Wishing on an ickle star

icklehelen

Hope everyone's had a nice Easter (despite the weather) - our DD seems to have enough chocolate to last until Christmas! I think I may have to help her!

I didn't get the job -it was a very quick 3 question interview and they were interviewing about 20 candidates! Got a few other possibilities to look into before I start to panic!

In good news I've finally sorted the broadband and got us a good deal for 2 years with talktalk. DH and I sat down and did most of the year end last week so just a few loose ends to tie up then I can send it to our accountant.
Also DH has spent quite a bit of time on eb@y and has already had some sales ...hoping he keeps on putting stuff on as we have plenty of 'stuff' that we don't need.

icklehelen

Just popped on to update my MFiT-T4 - having hit my target at the last update I'm now struggling not to set myself a new target......I would love to be sub £30,000 by January 2019 but I've decided to wait until I have a job and then see what I can manage!

Yesterday was pay day so as expected my PILON landed but thanks to changes in payroll I've been emergency taxed!!!!:mad::mad::mad: I'll sort it next week when I'm not so angry!

Updating all my spreadsheets etc early this week as I am getting ready to enjoy a weekend away for my sister's hen party. Myself and another bridesmaid have some shopping duties tomorrow and then two nights away in an airbnb _party_
Get back on Sunday for a day out with my in laws at a free event and they're providing the packed lunch!

icklehelen

Well what a week it's been!!!

Turns out DH had a job interview the day after my last diary entry - he got the job and started on Monday!!! Luckily we both managed to have awesome weekends at the hen and stag dos, keeping our minds occupied! DH negotiated his salary on Monday and ended up with much more than he was hoping for!

Just called tax credits but they said to call back once my P45 has arrived and I know full details of DH's job.

This weekend is full of family birthdays - could be expensive but my dad has everything so I offered to make him and mum a meal. Our nephew has the same birthday and was asking for cash as he wants to build a gaming PC....instead we are getting him started with bits we already have from DH's old PC and time and expertise to help him to build it!

Got a decision to make on my offset savings. At the moment most of it is sat in 2x N@tionwide accounts @5% however they are due to end in late August. The rest of the offset is at 3% and all of my other savings interest rates are lower than the recommended amount on Martin's 'Should I overpay' calculator. I can't open any more accounts - I have far too many as it is!! Think I'll see what happens to the interest rate on 10th May.

ickle

icklehelen

So birthdays and a wedding are done - some lovely memories made.

Yesterday was my first chance to have a good look at my spreadsheets now I know how much DH is earning.

Spent longer than planned playing around with the figures and if we carry on as we are with our frugal ways and nothing major is required so we still have the emergency savings we could be mortgage neutral in..........3 years! That's 9 years and 8 months early!

That target would be a stretch but I like a challenge!

icklehelen

Just popping in to update with an extra OP of £40 thanks to DH selling on eb@y - these were 2 items we were given in event party bags

I've been decluttering and adding to the pile to sell....just need to find the time to list them!

Failed a NSD today - spent 75p on buttons to finish the project I am making for DD.

Time to to stop procrastinating and call HMRC and sort out our tax codes

icklehelen

Wow time has flown yet again!

DH and I celebrated our 12 wedding anniversary yesterday....we don't buy each other cards or presents (my SIL finds this appalling!) we just make a point of spending time together!

Although I do feel like celebrating properly today as the mortgage is now sub £40k :j:beer:

We've also managed to put over £600 in our 'offset' pot in June. Which means we have exceeded our OP target for the year. I'm still getting to grips with DH's pay as it's weekly so hoping I haven't missed anything! :cool: I'm going to see how July goes and then decide on a new target for the remainder of the year.

Hope everyone is enjoying this glorious weather? I need to sort a doctors appointment to get my Vit D levels checked. My levels are usually very low (my Dr has never seen anything lower than me!!!) so I've been following advice and getting out as much as possible

icklehelen

I wrote myself a list yesterday evening of things I needed to do today and I'm pleased to say I've done them all!

So I rang our old energy supplier who seemed to think I still owed them money after nearly a year! Result - apology from the lovely lady on the phone, supposed money owed wiped and account closed :j

Then called S@ntander to merge my two credit cards into one enabling me to do a bigger no fee 0% balance transfer enabling me to stooze that money for another 27 months :j

Finally did lots of house insurance research through TCB and then went through quidco to get my extra £10 bonus.....if all tracks correctly that's a year of b&c insurance with legal and emergency cover for £89 :j

Now I've just got to find the energy to humour DH this evening as we're going to view a house that he likes.......I don't want to move :rotfl:

icklehelen

Another good day with two MAJOR items ticked off my to do list

DH's tax return and tax credits declaration :j

So glad they're over and done with......now just to wait for the brown envelopes to land on the mat - I'm hopeful that I'm owed a little bit of money from last year but that will be the last of it now DH is earning.

House viewing was good - downstairs was great with loads of extra space and potential but we wouldn't gain anything upstairs which is where we are needing more. Back to the drawing board...literally as I am still looking at how we could extend where we are :cool:

icklehelen

I've just updated the Mortgage Free in Three -T4 thread with my mortgage (minus offset accounts) at £32865. I'm on track to be sub £30k by the end of the challenge although my target was £40k

I'm trying to enjoy my last hour of freedom before DD comes home and the summer holidays commence!! 6 weeks together.....we've got lots planned, mostly free things or for a small fee. I'm looking forward to it as I normally end up working through the holidays (I may change my mind after week one however I have stocked up on plenty of gin just in case :rotfl:)

In September I start a new job - something close to home that will give me some extra money and allows me to be around more for DD

icklehelen

Just sorted out the months expenses although that should probably read expensives as it has been a spendy one! Having said that most has come from savings so I have still been able to OP £707.43. That includes £63 from TCB for taking out a (no fee, 0%) balance transfer credit card

I've also submitted a claim to HMRC for my tax refund from my pay in April.

I've started looking at costing up for an extension - I love the idea of a bigger house just not the idea of a bigger mortgage It would still be less than the mortgage we had 8 years ago and I'd be OPing/saving as much as possible .....

Time to sort my signature and update MFW then I'm going to finish getting ready for DD's birthday party tomorrow - I have cakes to ice and a house to tidy [STRIKE]ready for 6x 7 year olds to trash[/STRIKE]