Tales from The Shire

Cornish_mum

That’s fantastic news! So pleased for you CM

Cheery_Daff

Fantastic news Fortune!! So pleased for you 😊😊😊

debtfreeoneday

Such a lovely post to read. 

ruby_eskimo

So much good news in one post!  Fingers crossed the personal touch from the MP helps speed up the visa process a little bit more.  Paying it forward is a lovely way to put it.

greent

Lots of lovely news in that post, Fortune - so good to read! And amazing progress in 5 years - especially when you consider everything else you do along the way - life is for living at the same time as the MFW lark, after all - and your balance on it all looks fab! 💜 x

Fortune_Smiles

Feeling Grateful

Thanks for all the well wishes guys.  It's going to be weird looking at the mortgage figure now.  We'll still have one of course but it will be so much smaller 🥳 For us, it's all about affordability and knowing that, whatever happens, we can meet the costs of living here. The current inflation rates will make it more difficult to stay at that tipping point but, for the time being, we don't have to worry about the basics as so many do these days.  Feeling very grateful for our good fortunate and to our past selves who put in the work to get us here.

MS news:

• I've transferred part of the capital op to the mortgage.  On-line banking won't allow me to transfer the full amount as there is a daily limit.  I've set up two further scheduled payments for Monday and Tuesday to transfer the remaining amount as on-line banking won't allow me to do this over the weekend 🙄  Anyhoo, the full op will be made by Tuesday and we then have to post the signed, new mortgage agreement and that's it
• the Council came round to do a home check yesterday.  This is required to quality for the Homes for Ukraine Scheme.  We passed the home check with flying colours 😁 so won't need to make any changes.  Mr F has had to have a standard DBS check too which we're waiting the results off.  However, he has these for work so we don't see any difficulty there
• I ordered some essential items for our guests and also a gift of a keyring for each of them.  It says 'Be a sunflower.  Even in dark days, stand tall and turn your face to the sun'.  I thought it appropriate as the sunflower is the national flower of Ukraine.  I hadn't thought about door keys before but, of course, they'll need a set.  I have at least one spare set but might need to get a second cut
• £DF have sent me an energy summary.  We somehow managed to bag a sensible fixed rate before utility prices surged which is in place until March 23 so there aren't any shocks for us yet.  We also continued our direct debit at Uncle F rates after he left so should have some credit built up
• T£$co failed to deliver our groceries on Thursday 😲 Not sure why but might be because a van broke down.  They've rescheduled for today and given me a £10 voucher to say sorry
• a friend popped in unexpectedly bringing cookies 😋  She stayed for lunch which was Green Minestrone with Tortellini to make use of some nice fresh spring greens from this week's veg box
• I was exhausted last night.  Probably all the energy I spent getting ready for the home visit this week.  So we spent a little of this month's fun money on a fish and chip supper 😋

The best news is that another one of our visas has come through 🎉🎉🎉  Just one outstanding now.  Our guests got very excited as the two outstanding visas were for a mother and son and they thought the two would come together.  They don't know that the Home Office isn't linking visas so who knows when the final one will come through.  I'm sending them photographs every day - things I think they'll find interesting or will help them to settle here.  They said that yesterday's photos 'lifted their spirits' so I think they're a little down that the final visa hasn't come 😢  My MP is going back to Westminster on Monday to chase so fingers crossed 🤞  We've been waiting 27 days for this visa now and it's 36 days since we first started talking to the family.  That's a long time to wait when you're fleeing a war zone and are entirely reliant on the goodwill of strangers 😢  I just have to hope that they'll get here soon.

Hope your weekend is off to a good start.

Fortune x

Cheery_Daff

Gosh, that's awful they're waiting so long Fortune. Hope they can get sorted soon and arrive with you safely. Glad they're all waiting together though. They are going to feel so welcomed by you xx

savingholmes

Great news on the bonus, your mortgage over payment and being able to rebalance your budgets. 

Sounds like the visa situation is improving. Hope your MP manages to give it a final push.

Fortune_Smiles

22 Review

We are reaching the end of the first quarter of the year (I know - how did that happen 😲) which seems like a good point for a review:

Wealth

• overpay the mortgage by 10% in January 2022.  This is the maximum we are allowed to pay in any calendar year whilst on a fixed rate.  We have savings ring-fenced for this purpose.  Achieved.
• pay Mr F's tax bill - £1076.20.  Achieved.  However, this was based on Mr F's P11D which we now know was incorrect.  The error was in our favour so I have written to the Tax Office asking for a refund.
• overpay the mortgage by whatever OP savings we have accrued by end August 2022.  This is when our fixed rate ends and we want to get the mortgage down as much as possible then so that our monthly payment becomes more manageable.  Achieved.  We have now paid off 65% of our original mortgage.
• we originally planned for Mr F to become self-employed at that point.  However, without the travel, his job has become far less stressful, so he's now thinking he'll 'ride the donkey until it drops'.  We'll keep the situation under review for now.  Covid will have an impact of course and the decision may be taken out of our hands anyway as the company is currently restructuring... again 🙄  Mr F is staying put for the time-being but we'll review regularly.
• if Mr F receives a bonus this year we'll instal a new, outside boiler.  Our current boiler is about 15 years old so due to be replaced plus, by moving the boiler outside, we'll gain a proper study rather than our current study/boiler room.  We decided to keep the current boiler for as long as possible but have ring-fenced savings for when the time comes to replace it.
• a large fence between us and our nearest neighbour's property came down in Storm Arwen so that will need replacing and the boundary fences will continue to need maintenance.  This fence and one other are booked to be replaced early June.  We have paid for the materials already to avoid any further increase in price between now and fitting.
• we've asked Young Decorator to refurbish the Annexe windows.  This work is booked for the summer.
• Mr F would like to instal some additional home security.  Next on the list.
• the annexe needs decorating.  We've decided to bump this to next year.
• how much/little home improvement gets done this year will depend on Mr F's employment situation.  Mr F's study is next on the list for redecorating.

After August we will need to review how much we want to overpay the mortgage, save and spend.  It's possible that we would be able to completely pay the mortgage off in 2 years from then.  However, if we gave ourselves more fun money we could maybe take a holiday, experience new things, treat the Younger Fortunates and still pay it off in three years.  It will all come down to lifestyle choice I think.  The mortgage company allowed us to change mortgage deal early so we have already made some decisions.  We've decided to halve our op's and put the savings into home improvements and fun money.

Health

We are both in general good health but have had some niggles this year and know, we're not going to get any younger.  Our diet (except at Christmas) is good but I would like to get more exercise so that I can continue to stay mobile and active.  A first grandchild is being planned so that's becoming even more important 😁

• re-start yoga practice.  Delayed due to back and knee injuries.
• start belly dancing 😂  I used to go to classes years ago and it was such fun.  Not sure I'd be brave enough to do it in a class environment now but I have a new DVD to try. Delayed due to back and knee injuries
• continue to walk FDawg each day.  Achieved.
• maintain the garden. In progress.

Happiness

A lot of our time last year was spent supporting others so I'd like to do more for us, as a couple and as individuals, this year.

• write. In progress.
• paint. Two projects pending.
• have date days - at least one a month.  Ongoing.
• explore the walks around the Shire. Ongoing.
• visit friends (rather than them always coming here - which we love, but can be hard work sometimes).  Pending.
• have more fun.  I'm not sure 'fun' is the right word to use in the current world climate but we are appreciating what we have, finding joy in the small things and 'paying it forward'.

So, as always, lots of progress on the financial side and not so much on the health and happiness side.  However, I think this will all change when our Ukrainian guests get here (nope - still no final visa).  All the plans we have to support them and help them integrate will tie in with my health and happiness goals.  However, on the financial side, we'll be spending more.

As we'd already decided to save less and spend more this year I think I'll suspend my diary for the time-being.  This is a money saving diary after all, not a money spending one.  I'll pop in from time to time and will keep up with diaries but don't worry if you don't hear from me regularly.  I'll let you know when our guests arrive of course.

Take care and keep up the good work.

Fortune x

PS - If ever you forget how awesome you all are - THIS IS YOUR REMINDER! 

savingholmes

I don't think you need to suspend your diary. I find posting regularly keeps me on track. Even if you don't need that accountability it is helpful to those in it for the long haul to read about others with more settled financial status. Helps us see what's possible. Good luck whatever you decide.