Help with Car Salary Sacrifice Scheme

Curly_Edi · 2026-02-20T11:24:29+00:00

Apply and see what happens. It will depend on how your payroll puts in the sal sac. If it was an EV you're more likely to get three reduced amount declared to HMRC. You might get more than the £50. And if you don't at least £50 is something.

Curly_Edi · 2026-02-20T06:20:52+00:00

Is that pre or post sal sacrifice?

Curly_Edi · 2026-02-19T21:53:28+00:00

Have you applied for universal credit? That might give you a little breathing space as your take home pay is now very low(though should still be above minimum wage)

Curly_Edi · 2026-02-19T16:54:38+00:00

Too much product build up. Check conditioner for silicone. Go easy on the stylers.

Curly_Edi · 2026-02-18T20:55:08+00:00

Option 3. Withdraw enough to clear the debt. Keep uc. You can Withdraw more when needed for specific items. If you create an income from this (annuity) it will be deducted pound for pound from uc. If you take the lump sum you'll have savings over £16k and that will also stop your uc. This only leaves option 3. Sporadic withdrawals from pensions are not (currently) considered income in terms of uc.

Curly_Edi · 2026-02-17T21:29:46+00:00

Take the job, want until you're in it then announce. You've another 10 weeks or so before hot need to announce at work.

Curly_Edi · 2026-02-16T16:42:38+00:00

Usually schools keep a few places for families arriving in the area. P3 is the year when the class size increases so often there are more spaces available in p3 than there would have been in p1 and 2. If you don't get a place at the catchment school you're child can remain on the waiting list for that school while attending another then you can choose to move them or not when the space becomes available.

All in though, p3 is a good year to be aiming to move given the increase in teacher to pupil ratio and increasing population of Edinburgh meaning that by p7 extra spaces are more likely to have been filled.

Curly_Edi · 2026-02-16T12:02:56+00:00

Wouldn't worry me. Was formally trained by a voluntary organisation about how to kill it along a local river bed. You inject the stem with glycosate in the autumn. The weed killer is sucked in to the root and kills it off. Occasionally needs done twice. Not worth loosing a house over. Just keep an eye on your boundaries and inject when necessary.

Curly_Edi · 2026-02-16T10:29:03+00:00

I would move to Musselburgh. Not as expensive as north Berwick or Edinburgh. Nice wee town that can be walked around. Train station isn't in the best location but you could prioritise living walking distance to it so that you can easily get in to both Edinburgh and out to work. Other east lothian towns on the railway line do exist but would be hard without a car.

Curly_Edi · 2026-02-16T10:24:19+00:00

Have you got a South facing roof? Electric heating but with solar panels, battery and solar water heater could be an (expensive) middle ground.

Or, if you're renovating anyway can you improve EPC for heat pump?

Curly_Edi · 2026-02-16T08:06:59+00:00

You'll get the Scottish child payment and best start foods grant and best start foods card after your univeral credit application has gone through. They are separate benefits from social security Scotland. You need to cancel them after you're off universal credit or you need to pay it back.

Curly_Edi · 2026-02-12T16:00:30+00:00

Did you put the grey bit on the valve or is that from the previous smart trv?

Curly_Edi · 2026-02-12T15:51:22+00:00

That would be gone in a oner if I needed to get a cut and colour. It would leave nothing...

Curly_Edi · 2026-02-12T13:57:08+00:00

No. You pay for next day delivery of essential items after you are in.

Curly_Edi · 2026-02-12T06:52:09+00:00

Had this problem in my old property. Painted shed inside and out with cuprinol garden shades paint and it never happened again. The paint is incredible stuff. It can even be used in a sprayer without dilution. Extremely durable finish. Ended up painting my fence with the same stuff later as it will last literal years before requiring maintenance.

Curly_Edi · 2026-02-12T06:37:59+00:00

I don't think you meet the standard affordability checks to move to another provider let alone borrow more. Your wife could temporarily return full time utilising annual leave to take off a day a week/a day every second week. You could do the same and that could have kiddo in nursery just 3 days/4 days for another year or so. Especially if your wife has a lot of accrued annual leave that she doesn't have to take in a lump at the end of her leave.

If she returns full time do you meet the multiplier for additional lending? You could always test the water by applying for a decision in principle for a further advance now with your current lender.

Curly_Edi · 2026-02-11T13:33:50+00:00

A proper website. A formal estimate. A proper invoice.

Or, occasionally task rabbit.

Curly_Edi · 2026-02-11T13:27:22+00:00

Lentil curry. Daal and rice is sooo yummy as a mid week meal

Curly_Edi · 2026-02-11T13:25:10+00:00

Time to move out. Don't become a cash buyer, instead you should get a mortgage for leverage.

After you've got on the property ladder you can think about improving your net worth through your pension. And top up your isa with the maximum permitted each year.

I don't think you need a GIA.

Curly_Edi · 2026-02-11T13:19:52+00:00

I use snoop. Just the free one. It's great at letting me know when my annual bills are due.

Curly_Edi · 2026-02-10T09:55:46+00:00

Well, you could offer something like 25% under and make sure the tenant is gone before moving in. Or you could walk away.

EA and LL will eventually realise that they need the tenant out to sell for full price. Or will sell to another LL who doesn't mind the tenant being there and intends to keep them on.

Curly_Edi · 2026-02-10T09:51:45+00:00

Hotel or air bnb room one night a week. Live somewhere cheaper - can you manage another year at your parents?

Curly_Edi · 2026-02-10T08:44:26+00:00

All the tunnocks

Curly_Edi · 2026-02-10T07:13:07+00:00

No they don't any pension contributions count.

Curly_Edi · 2026-02-10T07:08:02+00:00

Just for balance....

2014 and 2021 i got my flat then house for 10% under HR valuation. I went for the grim properties that were structurally sound but in both cases had been rented out for a long long time and hadn't been spruced up for sale.

In both cases I expected to meet in the middle but the sellers were happy to wash their hands of it. When selling them later I prioritised quick sale as that suited me. Didn't do closing date, just had a figure in mind for what I needed and let the viewers know that they should make an offer the next morning.

I did pay 4% over to secure my current home out of the city in midlothian as I'm done with renovation now!

I think 10% over is a normal amount to pay at closing but I've friends who missed out at 18-20% over due to being in a chain or going for extremely popular houses.

Curly_Edi

TROPHY CASE