The second hurdle - Nichelette v the huge mortgage

beanielou

Glad op went well & hope things go well.

Bargainhunter30

Can you ask about compassionate or parental leave? I know parental leave can be unpaid though. I believe the NHS for example can give extra days for issues with childs sickness/childcare. I have a friend who counts them as part of her leave every year 🙈

Nichelette

Bargainhunter30 said:

Can you ask about compassionate or parental leave? I know parental leave can be unpaid though. I believe the NHS for example can give extra days for issues with childs sickness/childcare. I have a friend who counts them as part of her leave every year 🙈

I know there is definitely statutory parental leave. I tagged a few weeks on to the end of my mat leave as it wasn't worth going back with 2 in FT nursery until the kids qualified for some funded hours. It was the old system so DS1 missed the cut off by 7 days. He's an April birthday so was nearly 3.5 by the time he got the 30 in September. DS2 is May so not much better 😅. I'm trying to save it as there is a cap on it and I'm conscious of school holidays as they age, but it's definitely an option worst case. 

Nichelette

We were paid on Thursday so £500 has gone into moving fund and 1k into nursery account. I think we need approx 12k more in there to cover the remainder of DS2's time at nursery, so I might up it to £1100 a month so we're prettymuch done this calendar year. He's doing really well with his cast and is managing to get about without putting weight on it.

Am half way through meal planning. Will go shopping this weekend. I'm trying to be sensible and am raiding the freezer so hopefully won't spend too much. Feels like (suppose because it is because of illness/Christmas/op) the first week in ages we've actually made a plan. I need to look at receipts and update signature so I'll do that post big shop. 

Whole £1 paid off mortgage with sprive 😅. Total through there now is £57.52. It won't be that long until we can remortgage again. Plan is remortgage then port with additional borrowing, but will see what actually happens when it's time. We'd definitely get a lower rate as things stand. 

Kids bed has arrived. Plan is to paint their room before assembling it so that room is ready to sell. It is slow progress I know. I really want to go for it but the weekend seems to be for catching up with the cleaning I've got behind with during the week. I don't sleep well either (pretty sure it is early perimenopause now, though I've always been a rubbish sleeper - it's just making it worse) so I'm constantly shattered. For some reason the foot I fractured is aching a lot at the moment. I don't think it's the cold which would make sense as it hasn't actually been that cold lately, just very wet #middleageproblems. Anyway, if foot can handle it I'm considering going jogging on the mornings when I wake early. I'm antisocial and loved getting out when it was quiet 😂. 

Nichelette

Just found a letter DH had stashed away about mortgage without telling me 🙄. Last time I tried to reserve a new rate online it wouldn't let me. We can now so 4.35% reserved. We have until 1st May to pull out if it goes down. Let the games begin 😂. I did this so many times a couple of years ago. It went from about 6% to the 4.9% we're on now, but obviously times were different then. Hopefully will come down a bit more 🤞🏻. I'm a loser and would check the Halifax intermediaries website a lot for rate changes. I think it's first of month usually? I'll check again then...

Nichelette

Came home to another Halifax letter 😅. They're reducing mortgage by £21 because of the OP's. I'll pay the extra manually so we don't lose the benefit. It's only until May anyway. 

I did it! Seemed like a lot but doesn't feel like it now I'm seeing the actual photo 😂. DH and I barely touch fruit though kids eat loads (I much prefer veg though I do have frozen raspberries with the Greek yoghurt). 

Quite a lot wasn't on the list. Happy to admit I'm a disaster 🙈. The massive jar of gherkins was a joke for DH (though he will eat them). To be fair wine and steak alone were over £12. Weetabix was spontaneous because I forgot to check before I went out but we already had enough. It will keep though. Massive Greek yoghurt was worth the saving as I buy it usually. I have one in fridge but it lasts. I have brown rice in the cupboard but it takes half an hour to cook so I've been lazy and got packet rice. It's 39p a pack. To be honest I did wonder if it's even worth the energy cost. It's probably something where it's better to cook in bulk.

Got 2 lots of raisins because there was a voucher on app. Doesn't save loads but suppose it adds up and I won't buy more next week. Red onions were on offer too. Wasn't going to buy but we're low and would have bought next week otherwise. We still had a fair bit of fruit and veg at home, and other bits to make dinners. This is the other stuff needed for meal plan minus sage and parsley which they didn't have. I did grow herbs in the garden until the local cats decided my planter was a toilet 🙃. 

I'll post meal plan separately below in a minute.

Nichelette

Tonight for kids & I: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/burnt-aubergine-veggie-chilli
For DH: https://www.effortlessfoodie.com/easy-pork-stroganoff/

Tomorrow: Pie my mum made with roast potatoes and veg 

Monday: https://www.hellofresh.co.uk/recipes/cosy-butternut-squash-mac-and-cheese-6876750f7299475a5b049016

Tuesday: Sumac Halloumi with Quinoa Recipe | HelloFresh https://share.google/2SmIqi4J9U5wZmHr5 (recipe I have on card is slight different, it has cucumber and is only quinoa no cous cous)

Wednesday: https://www.hellofresh.co.uk/recipes/mexican-style-roasted-veg-salad-646cd83722f7f34e1f95d093

Thursday: https://www.hellofresh.co.uk/recipes/dal-makhani-67bdcac3c26c652538b7c156

Friday is always steak and pizza night 😂

We don't really eat breakfast (kids usually have weetabix). Lunches will be soup - am using half the squash to make some,  or salad with the falafel/houmous/feta/pitta bread etc. 

debtfreewannabe321

I think you did quite well for £70! I spent similar earlier and got half as much cos I decided to buy everything organic and a cutlery set  
You are going to feel so rich when you have no nursery fees anymore! 

Nichelette

@debtfreewannabe321 I have thought about buying organic veg but I think it would make a very big difference to what I'm spending. Maybe I should investigate more. I'm quite conscious of micro plastics, but on the other hand feels a bit futile with so much plastic everywhere. I am thinking of replacing my tupperware with glass, though I have several of the sistema soup mugs which I use a lot because they don't leak and go to work with me etc. Same with non stick 🙈. 

Before we had nursery fees we made really good inroads into the mortgage. Almost don't remember what it was like before 🙃. Will be amazing being rid of them and make a huge difference to mortgage!