Learning to walk before I run

edinburgher

Regular payments made until the 28th of February, CC balance at £617.37. Mrs E hopefully gets her first wage after mat leave on the 28th (1 week of mat leave and the rest her normal wages). Fingers crossed it all works out, she's decided to switch her current account the day before and we can only just cover our Direct Debits from savings Plan is to pay off the CC in full on 7th March when I next get paid.

Suffolk_lass

That is fantastic! So quick to clear that CC. Will you add future surplus to savings or OP'ing the mortgage a bit more after that swamp has been drained and the crocodile killed?

Over here we are contemplating a move and another mortgage...

Alchemilla

Hello Ed. How are the littles? 

edinburgher

@Suffolk_lass - it does feel a wee bit like I should be doing a victory lap, although it will need to wait 'til the 7th Poor crocodile, he can stick around. It reminds me a bit of a silly slogan T-shirt that I saw once that said don't fight your demons, recruit them The crocodile/demons (in the form of my bad habits) will be kept clearly in sight to help me make better decisions in the future.

I think we will need some savings for the future and I have started using a LISA to serve as a small endowment policy of shorts to bridge the delta between how much mortgage we'll pay off in the next 18 years and the total balance. In terms of surplus, however, I'm not sure that the picture is as clear as I'd like. Our energy fix expires in a month, our mortgage fixes in a year and we'll have additional childcare costs from the end of the year, even with our regular £220/4 weeks in vouchers.

I'd like to personally thank you for introducing me to the concept of virement. I have been able to apply sensible rules and guiderails to this so that we don't end up completely skint from re-allocating money from one pot to another. It came damn close, one of my first goals will just be to do as little as possible financially during March and let pots replenish themselves Knowing me, I won't be able to leave it alone entirely, maybe I'll come up with something practical like a wee "auto virement" macro on my budget spreadsheet that reduces all lines by x% and adds this to the savings line?

Your plans sound very exciting, I will catch up with your diary soon

@Alchemilla - the littlies are thriving - thank you DD1 is enjoying strike days, is engaging and chatty as ever and has really got on board with the whole big sister thing. DD2 is crawling, standing, teething, refusing to sleep and starts nursery this week.

I saw from your diary that you are dating again? You are very brave - I do not know how I would cope now if I had to wade into the waters of online dating etc. I hope you manage to meet someone worthy of you who is worth your time.

edinburgher

Highest wage of my working life coming on Tuesday but so skint today that my Ch@se card got declined at Mr M's as I put through the 2 breakfasts for a tenner the wrong way and my account didn't have £15 in it Roll on Tuesday - CC getting paid off, I will finally get pocket money (Mrs E already had hers).

edinburgher

£26.60 paid off the CC (regular payment and some cashback from Ch@se and TCBee).

Ordered 2 pairs of my favourite running shoes for £105 delivered, which is actually the best price I've ever paid for them, quite unusual I'd get my size for a decent price. Had to use the credit card but will pick up a few N3ctar points and will pay it off in full on Tuesday. I figure that is a relatively virtuous "treat" for the overtime done? To be fair, they'll just be helping to make up for my crappy work/life balance, which largely consists of being hunched over a desk. 2.5 hours of overtime done today.

Mrs E and parentals are paying for me to go back to my exercise class from April, so I'll have that to look forward to. I'd also like to get back into either running, or maybe tacking on another gym visit a week soon. By *another* I mean in addition to going back to my class, I am currently doing sweet FA...

Suffolk_lass

I am terrible for exercise now. I seem to have really fallen out of love with organised things like classes. I still walk, most days but I should do a stretch/yoga and a swim regularly, and I'm just not feeling it. I used to do much better when I played team sports as the team contribution ethic got me doing it, even if I felt a bit meh

savingholmes

Running shoes sounds a great bargain and motivating.

Glad your family are doing well.

edinburgher

@Suffolk_lass - I don't feel we humans are wired to want to go out and do strenuous things

£62.17 paid off the CC (now in the £4xxs), 1 1/4 hours of overtime under my belt and will try and fit in another 1 1/2 this afternoon. Probably won't do any tomorrow as I need to complete a job application. Submitted my FiT reading for March and will be receiving the princely sum of £28 Normally I'd invest that but I need the funds just to tide me over until Tuesday. 

No grand plans for this weekend - Mrs E taking DDs to the park after lunch while I work and we'll probably all head to the nearest swimming pool with a flume tomorrow morning. No rugby, so I've got too much Guinness in and nothing that will entertain me that much.

Forget if I mentioned it but I had an email from Ripple the other day to say that the mystery project that I expressed interest in is an English solar farm - looking forward to finding out more about that in the coming months. Our energy bill is heading in the right direction again - £78 this month (albeit with £67 knocked off the top by the gummint). I don't know about anyone else but I am currently budgeting based on the price before the gummint discount, so while I might take the £78 off the budget line, I am recording the cost as the full £145 so that I budget enough for future.

Suffolk_lass

We are doing that indirectly. As we don't have gas, Sc people refunded the AFP to us and the £66/67 have been refunded to our bank account too. It is amazing the difference it makes. It currently gets saved as there are two three big payments this month - holiday cottage on Mull to pay the balance on, House insurance (b&c) and finally, the Solar installation