Baby steps to being mortgage free

Baby_steps_2

Pammy you are so good with your surveys. I can only imagine being on my third claim of the year!!

Me and the ex talk sometimes. We aren't that close but he doesn't really have anyone else as not close to his family so woul feel bad I I did nothing for him. Stupid I know but just felt I couldn't not mark the occasion .

I am loving all te recipes on your thread pammy. I will have to try some myself!!

Baby_steps_2

Well good news and bad news to report:

Good - I am trying really hard with my surveys, toluna is coming along well and waiitng for about 20,000 points to be credited to my account. I am hoping for anouther voucher before Easter (thats the aim). I have claimed a £10 VO one for Tesco so that can towards the food shop next montha nd I am hoping to have another very cheap month on that front next month. One poll is same old am up to £21.75 athough it seems forever to get me anywhere and has taken me about 6 months to get up to that so you never by summer I may finally have got up to £40!!!

Bad - I have blown pretty much all my budgets this month. I have spent a fortune on going out, food, clothes, petrol literlly everything I possibly could have done. So I know when I report this months figures I am going to be very disapointed with myself.

More Good - I maxed out y ISA limit for the month this month and it made me realise I have made £53 from my slow stooze using my 0% card and still 5 months to go. I have to say this has just been easy money so I am really pleased I decided to do it and it also means I have been keeping a close eye on my spending so for me personally that has been an easy £50 and useful. As they say every little helps!!

So all in all a mixed month for money money performance wise. The other ting that is proving to make life expensive is this whole being single thing!! I am out a lot so have to admit to drinking a lot of my spare cash. This annoys me a bit but I know that if I don't get out there I will never meet anyone else and I'm having lots of fun so I suppose your only young once.

I still need readvertise the room and think about getting a lodger but to be perfectly honest I am really enjoying living on my own and as long as interest rates stay low I can afford to do it so think I will just continue as I am for the time being.

Hope everyone is well and doing better than me staying on track!!

Baby_steps_2

Hi Guys,

Hope everyone is well. I have to admit I'm loving the sunny weather. Its just putting me in a good mood all round!!

Well last month was a bit of a disaster for me to be honest, overspending hell. But have got myself sdome lovely stuff you could definatly count as needs rather wants spends!!

In good news my gas and elec driect debit has been reduced as been overpaying the last few months so my water, elec and gas combined is now below £50!! So very pleased with that. Its only for 3 months whilst they are repaying what the owe me but every penny counts:T:T

Not likely to be a good month for me this month. I need to pay my annual subscription for a professional membership which I can't reclaim from work as they will only pay for one. Other than that I am going to try and keep the pending down but we will just have to see how it goes.

Monthly figures below.

Baby_steps_2

Mortgage – 162,150.68
CC (0%) – Oct 856.62, Nov 2215.01, Dec 2964.59, Jan 3565.95, Feb 4255.98, Mar 5029.05
Savings – Oct 901.51, Nov 1730.10, Dec 2975.84, Jan 3915.26, Feb 5017.57, Mar 6058.57
Net amount owed – Oct 162,105.79, Nov 162,635.59, Dec 162139.43, Jan 161801.37, Feb 161389.09, Mar 161121.16
Month change – Oct -44.89, Nov +529.80, Dec -496.16, Jan - 338.06, Feb -412.28 , Mar -267.93
Overall change – Oct – 44.89, Nov +484.91, Dec -11.25, Jan -349.31, Feb -761.59, Mar 1029.52


Not my best month!!

Baby_steps_2

Hi all,

Not sure this month is going to be much better than last. I have the shopping under control, however my professional subscription has got to be paid as does the service charge on the house. So lots of expenses this month.

I am however having a really good go at my surveys and got a VO £4 one this week plus another 75p today so I am hoping that I will get another £10 on there before long. Also am really trying my best at Toluna as could do with another Debenhams voucher as I need some make up and have expensive taste in that department!! I have to admit though as they update the survey points so slowly its hard to know how much I'm up to and when I'm going to claims which is really annoying.

[Deleted User]

Hey Babysteps!
well done on the surveys- havent ventured into survey land yet- but its looking like (as I have sold everything that isnt nailed down! ) that might be my next chance of earning anything more to OP!
I hear ya on expensive months- have just had one and another one to come!...looking forward to having some proper spending money maybe in May!
Did you ever decide to get a lodger in the end? if so how is it working out?

Baby_steps_2

Well yet another disaster of a month and May is not looking much better. I hate the fact I'm not saving as much as I want yet seem to be trying as hard as I can, I know I have done a bit of shopping but not exceeded the budget. I have really noticed the difference in petrol prices and fuel seems to be costing alot and even though its only me am struggling to keep the food spending under control, despite the fact that I am trying my best to keep it on track.:eek::eek:

I have a hen weekend and the wedding in May and it just seems to be costing me a small fortune:mad:. Have had to book hotels for both and the activities on the hen weekend will cost £60 with no alcohol or train travel and all this still needs to be paid for!! The hotel for the wedding is paid for but will still need to pay for meals and drinks for the weekend.

Was hoping to decorate the hall in royal wedding week as off work. So that will probably end up being the best part of £200 by the time I have bought new light fittings paint etc.

TYO no lodger in yet but am still considering it, just not found anyone I like enough who I am willing to share the house with. A friend who I used to be really close to is considering moving back down to Bristol so she might move in. If that happens it will really help me feel like I am making progress, at the minute it just all seems like really hard going.:(

[Deleted User]

Hey Babysteps
I hear ya on the weddings- we have 4 this year at last count. Would be good if your friend does move in and some extra money- get what you mean about not wanting to share your house again tho, I would find it very difficult Im sure!
Sorry you are feeling like its all a hard slog at the moment , fuel is a killer for me too I feel like Im constantly feeding money into it at the mo...
perhaps stepping back to see your achivements this month/year/from when you started helps to keep motivated? or seeing what is around on the freebie board for a free treat (lots of lovefilm deals at the mo) and maybe some cheap chocolate to go with!

Baby_steps_2

Hi guys,

Been very slack with the diary, probably because I've been very slack with money!! Just got back from a week in Scotland which was lovely and a fairly cheap holiday. In other news I have booked a rather expensive holiday. I'm off to visit my sister in Ecuador for 3 weeks:p The flights cost me £850:eek::eek: But I feel it will be worth it as she is likely to come back in the next year so this is my last chance. I paid on an offer on my virgin credit card which is 0% until Jan 2012, but it does rather blow the annual holiday budget. So need to up the pyments to that fund for the next few months which will reduce the mortgage payments:(

I need to sort this months stats (as you cn guess with the flight booked it will be a massive ste backwards!!) but as I've been away not yet had a chance to sort it out.

Hope everyone is well xxx

SmlSave

Good to hear from you Baby Steps

Enjoy your holiday