We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum... Read More »
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
Our forever home
Options
Comments
-
11.99 saved on broadband well, £7 on existing plan with the extra what the price was due to go up to out of contract. There was an offer for a 145 gift card attached but can take 4 months to come through!
I've also found I order my dog 2 x 2kg bags for around 22 on amz subscription, I can get a 12kg bag every 3 months instead for 40-45, that'll be a nice little saving too.
Dh discovered he can get a freebie with his phone contract so he will be hopefully wiping netflx, we've already dropped to the 1 screen package much to dds annoyance, but needs must at the moment.
Still putting in effort with grocery shop, but with dds recent opp and temporary diet adjustment I've spent more than I would have. Shes mostly over that now so will be tightening the belt for the rest of the month.
Wipes we've got on 3 monthly subscription 18 packs for £11, saving around £7. Only a few pence cheaper than supermarket per pack but I found them equal quality to the bts wipes which I preferred over the supermarkets so win win there.
On market place pure luck found a matching bedside table to the one I left home with 22 years ago! I had used mine when it was just me, I moved it into our spare room when we moved and got us matching sets. They've been pants in all honesty not very solid at all. So I was actually looking for second hand ikea drawers until I found this for £7.5! Dh has some paint he said I can use to get these fitting in with our bedroom so that'll be a project when I have a little more energy.
Small steps but things going in the right direction 👌MFW
Starting debt :£287,410 -11/2020
2022 Closing balance £271,402.45
2023 closing balance £263140
Original end 11/2045
New end date :.......
Overpayments to date £574.4 (1/26)2 -
I'm looking forward to seeing the budget today with my fingers tightly crossed, if the 30 hours childcare goes ahead for 1 year old it might save us around 400ish a month! Our bill would still be just over 1k I think, but it would help so so much.
My spreadsheet was showing we'd be lucky to have 80-150 a month left over when I'm back at work which would have caused a bit of stress if one of us needs a week unpaid for a sick baby, the debt would have racked up quickly. It will be such a huge relief if it works out to what I've calculated.
If the 67 a month towards gas stops our bill will be 282 a month, quite a bit over the cap but I guess we do have a bigger house to heat. I can't see it ever going back down to what it was, even if wholesale prices drop gas /electricity providers know they can make that kind of profit. Still hopefully if Martins forecast is right it might drop a little this year at somepoint.
I've found a baby ring being sold for £5, so hopefully will collect that today, dd loved hers gave me some peace of mind when she was learning to sit up, but carried on using it for quite a while after.
Dh had an emergency dentist appointment Sunday, £400 later pain free, 1 lost tooth, and one empty bank account at this point in the month.
Lucky I've got cash from some sold clothes for the ring and enough in savings to cover the food shop until payday. Another emergencies will have to fall on credit card so hope there are none!!
MFW
Starting debt :£287,410 -11/2020
2022 Closing balance £271,402.45
2023 closing balance £263140
Original end 11/2045
New end date :.......
Overpayments to date £574.4 (1/26)2 -
I was thinking of you when the papers announced that the 30 free hours will be in the budget for 1-2 year olds. I remember having to wait until my daughter was three to get it and I was paying more than my rent until then!Bottom line;
£49k paid off
Car HP paid off
Debt Free!
Saved Escape fund and moved out.
Current focus; saving Emergency fund2 -
It's not as good as the papers made out at all, we won't get any extra help until September 24 at that point it'll be 15 hours, them from Sept 25 assuming they don't change their minds 30 hours.
Trying to be grateful it'll be 6 months earlier than it would have been but it means squat right now. Complete pants is what it feels like.
That'll teach me for reading the predictions ahead of the budget.MFW
Starting debt :£287,410 -11/2020
2022 Closing balance £271,402.45
2023 closing balance £263140
Original end 11/2045
New end date :.......
Overpayments to date £574.4 (1/26)2 -
I remember with my daughter 2008, at that point it was equal to my rent. When I consider rent / mortgages have more than doubled since then I guess it stands to reason nursery costs would have risen too (65 % when i compared exact fees) but wages haven't followed that pattern.MFW
Starting debt :£287,410 -11/2020
2022 Closing balance £271,402.45
2023 closing balance £263140
Original end 11/2045
New end date :.......
Overpayments to date £574.4 (1/26)2 -
Council tax up £8 a month, expected to be fair working for another LA I know they are under the most financial pressure they've ever been in. They couldnt scale back the waste collections any further already on a 3 weekly cycle so car parks and council tax are up.
Had a chat with dh about how tight things will be until the 3 year funding kicks in - a few months earlier granted. The possible further rises we might see between now and then.
We agreed no other areas we can cut back on ATM, he might get the odd bit of overtime here and there but no guarantees. Stressed how we need to save every penny we can to cover us in emergencies as there won't be much available when I'm back at work.
Things should improve on 2025, I qualify hopefully prompt payrise, 3 year funding but our mortgage is due for renewal that year if it raises beyond what we can reasonably afford I'd rather sell up and leave the area than continue to struggle further long term. There has to be a quality of life in between our hard work, for our kids but also for our own sanity.
MFW
Starting debt :£287,410 -11/2020
2022 Closing balance £271,402.45
2023 closing balance £263140
Original end 11/2045
New end date :.......
Overpayments to date £574.4 (1/26)2 -
I've been debating a bank switch for our main joint account but the number of direct debits that need to safely move quite honestly fill me with fear.
We are not looking to move our own personal accounts. The only one we really don't gain anything from is the joint account.
I'm thinking the alternative is set up a small account now move some smaller less scary dds then that could be our account we use to switch in future once we've held it a while that is, but then I think I'd still want an account that benefits in some way, try to claw some money back from somewhere!
Im not a big changer, have only switched once fueled by a loss of confidence after a fraud experience. I'll probably still be debating this in 6 months 😅
MFW
Starting debt :£287,410 -11/2020
2022 Closing balance £271,402.45
2023 closing balance £263140
Original end 11/2045
New end date :.......
Overpayments to date £574.4 (1/26)1 -
£5 in fb sales being collected tomorrow, I've lost track of how much I've made, I know some money went towards the smaller guest bed, a sit up ring for ds and a small rocker to be put away for his birthday.
Still have a bed frame lingering but we can move that to the garage for now.
Elsewhere I'm spending money on vinted! Got 2 6-18 month sleeping bags after 2 messy nights the other week I realised we seriously need a bundle but I don't want to pay new prices they cost as much as a duvet set, for something so small too!! I've also ordered a bundle of sensory and musical toys a few things I noticed that caught his attention at baby group.
I was tempted to list things on vinted but sorting the postage scares me a little.
Had a keep in touch day today, DS was able to join me, he loved being made a fuss of and gave every single person smiles and coos! It was lovely to see my colleagues all as happy as ever.
There might be another kit day to be announced depending on training providers date but will be reliant on dh to take the day off for ds, will see how that plays out.
Nothing big planned tomorrow, a quick walk for a basic top up shop then a day of rest, or as restful as it can be!
MFW
Starting debt :£287,410 -11/2020
2022 Closing balance £271,402.45
2023 closing balance £263140
Original end 11/2045
New end date :.......
Overpayments to date £574.4 (1/26)1 -
Had an unexpected request to pick up a bedframe I've had listed for a few weeks now it was gone within an hour of the message.
Feels good to be making a bit of money instead of spending!
That money covers the cost of the 2nd hand trundle bed I picked up so will put that back towards my savings.
Driving to visit my brother tomorrow its a 2.5 hour drive, will stop for a good break half way.
Picked up a keep hot/ cool bottle and have tested it out today, kept above 70 for 4 hours. If I make a feed whilst the water is above 70 to kill any bacteria the milk should be good for 2 hours, so I should be able to stretch it out for 2 feeds it might just be 2nd bottle is made an hour before its needed, will need a second bottle of cool boiled water to make the bottles room temperature. Will test it out tomorrow see if it goes to plan!
I ordered some second hand weaning books from wob, such good quality for low prices. One is my favourite that I used for DD all those years ago it looks brand new. I remember mine being in very very used condition once I'd finished with it.
Payday next week, I had confused myself and was bracing for much lower but 50 % pay is still in place, I think next month I'll get my last 2 weeks and the month after its just smp.
MFW
Starting debt :£287,410 -11/2020
2022 Closing balance £271,402.45
2023 closing balance £263140
Original end 11/2045
New end date :.......
Overpayments to date £574.4 (1/26)2 -
The week has flown!
Last weekends visit was manageable, perhaps too much too soon though we were shattered.
12 week jabs done, couple of days feeling drowsy and upset but over the worst now.
We've been paid so money to savings has been tucked away.
It'll be an expensive month:
both dogs big food bags are due they will be roughly every 5-6 months works out more cost effective than buying small ones regularly.
Gas & electric going up but not as much as I had forecast which is good.
Possible water raise I've heard of but haven't been notified of anything at all.
Dd needs new trainers for out of school and inschool. Good news is school now permits plain black trainers to be worn so as she prefers trainers, instead of replacing shoes and trainers I can just get a decent pair of trainers for daily wear and PE, they need to be leather though as we realised today her usual mesh running trainers will not keep her feet dry!
Dd has 2 appointments at the hospital this month, at the 2nd hopefully her braces will be fitted.
DH is heading back to Wales for a funeral, after last weekends day out I know its just too far to go with DS at this age, DH only had 1 day off so he plans to go there and back same day its easily more than double the drive we done last weekend.
We will if money allows go back to Wales possibly in July when DS will be 7 months old but stay for a few days to spread the travel out.
Overpayments still ticking over just about we actually went overdrawn this month as I forgotten the Breakdown cover renewal - well I say forget I didn't actually get a renewal letter or email. I complained and got a discount, then had to pull money from savings to tidy it all up.
On the plus side cashback from groceries came in earlier than expected!
MFW
Starting debt :£287,410 -11/2020
2022 Closing balance £271,402.45
2023 closing balance £263140
Original end 11/2045
New end date :.......
Overpayments to date £574.4 (1/26)2
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply

Categories
- All Categories
- 351.1K Banking & Borrowing
- 253.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 453.6K Spending & Discounts
- 244.1K Work, Benefits & Business
- 599K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 177K Life & Family
- 257.4K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.6K Read-Only Boards