Karmacat: To Infinity And Beyond!

MrsMoo2U

Hi KC, I have found you (again) I think that I did find you once before but being a bit slow I hadnt worked out the subscribe button

I hope you dont mind me putting in my twopennyworth on the mortgage but I wanted to say that I remember watching something with Martin once and the couple had £10000 in the bank and an £8000 mortgage. He explained that they would have been better off either paying off the mortgage with the savings or, if they didnt want to use all of their savings then to use a 0% deal to pay it off and use the monthly savings to pay the minimum and then save up the rest to pay off the 0% when it is was up. Hope that makes sense the way that I explained it.

I havent read all of the diary I am sorry but I do want to say that from what I have scanned you do sound much happier where you are. I love the idea of all the things you are doing to make it feel like home.

Karmacat

Hi cherisong! That example that you quote is really important to Martin, isn't it - I'd forgotten about it momentarily. I suppose I'm tempted to get the money on the mortgage because I'm self employed, and my business is in a downward spiral (for many reasons, one of the most important being that my heart isn't in it any more). So I need savings to be able to give myself a safeguard. But that just doesn't cut the mustard, really, does it? You know what, I'm going to amend my sig. Thank you

Don't lose me again! I'm glad you've worked out subscriptions - is that right that you're going for voluntary redundancy at work? My mum did it at 58 or so, best move she ever made. I really, really hope you get it.

Pippajo

Love the new sig! Go for it girl, you know you can do it!

se999

KC just read your comments about the neighbours garden, if it's that bad when you clear the beds on the boundary next to the fence it could be worth investigating weed proof membranes along the boundary fence. OK it's a bother to dig down to put it in, but it might save you years of work in the future. Nettles are a pest, but I normally keep some in my garden for the butterflies if I have the space.

On buddleia, I've got away with drastic prunes when moving house (i.e. sawing through thick trunks of very old ones) and they've survived, it's the right time of year for most shrubs/trees to cope with drastic 'prunes' - admittedly the next year they were very late flowering, but they were a lot better and healthier afterwards.

Hope your gardening etc goes well.

MrsMoo2U

Karmacat wrote: »

Hi cherisong! That example that you quote is really important to Martin, isn't it - I'd forgotten about it momentarily. I suppose I'm tempted to get the money on the mortgage because I'm self employed, and my business is in a downward spiral (for many reasons, one of the most important being that my heart isn't in it any more). So I need savings to be able to give myself a safeguard. But that just doesn't cut the mustard, really, does it? You know what, I'm going to amend my sig. Thank you

Don't lose me again! I'm glad you've worked out subscriptions - is that right that you're going for voluntary redundancy at work? My mum did it at 58 or so, best move she ever made. I really, really hope you get it.

Sometimes you can be too close to a situation to be able to see things clearly. I will not lose you again, you make me smile with your SF and therapy etc etc etc (said in King of Siam voice because thats the kind of mood I am in)
Yes I have applied and I should find out on Friday. I am nowhere near to retirement yet though. It is just an opportunity not to be missed based on the service that I have in and going on what legislation is going through at the moment I am unlikely to ever have the same opportunity. We want to go and live in Germany (today I have started to say it out loud and write it down because I am of the mind that once it is said then you have to make it happen) so this would be a big step towards that.
I am intrigued by your French mortgage in the signature, it may be a bit of the diary that I missed (sorry).
I look forward to being mortgage free.

Karmacat

Pippajo - Yep, I like my new sig too

se - Weed membrane - thats not a bad idea, actually. The weeds aren't too bad, its mostly long grass and nettles - I think the dogs keep the worst of the weeds at bay, they're *big* dogs - there's a patch of nettles made it over into mine, but as you say they're for butterflies.... and a boyfriend of mine in past years grew up as a country lad on nettle soup

Cherisong - glad I can make you smile :j I have a lot of diverse interests - SF is one of the most enduring, I got into it when I was about ten, and I'm mumble mumble years old now.

The French mortgage is because I bought a flat in the Alps as an investment, on a government leaseback scheme, very safe, but I didn't do the sums properly, and my income proceeded to collapse completely. Its been a bit tricky for quite a while but [strike]I think[/strike] I'm through the worst now.

Germany! So few people think of going to live in Germany, but one of my best friends did a few years ago, just for a year with her husband's job, and they absolutely adored it. Whereabouts would you go?



EDIT - oh, I came back on to say I was just buying a ticket for London on Friday - £5 single on thetrainline, and noticed how greedy they were with the £1 booking fee even on such a little fare. So I went to southern's own website, and got the same ticket for £3.75, same train. Ha!

MrsMoo2U

Oooooo, the french Alps. Not up on the government scheme though. Where is it and do you rent it out?

We are looking at Southern Germany, maybe the German Alps area. Although we would also consider Berlin. We are currently doing lots of research and planning.

ZTD

Karmacat wrote: »

EDIT - oh, I came back on to say I was just buying a ticket for London on Friday - £5 single on thetrainline, and noticed how greedy they were with the £1 booking fee even on such a little fare. So I went to southern's own website, and got the same ticket for £3.75, same train. Ha!

It's always worth having a look at the regional train company websites - often they offer discounts if you travel on *their* trains.

If you do a lot of travelling in the SE, getting a network railcard can be worth it - just check carefully their minimum fare (which is a bit of a swiz), but I don't think it applies on weekends.

Cheery_Daff

KC, I NEVER use the train line any more - I tend to go with east midlands trains instead - also no booking fee Trainline have had monopoly for too long, it obviously went to their heads!

Karmacat

cherisong wrote: »

Oooooo, the french Alps. Not up on the government scheme though. Where is it and do you rent it out?

We are looking at Southern Germany, maybe the German Alps area. Although we would also consider Berlin. We are currently doing lots of research and planning.

Its near Chamonix - I don't have anything to do with renting it out, thats all the management company. I just pay the bills and collect the rent :D but the bills outpace the rent by about 2:1 currently, because of the mortgage. Hey ho - my endowment will mature in 2 years (I'm *that* old ) and that will pay off a stonking amount.