Getting it together...one £ at a time!

redofromstart

Hurrah for payday!

Like you we don't intend to sell, but the increased equity meant that when we remortgaged the loan to value had changed enough for us to drop to the next better rate.

I'm hoping you get a good result on the windows, we have 18 so I dread to think what the cost would be. We are thinking of having the perished glass changed on a few instead.

Homegrown0

Hi all! Not a lot to report today!

It's been a low spend day - £7.20 train travel to work but I brought my breakfast and lunch so no unnecessary spending for me

Husband was paid as expected today so the account is looking less horrifying today in time for lots of the big bills to come out tomorrow. I reviewed the spreadsheet and all is on target, as planned.

This week has been ridiculously busy - I'm looking forward to a slightly less manic week next week. We have had something on every night this week after work/ school and I've had it.

teafor2

Hi HG, hope you manage to relax a little bit over the weekend and things are less hectic for you next week. I can remember when I was working and my 2 were at school that I often felt like I was just lurching from one thing to the next, ticking things off and not really enjoying anything Try and take a bit of time for yourself, easier said than done I know. xx

Homegrown0

Thanks Tea - you describe how I feel day-to-day perfectly. Lurching from one thing to the next is exactly how I feel, moreso this week because there's been so much additional activities on this week. It will all calm down and i'll have a chance to breathe again.

Homegrown0

Give and take

Yesterday the nursery told us that from August (effective from September fees), that our funded hours will go up from 600 to 800 per year (it doesn't go up to the 30 hours per week until the month my youngest starts school...<insert swear words here>.

However, an increase in 200 hours per year is better than nothing, so I was pleased with that.

Then this morning (yes, just 24 hours later) the nursery advised us of a fee increase from the May invoice!

Spent this morning doing workings and from May - August, our bill will go up by £25, but from September onwards, it will go down by £47.85 (£22.85 less than now).

It's never straightforward! haha

Totally doable figures - just need to update my monthly projections for the rest of the year.

Ultimately, we only need to be concerned with this for the next 17 months, when my youngest will start school. It doesn't seem like it's that far away when I look at the workings on paper.

Months left on loan:11
Months left of childcare payments: 17
Days left until payday: 27

[Deleted User]

These things are never straightforward, are they? Great that you're still making a saving overall though.

How come the 30 free hours are not until your youngest starts school? We got them from the term my LO turned 3. Does school start at 3 where you are? Might be something to look into if not.

We felt a massive difference when LO started school. We're planning on having another child asap (biological clock's ticking!!), but really not looking forward to those financially crippling couple of years!

Homegrown0

We are in Scotland Moguline, so only entitled to 16 hours per week funded childcare when the child turns 3. They are bringing in the 30 hours free in August 2020 which is the month my son starts school... I will have been paying full time childcare for at least one child for almost 7 years when my youngest goes to school. 22 months of that was 2 in childcare so I've probably paid the best part of £60k on childcare over the years.

You couldn't pay me to have another child! haha

monz

Aw homegrown I do not miss nursery fees!xxx

[Deleted User]

Ah I see - I didn't realise that it wasn't available in Scotland yet. We were lucky in that my LO turned 3 only a few months after it came in, good timing!

We'll definitely stop at 2 kids as well, but really don't want him to be an only child. I don't feel done yet.

The things we do for our kids hey!

abba1772

Most nurseries in my area are doing the 30 hours funding and it's causing a headache as childminders can offer the funded sessions as well which is great for me but omg it's just a mess tbh xx