equally the newer of the houses (like ours) are in the highest band. I was going to appeal the decision but having researched the process, I dont think it will be worth it as Im unlikely to win, and it's going to be a lot of hard work. It's just frustrating as there is a massive massive house round the corner which has the same rating as some of the 2 beds, and our next door neighbours (which is a bigger house than ours) is in a lower band!

Half marathon is on sunday, I just hope I survive the thing!

We are also having a spanish lady to come and stay with us for a week, a colleague from work needed somebody with a spare room for her to stay in for a week. Email was worded "you will be paid" so I applied! Anyway, she arrives on sat and she will be working every day so literally just needs a bed for the night. Oh, and meals. And I had better get cleaning!!