Statement of intent

Lunar_Eclipse

I will resist saying "come on, snap out of it Stuart" as DH says to me when I'm feeling a little down, since I know it isn't helpful in the slightest!

But enjoy your week off work. I'm sure the freedom will help blow those cobwebs away! Copious amounts of lounging, fresh air, coffee (?) and yummy food should recharge those batteries and make you feel loads better. And the rugby if you're into that?

Enjoy.

shopgirl2512

Hi Stuart - sorry you're feeling a bit down. Hope you enjoy your week off work and the time with your dd. Take care. x

Welshlassie

Hey Stuart, hope your week off leaves you feeling perkier. You are doing so well, I can't quite believe how close you are, literally touching distance, don't lose sight of how fantasticily you have done over the years and ae so nearly there.

setmefree2

RosieTiger wrote: »

Stuart, we can't have you feeling low, you provide too much advice and support to others on the board !
Please get out in the daylight but don't forget the sunscreen !

Dude I'm sending you lots of sun

SmlSave

Hope you're feeling better Stu and had a nice weekend!

StuartGMC

Thanks to you all for your constructive comments; I'm trying to be positive. Being a morning person I can be awake with the birds by 0400 in May, but need daylight and thus Jan/Feb is usually a low point (possibly SAD to a minor degree?).

Anyway, I've been collating a number of things to be done in the next couple of weeks, so it should keep me busy if nothing else

In addition, today sat with 11yr old DD and talked about the interest rate she is getting on her savings and looked together at how this could be improved. We discussed how interest rates are set and the balance of higher rates vs lock-in (fixed, notice accounts etc). It was a good exercise and she agreed to move £1500 of her savings into a Post Office Growth Bond (3.40% 12months) and move the remaining money in her Norwich & Peterborough HeadStart II account (now closed to new customers) to their Family Young Saver (2.75%). She was pleased to see that this would generate almost twice the interest she is getting now

It was nice to go through it constructively and that she concentrated, but also participated in detail. Hopefully this will mean it will be easier to encourage her to monitor in future and to review, possibly also to set the scene for later life? :A

gallygirl

StuartGMC wrote: »

It was nice to go through it constructively and that she concentrated, but also participated in detail. Hopefully this will mean it will be easier to encourage her to monitor in future and to review, possibly also to set the scene for later life? :A

:rotfl:While you were calculating the extra interest she was adding a further calculation to convert that into shoes :rotfl:Men..... they never learn

Seriously, well done :j> It took my DD to about 21 to be interested but now she can quote the cheapest supermarket for everything (and then blow £50 on a night out :eek:)

StuartGMC

gallygirl wrote: »

:rotfl:While you were calculating the extra interest she was adding a further calculation to convert that into shoes :rotfl:Men..... they never learn

Why do you think she felt she needs several hundred pounds in her instant access savings and not have it all locked into the bond???? (well Wii games, then jewelery, plus a new laptop if needed (bless her) were cited because of course the bank of mum and dad pays for the shoes!)

Seriously, well done :j> It took my DD to about 21 to be interested but now she can quote the cheapest supermarket for everything (and then blow £50 on a night out :eek:)

Sounds very frugal of her, I thought these days it was the thick end of £100-150 for a "good" night out for that age group?

StuartGMC

Just checked the online mortgage account and see that the interest has just been added for the past month, the grand sum of £15.05.... oh I love offsets :rotfl:

Cleared down a number of "old" Direct Debits on the current a/c as it is recommended not to leave this active. However, in doing so for Interactive Investor for our Funds ISA (despite leaving latest one) it seems it "canceled" the agreement so I called them and it will now debit from the debit card each month. A little unhappy as it doesn't have the DD Guarantee, but it should avoid multiple debits being listed in the current a/c details. Losses today of £200 on the funds wiped most of the £300 investment made today!

Still in a net positive position. However once credit card bill runs tonight, I need to pay the Next account for the clothes ordered 21 December, which will then be due for payment about 12 April. Not bad

The credit card "just" under £1000 this month, so hope we're pulling things back on track now, but not nearly fast enough in my mind. Perhaps I'm just being impatient? My pay next week so can then update situation and look at what we can save then too.

Spent some time yesterday looking at details on Index-linked Savings Certs, tax etc which will need careful consideration in future years.

setmefree2

StuartGMC wrote: »

Just checked the online mortgage account and see that the interest has just been added for the past month, the grand sum of £15.05.... oh I love offsets :rotfl:

Nice one :rotfl: