A new royal start

QueenJess

Well I think it’s safe to say my lethargy is definitely related to work.  Now it’s the weekend, I don’t have any problems getting things done!

Went for a flu jab this morning.  It was like a military exercise.  I would be very surprised if I was in the building more than 60 seconds.

Today I also:

• Put the usual load of washing on and hung it out
• Put all the dry clothes away, including rearranging and sorting out all the clothes in DS’s room.  I now have a pile of clothes in the spare room (room of doom) which are too small for him.
• Spent time rearranging and sorting all of DS’s books (I love books so he has lots too).  We now have a large pile of books which he doesn’t read anymore in the room of doom.
• Finished tidying my bedroom.  Absolutely everything is perfectly away.  I am about 3-4 hangers short, but I can’t see anything I want to get rid of at the moment (I’m sure it will change at some point), so I doubled up some of my work tops.  It’s not as though I’ll be using them anytime soon!
• Wrote a short list of things to buy DS for xmas.  I don’t believe in spending tons of money and he’s only 3.  Plus he’s spoiled anyway as an only grandchild.  Found most of it in The Works and got that ordered.  Just got the main present (out of stock everywhere at the moment), 2 books on my Amazon list (will order once I have enough other things on there for free delivery) and then a tube of smarties/gold coins or something (we never buy him sweets so that’s a treat for him).
• Done the meal plan for next week.  Just need to write the shopping list.

DS’s room looks nice and organised now as does my bedroom!  I’ve started thinking about the meal plan for next week, but not yet finished.

Tons more things left to do before the end of the year, but feel like I’m started to get organised.

Dinner was fish and chips.  For pudding I made Eve’s pudding with custard and DS loved it.  Looking forward to having some later when I can fit it in!.  Almost all the shortbread has miraculously disappeared, so I may have to find some more biscuits to make tomorrow or maybe make some healthier flapjacks.

QueenJess

After yesterday, I didn't even try to replicate the same amount of activity    I did:

• Another load of washing, hung it out and put all the dry clothes away.  
• Made some flapjacks
• The shopping list, which is scarily long.  I think it's going to be a very expensive week, particularly as we are treating ourselves to a leg of lamb as our roast next week.
• Have my Amazon items ready for DS's xmas presents and a bulk order of the expensive snacks DS and DH eat.  Just waiting on my voucher to turn up in my emails (hopefully tomorrow).
• Started sifting through my random present list of things I want.  Have half organised a xmas list to send to my parents (we usually ask for a few things as I generally never want anything).

I'll stop getting anything done tomorrow when it's back to work.  I also have quite a bit of work to get through 
Dinner was roast beef.  Pudding will be later as I'm totally stuffed and we ate early, but there's plenty of eve's pudding and custard left as well as a few bits of shortbread.

Tomorrow the mortgage monthly payment will come out, so I will be able to update my signature again.

QueenJess

Right, I'm beating the Monday blues this morning by updating my mortgage amount as the payment went out today.  Between myself and DH we paid the maximum 10% off the mortgage that we are allowed to, so no more overpayments allowed until 1 October 2021!!  I don't think we've ever managed to pay this much off immediately.  I will continue to show my signature as the net amount including the savings I will pay off 1 October 2021 when the fix ends.

So, after the next payment I am at £86,488.32.  Next up will be sub £86,450 which is definitely happening this month (and hopefully this week!).

To cheer myself up as to how far we've come already, here's some fun mortgage stats:

• Mortgage taken out almost 5 years ago (December 2015)
• The total mortgage has been paid down by 58% (mostly thanks to some money I was left in a will)
• Mortgage repayments are currently about 60% of what they were at the start and are on track to drop again to just under 50% without any further repayments in October 2021.
• The monthly interest payment this month is 26% of what it was in the first month of the mortgage!

Really impressed with this within a 5 year period.  Also in the same period we had a child (now 3), I took 1 year of maternity leave, I've rebuilt an emergency fund (after decimating it a bit with buying the house) and have a little money in a stocks and shares ISA.  Go me!

Happy Monday everyone 

South_coast

Congratulations! I always enjoy a bit of comparison - it's so easy to forget how far you've come 😀

QueenJess

Bit of a strange day today.  My contract has been extended another 3 months, so I have until the end of Jan now to save up enough for some time out.  I should be able to reach my £75k mortgage target by October 2021 and also put a little bit aside in my ISA before April 2021.

In the morning I read some diaries and made me feel bad that everyone seems to be achieving lots.  However, I do actually have lots of work to do, so I think I need to accept that little will get achieved during the week.  It's only for a few months and the pay is good.  I did manage to get a load of washing on and hung up, but the dry clothes are in a pile and not put away yet.  My windowsill planter finally arrived and I filled it up and repotted my basil plants into it and sowed seeds for a third type of basil.  Hopefully they will be happier in there.  It is quite a big planter, so I think I will remove the legs when I get a chance to make it a bit less dominating.

I did cash out another Amazon voucher today, so I will wait until tomorrow to do my order.  The food shopping was £110  .  Will need to be more careful for the rest of the month.  We seem to have got quite a few treats (including a huge leg of lamb for the weekend) which I think was my way of making myself feel better re: the work situation.  Of course, as of this afternoon I was told I would be extended.  But everyone loves food treats 

Dinner today was leftover roast beef stir fry and noodles.  Pudding will be more of the eve's pudding later with custard.  It seems to be lasting forever as we are only just more than halfway through it!

QueenJess

Just setting out a few targets for the rest of the year:

• Outstanding mortgage £81,500 (current £86,448.32)
• Get all budget categories back into the positive (deficit @ end Sept -£1,262.31  )
• Start saving for DS's bed - end of year target £100 (current £0)

MagicCat

Just catching up with your diary.  Your mortgage progress is amazing! I really admire the way you keep going at it with small amounts, then you can see the difference it makes over 5 years!

Job extension sounds good, giving you a bit more certainty and time to save.

Loving the sound of your baking and puddings. It is a hard time of year and nice things like that really help.

QueenJess

MagicCat said:

Just catching up with your diary.  Your mortgage progress is amazing! I really admire the way you keep going at it with small amounts, then you can see the difference it makes over 5 years!

Job extension sounds good, giving you a bit more certainty and time to save.

Loving the sound of your baking and puddings. It is a hard time of year and nice things like that really help.

Thanks    I frequently stress myself out with thinking about the big numbers and thinking "what if I could just save £x more" and end up in a bit of a rabbit hole in my head.  I have to stop myself and think of the tiny amounts that I can deal with.  I am always surprised how much I then manage to save on that basis.  Definitely the little steps are good for me.

Work have promised me that if they want to extend me again they won't leave it to the last minute next time... we will see... I am still waiting for my extension to be in writing!  I'm sure it will be fine.

QueenJess

Very busy at work this week, but trying to get things done in my lunch hour.  Today's successes were:

• Finding DS's main out of stock xmas gift actually in stock somewhere online and ordered it
• Present ordered for dad's birthday next week
• Washing done and hung up
• All clean clothes away
• Submitted an electric meter reading
• Actually thought of a small xmas and birthday present to get DH from DS (DH's birthday is early Jan, so if I don't plan it with xmas it is easily forgotten!).  Xmas one I have to order nearer the time.  The birthday one I am still looking for the best place to buy.

Still haven't done my Amazon order as I cashed out another voucher and am just waiting for it to appear in my inbox.  Slowly making progress through the enormous list of things to do this month!

Also managed to tick off the next £50 increment on the mortgage (mainly due to some account juggling).  I'm down to £86,441.07.  Next target is sub £86,400.

Dinner was the last of the roast beef with broccoli and rice.  Pudding will be the last of the Eve's pudding and custard.  Now have to catch up on some work (boo).  I may have to defer watching Bake Off until tomorrow night 

QueenJess

Some of these surveys are really poorly worded and I don't believe they prove anything.  Reminds me of that sketch in Yes Prime Minister about getting two different results: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0ZZJXw4MTA