Crunchy pays off the loan early, and other stories

dawnybabes

Just catching up here, have you legal cover with the house insurance or with your union that could help ?

crunchy_time

dawnybabes said:

Just catching up here, have you legal cover with the house insurance or with your union that could help ?

We do have legal cover but they haven't rung us back yet.  Need to chase.

crunchy_time

Afternoon all

I have an unexpected half an hour as my children are poorly and not going to swimming so I thought I would update here!

So originally at the beginning of this diary, we had consolidated our debts into two loans - one small one and a big one with the aim of paying off the bigger one early and saving on the massive amount of interest over the 5-year term -  about £3500!!  The rate was 6.6% and the amount on the bigger loan was £18,145.

Well, yesterday husband managed to refinance it to a lower rate of 3.1% which is great!  The principal amount is now £12,335 after nearly two years.  In that time we have accrued £18156 of interest in that time.  If we stick to the new term for this loan it will cost us £803 in interest but we are planning to pay it off early.  Even if we don't manage to do this we still have managed to save £895 of interest than if we stuck to the original loan payment plan!!

The consumer debt on these loans is now down to £1853 with the new month minimum and extra payments due to bring it down a lot further so we are nearly there with that part of the debt.  The next step is to try and pay this £12k plus of car as soon as possible.  I am worried about the older car which is now 14 years old failing its MOT in the Spring.  We want the bigger car paid off before this happens because we only want to be paying for one car at a time.  Unfortunately, we do need two cars.

But for now, we are still sticking with the budget and making up for the lockdown oversights that saw us having to use the credit cards as things crept up on us.

I'm really not enjoying my job at the moment.  It's really stressful reverting back to the old ways of working before lockdown.  I've had a lot of flack from parents and students about minor things.  I'm not really up for getting stick for decisions I haven't made and I am just the messenger.  Lots of people are leaving or are on sick leave putting pressure on everyone else.  It's just chaos and fire fighting and not really my thing.  I must start looking around for the next thing and not limit myself.

Anyway, looking forward to husbands pay day on Friday for another money shuffle!

Crunchy xx

crunchy_time

Morning all

Husbands pay day all done and money shuffle complete.  His new loan amount didn't go out yesterday.  Instead, I used the money to pay off some bits on the credit card.  The last few months have been a bit hectic - children and dog ill so vets fees, medicines etc to pay for.  Lots of sports equipment to fork out for kids.  But it is all heading the right direction.

Husband and I are going to do Stoptober so we will save a bit of money there.  This will massively help the 5 week month food budgeting.  

Consumer debt is down to £1671 emergency fund is a good £1626 and the privacy project continues to go down.  I'm looking forward to getting cracking on the big loan in the new year but must get things super tidy before then and stick to the Christmas budget.  I'm starting a Christmas spreadsheet so there is no possibility of going over.

Job seems a bit better this week - not as hectic.  Still lots of rubbish but I know there is wherever I work.  Lots of people in my team are looking for something new though.  There is a weird culture that I don't feel I fit in with.  My boss is great about things like childcare etc but it always feels so reactive rather than proactive so high stress all of the time.  They also give me tasks to do that are waaaaay above my pay grade and therefore are taking the pee a bit.  I'm keeping a lookout on the jobs boards as this job is not going anywhere.  I need to keep moving forward and not be scared and get stuck.  I've considered going back to teaching as well but the very idea exhausts me. I wouldn't be able to do my masters unless I was part-time though but maybe it is just time I sucked it up and got back on the actual earning wagon.  I work 8.30am to 4pm which is what I would do in full time teaching anyway.  Even a three day a week job would be an extra couple of £100 a month.  Jobs are coming up now so I think I am going to go through the process of applying and see what happens.  

So that is the plan for the weekend - make a serious and realistic career plan and apply for any jobs I like the look of.

Crunchy xx

ohdearhowdidthathappen

Sounds like you've had a busy few months.
Education is a tricky sector at the mo... expected to get on with it, but little protection or support.
If you feel ready to get back into teaching, the maths makes sense, TAs are massively underpaid really and schools seem to expect qualified teachers working as TAs to work as teachers without the pay! Very cheeky 

crunchy_time

Morning all

Two weeks has gone by in the blink of an eye!

And it never rains but it pours.  

Husband and I woke to the sound of a mouse scuttling across the ceiling over our bedroom. We had a mouse problem in winter 2019-2020 but nothing last year.  We still have the poison and traps from that time so husband has spent the morning setting that up.  We need to have a look at where they might be getting in as well.  We paid for a mouse man last time to have a look but from what I remember, he wasn't much help for the money we spent.

We went food shopping yesterday and I was shocked at how much food had gone up - we spent £200!  It wasn't Aldi but Morrisons and we did buy some branded stuff and treats.  I think that has been the most we have spent that wasn't for Christmas.  We have got to try and eek it out two weeks as much as we can.  Eat as many veggie meals as we can and only top up fresh.

I feel a bit further forward on the career plan.  Going back to mainstream teaching I feel would be a step back so I am looking for a better paid TA job - HLTA - assistant Senco or part time teacher in a specialist school.  I want to secure one of these roles this academic year so keeping my eyes peeled.  My boss is so unprofessional - I've had enough!  There is no future for me where I am. 

There was an HLTA job at a special school but it was working longer hours so it would be more childcare for my two or sticking to the existing childcare and sticking them in front of screens while husband works and I get home from school.  It is hard to know what I actually want to do compared with doing what is right for my children.  It is hard to imagine what I would be doing now if I didn't have them. Would I be working in education?  I don't know.  I'd love to work in a university.  I keep looking at the jobs at the two near us (that are at least 45min to 1 hr commute away) such a variety.  I'd love to work in educational research hence the drive to do the masters but I would have to pay for that myself.  I stuck a fork in the masters plan in May planning to revisit it next year but I keep thinking about it.  I've seen a course I like the look of in a specialist area of teaching that is a PG cert that will cost £3500 but doing it will enable me to earn more money and work in higher education if I want to.  I could also do it and work in special needs teaching.  I just need to have a plan and stick to it.

Anyway, my payday on Tuesday!  I have already bought 2 Christmas presents.  This is a busy time of year as we have 3 birthdays in this family as well as Christmas so I always get a bit nervous about finances.  No plans yet for Christmas and how we will be spending it.  I think this will be the last year that my son (who is 9) will be a believer.  He already is questioning the tooth fairy's existence so it is only a matter of time!  Must get husband to do a Christmas list for me and start making a plan for the actual period of time.  I want to be prepared this year.  Must start stocking fillers list too.

Anyway, best get on with the day - I can hear arguing going on and need to be referee!

Crunchy xx

crunchy_time

Morning all

Finally husbands pay day after a five week month! Gosh we were limping through!

it’s such a busy and spends time of year for us - 3 birthdays out of the 4 of ours and the. Christmas. We have a budget for each and for Christmas and we are just going to have to grit our teeth and get through it.

Good news is that consumer debt has gone down to £1220 and should be very nearly paid off by 2022. The thing that has stopped it is some legal fees for our legal issue which was £300. There will potentially be some more costs as well but we shall cross that bridge when we come to it.

We’ve all had a good rest break this half term. Lots of lay ins and time at home. I feel ready for the crazy season at school. I have made some goals and strategies to get through and enjoy the next 7 weeks so we can enjoy a really good Christmas break as well.

I can’t believe we are nearly at the end of 2021!!! Determined to make 2022 great!

Crunch xx

crunchy_time

I was just updating the banking spreadsheet when I realised I had made a mistake with the consumer debt total.  It is actually now £952!!  Finally sub £1k!!

Crunchy xx

WinterWarrior

crunchy_time said:

I was just updating the banking spreadsheet when I realised I had made a mistake with the consumer debt total.  It is actually now £952!!  Finally sub £1k!!

Crunchy xx

Fabulous Wes. Are you tempted to clear it with the emergency fund and then save that back? 

crunchy_time

WinterWarrior said:

crunchy_time said:

I was just updating the banking spreadsheet when I realised I had made a mistake with the consumer debt total.  It is actually now £952!!  Finally sub £1k!!

Crunchy xx

Fabulous Wes. Are you tempted to clear it with the emergency fund and then save that back? 

No - we have legal fees to pay for and he money is also for car servicing and both cars are due over the next few months.

Crunchy x