Money-shuffling towards mortgage freedom

savingholmes

Hope you are okay

MeandO

Mortgage @ March 2019: £107K,  [b]Now: £76,600[/b]

Mortgage OP's 2022:[b] £2011.22 [/b]

Total OP’s: [b]£5900[/b]

Saving pots: £4400

savingholmes

Great progress. Hope you are okay

MeandO

Thank you SH, I am ok. Everything’s been a bit tough lately and writing down my current state of gloom and doom seems to make me feel worse, so I have taken a little break from posting.

I’ve noticed tonight that my signature has reverted back to what it was around March time so I have lost the exact amount of how much I’ve overpaid my mortgage by which has annoyed me. Guess I should have written it down somewhere, but I didn’t. I’ve had to guess now, but I know I was nearly at the £6k mark, so I hope it’s near enough.

I haven’t been able to add any further overpayments to the mortgage for a while other than a small £10 odd to round it down to a whole number. Money has been really tight and it hasn’t helped that both DS and I have needed new shoes. DS, trainers, as his old ones were embarrassingly worn to being ripped and fraying. He is now the same size as me so gone are the days of cheaper children’s trainers. For myself, I reluctantly bought some trainers that have been recommended to help the pain in my foot. I have been in so much pain lately with my foot and knee that walking is difficult sometimes. So, £120 later, we both have new shoes and I have an empty bank balance. I’ve message the ex to ask that he doesn’t drag DS through mud/bushes/whatevertheheckelse he comes home with on his shoes when at his so these last longer than the last two pairs which have come back from there in a state and filthy beyond recognition. I suggested he purchase some other suitable footwear for DS to use at his which is reserved for such activities, but we all know i’m wasting my time there. I don’t think he has ever bought DS a pair of shoes or trainers, other than a cheap pair of ill fitting pumps he bought for an event which benefitted himself and which were the wrong sizing and rubbed DS terribly. 

He also asked for hoodies to be sent over to his last week - woe betide he actually could consider buying some for his son when he needed them. No hoodies, other than the one he was wearing, went. Disgusting behaviour by a so called father, especially considering I’ve learnt about a second lucrative income source he has this week. No doubt that’s not being declared either. Nothing surprises me about his behaviour anymore, although I was stunned when asking DS what he wants to give his dad for Father’s Day this year (which I pay for for DS’s sake), DS replied that his Dad had ‘given him a list!’ Top of the list, expensive sporting gear. Unbelievable.

The last of the ‘paid for’ work was done in the house today and we are now the owners of new carpet in our hallway. That cost me £70 in fitting today, the carpet was paid for in April. I need to build the savings up now to hopefully have the utility room redone next year but I’m pretty sure the car is going to cost me some big money soon - there are wear issues with the suspension and I need to book it in to the garage within the next few weeks. 

OH and I were in the right place at the right time at the weekend and picked up lots of YS meat and fish for our freezers. We had £101 worth of shopping for £44! 

I’ve not had any more TGTG bags yet either, am finding them all gone as soon as they’re listed.

I listed some items on fb this week with limited success. Only one item has gone and was collected tonight for £15. Will keep trying with the other items. They were all things that I thought would go fairly quickly too, but I guess money is tight for everyone at the moment. Well, most people… 

Too tired to write much more, will catch up again soon. 

Night all x

Chrystal

Maybe you need to explain to DS that Fathers day presents are meant to be bought with the pocket money that their Dads give them, and are normally things like a pair of socks or a mug!  You can't, and shouldn't, shield him from seeing what his father is doing.  The quicker he sees it the better really. XXX

badmemory

Or you can carry on & land up with your DS saying please don't keep telling him that this is from me.  Like me & it isn't a good response

MeandO

Thanks Chrystal and badmemory. Don't worry, I did tell DS that those things on the list are for Dad to buy himself - and that he has plenty of money to do so. Only token chocolate gifts were purchased as per usual, I always let him choose what he wanted to buy but he had to stick to a budget. I don't yet give DS regular pocket money as such, I tried it before and he lost interest after a while as he is not really interested in buying things (at the moment!). I have said I will be giving him an allowance when he goes to secondary school in exchange for helping out with chores and he will have to manage that. Once it's gone, it's gone. I won't lie, ex does the same for me for Mother's Day and birthdays from DS, although I'm sure he'd rather not if he didn't have to. He 'forgot' in 2020 and DS was so upset he didn't have anything for me that I let him go and choose something in Tesc0 with a £10 note and told him it was from his savings. It wasn't. Once he's old enough and earning or managing his allowance, he can buy for his Dad himself.

The child tax credits have hit the account today, thankfully. 9 days until payday so I need to try and spend as little as possible until then. Unfortunately we are low on hay fever meds and vitamins for DS that I need to get in (he has to have a specific type of vitamin which are quite expensive) so those two combined will be around £12. I also have to buy some ingredients for DS to bake for his homework tonight. I have a few of the items but it will probably be around £4-£5.
I also realised today that DS only has a couple of pairs of shorts that will fit him. Off to Primark it is then. Hopefully that can wait until after payday though.

I've got some YS meat and veg mince out of the freezer (slightly healthier than normal mince) and will make us something with that for tea. There'll probably be a portion left to freeze too.

Have a good day all xx

savingholmes

Glad you are posting again. You continue to do well in a tough situation

MeandO

Thank you SH xx

Cornish_mum

Take care, this must be so tough for you and DS, hope despite it all you both have a good weekend. CM