ATB'S Frugal Foray to Freedom

Needhelpsaving

Great OP x

greent

Hello again - and great OP to get you towards your Summer hols target!

Sorry to hear the estate business is still rumbling on after all this time - money, sadly, really can bring out the worst in some people Hope it gets sorted for you all soon xx

[Deleted User]

Well I had to go into work today; very strange as hardly any kids in, lots of staff (too many really), and it was a weird mix of age groups so hard to get something just right for them. Anyway it's done now and I'm not on the rota next week. I felt very wobbly going in this morning, and wonder how many people are developing agoraphobic tendencies as a result of the situation we find ourselves in? 

Some pretty unsettling things happening here however I have cheered myself up by making a nice chunky OP today, and I also sold an item on fleabay for £50 which has been OPd 😀😀😀😀

I have an awful lots of housework to do tomorrow, and the weather looks awful so have no excuses. I have printed loads more home learning bits off for the kids as well to occupy them. 

shangaijimmy

Nice chunky target for the summer. I like your thinking.

South_coast

Deleted_User said:

I felt very wobbly going in this morning, and wonder how many people are developing agoraphobic tendencies as a result of the situation we find ourselves in? 

I know exactly what you mean. I bought a couple of treats for my BF when I did my once-a-week shopping trip yesterday and my heart was pounding at driving an extra 1.5 miles beyond the supermarket to drop them round to him as I was not technically meant to be doing it 😯 While it was nice to see him (very briefly, stood in his garden with a scarf over my face while he was in the doorway), I was so relieved to be back in my car and driving towards home again. I've never been an anxious person before, but I feel really unsettled any time I'm not locked indoors at the moment 😦

[Deleted User]

Good afternoon everyone, 

I thought now would be a good time to update my version of an SOA, and give a full picture of the current financial position I am in. It's been absolutely ages since I've done this, and I know things are as low as I can get them, but new eyes are always appreciated. Here goes:

Monthly Incomings 🌴
Salary - £1200
Rental income profit - £200
Child Benefit - £140
Total: £1540

Outgoings 🧁
Mortgage £404 (just sorted a new two year fix). House value £265,000, mortgage balance £80,601
Council tax £189 😱😱
Gas and electricity £96 (accurate, it's a cold house with poor/no insulation, old windows)
Water £33 (will be reassessed in July - on a meter - expect this to drop into 20s)
B&C insurance £18 (recently renewed)
Sky TV & broadband internet - £56 (we make regular use of the TV package, we don't go to the cinema as it's 💵 so we have movie nights at home regularly)
Life insurance £9 
TV licence - £12
Car insurance £40
Mobile phone - £12
Boiler insurance and breakdown cover £11.60 - need this for my peace of mind 
Childcare £146 

Total outgoing DDs - £855.60. 

Fuel is around £50 pcm (work is nearby), food around £200 pcm (DS in KS1 so still gets a free lunch, DD takes packed lunches, I get lunch for free at work). We have no debts other than the mortgage. 

The rental income is for a house that we bought a very long time ago (2007), which is still worth no more than we paid for it so is rented out at £600pcm. I haven't mentioned it on here before I don't think. Current mortgage on that is £55,000; value is £110,000.

I don't have any savings, perhaps this should worry me but it never has. I have a good pension with the school I work in, and once the money comes through from the estate the mortgage will be gone. 

The children have always worn hand me downs and love them, when we get a bag of things from a friend it's like Christmas going through it for them! They are very happy playing outside, baking, building Lego, playing Mine craft, they never nag for anything bless them. 

As you can see we are just £600 away from my end of summer term target 🤩🤩. I am confident we will do this, I have some bits to go on eBay which will help, and childcare and fuel costs are nil at the moment so they can go towards it 🤗

PurpleFairy26

Looks very lean to mean so all good there. But an Emergency fund would be useful, particularly with the rental too. I started a general one and then more recently one for our rental. It's only £400 for the rental but good if I need to call in a tradesperson for something. Obviously as you have no other debts and a low mortgage and payment due from the estate it is less of an issue - assume you'll start saving some if not all of the mortgage payment when it's paid off? Will you get charged early settlement fees if you just started a 2 year fixed with imminent funds to pay it off? 

[Deleted User]

Morning all,

Exact balance is £80,616.21 today, off to go and OP £16.21 😁

Thanks for commenting PurpleFairy, yes that is the plan to save approx £500 a month into an EF when the mortgage is gone. Although a lovely foreign holiday will be on the cards as well for us 🌴 ☀️. Yes there will be early redemption fees but it was still better than going onto their (much higher) SVR for a spell. Given lockdown etc the estate finalising (which was slow and painful anyway), is even slower. It could be the end of the year before any funds come through so for now I am continuing the journey as normal. 

It's a beautiful day here today so the bedding is in to wash. I will be heading for a shower shortly then a big dog walk is on the cards. I have been on a bit of a downer these past couple of days (I have severe generalised anxiety disorder), and it has been threatening to eat me alive recently. Taking control of this diary once more and renewing focus is a part of my treatment; finding something you can control, and controlling the heck out of it. 

ETA - I have decided we are going to eat from the stores this week so I have OPd £100 in lieu of doing a big food shop 😉

[Deleted User]

Morning all, 😊

It's a beautiful bright sunny day here, and I am determined we will make the most of it as the forecast is set to change later this week. I texted the chap we get logs from to see if he is still delivering as next week looks cold 🥶.

Mortgage balance today is £80,500.50 - must OP 50p today! I do have the £500 stashed so could take us into the 70s now, I think I will make a decision this weekend. I have a few bits in my eBay basket but these must come from sales money so need to get listing again today. I must admit I've not been very on the ball with home schooling these past few days... but I'm not going to fret about that. Hopefully on Sunday we will get some idea of when/if schools will be back for the remainder of the summer term. 

We are eating from the freezer/stores this week, so next job on today's list is to batch cook a spaghetti bolognese 😋, the children love it and so do I 😀

Right I'm off to throw some clothes on and get moving, have lovely days all x

greent

I need my children to try their school stuff on when a return date is announced - I have a feeling that some of it won't fit!! 

Definitely have to op the 50p! - and the £500 sometime this month if you can It's crazy how moving down a bracket has such a beneficial effect - the difference between 80500 and 79950, say, isn't really *that* much in the scheme of things but boy! does it feel like it

I think relaxing from schooling tasks occasionally is perfectly fine - these are crazy times and if a few days out means you all comeback to the tasks refreshed and renewed then fab xx