NST July - Bobs Bucket & Spade Boogie to the beach!

The_Only_Girl

Synonymous wrote: »

You're welcome ToG. General advice is to become debt-free and have a good emergency fund before you start overpaying the mortgage - most of the time you can't get that money back if you need it, so you need a cushion.

If you've never overpaid, check the rules your mortgage provider has - I've been stung a few times with mine as you will have read in the past! x

Hi synonymous, thanks for your advice. We will do exactly as you said. We are probably 2 to 3 months away from being debt free. Final push so we need extra focus and concentration to achieve that. Hopefully we can. Next is to have at least £1000 Emergency Fund. We are now on hpthe £250 mark. Then check to see if a) we could move our mortgage to another provider, we really hate our current provider as we think they are one of the reasons of our financial decline and when we had a bit of a windfall, they were the ones who refused to accept any full and final offer (hence the last remaining debt). If we could move with somebody else who could give a better interest rate and/or cashback, we would. If not we need to find out if overpayment is possible. When we reach our DFD, our aim is to put £450 towards the overpayment, build an Emergency Fund equivalent to at least 3-4 months salary, put aside money for house maintenance and renovations, money for future car so we can pay cash when the need arises, and build a healthy college fund for the boys. Of course all of these goals would be a few months from now, hopefully well before Christmas. A girl can dream right?

Applemuncher I love your quote. Always.... Keep them coming.

I can now officially declare the 4th NSD.

Synonymous

That sounds great ToG, it seems like a good idea to keep the momentum going when you're money isn't going towards debt any more. If you redirect it somewhere else you'll never miss it! Like apple's quote said - you've got to set the goals and move towards them if you want to make them happen :j

mothernerd

Calling so pleased that you will not have to share your space with the ex.

Fmess I understand the pj dilemma. Got up in the middle of the night at the old house, someone was in the loo, started to walk downstairs to the other one. Nearly had a heart attack as one of the boys' friends (who had arrived after I had gone to bed) was coming up the stairs. He jumped as much as me. Then I worried as I was only wearing a long t-shirt (covered the essentials but not sure about the view from below). However it could be worse.

After a party at a friend's house, our gay friends were asked to spend the night. One of them was rather genteel. It would be him who encountered a heavily pregnant naked host in urgent need of the loo in the middle of the night.

A SFD (despite 'wanting' things at various points in the day). Lots of housework/ garden bits done and a pile of sandwiches/ buns are now in the freezer. Not up to speed yet but reaching parts of the house that are in need of love and attention, including getting something off the bathroom windowsill (think it was some sort of hair wax - DS2 had lots of 'products') and rust marks off a worktop from some of the diy items I re-homed earlier.

Today I am grateful for quiet time in the garden, for growing things (not much, just using what I have) and finding pleasure in a tuna bun when I was craving chocolate.

WelshKitty85

Hi everyone!

The_Only_Girl wrote: »

Congratulations on your graduation! The dress and shoes are small price to pay for such hard work. It is not easy juggling home life, university, and debt repayment. Those are big mountains to climb on their own let alone together. You are a super mum! Go YOU!

thank you so much. It actually brought a tear to my eye reading that. My graduation means a lot, not just because it marks the end of this chapter for me, but because my children will be there to see that hard work does pay off.

Thanks to bob and everyone else who 'let me off' with the spend too. I promise I will try to behave for the rest of the month.

Thank you mothernerd for the mention and apple for the quote. That one makes a lot of sense to me right now.

Yesterday was a spend day. The main item I need to get my business up and running was ready for me to collect. I picked it up and had to buy some paint to give it the finishing touches. hoping to have it ready for DSs birthday in just under 2 weeks as he will love it and it will be a great opportunity to advertise my new business.

Work for me today and it should be a SFD. Just having a coffee before sorting something for my lunch and then making myself look presentable.

Hope you all have a good day.

Bobarella

Morning All

Well after the big party yesterday today is a day of rest. That said I am currently sitting in the middle of a Nerf gun war! Not particularly relaxing! It's raining. Which may actually cool it down finally. In total yesterday netted me £200 after all costs were deducted. Which is terrific. It reminds me that I really need to find ways to get more of the big 1st birthdays as they tend to be more adults than kids and hence more profitable.

Apple - well done on bagging your outdoor day and doing so well on your side hustle!

Mothernerd- your naked encounters whilst pregnant reminded me of the awful time we were showing the in laws pictures on our digital camera of our house renovations & forgot that OH had taken one arty shot of me naked, pregnant with no 1 sitting side on showing off my bump. It wasn't in any way titavating but boy did I turn fifty shades of red! They found it hilarious thank god.

Welsh Kitty - I am really looking forward to hearing more about your business when you are able to reveal more...

Calling - I'd only give it 2 days max. Anyone serious about payment will do so by then. Don't let anyone waste your time.

Fmess - nice use of your treat money.

NannyG- Glad the naming ceremony went well.

Synonymous - it is fascinating to me what you are doing. I think I have mentioned before but starting the business meant I sold my family home and we rent. But we still own our first home a 2 bed flat. At the moment we wouldn't be able to buy another house in our area. But that's the eventual plan. We'll take equity from the flat to finance another deposit. Which is how we got the house. So I don't see MFW for a while yet. But the rate the flat is going up keeps putting the LTV down anyway so there is no huge motivation to do so. That said your point on daily interest is a good one. I do feel at times it would be better to simply sell up the flat and go for another house and concentrate on simplifying life. But we could move out of London buy a place and be mortgage free anyway so I don't know what the future holds yet.

Dolly - thank you! How did the fundraiser go? Really hope your DD didn't get blown away:)

The Only Girl - I think you did an amazing thing for that family. Why anyone would stop talking to you over that I don't know.

Let's do Sunday!

Bob

dolly84

The fundraiser went well yesterday it was very hot and sunny and the ice cream van was doing a roaring trade. We spent £9 in all, this was more than I planned, we paid £1 each for me and DH to get in (annoying) then I gave the kids £2 each to spend, then we were there that long me and DH had to spend £3 on burgers as we were starving.

We spent £18.61 in Sainsburys yesterday too, most of this came from the food budget but there was also £8.99 on birthday presents. A further spend on a card and wine later. Now I've written it down it seems really bad.

On a good note I am returning a dress to Sainsburys, I bought it last weekend for £20 and yesterday it was marked down to half price, I haven't taken the tags off so it is going back even though I love it it will pain me too much.

Talking of mortgages, ours is the one and only sound financial decision we have ever made. We have a lifetime tracker which tracks 1/4 percent above the base rate. Our daily interest works out at 87p.

Fmess

dolly - why don't you take your original dress back and get a refund and then buy it again at half price?


Just done a couple of hours marking and was going to enjoy the sun in the garden, but it is absent! Oh well, need to do the lawns anyway.


Trying to decide whether to go to the opening of a local business later. They have moved sites to a big premises so are having a look around day but I know they are having a raffle and if I go I will lose a SFD. On the other hand I should go and support them (although I did spend £15 there yesterday and will be spending £22 later in the month) hmmmm

misstara

Morning all

Didn't manage to check in yesterday as I was at the wedding. It was a lovely day but I have a confession to make - I spent £80 Broken down, the costs were around £25 for the card and present, around £25 for taxis there and back (I was originally planning to get the bus there and a taxi back but it was torrential rain when I was setting off and didn't want to arrive like a drowned rat) and the rest on alcohol (£6.60 for a gin and tonic :eek:).

Today is shopping day so going to head to Aldee later. We've used up quite a few bits this week so definitely need a stockup. Have set a budget of £30 for this. We've discussed a meal plan and got a shopping list ready. I'm also going to add everything up on my phone as we go round to ensure I don't go over budget.

Hope everyone is having a lovely Sunday. The weather is looking pretty good today so hopefully we'll manage a walk down the beach later.

dolly84

Fmess wrote: »

dolly - why don't you take your original dress back and get a refund and then buy it again at half price?


Just done a couple of hours marking and was going to enjoy the sun in the garden, but it is absent! Oh well, need to do the lawns anyway.


Trying to decide whether to go to the opening of a local business later. They have moved sites to a big premises so are having a look around day but I know they are having a raffle and if I go I will lose a SFD. On the other hand I should go and support them (although I did spend £15 there yesterday and will be spending £22 later in the month) hmmmm

I was going to do this but they had none on the rack in my size so I would have to have told the Customer Service desk that I wanted to buy it back, I decided against this and as much as I loved the dress I didn't really need it.

Misstara - I would have told them to take that G&T back and get me a tap water. I hate feeling ripped off.

academiablues

Hello all! Just been catching up - you've all been so busy this weekend! Congrats to everyone, working towards our goals can be hard at times.
Yesterday was very spendy for me but it was all budgeted for - I desperately needed some t-shirts for work (I only have two, which has been tricky in the recent hot weather) and Pr!mark was very obliging then went on a night out with two very good friends, and drank far too much! We only go out every six-nine months, have a few drinks, go for a dance, get it out of our systems so we can return to "usual" life - reminds us we're not too old to do it (but also reminds us the morning after that we're not young enough to do it every weekend like we used to!). Spent less than I expected to though, and feeling worse for wear today so today has been a SFD.
Right, I'm going to return to my duvet! Have a good evening all