Spend Nowt, Buy Nowt, Owe Nowt

XSpender

Thanks apple and mumoftwins DS is much better today but asked if he can stay at home with me instead of going to DPIL for the day. I am working from home today as my meeting this morning was cancelled so he can.

DS expenses have been repaid and £218 sent to the LTSB CC and the rest to DS birthday pot. We ordered DS birthday bike on Wednesday, he can just manage the next size up so we have gone for that one as he will get more years out of it. It looks massive! I have paid the deposit and have will get his old bikes listed at the weekend to go towards the cost.

TCB has paid out so the vets bill has been covered. He is going back today for a check up so hope I don't have to pay another consultation fee.

I was lying in bed the other night as I couldn't get to sleep and came to the conclusion that we can't afford a holiday this year. DH has agreed. We have nothing put aside for a holiday and it is the spending money, even when camping for a week, that costs the most. We have booked 2 weeks off in August and will use our NT membership, DS new bike for bike rides, walks and some days out. If the weather is good we will book a few days camping last minute. We are so lucky where we live that we can be in deep countryside, the seaside or city all within 20-30 minutes

I really need to sort my diet out. I have been saying that for a long time I am not overweight, although I would benefit from losing half a stone or so and toning up, but do not eat well. Last night's dinner was cornflakes I'm not sure where to start.

enthusiasticsaver

Good decision on skipping the holiday this year. When your budget can allow for it start a holiday savings pot for 2019. You can still have a lovely break by doing a staycation. When does your mortgage deal run out?

XSpender

enthusiasticsaver wrote: »

Good decision on skipping the holiday this year. When your budget can allow for it start a holiday savings pot for 2019. You can still have a lovely break by doing a staycation. When does your mortgage deal run out?

Mortgage deals runs out in June. Broker is on my list to ring today. We missed each other a couple of times over the Easter break. I still feel nervous and embarrassed ringing him when 2 years ago I had savings and about £1500 debt. The mortgage calculator on our existing mortgage company website does say they will lend us about 150% of our current mortgage balance even with the debt repayments added in.

enthusiasticsaver

XSpender wrote: »

Mortgage deals runs out in June. Broker is on my list to ring today. We missed each other a couple of times over the Easter break. I still feel nervous and embarrassed ringing him when 2 years ago I had savings and about £1500 debt. The mortgage calculator on our existing mortgage company website does say they will lend us about 150% of our current mortgage balance even with the debt repayments added in.

Some of the debt accrued due to doing up your new house didn't it? The main thing is that you get a good rate as I seem to recall your mortgage payment is quite high isn't it? If you can get a better rate that will certainly help you clear the debt quicker. A few people on this forum who have heavy debt have managed to get remortgage deals so hopefully all will be well and a small decrease in the rate should lead to a good monthly reduction in payment as you have a high mortgage. Fingers crossed.

XSpender

We should hopefully save about £150/month on our mortgage payment. Quite a lot of the credit was for home improvements and repairs but as a lot of it was modernising, new furniture, carpets and decoration it won't add much to the value. The house was originally on at £20k more but had no interest. I think the amount of work put some people off. We have had a kitchen makeover though. I have used the original purchase price/valuation when calculating the rates we can expect.

If the broker can't offer us a decent rate I will apply directly to our existing mortgage company. I didn't get chance to ring him today so will try tomorrow and see if someone can start it off if he isn't there.

Doggle has been to vet again for a check up and it has cost us another £30 for a 6 minute visit :eek: He needs to go again next Friday too so that will be another £30! I need to find that £60 from somewhere.

My bonus has been restructured so I should receive an extra £75 take home pay a month but as this will be swallowed up by my extra pension payments it won't make much difference really. The remainder will be paid annually.

DH is hoping his bonus payments will start again next month but I am not counting this in any of my calculations.

Stuff I need to pay for in April:

• My passport
• DS party
• DS bike (due to be collected 5th May so technically to be paid for May)
• £60 for 2 vet consultations

DH gets paid 8 days earlier from this month so this does help the budgeting a little.

Treadingonplaymobil

Wow, £150 saving on the mortgage would be brilliant. We had about more debt when we remortgaged than we did when we took out our original mortgage and I was also really embarrassed, as the mortgage broker is a school run mum I see most days! But she did get us a brilliant rate and that was what really turned our finances around and moved our budget from 'unfeasible most months' to 'manageable even with extension savings included'. It really made a huge difference.

XSpender

Spendy day today.

DS new bike was ready and as he has the opportunity to go on a bike ride with some friends tomorrow (and parents!) we have picked it up early. I have some money saved for his birthday and some money in my 52 week challenge pot (saved for Christmas) which I will replace when we sell DS other bike and from funds budgeted in May to pay for the bike.

We also got an opportunity to go to the local cash and carry and spent a lot and then topped up on fresh fruit, milk and a couple of other bits at the morries near the bike shop.

Finally a new cable was needed to sort out the poor connection speeds DH is getting when gaming.

I am now officially skint :eek:

XSpender

Thankfully, after yesterday's blow out, today has been a low spend day, £2.50 on a couple of hot drinks at DS training. I could have avoided this if I had been a bit more organised and taken an insulated cup of tea from home but it does support what is a great grass roots club.

DS has gone on a play date with a school friend and DH and I have taken the opportunity to do a 2 hour hilly walk. The poor dog is wiped out!

We have a DVD to watch tonight that a friend has lent us and I feel an early night coming on.

apple_muncher

I remember doing a 2 hour walk with my sister once, and we were both aching the next day. Couldn't fathom why until we realised that we'd not had my niece with us (prob about 6 at the time) and had walked at a proper grown up pace!

XSpender

We did another 5 miler on Monday night which was flatter but just a tiring.

DS sports camp has been cancelled so I will get a refund. I will put this towards his bike. I’m not quite sure how I have managed it but by using the birthday pot and some other bits and bobs left in some of the pots I have only £50 to find to have covered the bike and a cycling top we got him

If we sell his old bikes this should cover the cost of his party. I will then use a little of May’s salary to cover a couple of small gifts, a cake, party bags and a piñata. Better than the £300 I thought I’d need to find!

Bit of a mid month lull money wise as all the debt repayments have gone out except one cc payment.

I still haven’t rang the mortgage broker back and I must do it this week as I am away in the Scottish highlands most of next week with work.