Adulting - after the storm

[Deleted User]

It was wild outside last night, high winds and lashing down rain. I loved it. Made a hot water bottle and slept with the windows open so I could enjoy the sensations of the storm whilst snuggled up in bed.

Resolved at some point during the night to begin a MFW diary. Am on the brink of extending my current mortgage (£121,000 over 23 yrs 1 month by £30,000 over 7yrs) in order to carry out much needed house repairs. Daunted, but plodding through the process.

Simultaneously, and in common with many other diaries I've read on here, I'm also trying to conquer other traits of successfully surviving adulthood. I hold down a decent (and fairly pressured) job, but somehow don't translate those skills (organization, focus, effort) into my real life particularly effectively. I'm a single parent with a DD rapidly working her way through her teens. I'd like to be a bit more on top of financial management, household management & homemaking, and stop avoiding tricky tasks like will-making. I'd also like a bit more willpower when it comes to sticking to a exercise and healthy living plan. I'm not seeking to be wonder-woman, but would like to spend a little less time wondering where my keys/wallet/car were.

[Deleted User]

SOA ....coming later today





Also to tick off this year:
Update Will
Confirm CI/LI cover details
Sort out important paperwork so others can retrieve it
Establish, understand, and make pension related plans
Move all DD (salary date changed)
Review utilities & especially phone/broadband/mobile cover
....

greent

Hello and welcome! :wave:


I'd also like more willpower when it comes to diet and exercise! I'm far too easily swayed from my plans


Not sure if you've ever heard of Marie Kondo, but her way of looking at things seems to be an effective way of organising your home. When it comes to the financial management sometimes we just have to make the decision to jump in and just do it (although I'm a terrible procrastinator when it comes to pensions - it's on my to-do list for this year (again.....:o))


x

CathT

Hello and welcome from me too. Between us all on here we seem to discuss most things I find the diaries really motivational, good to have you on board.

Although our existing mortgage is a bit less than yours we are looking at borrowing a similar amount (if the builder ever provides a quote) to build an extension. What home improvements are you hoping to do?

muddywhitechicken

Welcome to MFW and good luck

And thanks for reminding me that I still haven't made a will despite it being a priority for this year... (Oxfam have a free will-making offer)

coxj2901

A big welcome from me too! I too wish I had more control over diet and exercise. We did our will about 4 years ago as we were mainly concerned with ensuring our family new who we wanted to look after the children in the event of something happening.

newgirly

Hi and welcome I hope you don't mind me popping in with a comment, but unless I have read ring are you intending to shorten your term from 21 to 7 years when you add the 30k? It's just that does put a lot of peressure on if your circumstances change. We did that very same thing 6 years ago, shortening from 33 to 12 years and although we are earning more, we are unable to extend the term further if we need to, in hind sight we should have kept the term longer with a product with unlimited overpayment facilities just to be on the safe side.

I hope you don't mind me sticking my nose in and wish you all the best of luck with the new diary

[Deleted User]

greent wrote: »

Not sure if you've ever heard of Marie Kondo, but her way of looking at things seems to be an effective way of organising your home. When it comes to the financial management sometimes we just have to make the decision to jump in and just do it (although I'm a terrible procrastinator when it comes to pensions - it's on my to-do list for this year (again.....:o))

x

Hi Greent, it was your comments in DFW that drew me over here Thanks for the welcome. Pensions are one of the many things I feel I need to grow up about! I read about KonMarie on another thread (I think I saw your name there too) during my stormy night - it was the first I'd heard of it. Its very timely to discover as part of our building work will involve boxing up most of our stuff from 4 main rooms. I'm going to look into it a bit more, but instinctively like the idea of subjects rather than areas. We have books everywhere in this house.

[Deleted User]

CathT wrote: »

Although our existing mortgage is a bit less than yours we are looking at borrowing a similar amount (if the builder ever provides a quote) to build an extension. What home improvements are you hoping to do?

Thanks Cath! Finding a builder you trust and who actually does things like provide the quotes is a bit of a nightmare isn't it. We are adding a loft extension, kitchen extension and cloakroom, plus rectifying some problems like roof leaking and structurally unsound existing walls and floors. The mortgage extension is covering half the project, the rest comes from a inheritance and savings.

How do I do quote more than one person? :undecided

MuddyWhiteChicken - "(Oxfam have a free will-making offer)"
Thanks very much for this! I really value Oxfams work, so would be happy to do a will through them and include them (that isn't a condition of the offer, but feels right). I've just submitted my request for a phone appointment in the next few weeks.

coxj2901 - Hiya, and thanks for the welcome. I decided to head out to enjoy the sunshine this am with a longer walk than I've done for a bit. Its meant to be awful here later so time then for paperwork (I promise). I got one of the fitness bands in the autumn when I started working from home more, to increase my walking and movement. Will probably try to keep track through that.

newgirly - Good morning, and thanks for looking in. I think I haven't described the situation that well. I'm taking out the extension over a shorter time period (7yr) than the main mortgage remains (23yr 1 month). One of the jobs for the next few weeks (appt already scheduled) is to review the main mortgage as its no longer fixed. It was interesting to read your hindsight, as I had thought about seeing if I could reduce the term when I do that. I think as there is so much going on at the moment, am best to keep the term same this time around, but secure the ability to overpay. I can overpay the extension by 10% of the total per year.

newgirly

Oh I see That sounds like a good option then, I just can't believe how much things have changed in the last couple of years when applying for mortgages, it's totally changed.

CathT

It took me ages to learn how to multi-quote.

Click the double speech bubble on each post you want to quote. On the last one press the orange bubble button next to it and all the posts will be together.

You can delete any extra bits you don't want as long as leave the 'QUOTE' bit intact.

Sounds like a major project for you.