Money-shuffling towards mortgage freedom

savingholmes

Nice to see you back. Glad you are okay. Sounds like you have some fun and relaxation over the holidays even if your savings were eroded. Great news on raising some £ from sales of toys etc. It all adds up.

MeandO

Thank you SH xx

MeandO

Hello, hope all is well with everyone.

The pennies are still being pinched here, I seem to have spent a fortune this summer hols. Last week DS and I had a lovely overnight break about an hour away from us. We really enjoyed and it was much needed as emotions have been high lately and there has been quite a few times of upset so it was good to get away and have some fun with no distractions. I paid for the hotel a while ago but all the little spends here and there did add up and I had to transfer money from savings to cover things last week.  Before we went I cashed in a big bag of small change in a coin machine which made just under £25 which went towards a few activities.

This week I received the first part of the cost of living payment which I was very grateful for. It has been used to top up both the car maintenance pot and Christmas pot as well as an extra £250 sent to the premium bonds. I also sent a little payment of just over £4 to the mortgage to round it down. I have made the decision to temporarily stop OPing the mortgage from next pay day and to stash those funds in the savings instead. I am very anxious that my savings are not building up as quickly as I’d like and I’m aware that I will need to pay out quite a bit of cash over the next 6 months on various things. It pains me to not overpay, but think it’s best for now.  

MeandO

I don’t seem to have stopped today despite barely leaving the house. I WFH this morning and managed to get 3 loads of washing washed, line dried and some ironed before the horrendous storm hit our area. Several houses and businesses locally have been flooded, so I am feeling very grateful for our warm, dry house tonight and feeling for those who have been affected by flooding, it must be awful.

DS and I sorted out all his uniform, bags and pencil case etc for him starting secondary school  midweek. I’ve labelled, washed and prepped everything and he’s enjoyed getting all his new stationary etc together. I am so nervous for him but he’s excited so I’m painting a picture of positivity and excitement to him at the moment. 

DS had some maths tutoring today, after which we picked up a magic bag from M0rris0ns which cost me £3.09. For that we got 4 loaves of bread, 3 packs of brioche rolls, a cucumber, two little gem lettuces, 4 pears, a bag of mushrooms and (much to DS’s delight) a huge celebration cake from their extra special range which was originally £15! Oh, and one lonely potato!  I’ve frozen 3 loaves of bread and 2 of the packs of rolls and given OH one of each. I used some of the mushrooms in our chicken and veg noodles for tea tonight and we had some or the cake (with the icing removed) with some custard too.  

Three over-ripe bananas and some blueberries from a previous magic bag got made into a banana and blueberry loaf tonight. I have a courgette and a cauliflower in the fridge to use up too so might make a vegetable curry to portion and freeze. I’m really trying to limit our food waste and to use everything up, not that we throw a lot of food away anyway. 

The child benefit funds hit the account today so that has been split between a few categories in YNAB. The tax credits should arrive on Wednesday, that needs to top up the diesel, groceries and misc pots with hopefully a bit left over to put in DS’s clothing pot as I think he’ll need more new trainers soon. 

Not much else to report for now, I hope the weather calms a bit now and everyone keeps safe and well.
x

savingholmes

That was an interesting magic bag. The cake sounds a winner!

Hope the start of term goes well for DS.

Savings rather than OPing at the moment sound sensible.

Honeysucklelou2

Wow-your DS is starting secondary school. Hope his first weeks go well.

MeandO

Thank you SH and HSL2 xx 

Today has been tech heavy and quite stressful - at one point I was updating DS’s laptop and trying to explain the updates to him, whilst whatsapping J.Lewis about an issue with DS’s iPad he had for Christmas last year (yes, they offer technical support over WhatsApp now!), and answering DS’s questions about starting a business (he is desperate to have a business and work!) all whilst I was trying to work at the same time. I’m surprised steam wasn’t coming out of my ears. 

I feel like we’ve wasted the last day of the holidays a bit tbh. DS is definitely a pre-teen now, quite often with the attitude to match which I really struggle with and I miss us spending as much quality time together as we used to. I guess I have years of that to come now though. 

oops, got to go, DS is calling - will finish this later. 

savingholmes

Kids are constantly changing. Hope you get the tech sorted.

MeandO

Thanks SH xx Yes, he is changing alright. He is definitely not my little boy anymore and I really feel like the real closeness we have always had is slipping every day. At times he acts like he despises me and wants to be anywhere in the world but with me. It's a horrible feeling and it's really affecting me.  That along with the intense loneliness, isolation and homesickness on top of dealing with a lying, toxic ex is killing me. I haven't felt this low for a while. I need to find a way of picking myself up again really soon. I've spent the morning trying to work through my tears today, just got back in from the garden, had to take 10 minutes and get some sunshine. Hope the neighbours didn't see crazy me sitting in the garden crying my eyes out. 

Money wise, the tax credits have been paid today. I'll allocate them lately, can't be bothered at the moment.  Money will be really tight again this month.

I've taken some mince out of the freezer to make a lasagne for DS and I for tea, no doubt he'll turn his nose up at it though. I can't seem to do much to make him happy these days.  
 

Chrystal

Unfortunately, this is something that every parent on the planet has to go through.  DS is reaching/has reached the age when his body and brain are going through enormous changes, and they don't usually come out the other side for a few years.  
just try to remember that it's not personal and doesn't mean that he doesn't still love you.  I suppose it's tantamount to a caterpillar changing into a butterfly... everything is in flux.  (((hugs))) XX