'Focus on the journey, not the destination...'

sassychick2014

Hey hon

Glad to hear you're well and doing ok. Can't believe you're 37 weeks already!!

I'll bet you're glad the kitchen's been finished before baby arrives although I'm sure you'll find another job to be done!

Have a good evening xx

garfield1983

Hi Sassy

Yea I know, going so fast but getting excited now

Yea OH is working days this month (works days 1 month in 5) so nothing getting done during the week (and rightly so as he works 4x 12 hour days) but he is going to sort out the garage this weekend - he's recycled the old kitchen units and set up a workshop so just a case of organising everything whilst the weather is on our side.

The living room could do with decorating (he wants this done more than I'm bothered tbh) so I might ask my brothers if they want to help strip the walls whilst OH is doing the garage (thankfully I'm really close with my brothers and they are always willing to help out where they can and all it will cost me is some snacks, might make them hotdogs and chips - cheap and cheerful)

Hope you are well and littley is enjoying being back at school £2.25 already for the journeys is great xx

garfield1983

Ok so I have had another look at our budget and it is going to be tight whilst I'm on mat leave but that said the biggest expenses needed for the house and baby have now been accounted for so any money spent now is within our control (obvs. apart from emergencies) so...

Priority: Pay off CC before my full pay runs out in December (shifts from 0% to 22% in January, currently paying £200 a month so due to finish in February), plan to use the £200 extra from my salary for the CC then only £200 to find to get us on track but would ideally pay off sooner so we have the extra £200 a month to put in savings (mat leave back up / emergency fund).

All other debts are fixed amounts with regular amounts set up each month so will continue to pay this monthly whilst on mat leave but any additional money we have will go towards reducing the debt.

Other tasks:

MIL/SFIL and FIL have some items they want to sell and after my success of selling some items on Facebook / local selling sites they have asked me to sell them on their behalf. FIL is offering 50% of the money received which I will give back to him to go towards the debt we owe him (L3(0%): 1,800)

Need to log in and find out how much is left on my student loan as I know that interest is added (not sure at what point, i'm assuming at the start of the financial year so need to confirm this) as I won't be paying as much off with being on mat leave (paid £138 this month but usually pay circa £108pm)

Plan for batch cook ready for baby's arrival - preferably want 20 meals / 40 portions in the freezer ready so we don't resort to takeaways / waste time cooking, prepare shopping list and compare prices to get the best deals.

Think that's enough for now x