Taking it slowly, but doing it well.

wishingthemortgaheaway

pinkypig wrote: »

Hiya Wish, how was your supply day? Good I hope.
I too am not confident of hitting op targets this month - too much socialising and pressie buying. Worth it though:D
Enjoy your family time xx

Hi Pinky, supply was ok. All children still breathing at the end of the morning. No more now for me though until after Christmas. I've got mega amounts of Christmas things to do next week. I say this every year but, I must be more organised......

have a good week.

wishingthemortgaheaway

Evening all.
A nsd today as I'd hoped. Mum and dad treated the three of us to a very lunch, then it's been Christmas card writing this afternoon. (Will have to take out a second mortgage to cover the cost of the stamped no doubt).

Sorted out a bit of life admin And Tilly tidied 2p to the mop pot. All very (un)exciting.

I've signed up to the mortgage free 2018 challenge today and I have stretched myself based on my overpayments recently. So hopefully, with a bit of an increase in my income it is doable.

I was starting to stress about the mop pot as it didn't go as well as I'd hoped in November and December isn't going brilliantly either. But, back in August/September time
I challenged myself to get the outstanding mortgage down to £35k by the end of the year. I actually hit this at the end of November, so I'm a month ahead on that target. So I shouldn't complain too much.

Heading home tomorrow, but need stamps for the Christmas cards and a present for hubby from Pickle. So not a nsd. Target slipping away....


MSE December Goals

1) Reduce Mortgage capital by £600
Target 1: interest added £22.96/£70.66
Target 2: next brick on the house £0/£2.11
Target 3: £400 capital reduction £0/£100
Target 4: £500 capital reduction £0/£100
Target 5: £600 capital reduction £0/£100

2) Emergency fund back up to £700
£12.74/£92.74

3) Surveys, cashback, sales etc. £7.58/£50
£4.58 - Shopmium
£3.00 - boot sale app sale

4) 15 NSDs
8/15

wishingthemortgaheaway

A few spends today, as I thought I would, but nothing too disastrous. It has meant a little Tilly tidy though and it's child benefit day so the random 2.80 has been Tilly tidied to the mop pot. I haven't spent any of the last lot of child benefit, so there is now £100 sitting in that pot, enough for the next lot of swimming lessons and the next pair of shoes too. I'm also seriously considering signing us up for stage 2 of sing and sign. We did stage 1 last year and he does use a lot of the signs. I'm reluctant only because I now only have 2 days during the week with Pickle and Monday's are already swim days. Going to have a think and see what time the sessions are after Christmas.

I'm expecting my payslip to be emailed to me over the next couple of days. I should be paid on the penultimate working day of the month (a week on Thursday,) but I think it's going to be sooner than that.

Very tight turnaround this week. We got home this evening from visiting my family and heading off to hubby's family on Thursday first thing. Need to crack on with the washing tomorrow.

Updates below.


MSE December Goals

1) Reduce Mortgage capital by £600
Target 1: interest added £29.28/£70.66
Target 2: next brick on the house £0/£2.11
Target 3: £400 capital reduction £0/£100
Target 4: £500 capital reduction £0/£100
Target 5: £600 capital reduction £0/£100

2) Emergency fund back up to £700
£12.74/£92.74

3) Surveys, cashback, sales etc. £10.18/£50
£7.18 - Shopmium
£3.00 - boot sale app sale

4) 15 NSDs
8/15

wishingthemortgaheaway

Morning all, I didn't update last night as I'm so stressed out about everything that needs doing before we go away tomorrow. I've written some lists though and should have an easier day at work today, so hopefully can get a few bits done as I go.

Yesterday was 'take out a mortgage to buy stamps' day. £15.01 for 24 second class stamps and post a card to the continent.

I received my payslip from work. Still on basic rate tax, but I can't sort that until the new year now as they ask you to wait 35 days before contacting them for changes. There is more than enough to cover the childcare bill though which is all I'm concerned about at the moment.

I've signed up to the better points app. You get points for running, cycling and even walking which can be exchanged for high street vouchers. 5000-6000 points equals a £5 voucher for various stores. If anyone is interested and would like to use my referral code it's: KTPQ-TXTG
i think it works all over the country. I don't know how long it takes to get points, but it's worth a shot, get fit, get paid, seems like a winner to me.

Not much money saving planned for today, but hoping for a nsd.


MSE December Goals

1) Reduce Mortgage capital by £600
Target 1: interest added £29.28/£70.66
Target 2: next brick on the house £0/£2.11
Target 3: £400 capital reduction £0/£100
Target 4: £500 capital reduction £0/£100
Target 5: £600 capital reduction £0/£100

2) Emergency fund back up to £700
£12.74/£92.74

3) Surveys, cashback, sales etc. £10.18/£50
£7.18 - Shopmium
£3.00 - boot sale app sale

4) 15 NSDs
8/15

wishingthemortgaheaway

Evening all, I'm feeling a little better this evening, I got a big back log of work cleared, it feels ages since I've had a work day.

I've got the rest of the presents wrapped and most of the stuff packed for going away tomorrow, 1 more Christmas card got posted but I had some stamps left over from yesterday's stamp purchase.

Had a fb sale today, only £3, but £3 more than I had yesterday.

Supply teaching payslip delivered, only half a day's pay, but better than nothing. £65 in 'wage storage' and £1 in the mop pot.

A root around in the freezer means I've not had to go out and get tea so a nsd to get me 1 closer to my target. I think it's still possible to hit 15 nsds but it's getting tighter.

MSE December Goals

1) Reduce Mortgage capital by £600
Target 1: interest added £33.28/£70.66
Target 2: next brick on the house £0/£2.11
Target 3: £400 capital reduction £0/£100
Target 4: £500 capital reduction £0/£100
Target 5: £600 capital reduction £0/£100

2) Emergency fund back up to £700
£12.74/£92.74

3) Surveys, cashback, sales etc. £13.18/£50
£7.18 - Shopmium
£3.00 - boot sale app sale
£3.00 -fb sale

4) 15 NSDs
9/15

pinkypig

Glad you're feeling better Wish. Enjoy your holidays. Xx

wishingthemortgaheaway

pinkypig wrote: »

Glad you're feeling better Wish. Enjoy your holidays. Xx

Thank you, you too.

michelle09

Better than not having another £3. Glad you're feeling better, good luck with the NSDs!

wishingthemortgaheaway

Good evening neglected diary.
I have been on social media black out over the festivities and it's done me the world of good. I have been reading. I admit I've been reading a diary from this site that has had me hooked. It's like a novel. I've cheered this writer on, chastised them, and shouted out
Loud in equal measure, but I have learned a lot about life. I'm onto their second diary now.

I've also been knitting and I'm probably a quarter to a third through a baby blanket for a baby due the end of Jan. I've still not finished the blooming rucksacks that we're meant to be a Christmas present, but a 'winter, January present will be fine.

I've lost track a bit of some of my goals for December. Savings account interest has been paid, not a lot, but every little helps with this mfw dream. Despite 5
Nsds in a row (due to visiting very generous family, ) my spend account is looking weak.
We return home tomorrow and need to do a food shop, but I'm seriously hoping that that is it as far as spending goes. My wages and expenses should be paid tomorrow, so I'm hoping both the EF and the mop pot get a bit of a boost. I need to return to some money making ways.

I spent some time just before the Christmas festivities planning an ambitious, but perfectly doable if I put my mind to it bullet journal Plan for 2018. I've signed up to the mfw 2018 challenge with a target of £2.5k or £210 a month. Mortgage should
Be down to £34,800 by the 1st Jan and I want to end 2018 in the 20s, even if it is only by 1p

During 2018 our fixed rate mortgage deal comes to an end so we need to decide whether we Fix again or plod along on the svr and do something about moving. I really don't know about this. We would love more space, a spare bedroom for guests (which we 'lost' when Pickle was born) a garden, garage and somewhere to store hubby's equipment that isn't the dining room. But our mortgage is currently £300 a month which allows me to work very little. We need to consider the best option for our family at the moment. But having a massive declutter of our house (culminating in doing a car boot sale in the spring) is the first step in this unknown plan.

Hope everyone is well and has had a fabulous Christmas

Wish


MSE December Goals

1) Reduce Mortgage capital by £600
Target 1: interest added £38.05/£70.66
Target 2: next brick on the house £0/£2.11
Target 3: £400 capital reduction £0/£100
Target 4: £500 capital reduction £0/£100
Target 5: £600 capital reduction £0/£100

2) Emergency fund back up to £700
£12.74/£92.74

3) Surveys, cashback, sales etc. £13.18/£50
£7.18 - Shopmium
£3.00 - boot sale app sale
£3.00 -fb sale

4) 15 NSDs
14/15 - so very very close..

wishingthemortgaheaway

just popping in with an early morning finance update as I've been paid by my regular job and they've reimbursed my expenses.
I'm still overpaying on my tax due to signing up with the supply agency prior to getting this job, but now I've got both organisation's tax reference numbers I can ring hmrc in January and get it sorted.
I need to create a new category on ynab as my expenses slush fund. At the moment my expenses have been made up of mileage claims, a couple of small things purchased and phonecall s I had to make on my landline as my mobile hadn't arrived. So nothing leaving me massively out of pocket at the time. When I start having to book hotels and train tickets I will need this slush fund. I was originally
Thinking £100, but I actually think it's needs to be a bit more than that, but I'm going to get to £100 first.

I've topped up the tax free childcare account, Tilly tidied into the mop pot, hit my target on the EF for this month,
Started my expenses slush fund and put the rest into a ynab category called 'wage storage'

Regarding 'wage storage' hubby is still putting the £2k per month household
Expenses into my account as he's done since August when the money I saved for mat leave ran out (well there was only £1k left and that became my EF) he is continuing to do this still so my wages are only required to pay for the child care (£350 per month) i Tilly tidy them down to the nearest £10 mark then I'm putting the rest into this ynab pot because I don't really know what to do with them at the moment. I give myself £100 spending money per month, I'm not intending on upping this. So, on a day to day basis, it is 'surplus to requirements' for now, I'm just going to save it.

I am going to start putting £10 a month aside for a Bike for Pickle for his birthday in May. I have found a subscription/hire/rental service for children's bikes that charges less than £10 per month for a toddler balance bike. It's delivered to your house, you use it for a year and then you 'upgrade/upsize' the next year. It stops the circumstances where a child has a bike that's a bit too big for them because they will 'grow into it' and I do think it's excellent value compared to purchasing a brand new Bike. I'm fully aware that a pre-loved bike would cost a lot less, but I think this is one 'thing' I would like him to have from new (and this way we don't have to arrange passing them on when he's grown out of them) once he gets to the point of a bike lasting longer than a year we'll look at purchasing outright and, if I can manage not to Tilly tidy the surplus in what will become the 'bike' pot on ynab we will have the cash to do it at the time.
Thought appreciated on this please.

Sorry all, that turned into a much more mammoth post than I'd planned. Updates below.


MSE December Goals

1) Reduce Mortgage capital by £600
Target 1: interest added £52.76/£70.66
Target 2: next brick on the house £0/£2.11
Target 3: £400 capital reduction £0/£100
Target 4: £500 capital reduction £0/£100
Target 5: £600 capital reduction £0/£100

2) Emergency fund back up to £700
£92.74/£92.74✅

3) Surveys, cashback, sales etc. £13.18/£50
£7.18 - Shopmium
£3.00 - boot sale app sale
£3.00 -fb sale

4) 15 NSDs
14/15 - so very very close..

5) Expenses Slush fund £100
£60/£100