Twinklie returns to the property ladder

twinklie

So I worked out my finances for April and it turns out with us all at home, we are over £1K per month better off financially!

Thats because there are no travel expenses, childcare, lunches etc to pay for! I knew we’d be financially better off. Just didn’t realise by how much!

So I’m splitting the money we have extra between debts but mainly saving at this point - just due to the uncertainty of life. But we will be financially in a much better situation the longer lockdown continues! Should offices open up again, I think mine will be fine with me working from home. And DH has been told he will be able to work from a local office base that he can walk/cycle too rather than the regional one he’s usually in so he can avoid public transport. So it should help there too. 

I just wish all the negatives (anxiety, loneliness, death etc) weren’t there for everyone in order for us to be in a better place. 

I’ll try and post my figures later if I can. 

twinklie

Finally got my bottom in gear on the “home school” front. I’m feeling organised now, which is bringing my creativity out (once a teacher always a teacher ).

Im feeling really frustrated with my broadbeans. Some minibeast is eating one of my plants but just the one leaf and despite my best efforts I can’t find the little beastie. It’s making me crazy! 

In other news I’ve obviously lost out on my marking money this year due to the exams being cancelled. I’ve been offered £250 as an ex gratia payment, so I was chuffed with that. I’ve also managed to withdraw money from Quidco and TopCashback too. So that’s a nice little boost. 

twinklie

DEBT
DH's CC -  Was £326.33 - Now £206.86

 My CC - Was £1,338.94 - Now £945.48

 Car Loan - Was £8,602 - Now £8,172 (not updated)

My Loan - Was £125 - Now £0. 

 DH's Phone - Was £194 - Now £173

 My Phone -  Was £27 - Now £20.94

Total debt at the start of 2020 = £10,613.27 - Now = £9,518.28
Total reduction this month =  £212.83 

Total % of 4K reduction =27.2%

  

MORTGAGE 

Current daily interest is £15.42

We now own 16.07% of the house. 

2.5 rooms owned.

Paid off 6.24% of the mortgage. 

Current MF date - Oct 2037.

SURVEY sites

 YouGov - April £4.20 - May £4.70  - increase £0.50

 OnePoll - April £20.10 - May £20.30 - increase £0.20

 OnePulse - April £3.01 - May £8.96 - increase £5.95

 Swagbucks - April 667 SB - May 701 SB - increase 34 SB

 AirTimeRewards - April £2.61 - May £2.77 - increase £0.16

SweatCoin - April SC 498.85 - May SC 513.23 - increase SC 14.38

 Shoppix - April 8845 - May 9710 - increase 865

 ZIPZERO -  April £0 - May £0 - increase £0

Total cashed out in April - £0.

Cashed out Quidco - £44.59. 
TopCashback - £6.83
Total cashed out - £51.42.

twinklie

This weeks success, DS1 learnt to ride his bike without stabilisers.

twinklie

Good afternoon all. I hope everyone is well. 

We've ordered DS1 a new bike which will hopefully arrive in the next week. As we aren't paying for his 1:1 swimming lessons at the minute, we've been lucky enough to be able to use his DLA money to pay for it. Otherwise we wouldn't have been able to afford it and we feel it's important to be able to crack on whilst his confidence is there. He suffers terribly with anxiety and is hypermobile so we need to keep the muscles working too. 

DS2 will then inherit his bike. He as amazing balance on his balance bike but can't get his head around pedals at all. So we will have to pop the stabilizers back on so that he can figure out the pedals. Once he's got it, we'll take them off and I think he will be riding in no time. 

DH has worked all weekend, so not much has gone on here. Obviously we haven't gone anywhere or done much so not much money spent (by me at least). 

My savings account is down to 1% interest rate so I need to look at moving all that into something else. The best interest rate I've seen so far is HSBC's regular saver at 2.75%, so I might take advantage of that, but then the rest of my money needs to be stored somewhere in the meantime (there isn't actually that much sadly). 

Managed to get back on to Shop and Scan, which I haven't done for years. So I'm pretty happy with that. Fingers crossed that brings me a few bob back into the coffers. I did quite well from it last time. I've already got a 10 pound amazon voucher.

DS1 is in year 2 so no return to school for him. DS2 is in nursery but won't be going back either, I don't think it would benefit him at all. 

twinklie

So it's been a tough week here, the boys have had a few meltdowns which has made it hard work. However, we've told nursery DS2 won't be returning so that's one less thing to worry about. Everyone agreed it is in his best interests under the circumstances. He starts at his brothers school (one way or another) in September. I'm feeling much more settled about it because he's going to have his brothers current teacher, who is absolutely amazing and super up on how to support ASD children. I'm genuinely over the moon. 

The bike came for DS1, it looks amazing but so far the weather hasn't played ball on a day we aren't working so we haven't managed to take him out on it yet. Hoping that Monday will be OK looking at the weather forecast. We've also ordered the boys a climbing frame/slide affair to try and burn off some of their energy. We used to take them to a sensory play center for kids with additional needs but I don't see that being open for a long time (praying they can open in the future, it's an amazing facility for people with additional needs of all ages). So we finally took the plunge. Again it's thanks to DLA that we can manage it. But they both love climbing and DS2 is trying to get his climbing needs met by climbing furniture at the minute (bookcases etc), which is becoming increasingly dangerous.

I've been working on the finance figures and we are finally paying £1 per day less in interest than we were when we took on the mortgage initially.

My plants are growing well and I'm hoping to pop them into the raised bed over the next 48 hours. If the wind lets up long enough for me to do it without risking the poor things blowing away. My neighbour gave me two pumpkin plants too so I'm super excited about that. So I will hopefully be growing; tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins, courgettes, cucumbers, lettuce (4 varieties), beans (3 x varieties), peas, leeks, onions, spring onions, radishes, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts and potatoes. I may have a few other things but I think that's it in the main. 

twinklie

Plants made it into the raised bed, all seem to be doing ok (fingers crossed). I fear I may have planted too many of some, but I'm sure I'll survive.
We've dug out the Wii and have spent most of the day playing that. It was just too hot outside. 
It's pretty much time to do the end of the month finances, but I always wait until the 1st. Feels wrong to do it too early. We've put some stuff on the credit card, but have the means to pay it off prior to the next statement, so whilst it might make the figures a bit skewed for the month - unless I pay it off ahead of time. 
Having a curry tonight for the first time since February and I couldn't be any more excited. Honestly, it feels a bit like Christmas. 

twinklie

We went for our first family walk since February yesterday. I've not been more than 290 yards from my house since Feb, so it felt amazing. It's taken so much preparation and effort to get the boys to go, but they did it and I'm so proud. 

We are thinking of changing our holiday in August to next year. I'm not sure the boys will cope with it at this stage, so we'll keep the days off and do things as a family instead I think. 

I've been working hard in the garden and my pumpkins are now in flower, courgettes and tomatoes are close and I have some peas and beans growing. Lettuce is doing well too. Swapped out some extra plants with FIL and received rocket and Pak Choi in return which was exciting, but need to find somewhere to put them now. I suspect it's all going to spring to life and I'll have lots of produce in the next 2 -3 weeks (I hope), but it's painful being so close and yet so far with nothing else to focus on at the minute....a watched pot and all that. 

Right I've not done my monthly updates to time to do that. 

twinklie

DEBT
DH's CC -  Was £326.33 - Now £100.06

My CC - Was £1,338.94 - Now £796.92

Car Loan - Was £8,602 - Now £7,883

My Loan - Was £125 - Now £0. 

DH's Phone - Was £194 - Now £152.38

My Phone -  Was £27 - Now £18.60

Total debt at the start of 2020 = £10,613.27 - Now = £8,950.96
Total reduction this month =  £567.32

Total % of 4K reduction = 41.6%

  

MORTGAGE 

Current daily interest is £15.37

We now own 16.37% of the house. 

2.5 rooms owned.

Paid off 6.59% of the mortgage. 

Current MF date - Oct 2037.

SURVEY sites

 YouGov - May £4.70 - £5.20 - increase £0.50

 OnePoll - May £20.30 - June £20.30 - increase £0.00

 OnePulse - May £8.96 - June £ - increase £2.10

 Swagbucks - May 701 SB - June 701 SB - increase 0 SB

 AirTimeRewards - April £2.61 - May £2.77 - increase £0.00

SweatCoin - April SC 498.85 - May SC 513.23 - increase SC 14.38

 Shoppix - April 8845 - May 9710 - increase 0

 ZIPZERO -  April £0 - May £0 - increase £0

Total cashed out in May- £0.

Cashed out Quidco - £0. 
TopCashback - £0
Scan and Save - £10
Total cashed out - £10

twinklie

Nearly time to pay the remainder of the holiday payment...we go away in August, just a cottage in Yorkshire. But my brain can't figure out whether to pay and go or ask to rearrange for next year.
We've been effectively shielding (I'm vulnerable but not in the shielding category - it's more to do with everyone else in the house's anxiety). It's 900 quid so feels like a lot to pay out if we can't really do much and/or the boys can't cope with it all. Plus it's with my parents and we haven't expanded our bubble to see anyone in the garden even yet. 
I really don't like all the uncertainty, and trying to plan for school etc....who the heck knows what will be going on there. 
Oh and I've also moved onto a more MSE tariff for utilities but managed to stay with the same company which was a bonus given we are still quite in debt with them (165 at last count).