Debt free and buy a house by 35

Aspiration

Just had a read through your diary you sound like a reformed character !!! Well Done

andymc29

Okay, I'm over the shock of Zopa (and their website looked so friendly!!!). So I've tried two overpayments using online banking to my natwest loan. It worked no problem. It took a day to work for the first payment, but I think that was because it was a bank holiday, because I just did a second payment now and it went through fine. So now as I like making lots of payments instead of one big one, I'm going to be making payments every few days overpay the loan. I'll pay a hundred pounds each time, and as I'll be over paying by about £1000 a month, then I'll be making a payment every 3 days. I'll have to see how long it takes to affect the regular payments I make, but I should at least notice the interest going down.

On a side note, I'm in Paris!!! Work has sent me here to work on a new project with a client we've got in Paris and Zurich, so I'm getting in some Eurostar trips, fell asleep on the way here, I did get up at half four mind though. Just staying one night so will be home tonight. I save money when I'm on trips though as everything get's paid for for me, so good for MSE stuff too!

andymc29

Because I'm excited about overpaying the natwest loan, I built a little spreadsheet that shows the difference overpayments will make. Feel free to alter this to work for you: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/8673694/Natwest%20Loan%20Payments.xlsx

Basically, the £200 I've already overpaid this month has just saved me £188 in interest. If I pay another £800 this month in over payments, I'll save a total £1388 in interest and finish the loan 5 months earlier than the loan agreement was for! Brilliant!!!

I'll keep this sheet updated, so feel free to check it anytime you like to see how I'm doing.

andymc29

this overpaying your loan thing's addictive!!! Just have to watch I don't overpay too much and not have enough cash to get through the month. I love that the payment appears immediatly. That's even ebtter than barclaycard where you'd normally wait a few days to see it clear.

Just got today and tomorrow at work, then off for a whole week! Am planning to take the otherhalf for a pampering day at a spa in bury st edmonds. I think it'll be the sort of thing she'll love.

andymc29

My week off went really well. we had our pampering day at the spa, I spent all day in the pool and steam rooms. The other half booked herself an extra treatment for a facial which she said was really good.

The rest of the week went really well, had a day out cycling in Thetford forest, another day at a friends wedding, visitng her mum on a different day and went for a really nice meal out. All good stuff.

We ended the week by booking a holiday together. We're going to Croatia for five days in October. To Dubrovsnik, it looks really nice, there's boat trips out to islands and walks up into the hills you can do. Should be loads of fun and not too expensive either. Got a good deal with BA Holidays. ( I know I'm paying off a mountain of debt, but we've been together nearly 18 months now and still not been out teh country together. Besides, I'll still be able to overpay my loan next month, even with the holiday. )

andymc29

Just got my nationwide loan statement for the year. I'm actually a few hundred pound lower than I thought, which is great! Lets me take a few hundred off the total figure without paying anything!!! Fantastic!

andymc29

Had a good day out with my parents and the girlfriend yesterday. It was my mum's birthday so we took her out in Cambridge for the day, went punting, then to Jamie Oliver's Italian for lunch. Was really good, but now just sad that I'll hardly see the GF for a few weeks, wish I could see her more.

Anyway, money wise, not too bad, the day cost a bit, and I've had to get the car repaired today, that cost me £130, not too bad, but wish it could have been cheaper.

andymc29

Okay, so after last months expenses, lets see where I stand.

Well my extra payments towards my natwest loan have made the monthly payment go down by just over ten pounds, so that's the way they're going to play it. That's fine. I'll be making some extra payments this month too, but not until I'm back from holiday.

Speaking of Holiday, that's something that's cost a lot too, under five hundred each, but still a fair whack against my account. We're taking 300 pounds spending money, but keeping some cards handy just incase.
It's really good that the GF is so sensible about money, she's not doing it to try to help me, she's just always been sensible about spending and hates paying too much for things. She seems happy that I'm dealing with my debts though, even though she doesn't know the figures (she doesn't want me to tell her).

Spending temptations recently: the new Ipod touch, it looks amazing, I really miss having one and can't wait to get one again. But I need to wait till my phone contract runs out next June, I should be debt free then too, so I'll just renew my contract with the best offer iphone 4 contract I can find. Until then I just need to be patient. It'll be new year before I know it and my DFD will be in sight.

andymc29

Feeling down right now, spent most of today sat around not feeling up to much. I just want this debt gone! Living at home isn't too terrible but it's not fun either. I want my own space!
Not seeing the GF this weekend as she's working. Have had today to myself but am busy tomorrow.

I'm running a half marathon in the morning (so extra hour in bed will be nice), then bowling in the evening, getting better at bowling now, my average is around 122 which isn't too shabby.

It's nearly a year since I started this diary, can't wait to be able to end it, hopefuly in less than another year from now.

andymc29

I've done my half marathon!!!! Did it in just over two hours.

Leg's feel like lead now but really glad I did it.

Ten pin bowling tonight, come on, give me lots of strikes!!!