Finally Debt Free After 34 Years, But Still Need to Live Frugally

HairyHandofDartmoor

Thanks everyone for your comments .

Nice to hear from you @Crazycatlady2 and thanks for your kind comments . Being self-employed is really tough I think. I'm sorry about the relatives you have lost recently.

I don't know if we would be able to get a mortgage fix as our credit reputation isn't great due to a small income and us not having any credit. The recent interest rate rise made our mortgage go up by about £4 a month. Maybe we should inquire about a fix just in case they say yes.

HairyHandofDartmoor

I was hoping to post more over my half term but it's turned out to be really busy.

I was planning on spending two days doing college assignments, but on the evening of the day I broke up (18 Feb) my manager messaged me and asked me to do seven online courses over half term! I was slightly horrified as I was hoping to relax and see family and get over my cold. In fact I felt a bit miffed 😣, but maybe I shouldn't as it's training me and improving my skills. I did feel it was a bit short notice to be asked to do seven courses though as I might have booked a holiday and then I wouldn't have been able to do any of them! 

Anyway I spent the first weekend after breaking up recovering as I felt shattered and I was wheezy and coughing 🤧. I had a nice day out and lunch with a relative on Monday which I enjoyed. But on Tuesday I rang the doctor and got ten days of penicillin for my wheezing and cough. The penicillin has really helped a lot, but I've still got slight symptoms. The doctor is ringing me back later today to see how I am.

I then spent Tuesday to Friday doing my two college assignments and the seven courses for work. I had to read all the modules and do a test for each course and get 80% to pass. I managed to pass them all and get the certificates, but it was hard work and I spent two days of my holiday doing it which I'm not getting paid for 😞.

Saturday I met stepdad for coffee then caught up with houswork, yesterday we went to a NT place for coffee and a walk (and DS3 came with us which delighted me 😊), then today I'm relaxing and getting ready for work tomorrow.

At least it's a four day week but I can't say I'm looking forward to going back to work 🤔. I think this first half term has been stressful with catching covid from work and then a chest infection, plus there has been a lot to learn, a lot of tricky children to deal with (one of them bites other children and the staff) and I'm not massively keen on my manager. However if I try to be positive I like working with most of the children, most of the staff seem really nice, my hours are good, and I get school holidays. I'm hoping the next half term will be less stressful and I wont' spend so much time being ill.

Another positive is that I applied for the £500 self isolation payement and got it so that has helped with the finances 🎉 .

I hope everyone is okay and I'm sorry I've been too busy/ill to catch up with people's diaries.

BalanceBy50

Lovely to hear from you Hairy and I am sorry your half term didn't go to plan.

I would definitely speak to your current mortgage provider.  We have a DMP and a rubbish credit rating and struggled to pay the mortgage 3/4 years ago which resulted in late payments and arrangement to pay markers on our credit file however summer 20 I applied for a fixed rate and got it and as a result I was paying £60 less a month on my mortgage payments so go for it - you have nothing to lose! xx

milann

That’s a bit unfair over your half term Hairy. Get some experience and whatever certification you can whilst carrying on looking for something else if need be……

foxgloves

Hello @HairyHandofDartmoor, lovely to hear from you. Sorry to hear you have been poorly on top of the wretched covid. It seems a bit of a cheek to expect you to do work-related training courses in your own time. I suppose the positive thing is that you have passed all those online modules & can include them on your CV. And naturally you have another tricky child - a biter this time! Hope you are enjoying being with the rest of the children. 
I can't really add any pearls of wisdom or thoughts regarding mortgage fixes. I've never had a fixed mortgage.....but I can remember the letters arriving back in the 1990s every time there was an interest rate rise. I didn't have a mortgage back in the Thatcher years when the interests rates hit 15 - 16%, thankfully. Some of my friends did, but I wasn't able to buy a house because they all shot up in price while I was back at Uni for a year doing my Masters. I think with interest rate rises, it's the unknown, isn't it? A fix feels more secure because at least it provides the knowledge that the monthly amount can't go up any more than that at least for a while. Do you have much longer to go on your mortgage, Hairy? We were only able to pay ours off because I inherited some money when I lost my Mum & Dad. Otherwise, we'd still have nearly 6 years left to pay. 
Anyway, m'dear, nice to hear from you. Take care now.
F x

EssexHebridean

You definitely have nothing to lose by looking into whether a fix is available to you HH - there can only be two answers, and one of them would be excellent news! 

Also delighted to hear you got the self isolation grant! 

jwil

I recently fixed my mortgage and didn't even have to speak to them.  If you have access to your mortgage online, it's worth having a look.  Mine just had a section where it said offers available to me, I chose the one I wanted and that was it.

There's definitely nothing to lose by asking. 

I hope the chest infection clears up properly soon.

Sun_Addict

Great news that you got the grant. That’s not good being expected to do all those courses in your own time. On the plus side they’re done now - but still 😟 Sorry to hear you’ve been unwell, I wonder if the Covid is lingering your chest. 

Willowtree222

I think your work were very cheeky. They should have allocated you time in work to do that and were relying on your goodwill. It’s difficult when you start a new job to say no,

Hope your health continues to improve x

elizabethhull

Good news about the isolation grant - I bet that was a relief.

Oh, new school, new pupils, new colonies of bugs to get used to - I guess your resistance will improve with continued exposure, but schools really are plague-pits !

Although the assignments and work courses sound like a horrendous requirement, you obviously did brilliantly well to fit them all in AND pass the courses. Give yourself a massive pat on the back