The second hurdle - Nichelette v the huge mortgage

Nichelette

Thank you @LadyWithAPlan. We are fortunate and managed to have a good stab at overpaying for a couple of years which has no doubt helped us a lot in the circumstances. I still feel that we owe a lot (though moving, unlikely as we'll be able to now) would have increased the mortgage. At the rate we were able to go at we'd have got rid of the mortgage in 8-9 years, but with maternity leave and now nursery it wasn't possible to continue.

Obviously our choice to have kids. Would probably have been a bit better if I were younger but life doesn't work that way! Positive is when the elder starts school in September 25 fees will reduce loads (will probably still have wraparound care), so we'll only have one year of both at nursery. Then in September 26 this one will qualify for the 30 'free' hours, so assuming the system is the same things will be much better by then. 

Still no reply from VW. Chased them a couple of days ago. Hope this serves to put anyone thinking about one off!

LadyWithAPlan

I won’t be buying a VW definitely!
Of all the cars I owned my Honda was amazing for just keep on going and super small repair costs. Sadly it got killed on in a car accident but I loved my Honda!

savingholmes

Is there nothing you can do on your mortgage rate? They are often portable to a new home...

Nichelette

Second Honda's! Until recently FIL was driving around in DH's old R reg civic! Should definitely have got another Honda lol. 

I don't think our current mortgage is portable though we're not really in a position to move at the moment anyway. When we remortgage I'm definitely going to make sure that we do get a portable one as it will be Jan 24 by then and the situation with nursery will be better from Sept 25. Worse case, fees will be much reduced from September 26 and probably allow us to move to something I'd consider worth moving for. If we need to stay for longer we can fudge things a bit to buy us extra time. 

Haven't got exact figures with me but worked out if DH and I alternate the same day off each fortnight and we need 4 days nursery it is a bit over £1.4k a month, and if we don't and need 5 it's a bit over £1.8k. Eye watering, though obviously we knew that would be the case. The 4 days would only be for about a year until chunky starts school so we're considering as hard as it will be. I didn't have any holiday when I was pregnant with him, and I'm only having today until this one arrives too (we need to get as close to Sept when he qualifies for the 30 hours as those figures are with the 30) so I'm used to not really getting a break. Am playing the long game.. 

Have been trying to get the house in order whilst chunky is at nursery as it's so hard when he is here (end up spending most of my time trying to make sure he isn't injuring himself from jumping on the sofa...). DH has gone to Scotland as his brother is getting married tomorrow. I was going to go (hence the holiday) but couldn't manage 10ish hours in the car, and to be honest it's better to have chunky here as he would have hated two full days in his car seat too, not to mention completely throwing his routine. Speaking of which, he spent 3 days off nursery due to two different bouts of sickness so that was £200 for nothing! Not blaming the nursery, just annoying..

Did a dump run earlier. Woop. Also managed to sort through some of his small clothes. Am trying to do the bits I've not had time to do. Am getting there slowly at least. Oh, and still no reply from VW. Shock. 

savingholmes

Sorry about the frustrating cost of nursery. It doesn't seem to get better but as you say once the free hours kick in it will.

I bet you are very grateful now you have been overpaying. 

Nichelette

Quick bullets again...

• Still no reply from VW (shock). Have called CC to tell them and happy to send proof if they want it. Obviously they can't reply without incriminating themselves so they're just ignoring me as per. Praying CC find in my favour just on grounds of common sense because though I will do it if I have to, I don't have the time or energy to take them to small claims court too (2.5k repair every 15k miles would mean 20k in mechatronic replacement if car did 120k lifetime miles which is obviously completely unreasonable)
• Added another £500 to PB's for at 4k now. Keeping cash buffer for now but may pay some off mortgage in time. Need to see how things go.
• Locked chunky in the car with the keys so had to break in and pay to repair it. My own stupid fault. My brain is melting...
• Then managed to get a flat tyre (massive pothole, again own fault as split second looked away to change radio). Luckily a nice man who had proper tools to sort it put the spare on for me. Hoping can repair the tyre as it has only done 5k but if not that will need a new one. Not hopeful about repair based on size of pothole..
• DH's car failed MOT as it needed a new tyre and rear passenger door was sticking but fortunately he managed to sort both bits same day so now at least his car is okay. Figure that is the last of the 3 rubbish things...
• Scan on 1st at 12+5. Getting a bit of a bump now (had nothing at this point before, guess that is second time for you!). Have to take asprin every day because of the pre eclampsia last time and am seeing consultant for first time end of November. Will be interesting what they say as in the end everything went very wrong last time  . Assuming all is well due to showing so just genetic testing to overcome hopefully. Am at the point where I really wish I could tell people now. 
• Oh, and I was on Radio 5 on Tuesday which was unexpected! They were talking about the impact of the U turn on mini budget and actually let me on air lol

savingholmes

If you can pinpoint where the pothole was and report it - you can potentially claim against your local council. Worth a shot.

Nichelette

savingholmes said:

If you can pinpoint where the pothole was and report it - you can potentially claim against your local council. Worth a shot.

I did have a quick look, but it seems quite drawn out and I just don't have the energy at the moment. Did need a new tyre as the wall had a massive tear in it! £70 later..

Have put £500 in PB's today, don't really expect to win anything, but we should have that spare at the end of the month and you never know, so we might as well get it in the earlier draw by doing it before our pay month end. I feel a bit better now that we have a bit of cash behind us in case we need it as before I was so fixated on OP'ing mortgage.

Including money we've saved for chunky (which we'd only touch if literally no other option) we have nearly 9k now. Lately we seem to have around £500 left at the end of the month. We're not profligate but could tighten things a bit more if we need to. Nursery will be about £250 more a month when I go back to work (and we''re due another increase in April at whatever inflation is) so I'm quietly confident we can manage as long as we keep increasing the buffer. Biggest unknown is how much mortgage will go up, but I'm praying there will be a bit more stability now. I know recent rates are a historic anomaly and didn't expect them to be so low forever, but I would just like some consistency so we know what sort of level we will be looking at so we can plan for it.

Am pleased I've nearly managed £250 in OP's this calendar month as I'm only OP'ing 'extra' money now, so prolific (which I'm doing pretty well on atm), small amounts from MB and cashback etc.

We're £440 in energy credit so that is holding up well. Pleased it is so mild cost wise (though worried at how warm it is, because even when I was a kid October wasn't this warm).

savingholmes

Glad you are budgeting so well. 

Hoping you have a relaxing weekend 

Nichelette

Scan was all good. New due date is 15th May so probably looking at 1st for induction but will see what consultant says at end of month. Still convinced it's a boy..

Got the expected email from nursery - can't remember if it comes into effect 1st Dec or 1st Jan but that's up by another £70 a month. 

Energy bill currently holding up fairly well as we're trying to be as economical as possible. Still haven't had heating on properly. Thermostat is set at about 16 and has very briefly come on a few times when it has dipped below. Suppose that's the pay off for living in the south. Crippling housing but we don't need the heating on as early  . 

I've been keeping an eye on housing. When BoE last put the rate up they said they were anticipating rates peaking in summer 23. Obviously still expecting a big increase when we remortgage in Jan 24 but hopefully things will have improved slightly by then. If prices come down it actually helps us as it makes the gap to a bigger place smaller. A lot of places here are being reduced now and the more expensive end are sitting about for some time for obvious reasons. Anything that seems to be shifting is at the lower end which helps us in terms of moving on. Am happy to take a low offer when we do go if that's the way things are heading and it allows us to actually move. 

Managed to OP £270 in October in the end.