£67,031.92 is a frightening number indeed....

popuppirate75

If you do prefer shopping in person, shop smart and don't fall for the mind games of the big retailers. Perishables are often at the store entrance, and treats at the exit (alcohol, chocolates etc that people "can't resist").

In particular, when we arrive in store we often bypass the non-food aisles that occupy the first three or four aisles, eg DVDs, games, stationery, gardening equipment, electrical goods etc, and head straight to the frozen and tinned section (long life goods).

Treadingonplaymobil

Week 48: day 2

Sigh, so much for my new relaxed working week. DC3 is off preschool with a horrible cough today, so instead of getting house stuff or work done I am looking after her. Trying to get a bit of work done while she stares at the tv, hopefully she'll doze off at some stage.

Karonher £200 is my bare minimum income - last (tax) year I earned c.£10,000 on an average of 14 hours a week, so I'm optimistic that it will end up higher, but the point is not to pressure myself in case (like today) those working hours can't happen. Also, I am trying to build up a new area of my business over the next 12-18 months, which will make virtually nothing while I am building it up, but hopefully will make a reasonably passive income once it is established, so some hours will be working for free this year to get that off the ground.

Honeysucklelou2 I was honestly shocked, when I sat and worked it out, how many hours it takes to run a house, especially to live a life where things are cooked from scratch, the house is kept looking nice, the food shopping/insurance etc is all shopped around to keep to a tight budget, holidays and special occasions etc are planned in advance to avoid stress. Never mind the day to day washing up/laundry/cleaning!

I am anxiously awaiting confirmation of the remortgage, so I can move money around and make a start on life with our new finances!

To do today
1. Another laundry load or two.
2. Keep on top of the ironing as clothes dry - I cleared a massive backlog yesterday and don't want it to build straight back up again.
3. Make quiche.
4. Make flapjacks.
5. Prepare house for client tomorrow.
6. Pack orders for smaller business.

To do this week
1. Raise prices for smaller business.
2. Sort and tidy our room.
3. Menu plan carefully and do as minimal a good shop as possible - we seem to have very full cupboards and freezer!
4. Move all the money round to pay off Tesco loan, assuming it comes in as planned.
5. Finish updating 2018 business plan.

To do in January
1. Review 2017 spending and try to improve 2018 plans by being more prepared - plan big spends like holidays and Christmas now and be realistic about the cost. Done with DH before doing SOA.
2. Redo SOA once the remortgage is through. Done.
3. Make a 2018 business plan that is less frenetic than originally (I think I had too high expectations of myself, leading to much stress in Nov/Dec). Made a good start on this.

Treadingonplaymobil

Ooooh, remortgage has cleared, and I currently have over £21k sitting in my bank account to pay off the tesco loan! If my maths are right there will be almost exactly £2k left once the loan is paid off (although I don't have the login for the loan to check this - DH will phone and pay it tonight). £725 is allocated to paying the architect and I am intending to use the remainder to give us one month's savings in all our annual savings pots categories (holidays, car maintenance, extension savings etc) which comes to another £782, which will leave a few hundred to make an overpayment on the partnership card.

I am so pleased to reduce our 'on paper' consumer debt down to just the partnership card and barclaycard, although trying to remember that it has come at the expense of a larger mortgage (albeit not a much more expensive one, as the interest rate is lower and the term re-increased to the original 33 years).

Misslayed

:j:T:j:T Congratulations!

wishingthemortgaheaway

Yay. Pleased it's come through for you.

Silver_Queen

I have just noticed. There's a world of difference between the monthly repayments you were making at the start of this diary, and the monthly repayments you will be making now, even taking into account the higher mortgage!

Well done! I am so please for you all that things are starting to ease up and work a bit better.

Fingers crossed you'll be able to squeeze in a few extra earnings here and there too, which will help with your holiday/treats fund.

PositiveBalance

Yes, congratulations, although thinking about it quickly would it not be better for you to use the pot money to pay off more of the interest-earning card, speaking strictly in terms of interest?

I understand why you would go the other way as well, though.

Verbatim

Wonderful news. Really pleased that it's come through for you.

Honeysucklelou2

Wow! Glad the in limbo time has finished and you can plan your new budget with certainty.

Chrystal

Great news TOPM!

I think I'd also put the 'extra' money into the pots. If it gives you a feeling of security and takes some stress of your shoulders it's worth not paying it off the other loan.... I think you've got past the stage of dipping into it - Yes?

Hope little one feels better tomorrow. X