Project Mortgage Neutral Begins

ajmoney

A bit of planning required over the next few days.  I have a swim tour around some lochs tomorrow so need to figure out some snacks and drinks to keep my energy topped up although we have 2 pit stops during the day where I might enjoy a bacon roll and fresh tea rather than from my flask.  With the return to work on Tuesday I need to come up with some ideas for lunches.  I won't be eating at work like I did before lockdown, some will be at work and some will be at home so I want easy things but ideas that I don't get bored of.  I might stick to easy next week, maybe salads.

Suffolk_lass

Just to mention that adding some slow release carbohydrate to your salads will keep your energy levels up - a bit of cold penne with your salads perhaps madam?

ajmoney

Suffolk_lass said:

Just to mention that adding some slow release carbohydrate to your salads will keep your energy levels up - a bit of cold penne with your salads perhaps madam?

I was planning on adding couscous but I think using rice or pasta will stop it from getting too "samey".

Popped to ex's on the way back from the shops and have been trying to help him understand the communication he is getting from the tax people using my new found knowledge.  I think I might understand the issue but they never explain in the letters why he owes more tax and it seems to be a thing that rolls on each year.  He has a habit of burying his head in the sand with it as "they should know what they are doing" but it sounds like he won't be paid up at the end of the tax year.  I have also said he should try to find out from them what the issue is each year, I have questions I would ask but I am not sure how far he will push them.  They talk in ways that confuse him and rather than ask to explain it in a way that he will understand he ends up convincing himself he won't understandand doesn't ask the right questions.  I have a mind to ask him to put them on speaker phone and let me sit in the backgrpund so I can try and decipher and explain to him and write down questions he should ask if I feel he isn't getting all the information.

I have an electrician popping by soon to look into the issue the heating engineers found last week.  The strange smell has been back for a couple of days, not as strong as it had been but I am going to ask his advice on it and if he is under the house ask if he can find the source.  I am also expecting a parcel in a couple of hours.  My parents have very kindly bought me a weighted blanket to see if it will help me sleep a little better.  We were discussing them on a family video chat the other night when my sister suggested them.  I can't justify the price of them but my dad said he would get it for me, I feel a little guilty for them even buying this but I never ask for anything so I guess he feels happy trying to help me.  If it helps on a regular basis it will be the first thing in 41 and a half years.

Suffolk_lass

I know what you mean about poor sleep. Mine has been wrecked since we contracted an unreliable builder who took over £40k and went awol for 8 weeks (leaving us with a tarpaulin over the back of the house over Christmas and New Year). I just wake up when there is anything on my mind, or after I have been out, or eaten something starchy (endless really). Been up since just after four this morning since I clearly was not going back to sleep! - Getting to sleep is not a problem, but once my brain has done its filing and I am just past exhaustion, anything wakes me.

I just wanted to ask if you or your exDH have uniforms and if you do, whether you claim the tax back on laundering or cleaning these. I don't know if your ex is in the same line of work, but it is easily overlooked

ajmoney

Suffolk_lass said:

I just wanted to ask if you or your exDH have uniforms and if you do, whether you claim the tax back on laundering or cleaning these. I don't know if your ex is in the same line of work, but it is easily overlooked

He used to be in the same line of work but no longer.  Unfortunately we are not allowed to claim for the money on this.  Part of our uniform gets dry cleaned and when it goes in as a group it gets paid for, the rest we have to wash or sort out ourselves and can't claim.

ajmoney

Yesterday's swim day was amazing and I had such a level of inner peace this morning.  I went for a swim with a friend earlier today, we hadn't decided whether we would go today or tomorrow but it was such a beautiful morning we couldn't resist.  I am making the most of my last day off tomorrow and heading in land for another loch swim and if I can get a spot I will then go to the cycle park for a confidence building session after I came off last week.

Money wise I seem to be ok although I won't be left with enough money to cover next month's credit card bill (about £66) as I will need to top uo with fuel when I get back from my swim and I am going to attempt to meal plan and shop to get me through to Friday.  I am still taking it as a win that I have about £76 left in my account at the moment.  Although I have my planned budget for September I am going to be a bit fluid with it.  I had set this not long before lockdown based on the spending of the month before but with going back to work and the uncertainty of how this will be I am happy to revisit the plan at the end of the month.

A_Frayed_Knot

Glad to hear, you took the jigsaw option - you sound so familiar - as I too, seem to carry on and can't finish it quick enough, goes for just about anything I start, I want to just keep on going till it's finished.
Hope you are feeling a little better now.  
Feel your ex's pain with tax office, need to phone them tomorrow as have just discover what could potentially be a huge error on their part.
I can recommend homopathic pillutes, I got a book from behind B00ts counter, where you look up your symptoms, and it tells you which one is recommended for that symptom.  
Great you managed a swim, as it was a lovely morning as you say.

ajmoney

1st day of the month and the 1st day back to work for me.

Work was ok, still strange working as half a band and not seeing the other half but hopefully our guidance should change soon and we might have a few more in with us.  Keeping on top of my admin around rehearsals is a weird one but I restricted myself to checking my emails and replying to any that were essential, I will make a bit more of an action plan tomorrow.

I have done the 1st day of the month money shuffle and things look ok.  I have reached the ceiling of money in my saving pot for holidays plus a little extra, I will divert more from next month to my ISA to bolster my cash EF but I might split it between there and my larger mortgage.  I have £105 not included in my budget plus an extra buffer from my pay so it will be interesting to see where I am by the end of the month.  I bought a lot of meat yesterday so it should last me quite a while and will be the bulk of my shopping covered.

ajmoney

My mortgage total is sitting at £90992.09, I have already made my OPs and my interest will total around £104.  My plan is to send all my other money to savings but I hate the knowledge that the overall total will go back over the next £1k bracket this month.  The thing that helps is knowing my largest mortgage has now dropped below £66k and won't go above it!

savingholmes

Your loch swims sound amazing. Let us know how you get on with the weighted blanket too. Your progress on the mortgage has been phenomenal.