Missy’s Surviving the storm so we can dance in the rain.

missymoo81

Thank you so much. It does make sense. I’ll get some curry sauce and some quick cook rice. 

missymoo81

So have a rather busy day today. Currently on a train to the big city for a work thing. We would normally stay over night which would cost a fortune along with train tickets and food. But we managed to get two return train tickets for £51 on an offer. Usually the whole thing would have cost about £400!!! So very happy! Also managed to borrow some shoes and wear an old dress and some primark jewellery and I look more than presentable. 

It’s nice to have a minute or two to stop whilst on the train, so will see what I can get sorted with regards to meal planning and money saving. Will go shopping after school tomorrow, list and calculator in hand. 

Elisheba

Hope you have a lovely time, MissyMoo!  

missymoo81

Thanks @Elisheba it was a 4 hour round trip train journey along with tubes etc for a 2 hour meeting thing. But it was nice to dress up and it was a worthy cause and got to see some familiar faces.

upshot is both myself and OH are knackered this morning, as didn’t get in until near 12 and alarm went off at 5.30! I’ve got to do some runs today, have a client at 0900 and at 1330.

Will do a shop after school today, lunches for the children for the past few days have been very haphazard, I don’t think they’ve minded much though. But it’s amazing what I have used up in the cupboard! 

We’ve booked swimming tonight 6-7 which I could do without as soooo tired but I need the practice and I’ve promised the children. Definite early night tonight. In fact I will prob be dozing on the sofa from 8pm when the children go to bed.

ok so as I was up super early. I have done a couple of things that needed doing. My tummy just rumbled goodness I’m hungry! Ill make some porridge for when I get back. 

Have had a lovely time catching up on diaries on the train yesterday. 

So today. I just need to get through to 8pm. Only 13 hours to go! Speak later.

missymoo81

Ok so 9 hours before I can sleep! Not that I'm counting!! So I'm at work and have let other half go home for a sleep for a bit, he'll prob only get 1.5 hours but that's better than nothing. 

I've got lots of bits and pieces that need doing today. I've done some of them, I've needed to confirm a passp0rt for my friends babies, I need to send my old driving licence off, I've got it with me all enveloped up to send. When OH gets back I'm going to pop to tesco and get fuel for big car 'gulp' it will be around £130 but OH pays that out of the big business. I'm going to get washing liquid, as it seems cheaper at tesco and I'm hoping that having a liquid will mean that I won't need fabric conditioner. Will post licence at the same time. Trying to get hold of the cheap tinned peaches I used to get for my cheap porridge topping. But lidl have never had them and they are out of stock in Tesco. Sainsburys seem to have them, I'll pass by on Thursday, so will get quite a few if they have them then.

I'm trying to figure out if I have enough money to over pay the mortgage. I also need to see how much I am able to overpay without getting charged. we paid £5000 in interest last year, such a huuuuuge amount!!! Even if I can manage £200 a month that would help. Have had to up the shopping budget as £30 per week just doesn't cut it now. I will try £40 but I'm putting aside £50, and anything not spent can go to mortgage overpayment. I'm very pleased that I Haven't just nipped to the COOP for top ups over the last few days, I've just made do.

I'm going to try and get the children to try and clear out some of their stuff over the next couple of days, we just seem to have too much stuff!!!

I should really go for a run today but my chest hurts from yesterdays fitness session and im going swimming later. So I think I'll leave it until tomorrow.

Hope you're all having good days x

Bluegreen143

@missymoo81 if I were you I wouldn’t overpay your mortgage unless you feel you’re in a strong financial footing. 

For me, I need the below conditions to be met before I’m overpaying the mortgage :

- paying our minimums to pension to get employer match (I know you don’t have an employer match but I do think putting something aside for retirement is important)

- not having any consumer debt at all (more important to pay off overdrafts, loans and credit cards first)

- having an emergency fund (at least £1k but I’m aiming for £2k)

- having pots for annual bills, gifts/Christmas, holidays (if relevant) and any other expected expenses (taxes etc) and being able to contribute to these and not need to raid them each month 

Obviously that’s just me and my comfort level, but I do think before you start putting £200 a month into the mortgage it’s worth considering if you have enough savings and any other debt (can’t remember if you do currently!). If you can free up that £200 that’s great, but there’s no sense doing it if you then have a big emergency with no savings on hand.

The above is why I’m not currently OPing, I want to get the emergency fund back to £2k first.

missymoo81

@Bluegreen143 this is why I love this forum. The help and support and thought that goes into posts always amazes me. Thank you! you are of course right. On paper it looks as though I can do all of the above, but then when it actually comes down to cold hard cash, I am indeed dipping into those pots that I keep putting aside. I need to get to grips with this first. Thank you so much for taking the time to post.

Soooo in other news, I have just been speaking to someone involved in the new job I'm hoping to get, I'm up against 150 others for around 30 jobs!!!!!! I'm struggling at the thought of being good enough..... 

Have just been to tesco and managed to get the things I was after, along with some chocolate spread the cheap one and the super cheap jam for on toast!! Also got oranges and washing liquid as they're cheaper than Lidl. I'm going to bite the bullet and do an empty hot wash in the washing machine with a DW tablet which will help clean everything through hopefully, as its a bit stinky. I do need to clean the washing powder tray too as it is gross, I will do that when I get home definitely. I also remembered to put shopping bags in the car, so that we have some for big shop after school.

I've got a client at 1330 then I'll go and do the school run. Feeling a bit more organised. Also very happy that I actually managed to write my invoice that I've been putting off forever £510, the person is away though. But I should get it by the end of the month hopefully!! 

Anyway I'll stop rambling.

dawnybabes

My friends washing machine tray fits in the dishwasher - I’m too scared to try it ! 

missymoo81

Morning,

Up early as OH is on early shift. Bit grey and overcast here. 

Yesterday I went shopping and spent £38 in lidl. Lidl was a bit sparse on things unfortunately. Will pop to Sainsburys on Thursday and hope they have the yoghurts etc. but did get a huge bag of potatoes so that should last us a while hoping to have enough to last until next Tuesday.

Wrote a menu plan with the children. And had left over chilli last night. Did some homework with the children which always makes me feel like I’m almost achieving passable mum status, we also all went swimming which was lovely. 

Today I’m just drinking my cuppa then I need to make lunches then school run. I’ve got work at 0900, then i need to do some running. Hoping I can nip home between 1230 and 3 but I think OH will be needing to come home for a sleep, oh and he needs to take the car to the garage today. Just remembered. Hopefully they can fix it. Cost £250 last time and they couldn’t fix it. It’s just a process of fixing the faults that keep showing and see which one fixes the let’s drive really slow mode! But that’s obviously going to cost.

I’m working 4-5.30 again. Need to put a stew in the slow cooker for tonight. Children don’t eat it so they will prob have omelette.

Still haven’t sorted this months finances, but I will. Oh I bought the washing liquid and cleaned the washing machine, and washed the swimming stuff and I can actually smell the liquid as opposed to the foisty smell I was getting. So fingers crossed. I’ve actually got lots of washing to do today, not sure if it will dry or not though. 

Think that’s it so far, will post later with an update.

Elisheba

Well done on getting the washing machine cleaned! That's one big job out the way