I really really want to be........mortgage free!

Debsnewbudget

Sorry to be a bit dim but how do you set up a direct debit yourself as I thought they had to be set up by a company and I could only set up a standing order ?
What am I missing ?

shangaijimmy

Good knowledge on the rewards, one tiny amendment to a standing order for £4 per month!

ourcornercottage

Debsnewbudget wrote: »

Sorry to be a bit dim but how do you set up a direct debit yourself as I thought they had to be set up by a company and I could only set up a standing order ?
What am I missing ?

With tesco bank savings account, when you move money in it sets it it as a direct debit. In essence when you set up to pay 2/3/4/5 payments from different accounts into these tesco accounts it sets up each one as a direct debit.

ourcornercottage

shangaijimmy wrote: »

Good knowledge on the rewards, one tiny amendment to a standing order for £4 per month!

Glad to help. I did have to call up too to ask them to activate the rewards bit but it literally took two minutes so well worth it.

Saying that I only did it last month and haven't actually seen any of the rewards yet!

Edited : it has actually been well over a month so I will give them a call tomorrow to ask why :mad:

ourcornercottage

Just called co op and will get it next month as it needs to be a full month. Glad I called as although if opted into paperless it obviously hadn't worked so it had to be redone.

So far minis football is still on he is suitably excited!!! I have prepped s roast this morning and BF has gone to get neice from sisters to spend day with us

Will be a bit spendy today as we only have niece once every couple of months so will spoil her!!!

ourcornercottage

Woohoo the team won 10-4, well I lost count after a while. Not bad for the first proper game. Before the game one of the opposition players was saying they were going to thrash them. Miniocc got a hatrick and was really getting more confident as he's quite skilful but nervous and far too polite.

Went roller skating afterwards as niece had been very patient at football. Now got a roast that is prepped in the oven.

Was so excited /nervous before the football (that's me not Miniocc!) Nd was a fab day. Am going to send some time teaching Miniocc throw ins!

PrincessLou

Sounds like wonderful day, OCC, and well done to mini on the football :j

ourcornercottage

Thanks PLou I've had a fab day and am a very proud parent

A little alarmed as I was speaking to another parent with older boy regarding the startling decline of the local high school. Mini still has 4 years til I need to worry but as it is, he won't go there under any circumstances.

As I don't want to move (ever) paid schooling would be one of two options the second is getting more religious and igniting Catholic feeling in BF so mini can go to the very good catholic school (not my preferred choice)

I've looked at the figures and working it on about £ 12000 a year (conservative estimate but would prob get some funding) for 7 years. Back of fag packet I've worked it out that with what we have already saved for him, plus what we save every month for him we would need to add another £500 every month for the next 11 years(4 years + 7 yesrs) . Wowsers that's a lot but certainly doable. Currently We are saving £700 most months into ST savings and about £900 into LT savings plus an average of £400 PM op another words about £2000 per month is currently going into some type of savings although I would like to go this on top.

Fingers crossed for local high school it need to have another plan in place. If high school turns itself round we will just have more savings which would be able to pay off mortgage with

Honestly life isn't easy is it

edinburgher

Ah schools, it's a !!!!!! trying to do the right thing, isn't it?

Firstly, I'd try not to be too concerned about the experience of one parent, different tolerances mean that what really worries one parent about a school is probably water off a duck's back for 9/10 people. For example, we just moved house and spent far more than we should have to be in a good schools area. DD's local high school is well funded, modern and produces successful students. It's less fancy, however, than the top 5 school down the road and as a result everyone rushes for the top 5 school!

Can I ask why Mini OCC needs 7 years of seconday education? It's either 5 or 6 years in Scotland. I think that your financial estimates are fairly accurate, I checked my old school website this morning and they're charging £10k-11k/y. £70k-80k is an absolutely massive opportunity cost to throw at an education - how bad can the local school be?

If this sum will likely prove materially detrimental to your financial future, I am sure that Mini Occ wouldn't want you facing hardship on his behalf. The school is only a small part of the answer. I went to a private school and was reasonably successful academically thanks to parental interest and support, but I was already a nerdy child who soaked up education. Ironically, the high stress environment of a high achieving school seemed to create a lot of kids who were borderline nihilists, skating along in the knowledge that they'd do ok and that competing with the intellectual elite was a waste of time (I'm a lazy sod) :rotfl:

ourcornercottage

edinburgher wrote: »

Ah schools, it's a !!!!!! trying to do the right thing, isn't it?

Firstly, I'd try not to be too concerned about the experience of one parent, different tolerances mean that what really worries one parent about a school is probably water off a duck's back for 9/10 people. For example, we just moved house and spent far more than we should have to be in a good schools area. DD's local high school is well funded, modern and produces successful students. It's less fancy, however, than the top 5 school down the road and as a result everyone rushes for the top 5 school!

Can I ask why Mini OCC needs 7 years of seconday education? It's either 5 or 6 years in Scotland. I think that your financial estimates are fairly accurate, I checked my old school website this morning and they're charging £10k-11k/y. £70k-80k is an absolutely massive opportunity cost to throw at an education - how bad can the local school be?

If this sum will likely prove materially detrimental to your financial future, I am sure that Mini Occ wouldn't want you facing hardship on his behalf. The school is only a small part of the answer. I went to a private school and was reasonably successful academically thanks to parental interest and support, but I was already a nerdy child who soaked up education. Ironically, the high stress environment of a high achieving school seemed to create a lot of kids who were borderline nihilists, skating along in the knowledge that they'd do ok and that competing with the intellectual elite was a waste of time (I'm a lazy sod) :rotfl:

Thanks so much for your input, its really helpful knowing someone who has been through the system.

Unfortunately its not just one parents view at the school, its the whole thing has gone rotten. Ofsted are in there trying to sort it out and its just been taken over by another academy. I was extremely worried to see the recent ofsted (in the last month or so) it was not just the leadership and teaching being sub standard but also there was a lot of bullying at the school that is not being dealt with. On top of that the facilities are too small and out of date, they are considering closing it its so bad :eek:

That said a lot can change in 4 years, this has all gone wrong over the last 3/4 years so it could change back again. I said 7 years as they have to stay in schooling until at least 18 now don't they so high school in this area starts at 11 so 7 years.

The fee paying school I was thinking of I worked at for a short while and had a lovely atmosphere. I am not into this concept really to be honest but miniocc would not flourish in a school with bullying, he's very sensitive and would I am sure have a totally horrible time.

The way I see it is if I can save up some money over the next 4 years towards this then we will have choices. If he ends up at state school the money can go to the mortgage or a nice holiday or who knows what. I just want us to have choices