Getting a Grip and Saving towards the mortgage

Busy_Mee1

I got rudely interrupted while writing my post and I didn't want to lose it so I will carry on where I left off.
I need to find a tax free home for the rest of my savings so I have been looking at S&S ISAs. I am trying to do a bit of research but feel a bit nervous because we have never invested before. I am tempted to use one of the managed S&S ISAs like Moneyfarm but I know this will cost more than doing it myself and surely this is not beyond my capability. I would welcome any advice from anyone who has dipped their toe into this world.
In the meantime the money can sit in the offset account for my mortgage which effectively gives us 0.90% interest.

On the home front DS is abroad this week and DD has practically moved back in with NB, so it just looks like the two of us this week. I will need to try and remember how to cook for just two. It should help with the food budget though.
DD and NB are coming for roast dinner today so I will probably do something with the leftover chicken for tomorrow night as I am in London all day.
I think that is all - have a great week

Busy_Mee1

I am on the train to London and thought ai might as well take advantage of the free WiFi to update my grocery spends, £192.83 /£250. I went over budget and spent £68.78 - I didn't do a list this week and it shows I think. Will need to be more careful next week:(
I did however find 2p which I added to the change pot, along with 50p found in the seal of the washing machine - all road kill and washing machine flotsam fnds its way into my change pot..

Yesterday I made Fortunes's bacon,leek and poato soup and it was a good job I did as DD and NB turned up starving after a long walk so they each had a bowlful with garlic bread and the rest is portioned up for lunches this week. I also made another batch of hob nobs, however I seem incapable of replicating this recipe - each batch turns out different on the last. It doesn't seem to matter though as they still get eaten
DD and NB stayed for Sunday dinner and I used up some salted caramel puddings left from Christmas - we only have one box of chocolate biscuits left from Christmas now and then it is all gone ! I think Mr Mee will take those to work.
I boiled up the chicken carcass for stock and used the leftover chicken to make a casserole for tonight and probably tomorrow nights dinner.

I am steeling myself for a foul day at work today - I came back from the long weekend last Wednesday feeling all refreshed and walked into a horrid situation at work. I keep having to counsel myself and just try to keep behaving appropriately when all around me seem incapable of doing so. I definately need to get myself away from this role and have feelers out with a few contacts. Hopefully today may not be as bad as I think....

Have a great Monday

Fortune_Smiles

Hope the day goes well.

Fortune x

themadvix

Hey BusyMee, some great interest figures there! Regarding S&S ISAs, I'd have a read of Ed's thread (Only Freedom Will Do) - I'd never dipped my toe into investing, but he knows a lot about it and there's a lot of chat on his thread, as well as a link to a TV programme on YouTube all about funds. It was really very interesting and illuminating. I now have an S&S ISA with Charles Stanley Direct invested in Vanguard trackers.

Hope that helps and I hope work isn't too awful today. Fingers crossed re the feelers!

try_harder

Glad to hear that you had a lovely weekend away but sorry to hear about the work situation.I hope it turned out to be a better day than you expected .

Busy_Mee1

Thanks everyone for popping in, and thank you for suggesting Ed's thread for investment advice Mad Vix- I am currently working my way through his thread.
So the clocks changed and the weather looks set to be beautiful again - a bit of sunshine makes you feel so much better. It was absolutely glorious yesterday and I spent the afternoon in the garden sorting my pots out and doing some general tidying up. I might treat myself to some pots of miniature daffodils today to fill out the pots ( they were 3 pots for £1 last week in H@me Bargains) I hope there are some left this week.
The week at work turned out to be much better than expected but we were all quite shocked by the events in Westminster as our office is close by. It was such a dreadful thing to happen and awful for the families who lost loved ones.
In MF news, another regular saver matured (TSB) and another £80.21 in interest banked. All the paperwork for my N@tionwide has arrived, the online banking set up and £2500 deposited. I recommended Mr Mee as a friend and "he" applied to switch his TSB account ( after I hurriedly remembered to swop 2 DD over to it ) Hopely that should gain us £200 in switching bonus (£100 each). I found out the that I am not owed as much from British Gas as I thought, if anything - the first bill showing a £600 credit, didn't take into account the electricity so now I am down to a £300 credit and that is only estimated. Mr Mee sent of the final readings to the new provider and can't remember what they were, so we now have to wait for them to let BG know... Grrr I must have had 4 different bills from BG and all very confusing.
It looks like it is going to be another beautiful day, we are going shopping and then will visit MIL for Mothers Day. I hope to get in the garden too.
Hope everyone has a lovely day :T

Busy_Mee1

Quick update on grocery spends - £64.47 spent, so total for March is £257.30 and an average of £64.32 per week. I have slightly exceeded the £250 budget by £7.30 but I think I can live with that : )

try_harder

Such beautiful weather here again today ,what a difference it makes to the way we all feel i have just walked the dog and people are working in their gardens ,cleaning their cars ,walking their dogs and all have happy faces ,chatting and laughing it really does make you feel brighter.I hope you got to spend some more time in your garden on sunday too ,it was such a beautiful day for Mothers Day ,did you have a lovely day with your children ?I saw four of mine and the two grandchildren ,i had a lovely weekend but was so tired last night i am not used to so much activity i spend a lot of time on my own and have got used to the peacefulness .
You have done well with the food budget again this month it makes such a difference over the year doesnt it .Looking forward to seeing your monthly updates .

Busy_Mee1

Well here we are again at the month end, and it has been a long month. There has been significant financial activity in the Mee household this month as our five regular savers came to an end and I set up new accounts and spreadsheets for the new tax year. In fact I had a bit of an administrative meltdown on Thursday night thinking I had lost some money or miscalculated somewhere along the line.......thankfully I hadn't phew :T

Anyway the round up for March is as follows:

Saved in March £1670.61
Total Savings £46,030
Mortgage £249,429.34
Savings:Mortgage 18.45%
Odds and Sods account £2000

The amount saved in March was greatly helped by the interest from the regular savers (£386.93). But we still managed to exceed our monthly target without the interest (£1283.68) Getting a grip of the grocery shopping has really helped.

I have more admin to do this weekend, sorting out regular savers for N@tionwide and setting up standing orders etc. Hopefully once it is all set up it should be all relatively low maintenance. The big news this week is I have finally taken the plunge into S&S ISAs. I was tempted by the link in the MSE email for £200 cash back for investing £1600 in Nutmeg (£500 lump sum + 12 monthly payments of £100) I am a sucker for cash back !. I think this will help me to understand how it all works and the £200 will cushion any losses or fees.

I was going to say we have a nice relaxing weekend planned - but they never quite turn out that way. I am going to the gym, the house needs to be cleaned and we are going to look for some new garden furniture this afternoon :eek:DD and NB are coming for Sunday dinner tomorrow and I think we are "babysitting" their dog in the afternoon.

Have a good weekend everyone

Busy_Mee1

I have just realised it is my Anniversary- I started this diary one year ago today. It has been amazingly helpful both in keeping me focused and because there are so may helpful and supportive people on here. If the are any lurkers on here wondering about starting their own diary - just do it, it can lliterally change your life !