Five year plans for my little family

ZoPig2016

Good day. The small one did OK in the heat today, made her grin like a loony dancing for her in the kitchen. Also got her to laugh a little bit before bath time.

Posted more items off. Using some of the cash to buy a few second hand tops for me.

Also did a quick add up on the contents in our house and have satisfied myself that cheaper insurance will be sufficient. Need to get that sorted but hoping for another 45 quid saving for my pot!

Also DH has a pay rise confirmed today! Happy days. Like mine, it's not a life changing sum but it all counts towards that mortgage free future!

ZoPig2016

Tough day yesterday with hysterical small person, turned out it was trapped wind. Poor little thing. She has made up for it today with extra sleep. Got her weighed at the clinic yesterday too. Made everyone laugh with her nosey little ways - had a good look at everyone and everything!

Need to sit down with computer tomorrow and do a few bits and bobs - will do an update on here as well. After being a productivity whirlwind latest week re housework and financial stuff I have been knackered this week.

Starting to wean DD on to bottles. Cue mother's guilt - she doesn't like the formula much. I return to work in eight weeks so looking to get a good run up before she goes to nursery. Will continue to give her my milk until the last minute but she needs to get used to bottles too. Have considered expressing etc but I don't see a practical way to work that around my job.

Also starting to worry about how on earth I will spin all of the plates.

In good news, e. Bay selling going very well. 6 things sold now and 17 more will sell. Many watchers so hoping for a last minute flurry on Monday. Will give me incentive to get out to the post office and walk with DD.

ZoPig2016

Updates:

Emergency fund: £1635.40 / £5000
Weight loss: 9 / 62lbs
LTV JULY 2018 projection: 71% / 60%

Bit more weight gone, £35 overpaid as my reward.

Paid off cc to cover September annual expenses so the emergency fund will go down at the end of the month. However it can now just build and build, I hope, touch wood and all that.

eBay stuff flying, happy days!

Decided to sack off SB. the effort to return ratio isn't worth it. Cashed out my points into £20 vouchers, used to buy me some new trousers and vests. With eBay tops, should hold me for a while.

Saved £50 on home insurance as well today, boom! :T

Wandered off course with food diary, will start again on Monday. :A

ZoPig2016

£300 profit, before fees, from my old stuff. Not bad for what was just sitting in boxes in the loft. The lovely ladies in my local post office thought I'd started a home business! PITA to package it all and there's always one who pays later than everyone else so you have to make a special trip to the post office just for them :mad:

Relisted some things as no insertion fees this month so why not?

Voucher cashed out of isay, spent on bottle related gubbins for taking the small one out and about. Formula feeding is already a faff.

Wish I could breastfeed for longer but I'm back to work in Eight weeks and I think it would be too pressured to try to express around job, baby and housework. I'm phasing out gradually so she's still getting the good stuff for a few weeks yet.

Feeling that return to work creeping up now. I know rationally and financially that I made the right decision to take the six month deal at three months full three months half pay as the alternative was to go into debt - but it's not easy to be so sensible in this scenario. I will miss spending all day with my DD and watching her learn everything as it happens!

Resolving to enjoy these eight weeks to the full!

Discussed with DH opening some savings accounts with our main bank to piggy bank away the emergency fund and some contributions to a new car. We will keep the madzarati until the poor thing won't run any more but when it finally dies, I want to have a fund to put towards a new car and not have to rad the energency fund for it.

ZoPig2016

Had a lovely day today with DD. She's getting better with her hands, spent some time challenging her to see what she can do! She's mastered rolling off her tummy to her back but not the other way yet - but I can see her brain working figuring out how to do it!

Went inside my dream house at the weekend and couldn't sleep afterwards, I want that house! It's out of reach for now but it's something to think about when in need of inspiration. If I designed it myself it couldn't be better.

Dreams and plans! Need to keep stashing the cash.

A handful more items flogged. Will stop now as it's boring, if lucrative. I've made 600 quid this year from selling old stuff. Will never throw anything away again!

PrincessLou

We're paying off as much of the mortgage as possible so we can afford a bigger house in a few years too. When I need inspiration to work harder or save more money, I drive to a little town that I would love to live in one day and look at the streets of beautiful houses. It never fails to motivate me

ZoPig2016

Gone slightly off course this week on food planning, treated us to a pizza the other night (but they were half price) so ended up with a fridge drawer full of unused veg. So last night I cooked it all and made two batches of soup for my lunches. Some frozen for future use! Determined not to waste any more food.

Been reading about investing and considering all the options for my mission. At the moment I'm reluctant to take any risks. When we have our emergency fund up and running then I'm still thinking that overpayments will be a good step. I will be increasing my pension contributions when I get back to work and so there is money being put away for the future. My goal remains to get LTV down so I can remortgage in two years and then investments seem like a good option to build some wealth.

Still so much on the fence about LISAs. Can we afford to ignore that bonus but equally can I lock up that much cash at this stage? If I can wouldn't it be better in my pension? Or is that all eggs in one basket and a failure to diversify? My brain hurts

claireee2008

Great diary. I'm just restarting mine to keep better track of our money. Like you I'm currently on maternity leave (baby is 15 weeks) but we also have a 3 year old. I'm quite similar to you with food shopping/cooking too so have subscribed to your diary. I love making soup. I need to start selling on eBay. I've never sold anything! Not very money saving I know.

ZoPig2016

Thanks for the comments Claire. Lots of new mums on here it seems, I reckon a baby helps to focus the mind and the time off (such as it is) gives you time to reflect on things and make plans.

So - month end tomorrow. I've got £650 in my emergency find now. I'm no longer keeping it in the current account as the new one doesn't have interest, it's now in a savings account - as I'm not losing anything by moving it out, I find it helpful to hive it off into another account.

70.56% is my LTV projection for the end of the fix. Now aiming for 65% as the best deals seem to give this as the benchmark. That means £130000 which is reachable too - it works out at about £450 a month overpayment. Totally doable!

So the plan is - £5000 emergency fund, up my pension contributions to ensure that there's cash for the future, then overpay the mortgage with a view to smashing through the 65% LTV barrier. At that point, we will weigh up investments, savings etc.

Ate up one batch of soup, it was yummy. Eating with one hand while DD slept on my shoulder. Cooked a chicken for tea, making it do twice to go into pasta. Also then paid Ebay fees, cashed out an additional £44. Happy days!

ZoPig2016

Set up a good year long savings account with a good rate, paid in initial deposit of 250 and standing order arranged for the rest of the monthly payments. Also while at the bank set up 100 a month to my emergency fund, making first payment yesterday. So emergency fund now at £1000! Happy days.

DD set up for a regular 50 for bonds for DD.

Then upped my SO to overpay the mortgage to 100 to make a nice round 500 a month to savings / overpayments.

Just need to up my pension contributions and arrange childcare vouchers in the next benefits window. Suddenly it all seems to be coming together! Hurrah!

Brilliant day yesterday. Went to town for a haircut which I really enjoyed. Then a very reasonable lunch with DH, a new place with street food. Exceptionally good value for some high quality food, all within my eating out budget for the month. I'm finding budgeting an amount is great as I can enjoy myself but still know that I'm in control. Got home and realised that we had no shopping bags, success! The saving mindset is now firmly embedded in both of us.

DD now on three bottles a day, has learned how to reach and grab. Absolute genius! Although her favourite thing to do this with is my hair. Little gorilla grip as well! How can such a little person be so strong?!