The Last Leg; 6 years later, debt free in 2021

Sarahwithlove

That's exciting then it will be all about getting your own place. Do you know how much of a deposit you will need? 

greensalad

Sarahwithlove said:

That's exciting then it will be all about getting your own place. Do you know how much of a deposit you will need? 

We're going for 10% and £450,000 property price. That's the cap for our LISAs. There's a possibility if we can't find what we want and we spend some time looking that we could go up to £500k (presuming we get approved, I think we will, but £500k is the top end of affordability whereas £450k is more appropriate). We're buying in the South East so you get less for your money but we've also decided to move further out than initially (due to corona making our jobs a lot more WFH). We're moving back to our uni city, where we met, and where we always talked about "retiring to" one day. So we're hoping to find a property that is either a good ten-year-plus house, or possibly the forever home with room to extend it. 3-4 bed, so plenty of space for future children, hobbies, and home office. It's quite a lot but we should have £45k saved by next December!

Sarahwithlove

That's very exciting. Good luck 😁

greensalad

Work gave us all a £10 voucher for Christmas to spend on getting ourselves something to have as a "zoom team lunch", so today I had delicious Greek takeaway for lunch, it was great!

Only one more day left at work and most of my stuff is complete. I've got a few morning meetings tomorrow and then a work pub quiz in the afternoon, after that I've technically got an hour left of work but I doubt much will be happening. So really the working week is almost over.

Surrey is going into Tier 3. That scuppers our plans for a Christmas Eve breakfast out, but we'll save a bit of money at home I guess. Everything else is planned out. I think our food shop for Monday 21st through to 28th when we go to see OH's mum has come to £190, including the turkey, all snacks, booze, and normal meals too. We usually spend about £45-£55 a week and rarely buy booze so I think we've done OK to still have a rather lavish Christmas. My Mum is going to pay a contribution, probably about £65, as I haven't asked her to bring anything and she said she would rather just get a bill than have to worry about buying anything. 

greensalad

God what a downer. I've been doing remarkably well during this whole crazy year, just been keeping focused and remembering the good things I have like a job, a roof over my head and friends and family.

Unfortunately just found out Christmas with my Mum is cancelled, it'll just be the two of us. She is finding it really difficult. She will be able to go to my grandparent's as she's in their support bubble but the idea of not being able to see her at Christmas really got to us both. I slapdashed wrapped her last present today and we drove out to meet in a carpark halfway from home before midnight when the rules came in, so we could put presents in each other's cars! I've left mine in the car for now and hoping it'll be safe to retrieve it in the morning, thought I'd try and give it a little bit of time though we both used hand sanitiser. Still it just utterly sucks. In slightly more positive news my MIL got the first vaccination of her two today so she will be feeling a lot more safe soon. 

This is just so heartbreaking to find out so close to Christmas.

NeverendingDMP

So rough isnt it. We are tier 3 and had mother in law coming for xmas dinner who lives on her own and is really fed up with it all. And we were already not having contact with my mum and dad either this Christmas. Kids got told on friday they are a close contact with a positive case so have to isolate, even though geographically our advice is it's okay to meet as a support bubble we now cannot and one child is showing symptoms so we definitely aren't gonna risk it.
We are similar with the presents. Putting them outside in a secure area and they are being swapped on wed to leave 72 hrs. I will lock our front door as the kids are still of the age they dont fully get the consequences and we will have a present swap via the loving room window. How strange this year is eh. 

greensalad

Got paid early, OH doesn't get paid until Christmas Eve. 

I did a lot of budgeting and managed to get almost everything covered. Just got to wait until his paycheque comes in to set aside for rent, pocket money, and the remainder is for savings. 

Paid £303.85 off his CC, signature updated. I'm going to update it when I do the last payment in January and make a paid-off-per-year signature.

Set aside £385 for my CC, only two payments left now. I'll pay the remaining off end of January paycheque which is a little early, so like 26th Jan?

Set aside money for our US holiday, if it ever happens! We've decided we'll probably call it in March as we're meant to go in June (after meant to be going in September this year). We still can't even legally enter the country, and that's hardly improved what with the new strain, so we feel if things haven't significantly improved between now and March we'll assess whether to try and pull the plug on it. Virgin isn't even flying to the US on our route AFAIK. I suspect they'll be willing to give us the same as last time, an "open ticket" valid for 2 years. If that happens we'll stash the savings somewhere earmarked for holiday and worry about rebooking it all when we know what the deal is. 

Also set aside money for Tuscany, same thing! Though that's October next year so more likely I guess.

Set aside car maintenance fund, annual payments fund, and the first portion of money for Christmas 2021! 

Set aside grocery money for January, money for my cottage trip for my 30th (doubt that will happen but plan anyway), and some cash for a chinese takeaway on NYE seeing as we'll be sat at home.

I managed to do all of that with my paycheque alone. It was the bumper pay from doing all the extra work over Black Friday but it's definitely worth doing!

OH's pay will be almost as much as I got, and it'll cover rent and pocket money, with all the rest going to tax bill savings.

greensalad

Has anyone found that since being at home so much more their houses have just become filthy?

I'm not necessarily a tidy person, I like organisation but I lack the ability to keep on top of it so I can often get things looking really nice but then it slips away. I didn't grow up in a clean or tidy home so the fact that I can actually walk around my house without bumping into things is a feat enough!

I've been trying to keep on top of cleaning but I find just doing a clean every now and again I can never seem to "beat" it and have a fully clean and tidy home. I also think having too much clutter is at the root of my issues.

Tomorrow I am going to pop to the butchers to pick up our Christmas order and I'm also going to go to the charity shop warehouse where they accept big bags. I think they're still open, doesn't say otherwise on their site. If they aren't I leave the bits in the boot of the car as the next time we need to drive anywhere anyway they'll be open I presume. 

I just feel if I had less stuff cleaning would be so much easier, ya know?

greensalad

Last shop of the week completed... I hope. Got a few things we forgot.

My stupid tart tin still hasn't shown up from Amazon. I ordered it a week ago. It's now been delayed to Sunday.

I quickie ordered another one (same thing different colour) with the plan to return whichever one shows up late. I need it for the dessert I'm making for Christmas Day! If the new one doesn't arrive tomorrow I did spy some in Waitrose so I'll just have to dash tomorrow.

About to go and make cranberry sauce. I'm going to jar up and preserve a bunch of it so I can make my favourite sandwich, brie and cranberry, year round! I've got enough I think to make about 6 jars. 

Also submitted my name on the list for delivering a Christmas dinner to someone who's alone, seeing as we've got so much food now. I'll see if I get a text I guess!

Oh and I made £12 by selling three puzzles

greensalad

Paid the penultimate credit card payment on my personal card. £385.54 left which will get paid off end of Jan when I get my paycheque (which I think is 26th rather than 28th as they pay us extra early in December then slightly early in January then back to normal for February). Also broke into the next number up for total debt payments in 2020... now over £14k! Signature updated.

End of January is going to be exciting. Pay off final balance on CC, OH's student loan repaid, and turning 30!