Keeping our options open

chelseablue

Following your diary, you've done amazing so far

We took out a £233,000 mortgage 3 years ago and it seems never ending!

I've only made a few overpayments over the last 3 years, balance today is £213,997 and 29 years to go

Currently paying off my credit card and when that's done I'll be back on the overpayments.

I also have a 4 year old son who seems to cost us a fortune in food :rotfl:

He's 5 this month and I asked what he'd like for his birthday and he said a Nintendo Switch! Um, NO!

becky170

Thanks for the support guys! I did get a cake from the supermarket as well as the party favours �� I let my son choose and instead of going for a kid's cake he choose a chocolate parcel cake. Obviously old before his time!

I'm not looking forward to him turning 5 then if that's when the expensive present requests start! This year when I asked him what he wanted he said a chocolate cake which was easy to do.

Good luck with your overpayments Chelseablue, they all do add up even if it doesn't seem like your overpaying much at the time.

becky170

I've completely lost track of our spending this month. I've gone back to work and between being emotionally drained with having to leave the kids in nursery and being tired from the 5am starts/going to work, I've just not had the energy to keep on top of things. At least my baby has settled into nursery and my son has taken it in his stride that mummy and daddy are both at work again (he did tell daddy that he was naughty for going to work though!).

My fix on my gas/electric is up next month so I'm going to try exploring what our options are this week to get another fix. Our phone/broadband has also shot up by £15 per month as we're now out of contract so we're going to have to research the best deals available for them too. Right I better crack on with that whilst both kids are still asleep

becky170

We had our first nursery bill for having the two kids in nursery and it was £1500....ouch! That's nearly double my mortgage payment. Mortgage overpayments and savings may therefore have to take a back seat for a couple of months until our childcare bill goes down.

Still finding it incredible hard leaving the kids to go to work. I'm currently on the bus trying not to cry. I know it gets easier, but I miss them so much.

On the money saving plus side we're now to tired to spend money I keep meaning to do some online shopping for storage solutions and new work clothes but it's just not happened.

becky170

I've made a small overpayment of £58 this month. I'm a little bit disappointed that this week I've brought lunch twice at work (both kids woke up whilst I was getting ready for work so I spent time with them instead of making lunch) and one night we got takeaway as I was exhausted. I can always try and do better next week :rotfl:

twinklie

Awww be kind to yourself, getting back on the work treadmill is so hard. I frequently buy my lunch at work because I have 2 kids with additional needs and I just don't have the time energy, nor inclination to do it myself. It costs me on average £7 per week - less if I'm good with generating leftovers to take.

We bought our forever home in October and took the mortgage out over 19 years, so I figure I've knocked 6 years off that way!

I also have SO much baby stuff I need to get rid off. Did a big purge when we moved, but soooo much more to go. My kids are 6 and 3 so no excuses!

Hettyhound

Glad I’m not the only exhausted parent with lack of organising skills! I’m organised at work but once I get through the door it all goes to pot somehow. I’ve had some very strange lunches grabbed from the cupboard as I’ve rushed out of the house, at least my son gets school lunches at the moment but soon I’ll be doing pack ups for 2. Not sure a jam sandwich will be acceptable lunch box contents for the school pack up police

twinklie

Hettyhound wrote: »

Glad I’m not the only exhausted parent with lack of organising skills! I’m organised at work but once I get through the door it all goes to pot somehow. I’ve had some very strange lunches grabbed from the cupboard as I’ve rushed out of the house, at least my son gets school lunches at the moment but soon I’ll be doing pack ups for 2. Not sure a jam sandwich will be acceptable lunch box contents for the school pack up police

Is it wrong that the year after next I’m just going to fork out for school dinners? My son would eat the same thing everyday otherwise and if anything in a packed lunch looked different/wasn’t what he was expecting he just wouldn’t eat it.

becky170

Thanks twinkle and hettyhound....I'm pleased to hear I'm not alone! I'm very pleased that my son will be getting free school meals when he starts reception too �� assuming he eats them I will definitely be forking out on them when he hits infants as I think trying to avoid the wrath of the lunchbox police may push me over the edge!

becky170

I was listening to the radio yesterday and heard a clip from a financial coach in America during a seminar where she was ranting about how people shouldn't buy takeaway coffee as it was a waste of money and just a habit. Her final remark was that she never brought coffee, even though she could afford it and that her audience definitely shouldn't as they couldn't afford it.

I have to admit that I have a bit of a coffee habit (as well as a lunch buying habit!). I keep trying other solutions such as instant latte sachets or coffee bags which have ground coffee in them but none of them hit the spot. I don't buy coffee everyday but I do buy one once or twice a week. Can I afford it? Usually but maybe not for the next couple of months with both kids in nursery. Can I give it up? Mmm... that's what I'm not sure about.