Yogavibesdreamsofbeingmortgagefree

supersaver1000

Yogavibes,  it is good that you and OH are both on the same page.  We were the same, big spending on all of those things.  It took me a long time to get Mr Supersaver onside and he waivers from time to time.  He hates being seen as tight and would willing trade the cash for it.  I'm with you, my eyes are on paying off the mortgage and if that makes me look tight, well so be it.  

yogavibes

Went to the shops for the first time in ages to get DS shoes - got back and the shoes don't fit as his feet have grown so much in lockdown - in fact the boy has outgrown pretty much everything in lockdown. He's a tink for popping into the biscuit tin every time the kitchen is free. The shops were pretty empty as it looked like everyone else was outside of a popular sports shop.  So tomorrow will be home schooling for as long as I can keep DS entertained and then off back to the shops.  Had to turn down freelance work today as no childcare for the foreseeable - am finding it tricky enough keeping them entertained whilst doing job number 1 at home.  Am going to get some items onto the bay of e this weekend to make me feel less panicky about turning down work.  Need to meal plan too before getting off to the shops.  We have about 10 tins of beans, 3 pack of biscuits and a fruit bowl full of lemons and limes (DH did the shopping this week).  The freezer is full of random half boxes of things no-one wants to eat.  Also need to chase a refund of £20 I'm due for something I returned weeks ago - in fact going to do that now then off to bed. 

yogavibes

Make £40 on the bay of E but won't get it for weeks as I haven't sold anything on there fore ages and so they are keeping hold of my cash for 2 weeks - grrrrr.  No response to my request for a refund - I'm really cross with myself for not posting it at the PO and printing off a label as it means I have no proof of postage.  Oh well, live and learn.  Am back off the alcohol again after drinking my way through the past couple of months. At the start of the year I moved money off the mortgage every time I didn't buy alcohol so I think I might try that again this week as motivation.  Payday next week so will be making another £1000 OP off mortgage - hooray! really pleased that half way through the year and will have paid off nearly £6000 extra off.  If we don't have a holiday this year, which is probably the case, I may be able to squirrel a bit of extra cash that was put aside for that onto the mortgage too.  This will make up for the lack of second income getting saved.  No-one here is really that fussed about a holiday - we've had loads of family time in the sun together at home. Also we have no-one to have the pets and the dogs aren't up to date with vaccinations so kennels not an option.  Right going to move £6 for wine not bought or drunk this weekend. 

yogavibes

Weird sort of day here - have found out am going to be working from home for the majority of this year if not permanently so trying to figure out how to fit a desk somewhere in the house.  Balancing a laptop on my knee is not a good long-term solution.  Have suggested to the kids they could share a room but no surprises, they ain't too keen on that plan.  I've never wanted to have somewhere to work at home. Well it's more a case of never having the money to buy a place that is big enough to work at home.  The kids pretty much fill up all of the space we have. DS suggested I could work in the shed  Have sent another £6 onto mortgage as it definitely would usually have been a wine evening whilst trying to think this work thing out.  On the positive, no travelling to work will mean serious savings on the petrol front.  Also am saving lots of time not travelling to and from work.  Also sent £1000 for July OP.  Am just under £6000 so far this year, if I manage to not drink for a few weeks I should get past the £6k mark.  Am thinking I might buy some premium bonds with the EF savings I have.  I had a look at savings accounts but I don't think the interest is very good for such a small amount so PBs might be a good idea as at least we could win a prize I have also applied for an evening course this week. I have an interview next week and am feeling a bit nervous about it. It is to retrain in something I've always fancied. It's been a long time since I last went to college so might talk myself out it by next week. Also I can't find out how much the course fees are so it might not even be an option.  I can't believe it is going to be July tomorrow.  This year is flying by so fast. All my weight loss/decluttering plans are not doing so good in 2020   

yogavibes

Another couple of weeks have passed without posting on here - need to get into a better routine.  Am planning things to do with the kids that cost naff all this summer.  Have found a couple of places within an hours drive that I am planning on visiting next week - thankfully the forecast is good.  None of the kids are bothered about going on holiday - which is just as well really.  Spend £38 on buying three pairs of wellies so at least they will have dry feet if it does rain.  Over the past 4 weeks have sent 4 lots of £6 onto the mortgage to cover the cost of wine I have not drunk. Have reduced my consumption down quite nicely so pleased about that.  Have meal planned food for the next week - spent £81 on online shop and have some money tucked away for a couple of take outs/meal outs so might get out at least once this week.  OH has suggested we don't OP next month as we are planning some building work for the house to address the space issue. I'm hoping we can still make an OP but might be less than the usual £1000 we have been putting aside so far each month this year. 

yogavibes

What a miserable day here. Feeling smug for the £38 investment in wellies yesterday tho Today we should have been going on holiday. Instead myself and OH went on a trip to IK@@ to return a shoddy table we bought last month. I was all set for putting it in the bin as it was so frustratingly cr@ppy but OH patiently but all the bits back in the box and now we are £90 better off. Going to take DD out for tea with the proceeds. DS happy to stay in with a M@cDs and babysit.  Spent the afternoon looking at junior ISAs as want to move DS and DDs child trust funds over.  Tried to explain to DS about interest rates - after 5 mins of him looking glazed over we agreed to do the application another day.  Then spent lots of time drooling over pictures of caravans for sale that I will never have the funds to buy.  DD thinks it is hilarious that a caravan is the most exciting thing I can think of to spend money on.  I think it's a sign of middle age having set well and truly in.  OH agreed to the £1000 OP for the mortgage next month so just counting down to pay day next weekend so I can make the payment before he changes his mind.  We will go under £230K mark - I was hoping we could achieve it this month but with the building work on the house there's no chance of that happening from the savings pot I was hoping to dip into.  Still almost on track for where I had hoped we would be. Given the lack of work in job number 2 this feels like an achievement.  Until kids are back at school more hours remains impossible.  Roll on Sept. Constantly wishing the weeks away as per usual!

yogavibes

Today is mainly going to be spent helping OH with the building work. We have £600 left in the building work pot - I think we might need another £500 to finish the project but thanks to OH doing all the work himself it is way under what we initially thought we would need to spend.  So far we have spent £1800 on materials but this included some new tools so OH could complete the work so not too bad.  The kids are all delighted that today they can stay in PJs and watch TV without me insisting on us going for ANOTHER walk I have calculated that we are saving £450 a day by not being on the holiday we had planned to be on this week.  If I calculate the per day cost of going on holiday this may be the end of holidaying all together for us   We are going to have a couple of meals out with the kids from the holiday account this week.  Still sucks to not be going away but I'm sure plenty of people feel the same this year. DD wants me and her to go abroad together and leave OH and boys here - I have no intention to get on a plane this year so she will have to make do with sunbathing in the back garden  Although taking her abroad would be cheaper than the 5 of us booking a caravan in Devon for the week  Anyhow, no point thinking of going anywhere other than DIY shops for the foreseeable.  The boys are blissfully happy not having to leave the house.
I've been playing with the overpayment calculator - if we continue to OP £1000 a month next year when we remortgage we will be able to get a much better deal as the LTV will finally be under 60%. This will take another £150 off the monthly repayments - which will increase the about we can OP by.  I still need to sort the kids junior ISAs out.  

yogavibes

thanks to Julicorn over on the 2020 MFW thread I have realised I actually have paid over £6000 without realising I had reached this point.  I need to get a lot better at my addition skills! Am going to keep a note in my diary of each small OP so I can celebrate hitting a milestone instead of being oblivious to this!!! Only £180.51 off getting under the £230K mortgage mark 

yogavibes

Another £1020.98 OP on mortgage.  Wanted to get a couple of 00s on the end of the balance hence the weird amount.  This takes mortgage to £229500.  Have OP total of £7035.24 this year.  Am really pleased with myself Have sent the OP today as just been paid.  The longer I leave it in the bank account the more likely I am to overspend on groceries.

yogavibes

Morning all MFWs
Positive start to the week.  Got up early and went out with youngest for a walk with the dogs. Waiting to see if I get a refund for some returned supplies we sent back last week. Hoping we do as spent another £300 last week on building materials - building savings now at zero and some of shopping budget spend. OH chasing refund and putting an old bike up fro sale to see if we can recoup the overspend.  Building work is almost complete - I think by the end of this month we will be all sorted.  It will give me somewhere to work at home permanently.  I can't see me ever going back to travelling into work full time as a lot of my job I can do from home.  Should be a quiet week on the work front. Hoping for a few early finishes so I can fit in some exercise after work each day.  Feeling much more positive about home working seeing how much time and money I am savings by not commuting.  Best make a start now