Baby steps to being mortgage free

Baby_steps_2

Well for some reason I have felt I needed to take a step back and look at what I have achieved so far:

- Cleared a joint credit card with the Oh which had a £3000 balance in January 2010.
- Cleared my individual credit card & OD which totalled £3000 since the start of the year.
- Saved £200 for xmas ready and waiting to spend
- Made an extra £30 from completing surveys
- I've had £279.50 validated on quidco & received £179.50 in payments so far.
- Made some little bits of income from ebay (though not much!!)
- Made £500 in mortgage overpayments.


So that is the end of my DFW days (I know I started the diary in the wrong place, but to be honest hadn’t realised how much debt I had before I really started looking at my finances – bad I know but no more).

So much has changed in the last 9 months, as you all know I’m now single and facing tackling this massive mortgage all on my own. Due to the negative equity we have decided to keep the mortgage in joint names (I will be moving back in eventually) to avoid taking the loss now and are hoping that property prices go back up before interest rates do or our position changes to much!! If we need to we will sell in the future and just take the loss then. We are in the lucky position we can both afford to live separately without being forced to sell at the minute. As the mortgage is interest only now (to avoid any complicated split when we sell it) instead of making overpayments I am aiming to save any extra instead as all savings will be only in my aim.
So my target is by the end of March to have used my full ISA allowance. On top of this I currently have a 0% credit card I am using to stooze money and see if I can gain some extra interest income. This will also allow me to maximise my ISA allowance for this year, as next year I will be aiming at saving a lot more than will be allowable in an ISA so the Barclaycard allows me to use these allowances most effectively. So this is the last mention of any debt in my life, unless I’m using it to benefit me.:D

Now lets get these savings upwards to reduce that mortgage balance (at least in theoretical terms!!):rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

pammyj74

WOW that is a fantastic achievement hun, well done on becoming debt free. I bet that feels like a weight off your shoulders.
I am a single MFW too with 2 dependants at home and it can be a struggle but I am getting there slowly. Mine is a jog not a sprint but wish I could run faster.

I agree on xfactor btw. Cher didnt even sing but Cheryl knew that the public really liked her and she has took a gamble. Simon definitely was always going to put the bands he made through. I feel sorry for Louis having the over 28s but I like the coloured guy. Dont like Storm and the other tesco woman isnt really a pop idol to be fair.

Baby_steps_2

Well after thinking I was going to do well on the NSD this week I have not done so well.

Monday - A NSD (4/8)
Tuesday - went out for coffe
Wednesday- went to the cinema (if anyone cares went to see Eat Pray Love, not a great movie tbh, a nice story but quite slow)#
Thursday - forgot my lunch so had to but it.
Friday - doing well so far, no plans to go out tonight so this may be the 5th!!

All in all got a nice quite weekend planned which after the last one is just what I need. A night in tonight and then dinner at a friends house tomorrow with a lot of reality Tv. Imay not think the right people went through to the live shows but i will still watch x-factor!!

SmlSave

Have a good weekend hun

even if you insist on watching the x-factor

[Deleted User]

enjoy your weekend Babysteps!
I am a secret x factor fan but not allowed to watch when mrtyo is in... he is at work tomorrow evening...perhaps... :rotfl:
I am reading the book of eat pray love atm and its quite good, but interesting to hear about the film... to be honest after getting into the book Im not so sure about going to the film as I cant see how they would fit it all in (plus Ill know what happens! ) oh well- money saved I guess if I dont go!
we do need to take a step back sometimes to see where we started- you have made some fantastic achievements this year- well done!!

Baby_steps_2

I saw at the start of the x-fator this year I won't watch it yet somehow I always end up getting into it (it may have something to do with the number of repeats they show:eek::eek:).

Anyway, thanks to the parentals buying me fish & chips 4 tea a NSD day for me today, so thats 5/8 done:A

Yorkie1

Babysteps, I've just found your thread and wanted to say how well you've done this year. You've got your head round what was owing, put a plan together and achieved what you wanted, and come through the first emotional stages of a break-up. You can rightly be really proud of what you've achieved, on a personal and financial level.

Keep it up!

Baby_steps_2

Yorkie1 wrote: »

Babysteps, I've just found your thread and wanted to say how well you've done this year. You've got your head round what was owing, put a plan together and achieved what you wanted, and come through the first emotional stages of a break-up. You can rightly be really proud of what you've achieved, on a personal and financial level.

Keep it up!

Thanks for the encouragement. I can't believe people actually read my random thoughts and struggles.

Well had a lovely cheap weekend though no NSD's. Last night went to a friends for dinner and a reality TV night. Now I admit I do enjoy a bit of strictly and x-factor but even I have to admit that 5 hours of it last night was a bit much (she says sat here watching the result shows:eek::eek:). I ended up spending money yesterday as went to Asda and they had ben & jerrys ice cream on offer - 2 for £3, thats better than buy one get one free as its usually about £5 a tub!!

Today had a very quite day, doing a bit of extra work and a drink in the pub with a friend in the sun (she paid which was good) but did some food shopping for lunches for next week so another non NSD.

But still overall a very cheap weekend.

pammyj74

I've stopped counting how many nsds I have as it isnt that many at the moment , there always seems to be something I need or forgot to get.

TYO, I would like to see eat. pray, love but they always say the book is better than the film. Maybe I should just read the book.

Baby_steps_2

pammyj74 wrote: »

TYO, I would like to see eat. pray, love but they always say the book is better than the film. Maybe I should just read the book.

The film is ok, but really slow going. I think the book might be better as with stories like eat pray love they can be a bit slow for films as all about emotional stuff rather than any action. I also felt you didn't get to know some of the other characters in the film and would hope the book told you a bit more about them