Oops I did it again

Sarahwithlove

The higher interest rates make such a difference don't they? It's very frustrating, wish I had originally fixed for longer lol 😆 

Aimingforthegoodlife

Weekly round up:

Other: £16.03
Loan: £8.49
Joint savings: £800
Holiday: £310


Other cumulative total: £89.90/£2000. I am going to save this towards painting the kitchen units, I am very unlikely to get near £2k by the time it is due but it gives something to aim for and any not taken from savings will be good! So I still need a further £1910.10 to reach this target! Money seems to be flowing very freely this month, isn't it always the way?!

Loan OP since Oct 2023: £1513.16/£1629.50. So need a further £116.34 to get this next month gone. This week is very normal for PADs and it is a personal finance heavy month this month, big birthday so have spent £60 there, work trainers broke in the washing machine, so have bought another two pairs for work and another pair for leisure- all on sale. These are the only trainers I have owned that don't give me blisters, they are relatively cheap though so I think that is the main issue. This last pair have lasted 9months of 9-5 work wear including some walks so not bad. These cost £89, also bought slightly smaller tops from urs, that on BNPL, because why not, and was £30. £45 on fuel so far, and am likely to need more before pay day, £10 for a 3kg dumb bell set as I can barely lift the 5kg or 8kg that I previously bought I have another important birthday next week which will involve a present and lunch out. Also some popping into shops here and there which adds up. Feel I have let my funds just fly, but also, I set aside my savings to cover birthdays so can just move it over- though would like to see how far the £90 will take me towards payday

Joint savings took a hit with the car, so this is a nice boost from DH self employed work- though we have £2k to pay in Oct for the kitchen, hence Other adding to that pot as this money will stop in Oct time. Holiday has enjoyed a nice boost, I have kind of stopped trying to work out holiday fund as we have spent money and money is also split into two separate higher interest accounts, so hard to keep an eye on overall! Glad we moved the cruise to 2026 as makes it so much easier to save. 

Next month is house insurance so will have a look at what those costs are today, hopefully will get cashback as well.

Aimingforthegoodlife

@Sarahwithlove I totally agree! I wish I had done a 5 year fix!

I have been having a look at the MSE mortgage best buys and even though the drop is teeny tiny, it does make a difference to monthly payments. Looking at it now, we could reduce to 20years and be paying the same a month as we are now with the new £100 OP. That does make me feel better! Don't remortgage until July 2025, so maybe just maybe the rates will drop below 4% at least.

Received our year statement for the mortgage in July 2024. And they decided from August to reduce our monthly payment to £648.50 from £652.82, not a lot less but seems weird. The £100 OP is actually more, I forgot we added £4.32 to that to make sure we are paying the same plus £100. 

We paid £5441.07 in interest last year, ouch. We paid £8676.31 in total to the mortgage, meaning we knocked £3,235.24 off the total in a year. Only £269.60 off the capital a month, bah humbug. This translates to £14.91 a day in interest on average. Man oh man! We OP'd £828.57 last year, so if we can keep up the OP this year, we will be paying £1200 off, which does feel a step in the right direction. 

Sarahwithlove

Well done on the Overpayments, it all adds up and will be worth it in the end.

KeepOnKnitting

I love the calculations on the mortgage. I do the same thing, looking at how much interest I pay daily, and how much overpayments shorten the term. Can't wait until I'm in a position to overpay the mortgage again. 

Aimingforthegoodlife

Weekly round up:

Other: £50.18
Loan: £14.29
Joint savings: £550
Holiday: £150


Other cumulative total: £140.08/£2000. I still need a further £1859,92 to reach this target, anything extra to throw at the kitchen bill is fine by me! We have added £1485 to the joint savings since the start of the month (will miss DH self employed work once it stops at the end of Sept!) meaning we are close to 2k just being added to savings so I don't need to stress myself out, even though I will!haha. 

Loan OP since Oct 2023: £1527.45/£1629.50. Need a further £102.05 for next step. Not paying weekly is confusing me, but will keep it going for a month and see if it makes it clearer where the loan is at. I have just had acknowledgement of the £94.57 I sent over on the 27/07/2024 so it is slow in being accepted. It is annoying that in this day and age, the loan account doesn't show me anything except a basic overview, so can't get into the nitty gritty. Wonder if I will get an update at the one year mark? Cumulative total to send over at the end of the month is: £33.69- already reflected in OP total. 

Aimingforthegoodlife

I have used £50 savings to cover some of the birthday expenditure, as had ran out of money! Currently have £30 left to last until Friday, have filled up the car with fuel so this should be fine unless anything unexpected comes up. 

Have stalled in weight loss for four weeks now, weight is dancing around 2lbs up then down, I understand plateaus and know the key is just to stick with it. I am still weighing myself frequently, but really watching my mental health as I know this can be a big trigger to a shame spiral. Stopped calorie counting specifically as I was getting to over involved and starting to make stupid food choices based on calories. This has eased the brain pressure. My body is rebelling about the 2stone weight loss, so just need to ride it out. Am increasing the dose of the pen this week, bit nervous but it is making such a difference, so worth it, new dose is more expensive too- £173 including delivery. 

Have been noticing Non Scale Victories- NSVs:

• I can do a little jog up the stairs
• Instead of just walking on the spot during 10min utube workouts, I may jog a little
• I have been doing some 10min work outs!
• Walking is something I am actually beginning to enjoy again
• I am more active daily in general
• I do have more energy in general
• I have bought t-shirts a size smaller and they are perfect, I bought joggers two sizes smaller and I fit, sports bras are now on the last hook and that isn't snug (think the girls have shrunk- no don't think, they definitely have lol)
• I worked a mile in less than 20minutes earlier in the week. I was walking as fast as I could at the start and not getting under 21minute miles so this is huge
• Hills don't feel quite as horrendous, still horrendous, but not as much!
• I am wanting to do more physically difficult walks, and have been disappointed when I couldn't follow through, though my brain is still very negative when I am struggling, so this makes it even harder

I'm sure there are more, but it is nice to try and recognise health improvements where weight is just a side effect. It is good to be able to share somewhere as well!

@Sarahwithlove thank you!

@KeepOnKnitting it is really enjoyable isn't it? It is lovely that I can start to think about the mortgage again, it has taken a back seat for sure. I am hoping Sept will be a quiet month for you!

KeepOnKnitting

Please don't give up just because the scales are stuck, this is exactly the point where you might be making other beneficial progress for your health. Never forget that muscle weighs more than fat for the same volume. Especially if your fitness and energy levels are improving, your body may be building muscle and losing fat, so the scale stays the same but your body becomes much healthier. Congratulations!

FacelessNumber

All of the exercise benefits you have mentioned are amazing! I've been returning to exercise after having a baby and am enjoying seeing my max heart rate when I'm running come down, might be another thing to look at! Initially it was getting up to 195/198 and now it rarely goes above 180. Just thought it might give you another thing to look at if you wear a smart watch. 

Aimingforthegoodlife

Thank you @KeepOnKnitting and @FacelessNumber it is crazy that in my late 30's, I am only just starting to see that weight is not the important part! Oh I do like the heart rate thing, on ftbt it says my resting heart rate has come down, that is lovely to see! Movement on the scales today and yesterday, 3lbs has gone after 4weeks of nada. But it is just a number, overall health is improving and that is actually important!