Hope is not an Effective Financial Strategy

themadvix

Use of the word chunky (Nat West bonus) a bit too close to use of word vomit there SJ! Poor you (and DS)!

Love the term prepayment plan for holiday savings etc. That's what we do, never think of it as savings, but couldn't think what to call it.

Why don't you show savings and just add '(updated July 2019)' or whenever it is against the DB pension? As well as nothing current additions to the pot.

Suffolk_lass

I just have a summary worksheet in my spreadsheet that records my start figure (for when I started tracking, annoyingly not from when I started), my running total, what I have added and the overall % change - for each row. So for example, I bought a 7 year bond that changes once a year, so I only update that row when the annual interest is added (parallel with Mrs SJ's DB?) - in my case I can't add more but you could add the monthly contributions and then report annually on the benefits statement, when you get that. I also have a S&S ISA that started with a £10k lumpy that I have never added more to - I just check its' value once a month and reflect it in the summary sheet.

I think the main thing I find satisfying to track is my Tilly Tidies that I stash in the instant saver adjoining our running costs bank account - they are on the same worksheet as my annual grocery tracker with a running total by month and an additional row for conts to the S&S ISA we still pay into - it's the total of these that I report on the Save £12k in 2019 thread. I think I like this best because it is the most active.

I could adapt it to share on google sheets if you think that might give you something to adapt from (a blank template, if you like). I never know if it is "Grandmother sucking eggs" when I say what I do - lots of people have been doing this with lots of far more sophisticated spreadsheets than me (I am always in awe when edinburgher references his spreadsheets for example)

debtfreeoneday

Well done on progress SJ!

shangaijimmy

Been a bit absent this week, as I've merely survived it! The lurgy has played havoc with my asthma, and usually somewhere between 2 and 4am! Work has also been relentless, so a perfect storm of a 10day period of incredible fatigue! This afternoon I've pottered about the house and seem to now be on the good side of it. So I've braved a couple of cheeky beers, and am waiting for the start of the tennis final with fingers crossed that tonight I will have a full night sleep for the first time since the Monday before last.

Moneywise we are in reasonable shape. I've kept on with TT's as usual and then we won another £10 of the postcode lottery which I have OP'd.

Oh...add to the mix that on Monday our washing machine finally gave up (I did replace the filter in December in the hope it would add another month or two to its life, so in the grand scheme of it it owes us nothing). After an 11 hr day on Monday I was mopping up water and all kinds that had flooded out the machine whilst we were both out. I managed to take the old one the tip on Wednesday and buy a new one at lunchtime. I then plumbed it in on Thursday. Today was the backlog of washing. The kids had had a few sleepovers as well so we had a clothes mountain, and fortunately it was dry this afternoon.

Overall its been a rotten fortnight, but that's all gone now and I'll be back with my ramblings again this week!

shangaijimmy

Yay...managed a solid unbroken 8hrs, and feel almost brand new this morning!

Woke up to an email from utilities reducing our DD by £28. I was expecting a drop but not quite that much.So I've had a quick re-jig of budget and allocated £15 of the savings to OP's. I'm also expecting a drop in water bill as well in the next month or so. We had a leak that we weren't aware of for about 4 months last year so have been paying off for the extra usage. I will out all the water savings to OP whenever it arrives.

I OP'd our TT pot this morning which was £5.55 and a good start to the week.

shangaijimmy

Mid month slump, with little financials to report. I've kept up with my TT's and out account balance looks fine so far.

Life with the first couple of weeks of school term always seems a bit busier as we all settle into routines again. DS1 has gone into year 6 so he ha a little more work to do every night which has gone down like a lead balloon but we are determined to get him used to it now rather than ending up with a battle for the next 6 years!

DD has started nursery properly now. I really do feel sorry for her though. All the other little girls getting deposited by mums and grandmas with beautifully dine hair in intricate plaits etc... Lets just say its not my forte, and despite my best efforts she looked like she'd been dragged through a hedge! How long is it before they can do their own....?????

Yesterday was day 1 of leaving her which went fine. Today and tomorrow will be the true test when she realises that she has to go everyday I suppose. Now DD being at nursery means I have a Thursday morning all to myself again. I say all to myself, its me and pooch. It looks nice as dry this morning and we will be heading straight from school run to a place for a long naturey type of dog walk.

Oh and I remembered to my expenses backlog which was well over £150 so that will be a timely boost to payday.

Suffolk_lass

Re your little girl's hair - assuming it is long - the old trick is to get her to lay on the bed with hair hanging down, brush into a high pony tail, secure with a band and then plait the tail, with a band at the top and bottom of the plait - much much quicker than French or Dutch braids.

A tip to tidy the plait is to bring the hair in from the bottom of each strand so it always looks neat on the bit you see. And (of course!) there are loads of tutorial clips on the tube if you want to try different styles.

She won't mind now but by school she may (I never did until I was 9 or ten but I was a sporty little tom-boy!) and a bit of practice now...

badmemory

My Dad always said (& we're talking 70ish years ago here) that the secret was to keep the tension on. He used to do a plait that was way better than putting rollers in could ever be for the rare occasions my hair was allowed to be loose. So train those second & third fingers of both hands.

shangaijimmy

Thanks for the advice but it seems I'm a fat fingered oaf with this whole hair malarky! But I'll press on and I'm certain it'll get better...

Anyway moneywise we are 4 days from payday for Mrs SJ and 9 days from payday for me. I've finally remembered my expenses and which'll be over £150 which is a nice addition given buying a washing machine. The house is conspiring against us however as the seal on the fridge seems to have gone as well now...grrr.

In the meantime I've OP'd our TT pot which was £2.54 for last week and then OP's some other bits and pieces that amounted to £18.25.

shangaijimmy

6 month mortgage statement came through this morning, 8 pages long :j Which feels like a little victory against the banks. Smallest payment was £1.42 :money: