108 spiders are a girl's best friends

Msmoneyspider

I have been contemplating paying the mortgage off this morning. I rang Nationwide and we have a balance of £32,754.36 which has 11 years left to run.  It is on a fixed rate of 1.99% apr until February 2023.  We can overpay by 10% a year and if we were to redeem it early, it would cost  us an extra £1046.65, in penalties.  Redemption figure, as of 1st March 2020 is £33,809.73.  We would make savings of £2709.00, in interest, by paying it off early, or £245.00 a year.  

This needs to be weighed up against it earning 1.5% apr a year, where it is.  In reality, by paying the mortgage off 11 years early, we would be saving ourselves around £50.00 a year, which is hardly an earth shattering amount and much,much lower than I expected.....  The other issue we would have is that paying the mortgage off, seems to create a vacuum for us.  This would be the third time and on the previous two attempts, it has been a license to buy new cars and splash out on the house.  I think we are best leaving things as they are, with regards to the mortgage.  I am glad that I did the exercise though.  

The next step is looking at our pensions.  DH seems to think he will get a very small pension, but he has been working for the same company for 30 years and paying in to their pension scheme the whole time, so I would like to check this out.  I will ask DH to get me a pension forecast from them and his state forecast and go from there.  I will look at his and then mine …...

Msmoneyspider

I was happily batch cooking, yesterday morning, marvelling at seeing the sun, when a blackbird hopped into the garden and caught my attention. 

When I was young, I lived in a big house, with three huge oak trees running down one side of the garden and a pink climbing rose, that smelled absolutely heavenly, meandering along a trellis on the other. 

I distinctly recall, standing next to the rose bush, with my grandma and her saying, ‘that’s your grand-dad, looking out for us,’ when she saw a blackbird.  I thought,  ‘I love my granny, but she is a bit of a fruit loop! lol.

Yesterday, seven magpies, followed the blackbird and flew to a tree at the back of our garden.   I thought, ‘seven for a secret, never to be told’, I wish I knew what that secret was …..’.

Immediately, the phone rang and a lady, who is coming in to a lot of money, told me she wanted to give me some.  I tried protesting, really hard, but she insisted, so I said,  'OK then, I will treat myself with it, thank you so, so much',  and I have  ….

I have paid for a week's holiday in Aix en Provence, with my sister, over the anniversary of mum’s death.  The villa is a traditional farmhouse, has a pool and looks just like one I had in a dream.  It is right by the Sainte-Victoire mountain, near Cezanne’s old home.  I have even booked us on to a painting course, where we go on electric bikes, up the mountain and paint at the great painter’s old haunts. 

I got on the scales today and I am at a new low – 178 pounds – 11 pounds lost.   Mother did know best!!

savingholmes

Lots of positives there and a holiday to look forward to - woohoo!
On the mortgage I think I would do the same as you - and look at overpaying into pension instead - as long as you are at least 5-10 years away from drawing it. Remember you get tax relief on what you put it in there. Even if you have low earnings you can contribute £4K gross (including tax relief) to it a year.

Msmoneyspider

Thanks SH, I am getting my head around pensions, with help from my MSE comrades!

It has been an interesting year.  I am using the word self care rather than selfish, when it comes to building up my own reserves.  I can see how I was very good at giving, but not at receiving (which is fun!) and I was out of balance; this has changed and it is empowering me.

Today, I have one neglected frog, which is needing attention.  
1.  Post job vacancy
.

Msmoneyspider

My months always start and end on the 27th, when I pay everybody!  

February scores on the doors are:-

I started the month with £16,517.70 in reserves and ended it at £17,908.47 - almost £1,500.00 better off.  Although I was under budget, for everything, analysis shows that the main reason for the increase in reserves was a written off, bad debt, that I managed to get resolved.  The lesson here is to be extremely tight with credit control and not to give up chasing debt, when it is rightfully due.  I have another situation, where potentially I can re-coup a historical £1,400.00 in March and I will fight for justice their too. 

I was aiming for an alcohol free February and managed 22/27 days, which while not great, was much better than it would have been if I had not been tracking, as I felt low quite frequently …..  In reality we have drank 3 bottles of red wine between DH and I, in February and have 21 bottles left, so even when I did have a drink, it was well within acceptable limits.  Will keep monitoring this in March though.

I have actually lost 6 lb in February and 11 lb for the year.  I have been sticking to a healthy SW plan, for the vast majority of the month, with almost no mindless eating or extra carbs.  The meetings discourage me though, so I am moving on to an adapted SW plan around the 'French Women Don't Get Fat' principles, which encourages really mindful eating, savouring good food and cultivating Joie de Vivre.

Exercise has not been great, as the weather has kept me hibernating indoors and I have not deep cleaned the bedroom but I have been on top of the house and the washing basket this month, with help from DH and DS.

So February was very challenging, but the sun is shining now and I have a lot to look forward to.  I am going to spring into March with new goals outlined tomorrow.  

Msmoneyspider

Morning diary,

My plans for the 27th March 2020 are as follows:-

1. I am 175 pounds - I am eating mindfully, around SW and French women plan and drinking in moderation, a maximum of 8/31 days and four bottles of wine.  I am walking 50,000 steps and doing two forms of aerobic exercise per week.

2. My business reserves will be £18,000 k - I am sticking to my budget and using very tight credit control.

3.  I am achieving 100 hours study time by averaging 3 hours a day of planned, focussed study.

4.  I am deep cleaning our bedroom for painting over Easter.

5.  I am keeping the house orderly, by ensuring the washing basket stays low, kitchen clear and swish and swiping through the house each day.  At the weekend, there will be a deep clean, with all the family sharing the load.  Meals will be menu planned and cooking split between all three of us.

6.  I am adopting a grateful, joyful spirit, mindful of what unbalances me and drains my energy/boundaries, taking immediate steps to address this.

I had a hot stone massage yesterday evening.  I have been seeing the same masseur for 20 years, on an irregular basis and he said that there was hardly any tension in my body and my 'chakras' were all in alignment, with a good flow .   I feel, I am in a good place and I am going to do everything I can to sustain this.

doingitanyway

The painting course sounds lovely. It's important to have nice things to look forward to, especially when they are creative. Good luck with your mindful eating, something I am trying to do too. You did very well with your AF days. I hope you are having a rejuvenating weekend.

savingholmes

You are making great progress - love the vision casting mixed with practical steps

[Deleted User]

It's all sounding really positive!  I hope March is everything you want it to be 

Msmoneyspider

Thank you SH, DIA and Squirrelgirl.  Credit control is such a huge issue in my business.   A local company, in a similar line of work to me just went bust, with the Loc*al Autho**ty owing them £20k.  Friday, I was presented with a historical bill for over £4.5k, for immediate payment, which was completely incorrect, I am owed £435.00.   The LA usually take it immediately off future payments and then the disputing process can take a year, with hours of going around and around in circles, because Chinese walls are set up between departments; It is unbelievably frustrating.  This time I managed to get an offset invoice, out to finance, before month end and I have just checked my account.  There is a payment for this month, but it is £1,000.00 less than what is due.

This is a huge energy drainer, which I could stress endlessly about, because it makes budgeting extremely difficult.  I am caught between these two sayings:-
'A mighty oak is a little nut that stands it's ground' and 'You can't beat the establishment.'

I have put in another, official complaint, which will likely be upheld, eventually, but nothing changes. The conclusion, I have reached, is that if I have not got a robust system in place, with the LA's, by 1st June 2020, safeguarding my business and service users, I will give three month's notice to remaining clients and close the business completely on 1st September 2020.  I will not sell it, because it would be like selling a car with a faulty engine.  Although cash flow looks great on paper, in actuality the business runs on 'a wing and a prayer'.

I can then start my University Course, with bursary, in September 2020, with worst case scenario, £14,000.00 as a savings buffer (extracted from the business).  I would look at doing 10 hours bank work, a week, at £14.00 an hour.  That would equate to £1,500.00 a month income, overall, without including pension, which would be perfectly adequate.

DH, said I will not do the above, because it would mean letting the service users down, but he is wrong.  I will give it my best shot, but will move on to pastures new, guilt free, in September 2020, without this noose around my neck, if I am not completely satisfied with the outcome of my complaint.  This lady is not for turning.