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My diary... becoming debt free whilst still having a life!!!

1798082848591

Comments

  • savingholmes
    savingholmes Posts: 29,049 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Hi everyone - where are you all?

    I got thro to final interview on the job - just need to give an excuse for day off now tho....
    Achieve FIRE/Mortgage Neutrality in 2030
    1) MFW Nov 21 £202K now £172.5K Equity 36.11%
    2) £1.8K Net savings after CCs 13/9/25
    3) Mortgage neutral by 06/30 (AVC £26.8K + Lump Sums DB £4.6K + (25% of SIPP 1.2K) = 32.6/£127.5K target 25.6% 13/9/25
    (If took bigger lump sum = 54.5K or 42.7%)
    4) FI Age 60 income target £17.1/30K 57% (if mortgage and debts repaid - need more otherwise)
    (If bigger lump sum £15.8/30K 52.67%)
    5) SIPP £4.8K updated 13/9/25
  • sistercas
    sistercas Posts: 4,803 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker Debt-free and Proud!
    SH well done for getting this far, can you have a 'migraine' or something tomorrow? perhaps I shouldnt have suggested that but it is a way of attending the interview without them knowing
  • savingholmes
    savingholmes Posts: 29,049 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    sistercas wrote: »
    SH well done for getting this far, can you have a 'migraine' or something tomorrow? perhaps I shouldnt have suggested that but it is a way of attending the interview without them knowing
    SC - still pondering excuse thing vs truth... interview is next Wednesday tho so still got a little bit of time to think of one...
    Achieve FIRE/Mortgage Neutrality in 2030
    1) MFW Nov 21 £202K now £172.5K Equity 36.11%
    2) £1.8K Net savings after CCs 13/9/25
    3) Mortgage neutral by 06/30 (AVC £26.8K + Lump Sums DB £4.6K + (25% of SIPP 1.2K) = 32.6/£127.5K target 25.6% 13/9/25
    (If took bigger lump sum = 54.5K or 42.7%)
    4) FI Age 60 income target £17.1/30K 57% (if mortgage and debts repaid - need more otherwise)
    (If bigger lump sum £15.8/30K 52.67%)
    5) SIPP £4.8K updated 13/9/25
  • sistercas
    sistercas Posts: 4,803 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker Debt-free and Proud!
    hellooooooooooooooooooo!!!!
  • savingholmes
    savingholmes Posts: 29,049 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    hellloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
    Achieve FIRE/Mortgage Neutrality in 2030
    1) MFW Nov 21 £202K now £172.5K Equity 36.11%
    2) £1.8K Net savings after CCs 13/9/25
    3) Mortgage neutral by 06/30 (AVC £26.8K + Lump Sums DB £4.6K + (25% of SIPP 1.2K) = 32.6/£127.5K target 25.6% 13/9/25
    (If took bigger lump sum = 54.5K or 42.7%)
    4) FI Age 60 income target £17.1/30K 57% (if mortgage and debts repaid - need more otherwise)
    (If bigger lump sum £15.8/30K 52.67%)
    5) SIPP £4.8K updated 13/9/25
  • Hello..... how is everyone?

    Life here is like a rollercoaster at the moment, my brother is well in himself mostly but has started having seizures and we learned yesterday that the cancer has spread to his brain. Somehow I just can seem to find the time or inclination to take any steps beyond our normal money saving activity, so as seems to be the norm now every time I do write I am apologising for not having come back more frequently.

    I am still with the site and all my friends here in spirit and hope to come back and fully engage in money saving activities some time soon.

    with love
    xxxx
    The good you do comes back to you.
    DFW Long haul supporters No: 134
    ;)
  • savingholmes
    savingholmes Posts: 29,049 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Hugs to you about your brother

    Material aspects of life suck currently with us

    no job again
    aunt died
    wrote off car
    lots of other silly little things going wrong

    but still have nice house, savings, health, family etc
    Achieve FIRE/Mortgage Neutrality in 2030
    1) MFW Nov 21 £202K now £172.5K Equity 36.11%
    2) £1.8K Net savings after CCs 13/9/25
    3) Mortgage neutral by 06/30 (AVC £26.8K + Lump Sums DB £4.6K + (25% of SIPP 1.2K) = 32.6/£127.5K target 25.6% 13/9/25
    (If took bigger lump sum = 54.5K or 42.7%)
    4) FI Age 60 income target £17.1/30K 57% (if mortgage and debts repaid - need more otherwise)
    (If bigger lump sum £15.8/30K 52.67%)
    5) SIPP £4.8K updated 13/9/25
  • savingholmes
    savingholmes Posts: 29,049 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    PS and plenty of debt lol
    Achieve FIRE/Mortgage Neutrality in 2030
    1) MFW Nov 21 £202K now £172.5K Equity 36.11%
    2) £1.8K Net savings after CCs 13/9/25
    3) Mortgage neutral by 06/30 (AVC £26.8K + Lump Sums DB £4.6K + (25% of SIPP 1.2K) = 32.6/£127.5K target 25.6% 13/9/25
    (If took bigger lump sum = 54.5K or 42.7%)
    4) FI Age 60 income target £17.1/30K 57% (if mortgage and debts repaid - need more otherwise)
    (If bigger lump sum £15.8/30K 52.67%)
    5) SIPP £4.8K updated 13/9/25
  • sistercas
    sistercas Posts: 4,803 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker Debt-free and Proud!
    Ruby no need to apologise , you have an awful lot going on , I am so sorry to hear about DB, it's so difficult to watch someone you love be so ill, my thoughts are with you and your family

    we are always here for you if ever you need support in any way.

    take care xx
  • Hello!!
    How is everyone doing?

    I am still here and we are still doing okay, the debt is slowly moving in the right direction but the big change is the way in which we think and deal with money on a day to day basis. It is well over a year now since I started menu planning and it has just become a family ritual and habit. The menu is pinned to the fridge and we all know what we are eating from one day to the next. We still withdraw a set amount from the bank account each Friday and apart from the odd extra switch payments here and there that lasts us for the week.

    The long and short of it is we only just earn enough to pay off the min payments which isn't ideal and means the debt is really only going down slowly but considering before we started it was constantly increasing, the fact that it is now decreasing is great. One year on and and slowly we are getting there. We have even had a weekend break and a week away with family this year, so all in all not bad.

    My DB has got through chemo, radiotherapy and brain surgery and still manages to laugh and smile whenever I see him, he is astounding.

    So tell me.... how are you all? Cas, SH??

    Summer holidays are drawing to a close and I still haven't got the new school shoes etc. but I'm sure I will be doing it the day before.... like years gone by.

    With warm best wishes.
    xxxx
    The good you do comes back to you.
    DFW Long haul supporters No: 134
    ;)
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