Never a good time but here goes.. 29 March 2021 at 10:39AM in Mortgage-free wannabe 35 replies 2.5K views

twinklie

Welcome to team MFWB. 
I'm 39 with 2 kids but my mortgage is 4 times yours - eek! That said, we've had a few ups and downs and only bought our family home 2 years ago. Our current MF date is in 2037, but I long to make it sooner. We shall see what happens. 
Congratulations on adding to your family though, exciting times. 

ladysummerisle

It’s been an odd couple of weeks. Given I’ve already got paid my maximum overpayment for the mortgage, I’ve just been trying to balance getting a few bargains for the new baby but also bracing myself for the reduced pay this year.

Utilities switched over at the beginning of the month and I’ve paid a month in advance and a further £42 to my previous supplier so not too bad. My new direct debit is £12 less a month and I’ve been scribbling in my diary dates to check on cashback and such like. My mobile contract will end in the autumn so that’ll be sim only again.

I’ve not done too badly on the cashback front either this month. £79.20 on my mobile, plus another £45.35 so far with Prolific. 

I updated my tax credits account too with my anticipated income this year so payments have gone up already (always just at the cusp of eligibility otherwise). Last year we received around £900 but hadn’t spent it assuming it was a mistake but perhaps it isn’t, given the increased allowances due to COVID. Either way, it means we received the extra £500 for WTC this week. 

I’m constantly updating my spreadsheet as more accurate figures come in. I’m moving any extra money to the side for now for when my income drops. Overpayments aside, I still have just over £3000 now to balance my reduced income later this year. 

I type this whilst listening to the dog bark in the garden. He’s had cancer for 6 years next month and his treatment has been a major expense. I cancelled his insurance last year as we’ve run out of options, yet he’s still with us! His medication costs perhaps £60 a month so a lot less than in recent years. 

My MOT is due in the next couple of weeks so crossing everything for that. My car was written off just before lockdown (my colleague failed to secure their handbrake) so I spent £4000 on another but it should be reliable as only 24k miles on it. Here’s hoping! 

ladysummerisle

Heading into May and still haven’t booked my MOT. Sensible to get a service or can it be avoided? Barely 4000 miles done in the past year but I will have a new baby before long.. hmm.

In pre-baby prep I took the dog to the vet last week to check how he’s doing on his medication, before I’m too fat / tired to move. His metastases seem to have consolidated and, whilst he had an off day the day before, he seems to be well
enough, if a smidge more anaemic. Vets bill arrived yesterday for £292 though. Unfortunately today the postman only brought me a couple of free stock cubes. 

Preschool sample photo arrived yesterday so that’s another £27 to pay. Hair cut for the gentlemen of the house too, leaving what looked like a cat’s worth of hair on the salon floor. Another £27 there but suspect they won’t have another cut for quite a while. It’ll save me having to tie my son’s hair back in the morning too. Shame though. Quite jealous of his lustrous lockdown locks..

ladysummerisle

Quick update. I managed nearly two weeks of maternity leave before baby girl arrived. As predicted, she was a tiny bit early just like her brother. Now nearly two weeks on, things are settling down, still round the clock feeds but it’ll be worth it when her stomach capacity sustains her through the night!

Also received some good news - a pay rise to a higher band. Granted I won’t see anything whilst on maternity leave but it does mean I can now carry on up the pay scale instead of languishing, as I have done for years. There’s also an offer put forward through the unions of a 1.5% cost of living pay rise, which frankly is better than a smack in the face.. 

Birth now registered, child benefit form sent off and added child to tax credits (eligible for likely this year only so making the most of it). I’ve been moving money aside for the leaner months so have about £4000 so far. I have hopes I’ll come to the end of this financial year with some money left over but there’s bound to be a surprise something to pay out for. 

In other news, I am 3lb off my starting weight (childbirth is the easiest diet ever) so now I need to ease off the chocolate and switch to lovely salads and make a dent in the pre-pregnancy weight! 

SpendingPennies

Many congratulations on your new arrival, lovely news. 

By the way I have the Costco airer, it’s great. 

ladysummerisle

Thanks @SpendingPennies

I confess we’ve not put the airer in yet as busy and the ground is so hard. Any tips gratefully received! 

riotlady

Congratulations on your baby girl  

ladysummerisle

Thanks @riotlady - it’s all quite the blur at the moment but it’s nice just having home and family to focus on instead of wfh juggling. 

beanielou

Congratulations 

ladysummerisle

Thanks @beanielou

Quick update. Good news / bad news on the pay rise. Aside from not affecting my pay currently as on maternity it’s based on last year, the pay rise after tax etc will amount to a whole £44.62 a year. It turns out the change in contract automatically changes me from one pension to another, which means going from 7.5% to 9.6% contributions. 

A couple of months after I go back it should go up to £377 more than previously but understandably I’m a bit disappointed. I daren’t run the rest of the pay scale to check future years.