Gallygirl's 95 month challenge - now 'only' 92 months

gallygirl

Thanks evab, have added this to my v v long list of things to do.

Just got home to find 3 mortgage reduction letters - 1 from C&G, -1.5% to 4.24% :jand 2 from Egg -0.5%. Just checked to confirm this relates to Oct rate cuts & it does - the latest 1.5% will be passed on from 1st Dec., meaning these 2 mortgages will be at 3.74% & 3.99% :j.

I am not always convinced by my financial savvy, but think I've got it right this time by making sure all 3 mortgages were linked to BoE Base Rate. I've checked T&C from Egg & couldn't find anything about this dodgy thing where they can revoke the link if it falls below a certain %, so here's hoping for another cut soon :T:T:T:T:T:T:T. Difficult to assess the impact these cuts will have as we take the money out of offset account each month and all my projected figures are based on overpayments but I will be fiddling about with snowball at month end, based on overpayments remaining the same & therefore more remaining in offset each month.. I do know that the C&G mortgage would be 3 yrs shorter if we chose to keep payment at current rate _party_

Just off to pick up car , will try to pay by cheque so money stays in account for a bit longer . Then tonight need to cancel breakdown cover & arrange insurance (got 7 days free insurance with car).

setmefree2

StuartGMC

Gallygirl
Hope you love the new car?

Noted you posted at 0834 and THEN you were off for breakfast :eek: that's almost lunch time isn't it? :D (well for me it is when brekkie is 0530...)

gallygirl

Juliet is lovely and she will be getting her very own spreadsheet to monitor fuel consumption. Initial readings, admittedly on only a few hundred miles, are not very impressive though, only around 53mpg (Polo did 49).

I think I timed purchase just right - on the way back from Bristol the brake warning light came on! I assume this was for brake shoes as they were mentioned at MOT a month earlier. I handed it in with 5 miles of diesel left .

Insurance came in at £300 - I went with MoreThan via a family & friends discount. I could have got it marginally cheaper elsewhere, or £30 cheaper net of cash back (if it worked - seems to be a few problems) but this had protected no claims bonus with unlimited claims rather than the 2 usually allowed. The insurance, and last month's service & MOT on old car, will eat up all the bonus I get in next week's salary, the timing is quite good.

Today I made a big dent in the Christmas shopping, thanks to M&S and Debenhams discounts :j . All bought on credit card but will be paid off next month from my competition & pigsback etc savings :T . I then ordered another pressie on line from John Lewis, free delivery & 2% points with pigsback (there was 5% available from a cashback site but not one I normally use, didn't want to have few pennies scattered here there & everywhere.

To counter that I had a friend say she will be repaying me £500 next week. TBH it was so long ago I had forgotten. That will come in useful - I may not be able to make regular OP next week as all banks that have late mums money are dragging their feet and I have a few things to fork out for this weekend. We're scattering mum & dad's ashes and I'm planting a tree and paying for a meal etc. Have already paid for flights & hotel etc. It feels v strange, they are both in the kitchen at the moment, I don't really know what to do with them . I hope they don't start arguing . Poor dad had sat at the undertakers for 6 years but when I picked him up they said he had been no trouble .

I need to return the 2nd ink cartridge as it stopped working after 2 days. I will never buy refilled again :mad: . I also have just emailed about the phone I won last month as it has not arrived yet. I think I need a PA to do my admin .

OK, off to set up Juliet's spreadsheet & make sure mum & dad are behaving. I may have left mum a bit too near the drinks cupboard for comfort .

PS Stuart - that's one of the benefits of being away with work & staying 5 minutes drive from client .

gallygirl

£95 into offset again today :T but £900 out in a day or 2 to pay mortgages :rolleyes: .

OK, have followed FB's instructions on how to post a graph so here goes:

It's worked but I can't shrink it or resize to lose white bit . This is my graphical representation of my mortgage situation.

Dark blue line shows gross balance, pink is offset total and turquoise is net balance. The yellow line is the target, to pay off mortgage by the time I'm 50.

The big dip in the mortgage balance and offset balance was when I made a capital repayment. As you can see, it didn't affect my overall position and I was just about or even meeting target until I 'lent myself' the money to buy Juliet.

The true balance line is based on minimum mortgage payments and £200 a month extra which are paid by standing order. If we pay nothing else on top of that we will fall around 22k short :eek: . I will be paying back the £9222 I borrowed over the next 2 and a half years, standing order will start next month. That leaves 'only' around 13k short. Over the 34 (:eek: :eek: :eek: ) months to my 50th that equates to only £382 a month, £200 each for OH & I. That is eminently doable and my will WILL be done. Or else .

financialbliss

gallygirl wrote: »

OK, have followed FB's instructions on how to post a graph so here goes:

Thanks for the mention

gallygirl wrote: »

That leaves 'only' around 13k short.

Think I get the idea of the graph. Love the 'only' 13k short issue. You've been pinching my best ideas. :rotfl:

I had an 'only' 6 or 8k short somewhere towards the start of my diary - I'm sure this will come back to haunt me - in fact I'm already playing catch up.

FB.

gallygirl

financialbliss wrote: »

Think I get the idea of the graph. Love the 'only' 13k short issue. You've been pinching my best ideas. :rotfl:

FB.

I know what you mean FB. However, the minimum amount I've paid this year in any one month has been £225, and OH matches that, so the 13k short is realistically doable as opposed to pie in the sky doable like some of my other bright ideas (lose a stone in a month challenge anyone ).

Just booked a hotel for next week, Premier Inn now do 1% cash back during the week so that's 68p coming my way - see FB, well on the way :T

GG x

StuartGMC

Gallygirl
Plans look very good and attainable (I'll not get into the usual management SMART terms here!), and the mpg on the new car is twice that on mine

frazzmunch

:j :j :j congrats on getting juliet!!!:D i haven't named a car since i got my first one...she was called ermintrude....:D

gallygirl

Frazz I'm not usually so soft, but name was so obvious & it kinda suits her (although she's more like a Helen Mirren really :beer:). Stuart - serves you right for being so flash

Well, back from a rather surreal experience. Scattered mum & dad's ashes It was ok, and nice to see some cousins - you know what it's like, weddings & funerals only. Also met my lovely cousin that I do keep in touch with's lovely little baby girl & also saw how much his little boy has grown. He's the ringer for coz, kinda comforting to see the generations keeping the family traits (god help them ). So, are his kids my 2nd cousins or 1st cousins once removed .

OK, back to money saving. 2 mystery shops today, £16 in the kitty. 2 jobs are 'payment pending' on new company so that will be around £20 (they quote for job in euros so don't know how much).

Have listed a book won in a comp on Greenmetropolis for £3. Cover price is £10.99 but selling for £2 odd on amazon, tbh would sooner keep it for that as by the time they take their commission their would be virtually no profit. I can post 'free' using stamps bought on mystery shop, so at least the whole £3 :rolleyes: would be profit. Discovered I had £6 available in there, so have cashed that in :T.

Getting a bit stressed over bank account change as only some DD's & SO's are showing up. The important 2 are the credit card & mortgage, which don't show on A&L so may come out of old account. I have asked old bank to increase OD - that would cover mortgage but not credit card. I will phone both in a day or 2 to ask where coming from. If needs be I can cancel ccard DD and pay over phone from new account. I won't be changing banks every year - way too stressful (unless of course quidco have an offer it would be rude to refuse ).

Any thoughts on budget? I don't think it will make much odds to me (and I am not thinking car would have been cheaper as I needed to get by 24th to get deal).

G'night all :hello: