SLLM (Single Lady Large Mortgage)

JennyJukes

Hi all, that's my completion date set for 11th June all going well.  Have someone tomorrow coming out to give me a quote for moving and already have my internet ready to move.  Completion date is my mums birthday and we are going out for an evening meal then so double celebration and a few drinks I would say.

Now just hoping everything goes well as planned.  I will give my notice to landlord tomorrow and start packing I suppose? 

slm6002

Fantastic news.  Glad to hear it is all going well.  It will be nice not to have to cook after a busy day moving

MaddyHale

Well done @JennyJukes
I completed a week ago  and I am excited about moving in. I  have some time before I move. So I would like to renovate the house but the quotes I am getting back are soo high....

Sistergold

Wow @JennyJukes congratulations 🥳 congratulations 🎉 
This is great news! And the completion date is your moms birthday! Wonderful double celebration! Xx

Sistergold

Wow @MaddyHale congratulations 🥳 congratulations 🎉 on your completion! So much to celebrate ladies! Good luck with the renovations! Xx

Sistergold

Hello laddies, I hope you have all been keeping well? I have been alright and going to work as usual. Home has been great with the usual stresses of juggling motherhood and full time work. 

On the home front 
Youngest son has been wanting to join a football club since we moved to London. I have been postponing it for one reason or another but main reason was that I just did not see how I can fit it on top of everything else. I think some of you know that it involves practice during the week normally two days and then matches/tournaments at weekends which I just can not cope with. He did join a club 2019 and stopped early 2020 as he was not happy with the club, then Covid started and lockdown so nothing else happened. But he has found another club and has gone for two weeks and now at work we are short staffed and I need to start covering  that staff member meaning I can not finish early for the football practice. So last Tuesday I called a local taxi company to see if they can take my son to football practice. We tried it Tuesday and Thursday while I was at home and it worked well. As it went well, from  next week I will just book the taxi to take him two days a week and then I will pick him up depending with work. If I can not pick him up I will just book the taxi again to drop him back home. I was feeling sad that I might have to stop him from playing football when he had just started but thank God I have found an alternative means of drop off. It actually works better for me for the taxi to take him such that I am now thinking I will continue with the arrangement even after the work staff issue is resolved as I have been feeling exhausted with the up and down and I would rather just stay home and cook or rest while the taxi does the run. This is not money saving I know but I just have to pay for some things for the sake of rest. The route to the football stadium can be very busy and it’s tiring after I have been to work part of the day. That’s a problem solved for now. 💪🏾🦾

So I don’t know how many of you are hoping for a lovely sunny summer? I am and after some weeks ago where we had some lovey sunny weather I have been thinking that it will be wonderful if I can get ready for a bbq. I know the other time I had to borrow a bbq from neighbours then I then had to just bbq on a grate held by some bricks I just felt enough is enough. By the way this borrowing of bbq grill was after a trip to B&Q showed that they were sold out. This week I  decided I can not avoid buying a proper charcoal bbq stand any more. I am the kind of person who sometimes wants to buy something when I need to use it and we all know chances are they are sold out at the shops. Anyway I finally managed to choose one, difficult as it was as the fancier ones were all out of stock. I think the one I got is not so bad. It was delivered yesterday at my neighbours. I picked it today and managed to assemble it. The bbq stand was not difficult to assemble at all, now all I need is sunny weather to try it out. The stand was about £200 and it came with its cover so that was really good. The stand is a good size 57cm diameter cooking size. I want to be able to bbq extra meat for the week as I like the smoked taste. 

Mortgage news
Nothing much happening except that the new deal starts 1st June so thats good as it means slightly lower interest rate. Overpayments having been going well at £540 a month together with direct debit. I am hoping to increase OPs to £835  in the next few days. I am hoping that I can push the mortgage balance down to below £400k. 

Savings news
Saving has been getting slower I think the longer I have not been receiving child support from Mr Ex. Apparently he is still not working still, taking it to much over a year! Not sure how one can go for a year without some kind of work? I think he is being choosy? Well I guess since he can get away with not helping financially with the children he can just get some benefits and keep for himself? Well who am I to comment, just really trying not to let  the finances get me down, they are also my children so I just have to plod on and do my best. 

The children are always demanding a lot and I do try to say no most of the time but somehow one ends up spending! Sometimes I feel like an ATM machine! I have had to be careful even just to save a little. 

Unexpected spends
£233 at Kwikfit for new tyre as woke up with a flat tire due to a screw. Tyre could not be repaired due position of puncture! 🥴
£145 for basket ball hoop and ball for children to play with in garden 
£199 for charcoal bbq grill

Find below pictures of assembled charcoal bbq, let sunny weather begin! 

badmemory

I must confess that I find it fascinating how ex-Hs can live on nothing whilst keeping their flash cars & a roof over their heads.  But I am sure they would never lie about it would they?  I hope that you can see that my tongue is firmly in my cheek!

MissMoneyManager

Hi Sistergold,

I think it is a great idea to think of using the taxi company so that your son can go to football training. It is often said that "money cannot by time" but from my point of view sometimes it can so why not?!  You can only be in one place at a time and as long as it does not derail your finances which it isn't I see it only as a good idea! This has always been my thought process behind having a cleaner.  This enabled me more time to study for my degree in my spare time and to work more perhaps even improving my future financial prospects!

We are also impatiently waiting for BBQ weather, your new BBQ looks great! Cooking extra on the BBQ can be money & time saving, you can buy the meat in bulk and perhaps saves you using the oven to cook the meat from scratch later in the week.

The situation with Mr Ex's lack of employment must be very frustrating (that is putting it mildly) it is difficult to look at it from a positive angle apart from it is clear you do not need him and are better off without him which you already know!

MissMM x

Sistergold

@badmemory you are so right! He is definitely getting money from other unofficial work/projects/hustles but as it’s not formal work he will not give me a penny. I am trying not to think about it too much as it will only steal my joy! I just comfort myself by saying it’s probably one of the characteristics that made us not compatible! I just want this raising of children over as it’s draining and expensive! My heart goes out to all single parents who don’t earn enough to get by as most ex’s are not very honest or supportive! 

@MissMoneyManager, that makes two of us then, waiting for BBQ weather! 

You are right sometimes and most times you need to spend to be able to move forward! It was miserable for me during the two weeks I drove to football practice! When I get there I would sit in car and wait until he finishes as I am not wanting to deal with traffic and then drive back again to pick him up! Whole process was so tiring after I have already spent most of the day at work! Taxi money is money well spent for now! 

I have also had times I have paid for ironing service as I just hate ironing! One thing which I am glad I did was have a live in child minder / house keeper when children were younger as this meant I kept going up in my career. I have used child minders for all my four children as I did not want to get too tied down! I have never wanted to be a stay at home mom but I do respect those who choose to stay at home. For me on hindsight not staying home was a good decision. 

Yes Mr Ex’s situation is frustrating to say the least! 

Queen_of_the_Hive

Nice bbq @Sistergold - I must admit I have a cheap, smaller version of yours but I have looked after it and its done we well for the past 2 years. My problem now is getting charcoal. I don't drive and buying it online has turned into a bit of a complex task. The fuel is overpriced on Amazon so I'm going to have to order a home shopping delivery and include the coal as it seems the best priced way of doing it. My partner keeps buying food from the shops so delaying the home shopping delivery.... men! On a more serious note, I better get myself in gear, so i'm ready for when the weather breaks and we can actually eat outside.