the time has come...to get the mortgage below £200k

thewalrussaid · 24 October 2015 at 12:33PM

Secret_Saving_Squirrel wrote: »

Well done for cancelling the 'pampering' treatment. If it makes you feel guilty for spending the money on something unnecessary then it won't be doing you any good!

I know what you mean about the tedium of just carrying on being mse after you have made the big sensible changes like packed lunch and car sharing. But the rewards are huge if you can just grit your teeth and get on with it. You said about the expense of going out for meals with friends - I love my friends and my social life but once I saw how much I was spending, by keeping the spending diary, we changed the way we socialise and now entertain at home much more so that we don't miss out but equally keep the spending down.

I am anti consumerist but even so I get tempted in nice shops. They are so good at making us feel that we need certain things, which of course we don't. My solution is just to keep out of them as much as possible. Plan what you need for a period of about a fortnight, go once, and if you didn't get it then, you don't need it. And if you think you need something, wait a couple of weeks and chances are you will have forgotten about that need.

Very good luck. The real challenge is to turn your back on waste but also enjoy life to the max because it only comes once. For me, not wasting money enhances my life because it has bought me choices which I wouldn't have if I still had a big mortgage or other debt. And those choices are priceless.

All the best,

Squirrel x

Thanks Squirrel for popping in and taking the time to write - I really appreciate your advice. The social side of things is hard, I've just changed jobs after being at one place for a long time. Every time I catch up with friends from my old job we seem to be ending up going "somewhere" - e.g. a proper sightseeing sort of place which is very nice but considering I don't do this very much with DH (due to being lazy as well as money saving) it feels a bit unfair on him to be going off to palaces and Christmas Fayres with them. I think once Christmas is out of the way I will rein it in and try to get them to stick to a cheap dinner in town! Also then I have the new place where I feel I need to try to go out to build new relationships and then it's all my other friends. Obviously I love my friends and am not moaning about having friends but it is something I need to navigate a bit better.

As you say at the end the point is to have choices - I don't want DH to feel he has to work until he drops. I also don't want to feel that sick feeling if one of us loses our jobs and I realise I've wasted a load of money on things that weren't worth it when I could have been securing the roof over my head. It is getting the balance right. I shouldn't complain because we have had lots of lovely experiences this year - holidays, days out etc. I just get a bit despondent when I think of the future and realise it is going to be very tough to get rid of the whole mortgage in 8 years from now. But I must stop that mindset, in five years time everything will most likely be totally different. I need to make the most of now

thewalrussaid · 24 October 2015 at 1:06PM

money saving news for today

- shopping done - Mr L £20 :T but Mr S £46:eek: - hmm I think an offer toothpaste and having to buy tea bags did it (we have a Tw!nn!ngs addiction) - oh and expensive cat food - the cat is not very MSE and demands the best

- electrician came and fixed the hall and loft lights and charged £60 which was lower than I though - have taken this from savings but will replace next month

- bought GCSE books for DSD also new phone charger :mad: grrrr! not sure what she does to them but they don't last long

- confession time... got sucked into the CDs on Am@z0n (ha! that shows my age) and bought 3 :eek: yes - not very good at all, there is no excuse at all for it

Best money saving news of the week is that DH has fixed the washing machine door and it is washing away merrily!! Hurrah!! :T:j very, very, very happy about that!!!

Have also decided to track savings in sig as for now no major OPs until Feb and as the current goal for now is savings I think it will spur me on and make me less inclined to steal from the savings if I have to update the figure there. Will not include money for sofa and school trip which needs to come out.

The "unbudgeted" spends will have to come out of next month's wages.

Apart from that I feel a bit rubbish - think I have a cold taking hold so am resting (for that read playing with spreadsheets and reading MSE). Also fell off the wagon last night and had some wine at my mother's. Will aim for Sunday to Thursday alcohol free this week.

Rest of day will be housework and then roast chicken dinner.

Secret_Saving_Squirrel · 24 October 2015 at 2:58PM

The work socialising is a tough one because building those relationships can make all the difference to your working life, as you say it is just a case of finding a middle path. All the best.

Firegirl · 25 October 2015 at 12:08AM

Brilliant that the washing machine is fixed! That's a big bonus! Sure that'll pay for all the nights out!

CDs- what about joining spotify? It's free on wifi and you can get loads of music.

greent · 25 October 2015 at 8:00PM

Hello walrus

'jogging along' is hard, yes - but - as squirrel says the rewards are huge. We try and make time as a family for free/ cheap things like a long walk out, a family games afternoon, cinema (we have a load of cheap tickets, as it's normally ££!) etc. Where we do spend on a day out we take a picnic if possible, at the very least snacks and drinks to tide us through.

Work socialising - a necessary evil, to some extent - and gets crazy at this time of year!

Making the most of now is very much an important thing to do - you will never have this moment in time again - treasure it, savour it, make the most of it xx

thewalrussaid · 1 November 2015 at 6:42PM

I thought I'd been away for ages but it was only 8 days but it feels like ages.

Well I could say that I got a bonus and my pay rise backdated to 1st of October and went out and bought a new coffee table and print but that would be a lie

In reality I fell off the bandwagon and bought the coffee table and print and then found my end of probation pay rise had been backdated and that I had been given a bonus. This was totally unexpected as most companies make you work a year before even the hint of a bonus. So the budget has been saved by luck rather than judgement - someone must be looking out for me :A The shame of having to admit failure was what was keeping me away from MSE

Seriously though this has been a lucky escape as the overspend has been covered by the bonus and the pay rise.

So yesterday was the first of the days out - a lovely day in an autumnal central London and lunch with friends. Very nice but this cannot go on next year unless I really make sure I plan for it.

Anyway main point of the post was to say that I am back!

Thank you GreenT - I have been enjoying the moment...er a little too much - I think the real challenge I face is getting the balance right! Thank you for the ideas for low cost days out - they definitely need to be implemented.

And firegirl thank you! Spotify via wifi sounds like a great idea, I will check that out

thewalrussaid · 1 November 2015 at 6:51PM

Savings total updated.

I have realised that Feb 2016 target for a £10k total will be met in "theory" but due to having to take cash out for holiday deposits and that type of thing it won't be met on paper IYSWIM. Any money taken for holidays will be replaced but in the short term the money will have to come from the savings. So I will take off the target date but I will track the savings to discourage me from dipping into them for other reasons!

thewalrussaid · 2 November 2015 at 2:09PM

Hello all,

NSD hopefully as although I am out with work tonight they should be paying - not a great night for drinks but hey ho!

Small spend yesterday on a new curtain pole - will measure for curtains tomorrow night (only 2.5 years after moving in - however it is at the back of the house so not too bad).

Looked into self catering uk holidays last night for next summer hols - will get dates finalised and book and pay deposit from savings. Crazy that "cheap" in Cornwall seems to be £850 for a week! (it is on the harbour side...) Should I be looking for something cheaper?

This week will be a spendy-ish week as seeing friends on Wed and Thursday but will try to keep costs down (tap water please!) and make up for it next week!

Have a good day all.

Firegirl · 4 November 2015 at 2:35AM

Well done on your payrise and bonus!!!

thewalrussaid · 4 November 2015 at 1:33PM

Thanks firegirl, the bonus was most definitely unexpected but very much welcome!

Well Monday night was quite, er, tiring - the whole of the office was very quiet yesterday :-/ all drink was paid for. I don't now if this is better or worse, sometimes having to budget means you have to leave earlier and can avoid the hangover!

Will be back with proper MSE update.

the time has come...to get the mortgage below £200k

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