Keep calm and carry on....

Grogged

Sad news about the potential Sainsbury's shopping... 😱😁

Great that you have a plan, are prepared and have a good support network should you need it.

newgirly

Its not sanctimonious at all, it’s times like this that we should all be doing, helping others whether it’s big or small, financial or not 🙂 

newgirly

Sorry sc , just realised I’ve replied to a post waaaayyyy back so it probably doesn’t make sense 😆

You are 100% doing the right thing isolating, it’s hard (dd is isolating at boyfriends house 😢) but it’s for the best, if only everybody was as sensible! 

longway2go

We have been self isolating since Tuesday here it's not so bad atm.  I think it helps getting into a routine. It's a very odd world right now. 

South_coast

Thanks you lovely lot ❤ I'm so pleased to have "met" you - although you may be decidly less pleased when I'm on here ALL THE TIME 😂

And of course, you were all right about the OP/save thing 😡 I was concerned I'd be paying unnecessary interest if I wasn't OP'ing (plus I like seeing the balance go down 😀), but have worked out that a £1500 OP will only actually save me £3.23 in interest each month so I can easily make that up through more micro-savings (of course, each passing month means the amount to find will increase as more OP's aren't made - but isn't a challenge half the fun of being a MFW???)

So I hope no-one minds, but I've decided to track 3 figures for now: Current balance, savings for OP, and net balance. So here we go:
Current balance £28,287.36
Savings for OP £12.70 😂
Net balance £28,274.66

South_coast

BTW, I haven't forgotten that I committed to doing some de-cluttering this week....I'm still working up to it.... Probably a job for tomorrow 😀

coldcazzie

I had originally planned to ring NW to ask a couple of questions about OPing, but in light of the current circumstances I will be doing the same as you - saving as much as possible in an account, dipping into it if things go sideways, and if they don't, well I'll OP it later on in the year. 

longway2go

Just looking at your balance SC your getting so close 😊

savingholmes

I think that saving up an EF sounds a great plan right around now. You will have the satisfaction of paying a nice big lump sum off at a future point if you don't end up needing it.

South_coast

Thanks all. It will be nice to have some "savings", even if they are ring-fenced for a particular purpose. I haven't really had anything since I bought this place as I've been focusing on the mortgage - more on that next Sunday, as I have just found the original breakdown showing what the balance would be each year. 

Time for some clutter-shaming....

Thought I would go through all my paperwork, as that might provide some easy pickings. Whoah, was I right! Highlights included:
* A P45 from 2004
* A letter from 2007, telling me I was due a tax rebate and attaching a cheque. Cheque long-since banked - why did I keep the letter???
* Every tax coding I have ever been sent
* Almost all of the paperwork from my house purchase - letter from the solicitor confirming they've received my instruction, anyone?
* A letter from my old employer (I left in 2017), telling me I've had a payrise
* Wage slips from the same employer
* The paper part of my driving licence, never re-issued when I moved as they don't exist any more
* The book my classmates signed when I left school - in 1999! All together now: Let it go, let it go.....
* Manuals for household goods I no longer own
* About 5 TV licences 
* My old passport, which expired in 2010. I look very young - well it was issued 20 years ago 😮!

Blimey, it's a good job I have a shredder....