Shell1000 MFW diary!

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Well done on getting the grass cut shell

Will you post some piccies of thailand? I'd love to see them.

I have a few busy weekends coming up with lots of gigs, morrissey this week, oasis in a couple of weeks and a trip to newcastle before next payday... eek as its a five weekend month. Then t in the park and glastonbury next month

Haven't you forgot Global Gathering? :rotfl:

I like the idea of saving for yearly bills, how do you go about it?

I guess in summary i have to remember to keep a balance, have fun but still prioritise things on the house and the mortgage. But im young free and single and want to have a life too

Well said :T

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

shell1000 wrote: »

Also my garden is looking terrible so i need to spend a lot of time and a bit of money on it, going to see what i can on a budget!! any tips?!

Yes!
Do all the free(-ish) things first like cutting grass, weeding, edging etc. Often then looks good enough without spending. Ask friends or freecycle for any spare seeds.

shell1000 wrote: »

two of my three garden gates are broken too which needs spends, one of them has actually fallen off eek...

I sense a visit to a salvadge and reclamation yard. Take loads of measurements so you know what you're looking for.

StuartGMC

Agree with MRN simply turning the soil and having what's there tidy makes a big difference. Any overgrown shrubs etc, perhaps trim back for now and think about removing in the autumn? If you are around in the summer to water flowers, keep an eye out at local nurseries for reductions on plants which you can pop in straight away?

shell1000

I'm sorry

I have been awol and soooo busy!

The news is my lodger moved out, and whilst that is a bad thing for the mortgage maybe its a good thing for me.. as i was going out more cos i didnt totally feel at home.

The good news is i did the garden, i weeded, cut things back, turned the soil over and cut the grass and yes it looks so much better! ive grown some herbs from seed and im praying my blueberry plants grow! Its looking gorgeous and ive invested in a nice little bbq which folds flat as an option for a cheaper evening/weekend event by getting friends to come round and bring food and drink!

Never thought of a salvage and reclamation yard, great idea.. my folks are coming up to visit this weekend so i might ask if we can find somewhere to go and see about getting something to fit, thanks for that idea its much appreciated!

My broadband at home is down im afraid (thanks to orange) but sml i promise ill post a thailand pic or two soon! im actually planning a trip next year hopefully but i want to go to malaysia too where its more unspoilt! im going to start saving for the trip so i wont be overpaying the mortgage as much but im still going to try to overpay.. im definately more aware of the value of overpayments thanks to my offset mortgage

As for my yearly bills, holiday savings and christmas.. i basically set up accounts linked to my current account, and every payday i transfer funds of a certain value into them. You have to be disciplined but as the accounts don't have pin numbers the only way you can get to the money is if you transfer into your current account! Plus the money in the accounts can be linked to your offset mortgage and therefore work off against the interest you are paying!

I basically save 50 a month for yearly bills (car tax, mot, service, aa membership, house alarm service stuff like that)

50 a month for holidays and 30 a month for christmas.

Although i've cancelled my gym membership (im going to pay as i go as more cost effective) and british gas cover to help me save 150 a month for my trip next year.

I think i have realised that the more money i had coming in the less i kept a check on it, i probably wasted loads of money going out and buying things i didnt need. I feel back in control of my finances now im living alone and i aim to reinvestigage mobile phone/internet and gas/elec deals to try and get a better offer.

My internets down at home at the mo, but i promise to upload some pics soon both of my house (which i renovated!) and thailand! and i'll catch up on all your diaries soon! i hope all is well xx

StuartGMC

Good to hear of the update and hope that internet connection is restored soon.

shell1000

I can't believe i haven't posted since july, im absolutely rubbish! I shall post house and thailand pics when i get home later! I'm clearly a bad MSE'r!

I have all manner of excuses though! I have a radio show which i do in my spare time and it's become really demanding! I'm listening to loads of promo releases all the time and interviewing some big bands, ive even interviewed the temper trap and local natives, both of which will be huge!

I've ended up investing in a Macbook which has cost me a small fortune but needed to be done because of all the music ive been receiving and interviews that needed editing (musicians have a habit of swearing!)

But I can report the garden is still looking great, if not a bit waterlogged at the moment (I count my blessings, those poor people in cumbria), I still need to sort out the gates (ive not forgot that reclamation suggestion thanks!)

On top of that ive not really been overpaying that much due to my lodger moving in, but ive just done my sums for the past year ive had the offset mortgage and im astounded to find that ive payed £2.5k off my mortgage which is amazing! On the old mortgage i was paying off about £1.5k a year, so this is a £1k more!:money:

Im currently debating whether to pay my isa savings (approx £3k) off the mortgage. Clearly I can draw that back when i wish to, but at the moment it will more than likely save me interest as im getting a rubbish ISA rate. Has anyone else done that?

I've also got really into using the cashback websites, ive made 250 in about five months, just being savvy, today i got RAC membership for £7.80!

I've invested in a breadmaker and an exercise bike too to stop me wasting bread and fees on gym membership! Both were argos deals on the grabbit board so bargains!:T

Also in other good news they have made my job essential car user, so i now get another 75 a month towards running a car, ill be saving this money seperately for car stuff and our recent job and pay reviews means that i get a £1k payrise in January, you know what they say every little helps!

I hope everyone else is doing as well, I'm certainly not flush but everything is moving in the right direction

Thanks for reading my thread

shell1000

Its time for my annual update again!

I finally have new gates! My dad and I bought a gate pack from Wickes and made them to fit my two gates, i've invested in some nice long life paints and voila, good as new! we attacked the ivy in my garden too, so all i have to do is paint the fences and save for a nice new shed. could be worse!

I'm prompted to write as I've finally smashed the £134k barrier on the mortgage! :j Seems amazing, its not even 2 years since i took this mortgage deal out and im paying a riduculous level of interest (6%)


So I'm hoping when my mortgage switches to variable rate next september (currently 3.6%) I will be quids in and can afford to have the kitchen done which will add more value to the house.

On the plus side, the metrolink from Manchester City Centre open where i live within the next couple of months (i knew this was going to happen before i bought the house).

The area i live in is the closest desirable area to The BBC Media City development, and last weeks paper told me the Metrolink will be extended from Chorlton to Manchester airport too. So hopefully property prices should strengthen even more!

On the downside I've had a leak which has cost me 170 quid, but swings and roundabouts always!

I decided stoozing isn't for me, id run too much of a bill up and not pay it back. I'm too busy to keep an eye on it. But due to the poor interest rates i've closed my isa and now have it in an account linked to my mortgage, which has been bringing the mortgage down by about £40 a month. I managed to pay off 170 off the capital this month compared to the £130 i usally pay off after the interest is paid for.. so its still moving in the right direction. Just more slowly than anticipated due to no lodger!

Hope all are well xx:T