I don't need another skinny Latte

Ali-OK

Well done to DS, proud Mum moments are sooo lovely :j

I don't think there's anything wrong in the calculated treats, especially out of a bonus and considered purchases. Only you know on analysing what will work best from using debit card or credit card. I find writing it down on here talks me into making a decision :rotfl:

The CC for abroad sounds like a very good plan.

When do you think your debt free month will be? Can't be far away and what will you do with the spare money then? I'll be inhabiting Planet Save

Skinnylatte

No you're right Ali, the calculated treats are OK, but I could have waited until my debt was paid, and I certainly could have planned it a bit better!

With a big push my debt free month will be March, but it could be April, and what am I going to do with the money? Well I'll be opening a diary in the mortgage free wannabe board I think :rotfl:

All my jobs are done, and I've had a lovely quiet evening. DS is staying at a friends for a couple of days in half term, and DD is 'out', she starts some training for a new job in the morning, but as she hasn't come home all weekend I've no idea if she's going to turn up for it. Oh well, it's her life, there's only so much you can do. :think:

Tea was chorizo, spinach and chickpea stew, all with left over stuff, I can eat weird stuff like that when I'm on my own!

AGAIN working away this week, so hotels for Monday & Tuesday night and a late finish Wednesday, Unfortunately I have a meeting Thursday so I can't work from home, I might do that Friday though, and I must get my car booked in for a service. It's done over 25000 miles since I got it last April.

Talking of milage, this months claim was £375, all towards the big D

Skinnylatte

Ooo nice hotel tonight, been for a swim and a lovely salmon salad with sweet potato chips

DS is staying at home alone with his pal, no adults :eek: He's sent me a picture of his tea, pulled pork, and everything loaded in the dishwasher so far, bless.

I haven't heard from DD yet, she hasn't answered my messages, so I don't know how her first days training went today, although I know she rolled in at her Dads this morning after being out all weekend.

I'm just watching 'life on the dole'. I tell you it makes me SOOO mad, all these young people totally capable of working, sat on their bums while I work all hours to fund their fag habits, #don'tgetmestarted :mad::mad::mad:

A no spend day today, but not much else to report, nothing paid off the debt today, 11 days til payday, a little pang of excitement at more debt repayments :rotfl:

Dig in every-one, keep that debt busting going :T:T:T

Ali-OK

I feel your excitement for debt payment come pay day :rotfl:. I'm struggling to hold myself back to make the most of the 0% rate :rotfl:

Hope the kids were all good when you got back - young adult stage looks to be more worrying than the teenager I've got :eek: Guess it's still all to come.

Hope you're having a good weekend.

Skinnylatte

Ali-OK wrote: »

I feel your excitement for debt payment come pay day :rotfl:. I'm struggling to hold myself back to make the most of the 0% rate :rotfl:

Hope the kids were all good when you got back - young adult stage looks to be more worrying than the teenager I've got :eek: Guess it's still all to come.

Hope you're having a good weekend.

A great weekend so far, Ali, today has been really busy and I've just sat down, tea still in the oven!
I know what you mean about the 0% rate, mine doesn't end til September, so technically I could string it out until then, but I just can't wait to say I'm debt free.

Apart from the house being a little messy, everything appeared to be well under control when I got back after leaving DS home alone for 2 days. That is until I got up Friday morning to find the kitchen sink blocked. ex came round and unblocked it for me and it transpired that the George Foreman had been emptied straight down the sink. There was a perfect plug of fat in the ubend! As least I didn't need a plumber!

DD has a new job as a care assistant and starts this monday, she did a weeks training this week, and I'm really proud of her. I hope she likes it, it's not a job I could do.

Not much debt busting this weekend, just trying to keep a rein on the purse strings, and looking forward to my pay slip so I can allocated it all.

I've gone back to spending on the debit card, the CC will be paid off, and I will only use it for big or online purchases, and only when I have the money set aside to cover it straight away, I'm not safe with a CC, it's for the best!

Ali-OK

:eek: to the u-bend :rotfl:. Hopefully a lesson learned by DS now and well done to DD too.

I used to worry about getting another 0% deal, now I feel a bit cheated paying it off before it runs out (still 13 months left) :rotfl: But I will . And only just realised that I'll have that as spare money each month too. Doh! :j

Good decision for you back to using the DC, you know it works.

Enjoy your late dinner :beer:

Ali-OK

Skinny the regulations have changed which means that all fees have to be explained upfront and in most cases charged upfront. I am a bit concerned as to where your fee came from? Who is 'managing' your pension? And did they provide you with a service for this review as that is the fundamental law of the new changes! If you didn't get a review explaining how your pension is doing, recommendations as to what you may want to do in regards to fund changes, and an explanation of the new charging system, you might want to tell them to stick their fee until they provide you with a reason to pay them...:)

Skinny - just c+p'd this from Lilty posting a reply to your pension charges query on my thread. She's a star and hope it helps.

Skinnylatte

Ali-OK wrote: »

Skinny the regulations have changed which means that all fees have to be explained upfront and in most cases charged upfront. I am a bit concerned as to where your fee came from? Who is 'managing' your pension? And did they provide you with a service for this review as that is the fundamental law of the new changes! If you didn't get a review explaining how your pension is doing, recommendations as to what you may want to do in regards to fund changes, and an explanation of the new charging system, you might want to tell them to stick their fee until they provide you with a reason to pay them...:)

Skinny - just c+p'd this from Lilty posting a reply to your pension charges query on my thread. She's a star and hope it helps.

THANK YOU for the heads up - You'd think he might have warned me if it's been coming in for a while :mad:
Having said that, I do feel I get a good service from him, and he's made some really good investments in the last couple of years, even with the interest rates being so low.
He's also given me some pretty good advice on paying off my mortgage, the best way for me to do it is via a pension. As everything I put into a pension, I get the tax relief at 40%, so £1000 is worth £1400 in my pension pot. Then when the time is right I can take 25% of my pension as a lump sum tax freee, it's like free money from the government!!
As I can only take 25% tax free I'll need to build up a pretty impressive pension pot :eek:, but I will combine that tactic with simply making extra payments.

An eventful day, cycled 24 miles up lots of steep hills, and it was flipping freezing, then went and watched DS play football, and he scored! I only made it until half way through the second half, I thought I was verging on hypothermia, so went home and cooked tea.

I was supposed to be going out to see shades with DD tonight, but it was that late by the time she got in touch, and had ignored my earlier txts (suspect they've been out drinking all day), I gave her an earful about, family and responsibility and we had a bit of an argument.
She was at BFs so I told her she'd have to get a bus back I'm not a free taxi service.
She persuaded her dad to collect her, I'm not quite sure what kicked off, but dad and BF ended up having a fight :eek: :mad::mad:
Anyway everyone is OK, but I really wish she'd dump him, he's such a t!t :mad::mad::mad:

On the debt fron, nothing happening today, I had hoped to get some stuff on fleabay, not that I've got much left to sell, but I've run out of enthusiasm now. Just want to sleepzzzzzz

Quote of the week

“Debts are like children: the smaller they are the more noise they make.”:rotfl:

Ali-OK

Sounds like good advice on pension paying off the mortgage - though does that mean you have to extend mortgage term date to meet a retirement date to take out of the pot? My mortgage will end (naturally without OPs) possibly 10 years before I retire and as I understand, once you take out of the pot you can't put anymore in?

I guess I'd better question my IFA on that one

I went and saw 50 Shades tonight with a friend, it was erm interesting if not that brilliantly acted :rotfl:

Oh dear with the fight, hope all ok.

Love the quote

Skinnylatte

Ali-OK wrote: »

Sounds like good advice on pension paying off the mortgage - though does that mean you have to extend mortgage term date to meet a retirement date to take out of the pot? My mortgage will end (naturally without OPs) possibly 10 years before I retire and as I understand, once you take out of the pot you can't put anymore in?

Mmm maybe I have to think about that a bit more. I didn't know that once you'd taken out you can't put in, i wonder if this counts if you have more than one pension pot?
My mortgage has 17 years left if it goes full term, and if I retire at 67, then my mortgage needs paying off 4 years before, however I understand you can take your pension any time from 55.
I will need to take some more advice I think