Mortgage Reduction Beginner to Novice - The Show Begins

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

Things that have cheered me up this weekend and today:

• Your lovely messages.
• £250 OP arranged on Saturday (not a real OP just the difference we recieved following remortgage).
• My sister-in-law told me that she "gets" me now and I'm "not a bad person"
• Knitting in front of two films (this as forced relaxed as I get and it's still multitaking!)

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

We now have online access to our mortgage balance... I'm pleased to update my signature from £142k to £141k.
There's also a smidgen of progress on the gym membership front too. I have £37 to use up before breaking even. That's about 8 classes and over 5 months to do it in.
I managed a whopping £122 ISA transfer at the end of Feb, matched it to voluntarily repay my student loan and bought myself an iphone (I've been lusting after one for over a year)... and of course saved enough to spoil my Mum yesterday!

misscousinitt

Hey MRN

Great progress.

Hope you are doing ok.

MCI

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

Hi MCI. I'm good thanks, you?

Some smaller updates but all positive:

I managed to get £32 for my old mobile phone - transfered into my ISA today.
VO reached payout threshold so I requested an Amazon voucher and added it to my balance.
Had a voucher-tastic shopping trip last week where I managed £11.28 off my shopping bill and £4.20 in points.

misscousinitt

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice wrote: »

Hi MCI. I'm good thanks, you?

Some smaller updates but all positive:

I managed to get £32 for my old mobile phone - transfered into my ISA today.
VO reached payout threshold so I requested an Amazon voucher and added it to my balance.
Had a voucher-tastic shopping trip last week where I managed £11.28 off my shopping bill and £4.20 in points.

Not too bad thanks, MRN.:)

Glad you are making updates again, small or otherwise - all good.

MCI

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Hi MRN, just checking in to see how you're doing.

Best wishes Tilly x

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

Hi Tilly, thanks for checking in!

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

Well, I've so much to update you on, lets get straight to it:

1. Mortgage - OP'd £250 yesterday (add that to the £250 a few weeks ago and the monthly OP because we rounded to the direct debit nearest hundred) means we're well on our way to our goal of an extra month's payment this year.
2. Had a two week holiday - although the flights were expensive, we stayed with family so all accommodation, breakfast and evening meals were provided.
3. I've completed my gym membership challenge with over 4 months to spare... free classes, swims, spa and gym visits from here on in!
4. I've opened a new ISA for this tax year's money, and a new one that I'll be transferring previous years into. I opened them on the day my current ISA's rate dropped so hopefully not too many days of low interest.
5. Student loan is below £2000 on my spreadsheet - but I have to wait for my employer and SLC to catch up before I can switch onto direct debit instead of subtracted from my salary at source.
6. Car loan final payment (for Nov 2014) is sitting in my ISA... I'll continue to save and if I get near to the full repayment balance (has to be done in full or not at all) I'll wipe it completely.
7. Annoyingly close to achieving 3 months of wages in savings but a car service will be the priority next month.
8. Car boot cupboard is overflowing. Just as soon as the busy season for MrMRN calms down (mid June) we'll be able to flog the lot. I have a feeling we might beat our previous record of £190 but I'd be happy with anything over £60.
9. I turned one of my hobbies into a more lucrative venture. Mystery shopping has taken a back seat (no visits yet this tax year!) but I'm happier with my new venture, get a lot more satisfaction out of it and like to see my client's pleased with my work (mystery shopping can be quite isolating).

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

With the exception a shared taxi home on Saturday after a birthday party... we had a No Spend Bank Holiday Weekend! :j

In other news:

• Regular OPs continue as normal.
• I got a load of seeds planted over the weekend for this summer's vegetables. All seed packets were leftover from last year, a few are out of date but I've sown them anyway and we'll see what happens.
• Had my first large commission on my new business venture.
• I was involved in a car accident where the at fault party were not insured :mad: Thankfully everyone walked away from the scene.

lulabelle1

Everything seems to be coming along nicely - congrats!