My mortgage clobbering post

longway2go

Glad the shower is not going to be as high as what it could be. The car insurance cost sounds expensive and frustrating. Keep your chin up, you are doing amazingly. 

Frith

Derren is doing well! She’s on the left, heading to the conservatory. Beanie (facing the camera) has new feathers growing in the bald neck patch - you can see the quills coming through. 

More shenanigans from the County Council today. Just give my son a suitable school place!

Frith

Not doing as well as I had hoped.

Mortgage - £35,877
Interest - £52.02
Savings - £89.92
ISA - £75
Lloyds - £1177

Virtual mortgage balance - £34, 516

Frith

Mortgage - £35,877
Interest - £52.02
Savings - £89.92
ISA - £75
Lloyds - £1793

Virtual mortgage balance - £33,900

Frith

Grrr. £100 spent on the car. Next day the electric handbrake stuck permanently off. I’ve tinkered with it and changed the fuse and it appears these cost hundreds to fix. I’ve driven about with no handbrake but it’s not really fair on the two learner drivers in the house.

So it’ll be bye bye, 16 year old car. Constant repairs have been done to the offside front corner, 2 windows haven’t opened for 3 years, it creaks, leaks and now you can only park where it’s flat.

This means dipping in to the mortgage savings. I am not amused.

Frith

The best laid plans...

All money from Lloyds is now in my current account while I look for a replacement car.

Ive applied today for Universal Credit. I received a letter from Income Support saying they stopped paying me in spring 2019 (I’ve no idea why) but that they might owe me a little bit. Hopefully UC will pay a little more than tax credits and I’ll be able to apply for a budgeting loan. 

Ill be be looking into the green energy type grants from next month. We’ve an immersion heater for the water and a wood stove so it would be nice to have some other form of heating! I bought new window frames over 3 years with budgeting loans so won’t apply for those. 

Lots more stuff on EBay and hopefully will get some money if I sell my car for spares and repairs (driving it with no handbrake is getting wearing as we live between the Severn and Teme Valleys or, if you look through the other windows, between the Black Mountains and the Clee Hills...)

No news of a school place for my younger son - I’ve been trying for 20 months now. The EHCP came back so I at least have something to appeal! No school place was included (!) 

Also shut down 2 old child accounts at Halifax, leaving just one that will pay younger son when he is 18. 

Older son has a job interview this week. He hasn’t signed on yet but I suppose he will have to for his NI in the end. 

The allotment is doing well with more courgettes, eggs and tomatoes then we can eat. 

Frith

Mortgage - £35,877
Interest - £52.02
Savings - £89.92
ISA - £75
Lloyds - £0

Virtual mortgage balance - about £35,700 
  

LeighofMar

It's always hard to take a step back when you're really excited about a goal. But just look at where you are and where you would be if you only paid the minimum from the beginning. Our balances are very similar, and they are still less than a brand new luxury car!! You got this. 

Frith

No new car as yet. There is not a real rush until smaller son's driving licence (finally) appears. My older son and I can drive it without a handbrake but it is a big ask for a new driver. 

I've been trying to use Prolific for a few months. Today I randomly got an email saying there was a survey but I got there and was too late! I get YouGov surveys every couple of days. 

I quite like the online account part of signing up for Universal Credit. Today, I had a little message saying I will not get any mortgage interest payments for 9 months. This was interesting, as I haven't had any help at all with the mortgage for years on Tax Credits/Income Support. I honestly thought it did not exist anymore. 

The letter from Income Support stated it ended last June and that they *might* send me a cheque, if I have been underpaid. Then, horrifyingly, I got a letter from Council Tax saying I am not entitled to any help with that anymore, as I am not getting Income Support. At the moment, I'm on Tax Credits and Child Benefit for one child -  about £150 a week (with mortgage payments etc and all bills out of that) so there simply isn't the money to suddenly start paying the whole of the Council Tax. 

Still selling stuff on Ebay.

No word about son's special school. He's been home for 20 months now. Last night I dreamed I was fighting my way out of a crocodile farm, helped by the SEND teacher from my son's last school! I've spoken to the legal company asking for a different solicitor, as my son's has literally not even picked up a pen to do anything yet. 

Frith

Still no word about smaller son's school. Was promised phone calls from various people on Friday, but none of those actually happened. 

Ebay sales have netted me about £100 (not all finished just yet). 

No new car but bigger son has bought one for himself! It is a 2001 Vauxhall Corsa and, apart from the road noise, it seems very good. Theory test on Wednesday then he can put in for his test. 

A bit of a panic when I realised tax credits have stopped completely now but I have put in for the advanced loan so I can manage without Universal Credit for 4 weeks. Hopefully UC means I will be able to apply for the saving scheme highlighted by a previous poster and get a budgeting loan. I would still like to pay close to the maximum 10% overpayment of my mortgage on January 1st. 

In smaller money making schemes, the hens are laying so well I have been able to sell some eggs at the side of the road!