Climbing the Mortgage Mountain step by step

LadyWithAPlan

Your surprise wedding party sounds lovely and I am also a fan of wild swimming. However I live in London so we go to the ladies only Kenwood ponds in Hampstead Heath which does have a lifeguard, its all very 1930s

Sorry your ex is such a nightmare especially as your poor daughter being affected by it. Such a bad example of a father. 

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi All

@savingholmes, @Aimingforthegoodlife and @LadyWithAPlan, thank you all for your lovely comments (and for reading my waffle), the party was so lovely and we honestly didn't have a clue that they had planned anything.  I am loving my swimming, we went last night and are going again tonight, it was such fun, the waves were huge and I felt really exhilarated when I got home.  Ladywithaplan, swimming on Hampstead Heath sounds very civilised!  And Aimingforthegoodlife, I love your name, DH often jokes we are Tom and Barbara with all of our produce flourishing (currently have a huge glut of plums), although I think I'd rather be Margot and Gerry sipping on our GnTs!!    No, they haven't found what is wrong with DIL, they are putting it down to stress, I just hope it doesn't happen again.

I thought I should share some MSE news today.  DH has been offered a new job, in our town, he currently travels 50 miles a day for work so this will save us a small fortune in diesel plus he will be on a slightly higher wage and no weekend working, we're so chuffed, he is handing in his notice today and will start the new job on 1st September.  We will be able to walk to and from work together which will be lovely.  Priority is to use the extra money clear any remaining CC debt and then increase savings.

I have changed Pet Insurance providers and managed to get a policy for half of the renewal price and half of the excess too plus I went through TCB.  I am up to £157 on my TCB account now and £39 on airtime rewards all of which will be saved for Christmas.  I'm also keeping up with the 1p challenge so that will be c £670 by November.

I have received my new passport (a blue one ) in my new name, only took about a week which I very impressed with, especially as there has been so much talk of horrendous delays.  My driving licence is the next to be sent off, bank account and mortgage account have all been changed, I'm gradually getting through things just a bit paranoid about sending off all of my paperwork at once, prefer to keep at least one form of ID and a marriage cert in my possession at all times, just in case!  I do need to sit down and tackle my life insurance, pensions and will at some point, I'm working from home next week so that might be a good opportunity.

DD is getting organised for Uni, she has had quite a lot of money for her 18th, most of which she has put in her savings account, she still needs to cash in her Child Trust Bond and I think there may be some money in NS&I so we will be writing to them.  She is sharing a flat with 2 friends and between them I think they are pretty well sorted for kitchen ware etc.  It's going to be very strange when she moves out, DH and I have never had time to ourselves apart from the odd weekend away, we are looking forward to it.  I am a bit concerned about my finances, what with losing Child Ben and maintenance and having to help DD but with DH getting the new job he can contribute more if needed and we will save quite a bit on electricity, water, food etc!  I just hope that Horrid Ex actually does his bit and supports her too, although he'll make her suffer for it no doubt!

Have  great day everyone!

MvTMM

savingholmes

Great news on the new job for DH

Aimingforthegoodlife

I know what you mean, Margot definitely has a great life in particular! But Barbara and Tom are such lovely people! My stepmum got me into watching them, and when we first got chickens it was our running joke! Growing produce is incredible, I am pants at it!haha. Our plum tree is looking good, won't be ready for a while, but my stepmum made amazing plum brandy last year with mine. So tasty, and deadly mixed with prosecco!!

savingholmes

I loved the good life too

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi All

Hope you've had a great weekend.

We've had a really busy time since Thursday, DD and I got our matching tattoos for her 18th birthday, not your standard 'Mother/Daughter' tattoos, something unique and special to us.  Then my stepson and his family arrived to stay for a week and my son and his family joined us for most of the weekend although they live in town so could go home at night!  We've had a chinese takeaway; been swimming in the sea; had a home made pizza night and raided our garden bar; we went to the park for a family picnic and to watch a band and yesterday spent the day in boats etc on the local reservoir and then came home for a big roast beef dinner and plum crumble with clotted cream.  Tonight we are off to a local fishing village that has a great noodle bar and tomorrow they are off to  an amusement park before heading home on Wednesday.  I'm exhausted and have eaten far too much!!

What with DDs 18th we've had quite an expensive time so the next few weeks will be more frugal, eating what we have in store (the huge beef joint for the roast came from our freezer and the plums from our tree).  It'll help that I'm on call for a lot of August and so limited what we can do.

@Aimingforthegoodlife - I might NEED to get that Plum Brandy recipe from you!

MvTMM

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi All

I can't believe it's over a week since I have posted!

DD and I have been busy sorting out her money etc in preparation for moving to Uni, she is being very proactive, has opened a separate account for her maintenance grant money to go into as this is to cover her rent which she will then pay monthly, I have agreed to be her guarantor and so have been completing all the paperwork for that.  She has closed her Child Trust Fund and received just over £500 from that which she has put into her savings pot along with her 18th birthday money and earnings from work.  She has been drawing up her CV and sims to get a job to support herself but I will also send her a small amount each week so that I know she won't starve, hopefully her father will do the same.  She has had to hand in her resignation at work and she is so upset as she loves that job but there is no way she can keep it going as well as Uni, the commute would cost too much each weekend, they have said she can go back whenever she is home on holidays.

savingholmes

Your daughter sounds very organised. 

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi All

Well another week has passed without me posting, to be fair I have worked 14 days straight, being on call for most of that so haven't had much time or headspace.  I took 2 toil days yesterday and Monday and spent time with DD and catching up with friends which was just what I needed, although I should probably have spent the time sorting out our bedroom and various cupboards!

The cost of living crisis seems to be looking bleaker and bleaker but we have a few strategies to put in place and are luckier than most:

DD moves on 1st September and then I will be head down and sorting things out financially and organisationally at home.  I have lots of item which need listing on Eb@y, something I haven't done for a while and I really need to get back into to both clear some space and raise some money for Christmas (although I do have that pretty well covered with cashback etc).  We have a clear plan to reduce costs once she has left, heating will be used minimally, we can go to bed and watch tv in the winter nights or if the weather is good sit outside around our chimnea burning free wood. We have freezers and cupboards full of food, DH and I are not fussy eaters and I am quite good at creating meals so if we can get the veg boxes from Lidl that will pretty much do us for a week along with stocks we already have.

We haven't eaten a huge amount the last couple of weeks, the weather has been so hot we haven't felt like eating but when the heat wave broke on Monday I cooked us a lovely chicken and butter bean curry which we all really enjoyed and which fed DH again last night, not bad from 2 chicken breasts.

I have been out on the sea a lot, we live walking distance from the beach so have been going straight from work either swimming or on our new paddle boards (DH bought them for us as a wedding present).  I think this has had a huge impact on my mental health as you feel quite euphoric afterwards and I felt really down when I was on call and couldn't go out for a swim.  I am hoping to keep this up well in to the winter for the physical and mental health benefits.  I have also found out that my work will pay for a gym membership (up to £250) so am looking to join a local hotel that has a gym, pool and sauna, I could do six months to cover November - April, DH would have to pay for his membership if he also wanted to join but we both need to work on our fitness levels and shift some weight, I'm also planning more long dog walks etc when it is just the 2 of us and we don't have to worry about DD.  I know DH's membership wouldn't be a necessary expense but we have to balance physical and mental wellbeing alongside financial and if nothing else we could use their showers and hairdryers!!

Have a great day

MvTMM

savingholmes

The sea swims and gym sound fab. We all need things in our lives that make us feel better