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Halving our income and still aiming for mortgage free!

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Hi everyone,

A long time lurker of DFW forum, and then here. Finally starting my own diary as I feel it will help keep me on track!
As the title suggests we are halving our income as I have resigned my job in order to keep sane and support DD with home educating for the next year. The last two years we have managed to overpay the maximum 10% our current mortgage allows and up till the resigning decision that was all going well...

We have got our mortgage down to £97, 120, dipping under 100k this year felt like a really big milestone. Our current mortgage deal finishes Dec 2023 and our repayments are £517 a month. We've been lucky that my income had seen a big increase from when we bought the house so we have a decent emergency fund of 10k and some savings that are set aside for a bathroom refurb and downstairs flooring which will be the last of the 'big' house jobs. Our plan was to aim to be MF by the time I am 50 (6 years to go).

I have got an interview next week for a job in September working 8 hours a week. Hopefully, this or something similar will help boost our income but given the uncertainty I am going to have to rethink my technique of working out the 10% and sharing it between the 12 months of the year. I have 2 paychecks left so will be fine for this year. 

I am considering keeping overpaying by about £100 a month (plus extras from surveys, ebay sales etc) and then anything above that can be set aside for a lump sum overpayment. Need to take back control of the grocery spends as they have got very relaxed recently.

This week:
I have volunteered to marshal a race this Sunday which will give me free entry to another race in return.
Started a CV so I can apply for some other jobs.
Started adapting the budget spreadsheet so spends can be more easily tracked.
Started writing (both journalling and a book idea).
Started prep for Wednesday's interview.

Am hoping to update a couple of times a week!

Emergency fund 13.5k Home/ holiday fund 6.5k Mortgage £45,614
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Comments

  • LadyGnome
    LadyGnome Posts: 801 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 500 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Welcome and best of luck.
    MortgageStart Nov 2012 £310,000
    Oct 2022 £143,277.74
    Reduction £166,722.26
    OriginalEnd Sept 2034 / Current official end Apr 2032 (but I have a cunning plan...)
    2022 MFW #78 £10200/£12000
    MFiT-6 #28 £21,772 /£75000
  • smetf
    smetf Posts: 362 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Thanks LadyGnome and FtbDreaming, it's been a bit of a bonkers week. My father-in-law is not at all well so been visiting him which is a four hour round trip, we've been combining a visit with some walking to balance out time in the car.

    I got the job I interviewed for on Wednesday 🎉such a relief and gives us a bit more financial flexibility, I estimate it'll be just under a third of my full time take home wage.

    One of the conversations about switching to home educating was the impact on finances, as an upshot my daughter offered to cook once a week to replace a weekly takeaway. Japanese tonight 😋

    Not a very moneysaving week with fuel costs and ingredients but the new job balances that out a bit!
    Emergency fund 13.5k Home/ holiday fund 6.5k Mortgage £45,614
  • happymum37
    happymum37 Posts: 340 Forumite
    Sixth Anniversary 100 Posts Name Dropper
    Following with interest . Are you going to home educate for good now? I wish I had it in me but I'm no teacher!!!

    Xx
    Part time worker.
     Plug that SAHM pension gap & Retire in style in 12-15 years. .. maybe
  • smetf
    smetf Posts: 362 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Hi Happymum,

    Thanks for stopping by. My youngest was due to go into Year 11 in September so I am hoping that getting her through this year and negotiating GCSEs will set her up for college in 2022 but after the past 18 months who knows!
    Emergency fund 13.5k Home/ holiday fund 6.5k Mortgage £45,614
  • smetf
    smetf Posts: 362 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Been a tough start to the week, my father-in-law died Monday evening.
    So pleased we've managed to go up and see him over the past few weeks. Been with dh and his mam and now come home to be wit the kids but feel completely wiped.

    On a money saving note, we have both said that having the back up of savings so we can just fill up the car umpteen times, buy food when takeaway is the only option, buy train tickets and just not worry about spending is so important at times like this ❤
    Emergency fund 13.5k Home/ holiday fund 6.5k Mortgage £45,614
  • happymum37
    happymum37 Posts: 340 Forumite
    Sixth Anniversary 100 Posts Name Dropper
    I'm so sorry for your loss. Wonderful that you could spend time with him x
    Part time worker.
     Plug that SAHM pension gap & Retire in style in 12-15 years. .. maybe
  • smetf
    smetf Posts: 362 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Have made the final overpayment of the year today bringing us up to the full 10% of 10,939 this year! it's the second year of doing so and has already made such a big difference to the interest and repayment dates.

    It resets in mid October so am hoping to be able to build up a small chunk of savings to help us get a head start next year given the large reduction in income.
    Popping to town to pay cheques and cash into bank, not using cash very much at all at the moment!
    Won't be spend free as youngest is heading to stock up on tapioca pearls whilst we're there but shouldn't spend anything else, and am hoping to persuade her and eldest to walk in and out rather than get the bus!

    Emergency fund 13.5k Home/ holiday fund 6.5k Mortgage £45,614
  • smetf
    smetf Posts: 362 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    It's been a bit of a spendy week, with fuel costs and buying food whilst visiting m-i-l and catering for after the funeral. All important to be able to do and I've increased the fuel budget significantly for the future as we will be heading to visit more often.
    Have offered to have my youngest niece for a few days during the summer hols and will do some touristy bits so need to budget for that.
    The job looks like it will be fewer hours than I thought so need to decide whether to apply for something else alongside or do some tutoring to boost income...
    Today I need to:
    Buy a present for my s-i-l
    Home ed work on a maths paper 
    Clean lounge and our bedroom
    Play tennis (free with a friend)
    Research cinema visit with DS (his request- yay)
    Research activities with niece
    Emergency fund 13.5k Home/ holiday fund 6.5k Mortgage £45,614
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