Mortgage free in Forever Home :-)

KajiKita

Merlin's_Beard said:

I found Smarter Investing to be a bit of a slog, and basically summed up as "invest in index-linked funds for longer term investments" but spread over 100 pages. But it has been a while since I read it.

Well I am about 1/3rd of the way through it, but yes, that’s what I have gleaned so far! 😂 Are there any other books you’d recommend?

Cheery_Daff said:

Glad you're able to work through things and think about finding a proper balance. I work four days, but I actually just dropped to four days, I don't fit a full time job in. (Well, Mr Cheery would argue that I do, but it's a definite drop in workload from before...). 

Glad you've ticked few jobs off the list! And big hugs re the surgery, a daunting time xx

Thanks for the hugs. It’s a complicated job I am doing, with no handover / real induction to start me off so I lost a lot of time at the beginning, a decimated management system a severely depleted team (previous manager destroyed both the system and the team) - also very difficult to recruit atm. It’s hard to juggle being a manager, lead projects, deal with the day to day, participate in global projects and recruit …. I had no idea it was such a wide scope when I took the role. I do enjoy it but it is a bit fraying ……

KK

Merlin's_Beard

The most useful thing I ever found to get my head around it - or as much as I have at the minute - is the Meaningful Money podcast. I think there is an associated book, but I've not read that.

KajiKita

Merlin's_Beard said:

The most useful thing I ever found to get my head around it - or as much as I have at the minute - is the Meaningful Money podcast. I think there is an associated book, but I've not read that.

Thanks MB 😊 Once I have finished wading through The Hale turgidity, I will have a rummage 😊

KK

KajiKita

Good morning all,

I have had a grim work week - one of my team dropped a business critical ball and I have been dealing with the backwash / defending him all week.I am really tired as a result. 

Mr KK’s parents are coming over on Sunday for Mother’s Day. I always dread their visits - so much prep, a grim time whilst they are here and I won’t get the downtime I need over a weekend …. 

Still, I have Thursday and Friday as leave next week, so at least I can catch up with myself a bit then. 

Just sent a slightly better £8.38 to mortgage OP from QM33.
I have also decided that I am going to ‘treat myself’ by paying off my V1rg1n credit card today! The 0% deal ceases at the end of this month and I do NOT want to incur any interest on it! 😉 Once that’s done I will have just shy of £7K in savings which is the most I have had for a very long time (the only time I have ever had more was when I was saving up our house deposit). It’s not enough yet for the YNAB pots / emergency fund I / we need, but it’s probably 2/3rds of what it needs to be and I will have an extra £50 a month, probably £2.5K from my bonus this year (first time I have ever had one of those!), £3K from my mum, my 11% payrise and ……

THEN ….

I can properly start OPing the mortgage!!! I think by the end of May / beginning of June. 

I am really, deeply happy and satisfied about this. For the first time in a *very* long time I feel in control, like I have a plan and it might actually be achievable. So happy 😀 

In other news …. Mr KK has managed to get about a tonne of gravel from work that is just lying around (with permission from his boss - it’s leftover from building a swimming pool! 😂) and has pretty much topped up the to-be-deck-patio-box, which he is pleased about. He will hire a whacker plate from our local builders merchant this morning to tamp it down (so I will pay half of that cost) and then we can start looking at the metal gridding for the lid etc 😊 The aim this year is just to get it topped off so we can put deckchairs on it, to enjoy the view over to the hills. Next year we will put nice stone on the top of it etc. Next door’s cat, Lord Percy, is already enjoying the facilities mind ….. 🙄😉😂

Mr KK finally found a new motorcycle helmet for his birthday present yesterday, so I owe him £89. I’d given him a budget of £100 for his birthday, so having £11 left feels like a win 😊 Mr KK is delighted as helmet design and technology has moved on quite a bit since he last bought one (decades ago! 😂) so there are all sorts of new features and functions that his old lid doesn’t have 😊

Much cleaning and tidying for me today, but I am hoping to get out in the garden long enough to plant the last three gorgeous violas I grew from seed last autumn that need a home, in a spot by the front door and the greenhouse needs some tlc. Must also lift and clean some leeks for MiL and collect all the little jars we have had from her for various jams etc at Christmas 😊 

Lunch tomorrow is relatively easy - three frozen portions of a batch for the omnis (Mr KK’s idea to make it easier ❤️), a vegan batch portion for me with mash and greens for everyone, followed by lemon posset and shortbread. Sorted! 😊

KK

Merlin's_Beard

Congratulations on the financial control! It's an amazing feeling when the number of balls you're keeping in the air reduces and suddenly everything feels a bit more manageable.

And I'm glad Mr KK has a new helmet - might be worth sticking a calendar reminder in for when this one expires and needs replacing if he's not always on the ball with it, because they do degrade and he's only got one brain!

KajiKita

Merlin's_Beard said:

Congratulations on the financial control! It's an amazing feeling when the number of balls you're keeping in the air reduces and suddenly everything feels a bit more manageable.

And I'm glad Mr KK has a new helmet - might be worth sticking a calendar reminder in for when this one expires and needs replacing if he's not always on the ball with it, because they do degrade and he's only got one brain!

Thank you 😊 It finally feels like I am getting a bit of traction ….

Re the helmet, I didn’t know about the degrading. How long do they normally last? 

KK

KajiKita

Done the transfer to the credit card!!! All my savings are now my own!!! 😊
The payment will appear on the card account itself in two to three days and then I can close the account.
Whoop! 😊

KK

WuLiao

KajiKita said:

Re the helmet, I didn’t know about the degrading. How long do they normally last? 

It should be in the manufacturer's leaflet that came with the helmet, but from memory, around 5 years

KajiKita

WuLiao said:

KajiKita said:

Re the helmet, I didn’t know about the degrading. How long do they normally last? 

It should be in the manufacturer's leaflet that came with the helmet, but from memory, around 5 years

Thanks Wu, I will make a note of that 😊

Wacker plate hire came out at just £20, so a further £10 moved over to Mr KK’s account 😊

KK

Suffolk_lass

It does depend on what the helmet is made from. Any kind of polycarbonate (ie made in 2 halves and glued together so a front to back seam) absorbs fuel and pollution and this causes it to degrade. 2-3 years to be on the safe side. 

For fibreglass and resin, they last until you drop it, at which point, replace.

Helmets should never be painted or have stickers on them too. 

The gov.uk link includes one to SHARP with definitive guidance on helmets https://www.gov.uk/motorcycle-helmet-law