uzubairu's Mortgage Free Journey

uzubairu

I've signed up for some evening Spanish Classes at the local community centre.
£10 for 6 sessions (nicely subsidised).

I've always wanted to learn Spanish, so I'm going to give it a go (at that price I couldn't refuse).
They start next Wednesday for 6 weeks.

uzubairu

I've only made £112 in July (mainly eBay and 2 Quidco payments), and didn't reach my £310 target.
The money will go towards an extra mortgage overpayment of £150 for July.
Total overpayments for July are:- £2,200 (and since it's the last day of the month won't increase).

My target for August will be to make at least £5 per day which will be £155 for the month.
I've got a less busy month ahead, so I can devote a little more time to moneysaving opportunities.

My car was involved in a minor bump earlier in the week, and although I have got details from the other driver he wants to pay up himself.
My excess is £350, so it might be cheaper just to get it fixed without bothering with my insurance company.
I took photos with my iPod Touch, so I have all the evidence I need.
He should be in touch by Tuesday (after I have got some quotes).
Luckily I wasn't hurt and the damage is mainly cosmetic, it just makes my lovely car look a little untidy.

Thinking about getting a tablet and as much as I like the look of the iPad, I am wondering if there is anything else that's up there with it.
I will be using it at work too, to view spreadsheets and word documents etc., so I am doing a lot of research.
I think I am suffering from Analysis Paralysis.

The money from the 2 matured Cheshire Building Society Regular Savers has funded a Santander ISA in OH's name (£5340).
The remainder and the money from the Saffron Building Society (will get a cheque for £2,400 + interest next week) will be approx £3,000.
I'll put that in another instant access account (3%+).

uzubairu

My OH left his key in the door on Tuesday evening which meant that I couldn't let myself in.

I spent the night in my Mini Cooper fuming as I rang every hour from 23:30 until 04:30 and kept getting the voicemail message.
I decided to go to work early and get the jobs I had planned to do at 07:00 out of the way, so that I could go back home at 07:30 when he would be getting up.
I whizzed through all my jobs and even scolded the person I was working with because she kept making mistakes (yet I was the one who was sleep deprived).
Got home at 07:25 and tried doorbell, banging on the door, shouting through the letterbox and phoning and still no response, so I went and sat in my car for 30 minutes and tried again.
Still no joy.
Tried again at 08:25 and the bleary eyed buffoon opened the door wrapped in bath towel and said "Have you forgotten something?"
I was ready to take his head off, as he hadn't realised that I'd not been to bed.

I can't print what I said to him for the next half hour, but we have an understanding that he'll be informed when he has fully made up for this screw-up, and it won't be any time soon.
Currently being pampered and I am drawing up a list of requests for next week.

Mortgage overpayments for August are:- £1,600.

Phoned First Direct today and the mortgage is currently £67,510.04
Mortgage remaining = Mortgage - OP Savings = £42,301

uzubairu

After owning an Asus Eee Pad Transformer tablet for 2.5 weeks, I sent it back to Amazon and ordered Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1.

It is a joy to use, especially when using the internet.
Better screen resolution and even lighter than the iPad 2.
My netbook has not been used for over a week now. Depending on how little use it gets over the next few months, I might eBay the netbook.

I used some of my Tesco vouchers to exchange for double their face value and bought a new mobile phone.
After staff discount and the vouchers I paid £3 cash for a £170 smart phone.
My phone tariff gives me 1GB of data as well as 750 mins and 5000 texts (£10 per month), so the additional functions of my new phone can be exploited without additional cost.
It's my first smart phone, so I am getting to grips with the array of features and the reduced battery-life.

[Deleted User]

Oh no on OHs mistake!! I am impressed he has not been banished!! (think how many more jobs around the house you can make him do as pennance tho! )
I have been looking at ipads etc... not because Iwant one yet but they do look quite cool! Is the smartphone similar in terms of having lots of apps etc..? (shows how technology incompetent I am!)

well done on OPs they are great amounts!!

uzubairu

My OH knows that most of his free time over the next few weeks will be spent doing jobs around the house.

The smartphone is by HTC, which uses the Android operating system. There is an Android Market where you can buy further Apps.
It comes with lots of good Apps, but nowhere near the number on Apple, but I have an iPod Touch with over 100 Apps on it and I only use 8 of them regularly.

I really needed a bigger screen so that I could check emails without squinting on a decent sized screen and go on the internet now and again.
Only options were smart phones (I had a candy bar phone with a small screen).
I'm quite impressed with the use of widgets

uzubairu

OH is still in apology mode and didn't realise how much he would have to do to make up for his error.
A few jobs remain in the house and a few outside in the garden (including a lot of weeding).

I've had a good week selling a few bits and pieces on eBay (especially when 2 items were totally free and I made £39.60 after fees and postage on them).

I still have some auctions that finish at the weekend and then I plan to relist any that haven't sold and add some more.
I'll add £150 to the mortgage overpayments at the end of the month.

I've got some overtime due in my next month when I get paid and I then I am working the next 2 Sunday evenings so that should bring in an extra £300.
Hopefully the mortgage balance will start with a '3' in October.

uzubairu

I have drawn up a list of jobs I must complete today before I go bed tonight.
It's got 18 things on it (some big and others minor) and it started out a week ago with only 7 things on it.

It is my challenge for the day.
One of the things on the list is to go to Drop-In clinic and have my left forefinger looked at properly.
I slammed my car door shut on it last Friday and I am still in agony and it looks awful (typing with one hand).

One of my eBay sales is being returned because the buyer didsn't read the description properly, so I'll have to take that of my August sales.
I did get another Buy It Now sale yesterday which keeps me above my August target of £155.:j

We received our first annual mortgage statement from First Direct (re-mortgaged a year ago).
Year = 23/08/10 to 22/08/11
Mortgage Balance at the start = £73,064
Mortgage Balance as at 22/08/11 = £67,510

Total Payments Due during year = £6,392.43
Total Interest Charged during year = £1,437.68 :j
Total Payments Made during year = £6,992.43

Overpayment Savings = £25,209

Net mortgage balance = £42,301
Net Mortgage reduction = £30,763

Pleased with the reduction in interest as I looked at what we paid in the year previous (Jan to May 2010 the interest was £1,528 for just the 5 months) and I think it was worth paying the £2K ERC.
It isn't nice that the economy being in a mess has helped us a little, but you have to make hay while the sun shines.
It is re-assuring to know that if things got worse we could weather the storm.

Sepa74

What great figures! You should be proud of yourself.

uzubairu

Phoned First Direct this morning and the mortgage is:- £67,060.88
September overpayments are:- £1,904.
Year To Date Overpayments are:- £17,604.
Total Overpayment Savings are:- £27,113

Mortgage remaining = Mortgage - OP Savings = £67,060 - £27,113 = £39,947 :T

This will also be my update figure for the MFiT-T2 challenge.