NST June – Just Keep Jousting!

Bobarella

I asked OH who is a professional Web person what could be causing the issues with MSE. He seems to think lack of servers. I wonder if they've lost theirs in part or are experiencing a huge influx in new users? Although I haven't seen a particularly high number of newbie posts on DFW so....

speakingofart

Welshkitty - that's a really tough decision. Just to give you the other side of "oh god I'm getting more student debt" - when I changed careers a couple of years ago, I needed to study another PgDip (after doing a PGCE and MA that luckily my grad scheme funded) and I really had to think about the expense (£4,000) and the commitment of more studying and time etc. 2 years later, I've just finished and have got a new job which is both a promotion and a raise, which I wouldn't have without the qualification I've just acquired. So, it's a big decision, but I just wanted to give you the other side - sometimes it is a good idea!

In other news, SFD yesterday, won't be today as I need milk, also can't go for a walk at lunchtime as have to make some phone calls. At least it's friday tomorrow!!

SFDs 1/20
Lunchtime walks 1/20
Guilt Free Treat 0/£20
Weight loss:

CEW

Hi All,

Not taking part this month as RL seems to have got in the way a bit lately but I am reading along and following in spirit.

Fmess sorry to hear your news but it sounds like you have most things under control. If you continue to have problems with the TV/Broadband supplier tell them that as the account is not in your name you will not be paying any more bills and that you will be going to one of their competitors and see how quickly they decide that you can have 'free' installation of your current equipment. Just threatening to leave, in a friendly and polite manner usually works wonders. Hope this helps.

Chez x

thriftylass

Just wrote a long confession and lost it. Grrr. Short version. Yesterday salad and houmous just didn't cut after my run so Chips, chocolate bar, chewing gum and fags it was --> naughty step for a long time.

Also got money back from a return to Amazon but they've taken £3.6 for the privilege! Anyway £23 back to me.

thriftylass

Synonymous wrote: »

Thirftylass - you might have looked into all this, and I don't know much about car finance except that it's evil, but are you sure paying interest on the car (even at a low rate) for 18 years is the best way?
Apologies if you've worked it out (I geek out over this stuff), but if you were to pay off £10k over 18 years at 3% (for example) you would pay about £3k extra in interest :eek: and as you say, that's before fees. Plus in 18 years' time you would almost certainly not have that car any more but still be paying it off, and have to finance the car that comes after it (and the one after that maybe!) in the mean time. Buying on a good 0% CC deal or going for a much cheaper car until DS is in school could work out better for you maybe? PS, wish my mortgage was that tiny

No worries, better to question things like that and make me think twice about it. The mortgage is about 110k and the value of the house 170. The mortgage fixed deal is up in July so we thought we kill to flies with one stone. The car we need would be about 10k for a reliable Honda 4x4 about 4-6 years old with low mileage. Our current car is 16 years old and we had it for 4. There is no point (or OH won't unfortunately) buying another old banger that won't last two years. We might get 10k on 0% but never pay it off in the 0% term (even at 20 months that would be £500 a month with no guarantee of another transfer if we don't pay it off in time). All this is a compromise between OH and me. I just don't know another way of doing it. I see the benefit of a dearer bigger car that is more suited to what we need and will last a long time vs not actually having 10k but 60k equity. Plus the mortgage is only 18 years now and hopefully get a 2% deal. Next year when DS goes to school we hope (WILL) overpay and reduce the term even more. I know thinking about the long term interest it doesn't seem very MSE. But on the other hand we don't have hundreds and hundreds now to keep this one going. Increasing the mortgage and reducing the term to 17 years (but hardly the monthly payments due to a better fixed deal) will enable us to keep saving for an emergency (and a possible future car) and paying back our small existing debt. Plus the mortgage is still manageable should the SHTF.

To be honest I were on my own with the kids I wouldn't even have a car.

Unfortunately OH and I are quite different when it comes to money. So if I don't want to risk my marriage :rotfl: we always have to find a compromise that is not my ideal solution

P.S. Done a little calculation on the moneysupermarket website. The 10k over 18 years (and hopefully a lot less) at 2% would cost us (£1200) not that much more than lets say a 5 year loan at 4% (£1000) only that we don't actually have £200 a month for that.

From January our nursery bill will hopefully drop by £2-400 a month depending on month and again in September and as I pay that bill I will make sure that it all goes towards the remaining debt and getting a good savings pot.

Synonymous

Sorry, as I said, I geek out over this, so a few thoughts below (feel free to ignore of course!)

thriftylass wrote: »

The mortgage is about 110k and the value of the house 170. If you add 10k to the mortgage, your LTV will be slightly over 70%, so have a look if you can shave a bit off the £10k, to get a better deal? If you're even £1 over you'll be in the higher 75% bracket! Obviously depends on exact valuation of house and exact mortgage amount. The car we need would be about 10k for a reliable Honda 4x4 about 4-6 years old with low mileage. Our current car is 16 years old and we had it for 4. I'm guessing the 4x4 aspect is something OH won't compromise on? MMM would punch him in the face for this unless he works in the wilderness up a mountain and has not other way to get there! :rotfl:

P.S. Done a little calculation on the moneysupermarket website. The 10k over 18 years (and hopefully a lot less) at 2% would cost us (£1200) I work this out at about £2000 interest - did you factor in compounding? not that much more than lets say a 5 year loan at 4% (£1000) only that we don't actually have £200 a month for that.

thriftylass

Synonymous wrote: »

Sorry, as I said, I geek out over this, so a few thoughts below (feel free to ignore of course!)

No don't be sorry, thanks for your input. Food for thought.

Yes I think we will need to revalue the house properly. OH has been in contact with a knowledgeable friend about this and we'll get a few quotes etc first and run it by him before we do anything.

It's not a proper 4x4 (Honda C-RV) but optional. OH goes surfing and snowboarding and we drive some rugged places where it came in handy before. Just in town I would not buy one.

We'll not rush into it and will number crunch properly again.

Fmess

Afternoon all,

It looks a little quieter on here today but I'm not sure if that's due to the technical gremlins preventing posting or annoying everyone so they don't post.

Today is SFD number 3 and LTW number 3. It's gloriously sunny here so unlikely to take the dogs a walk. It's always a toss up on a sunny day between walking them which means having to take turns leaving some locked inside whilst I take the others, or spending time with them all running around in the garden. Today I'm opting for the latter. However, this may cost me losing my step total so I might just do a bit of walking up and down the garden.

Nothing new MSE wise, just watching the pennies carefully. Thanks for the advice CEW, I'll have to give that a try. I was going to threaten to leave if they didn't give me a better deal but as I can't even access the account I was a bit stumped.

shyspender

"Home life ceases to be free and beautiful as soon as it is founded on borrowing and debt."
Henrik Ibsen

stewby

I think CEW has the best idea but if that fails you could always explain to your bank, cancel the direct debit and then approach them as a completely new customer which would entitle you to their new deals??
I am not 100% sure if it would work but it might be worth something.

0r4ng3 were offering us crazy stuff to stay with them but by going through t0pc4shb4ck we saved just as much and I felt a bit more like a customer than a paycheck.
:undecided

Anyways... today was another spend free day so now up to three!!!!!
:j

We go on holiday on Saturday so won't be posting as much. We are heading down to see OH's parents which will be lovely.


Hope everyone is doing okay.
Huge hugs to you all.