Oops I did it again

Aimingforthegoodlife

Weekly round up:

Other: £39.59
Loan: £7.70
Holiday: £400
Joint Savings: £1000

Other cumulative total: £238.25/£2000. I still need a further £1761.75 for this target. But it is already covered with DH's self employed wage so this is just a little top up. Another good amount saved thanks to him, we may get two more big adds before he finishes for the season and we will be back to his part time wage, but we have continued to live off that amount which is how we can save a majority of this current wage. We have used 1k to buy a new car and will spend 2.5k on painting the kitchen, so spending a good chunk to!

Loan OP since Oct 2023: £1574.84/£1629.50. Wondering if I will meet the target of a month knocked off by end of Sept...Trying to work on savings and paying down the loan. Need £54.66 to meet this target. I get paid a week on Monday and am doing ok with money, but have another food shop to pay for, this will be around £75, have topped up fuel once this month and hoping that will be enough. Was also hoping to use some of this month's budget to go towards the next injection, but am off this coming week- hooray - and it may end up being a little spendy in a nice way! Also pretty sure that the last injection is due on payday so that can be next months problem/challenge, especially as I won't be paying for three food shops so already saving £75!

Holiday is looking nice and healthy. Holidays are really important to me so I feel this is a great area to save as well as for other things. Once DH is back to normal earnings, I am thinking that the 'other' may become a holiday savings thing, as I may not try and save for holidays out of our wages come Oct and just use this to keep it being topped up. 

Aimingforthegoodlife

Current loan free date is 24/09/2027, wow, a whole year gone. That feels good, had the paperwork through for a whole year of paying, will look at this in more detail! 

I am thinking, once we have money back from the fixed savers, perhaps I will just pay back the loan. Not going to see much change in my wage anytime soon, and paying for the injection alongside, leaves me with very little on my already small enough budget. I have bought more presents this month, another big birthday and DH has seen two things he wants for xmas so I have bought them. Used savings for xmas, and wondering about absorbing the birthday costs if possible.

I feel like my brain just doesn't know where to settle, its a rotation of holidays, savings, mortgage, round and round and round. I know I put towards all of those areas, but it is never enough? I don't want to forgo holidays for the next ten plus years (I worked it out, we genuinely couldn't afford to pay it off any quicker!), who knows how my life will be then. I want to be able to enjoy things now! YOLO or whatever I was looking at the mortgage best buys and right now, we could lower our mortgage to 18 years and be paying the same monthly rate we are, so fingers crossed for remortgage time next Sept!

Off all week, hoping to do some nice socialising and exercise, find a balance!

KeepOnKnitting

Is it worth remortgaging now? For example, if you are on a rate of 5% and can get 4% for 2 years, but your early repayment charge is 1%, it could work out better to remortgage early. If you are able to do numbers, it may be worth a look.

Aimingforthegoodlife

Thanks @KeepOnKnitting I have had a look and sadly not worth the charge at the moment, will keep an eye though as I assume the charge does drop every month? Worth monitoring for sure!

Aimingforthegoodlife

Weekly round up:

Other: £16.40
Loan: £66.09

Other cumulative total: £254.65/£2000. I still need a further £1745.35 for this target.

Loan OP since Oct 2023: £1640.93/£1629.50. Pleased to say that I smashed this goal this week, ended my work pay month with £50 left so gave this a good boost. Was not expecting to end the month with anything, so this was a lovely boost. Have spent less in my week off than I thought, but still did things! Over target by £11.43, so this adds towards the next month to be reduced, new goal is: £1640.93/1792.45. So new target amount needed is £151.52. Thinking Oct might see a similar amount left at the end, hoping it may be a bit more though. Waiting for 1poll to hit the account, so that is £25 automatically towards the loan. The injection and how I buy it will affect amount to put away next month, but will play around and work out how best to manage. Wages get paid tomorrow, do love pay day!

Aimingforthegoodlife

Have had a good week off, it has gone way too fast and already feeling the Sunday dread a little. Went on a big walk on my own and walked as fast as I could, did so much better than I thought I would which was a real boost. Walked again on Thurs, a 3miler, which I managed but was fatigued after Weds 6.75miles. Friday went for a nice walk with friend and children, so was nice and leisurely and good for the muscles. Yesterday, we walked about 4miles to a local waterfall and back, was nice and chilled with friends and family. Such a lovely afternoon out! Good exercise as well. May do some gardening shortly, before the rain starts as I have slacked on the garden front this last week. 

DH was away all week and I did miss him. This coming week will see the end of the summer work, he will be away a few days and that is it then. I will miss the money, but not him being away so much. Though part time work starts again in Oct, which means he will be working weekends, and I am off them, which is always frustrating. Feels like we don't get a lot of time anymore!

Thinking about fitness goals, at the moment I feel driven to want to walk hills/mountains, want to be able to do at least one Wainright when we go to the lakes next year. Have also found out about Marilyn's, so these are hills and mountains that are at least 150metres, there are loads all over, including local to me. So these could also become challenges for me. Uphill destroys me so quickly!

KeepOnKnitting

Aimingforthegoodlife said:

Thanks @KeepOnKnitting I have had a look and sadly not worth the charge at the moment, will keep an eye though as I assume the charge does drop every month? Worth monitoring for sure!

Usually it changes yearly, on the anniversary of taking out the mortgage. For example, I have a 5 year fixed rate. In the first year I have to pay a 5% ERC (Early Repayment Charge). In the second year, 4%. In the year before my deal runs out, it is only a 1% charge. Definitely best to read the mortgage paperwork.

Aimingforthegoodlife

Thanks @KeepOnKnitting , on mine it gives a set cost in pounds, too much at the moment, we have less than a year now, hoping the prices either stay the same or drop for mortgages!!

Aimingforthegoodlife

Weekly round up being completed on a Wed- the shock and horror!

Other: £7.01
Loan: £38.84
My savings: £153.39
Mortgage: £100
Holiday: £400
Savings: £1000

Other cumulative total: £261.66/£2000. I still need a further £1738.34 for this target.

Loan OP since Oct 2023: £1679.77/£1792.45. Need £112.68 for this next month to be gone, have paid for my injection out of my budget this month, really not sure what this will do to my budget! I have decided to try this and I can use some savings to boost if needed, but not use just savings so that I can still save something to my personal savings a month! Will see how this effects the OPs to the loan as well.

Last big earning from DH, but it has been great while it lasted and I am very happy to have him home instead of working away all week! Everything is nicely boosted and will help through the winter and bills etc needed- bloody gas at £150 for two bottles, don't think it has reduced at all and in fact, it may even be higher! Energy have upped our direct debit even though we have used the same amount of electric, rude! Refusing to put the heating on even though it has been very cold several times!

Aimingforthegoodlife

Weekly round up, back to Saturday!

Holiday: £108.84
Loan: £11.26
Savings: £234.67

Other is now becoming holiday fund: £108.84. Not sure what to do about targets etc for holiday fund, may just keep adding to it for now, and stop sending money to the holiday fund on pay day, make winter only PADs. Will have a try!

Loan OP since Oct 2023: £1691.03/£1792.45. £101.42 left to find to knock off another month. Does feel a bit sad when the amount being paid off weekly seems low, but I have only so much budget to play with, so it is still better than no OPs! They all add up slowly over time! So impatient sometimes. 

Injection is still going well, worth the money. Have lost 2stone 11pounds, can't remember the last time I was even in this stone bracket, or the last time I lost this much weight and wasn't struggling with the desire to binge eat. At the moment, my appetite is curbed, but I am enjoying food still, some appetite present which is perfect. Had a lovely three course meal last night at a posh restaurant I have been dying to go to, and it was amazing, really enjoyed all the food! But this is how life should be!

Last weekend went on an adventure to an island near us, I have a great book about the whole of Wales and it has so much cool stuff! We went for a walk along a little beach which has a lot of geographical interest, including the rock formations there, found a cute church on a clifftop, walked up my first Marilyn, that was exciting! Went to a copper mine where they have set out a wonderful walk around it all, wandered to an old lighthouse, found a 12th century church in a field, an old walled village from romany-british times and a neolithic chamber. Had a fab time out!

Today we are going to find my second Marilyn, should be close to home but not totally sure how to find it, so that will be an adventure! Did some good after work walks this week, hoping to keep this up, but very much weather dependent! Never really been bothered about dark nights, but now I am enjoying walking, feeling sad about it!