We’d like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum.

This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are – or become – political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.

The MSE Forum Team would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas. However, we know this time of year can be difficult for some. If you're struggling during the festive period, here's a list of organisations that might be able to help
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
Has MSE helped you to save or reclaim money this year? Share your 2025 MoneySaving success stories!

greent's mfw journey

17576788081293

Comments

  • usa1
    usa1 Posts: 538 Forumite
    Sorry to hear of your loss.
    Are you selling your BTL?
    It's not the despair, Laura. I can take the despair. It's the hope I can't stand. ~ Brian Stimpson, Clockwise
  • So sorry to hear of your loss, as I parent I can't imagine what your friend is going through. Take care xx
    Life is changing...but I'm still Money Saving!
  • greent
    greent Posts: 10,914 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Thanks for all the comments :) xx The funeral is this week - I know it will be sad, but am sure it will also be a wonderful celebration of her life.


    Decluttering still going well - sold over 100 items/ bundles of items at a nearly new sale last weekend:j Current update is:


    88 - 89. presents and cards for 2 birthdays taken from stash (am trying to run this down, particularly the presents)
    90. Colour Me Beautiful 'personalised' colour swatch folder - bin
    91. Lots of old birthday/ Xmas/ Easter cards - recycled
    92. Lots of old love letters from when I was a teenager - recycled
    93 -94. 2 more sets of toys sold on ebay
    95. A rather perished and deflated beach ball (bought when 17yo DD was 1!) - bin
    96. Yet more underwear!!
    97. Carrier bag full of clothes rag-bag bin
    98. Promotional postcards and leaflets from when I used to do massage - recycled
    99. mirror - charity shop
    100. keyboard - charity shop
    101. gorgeous briefcase - charity shop
    102. dress -sold - ebay
    103. cuddly toy - sold - ebay
    104. 4 pillowcases - donated
    105. pretty hand towel - donated
    106. 2 cast iron trivets - charity shop
    107. pretty vase which no longer goes with any colour scheme - charity shop
    108. brooch - charity shop
    109. unwanted item of costume jewellery - charity shop
    110. more underwear - bin
    111. outgrown socks and some pants - to school for their spares
    112. outgrown school trousers - to school for spares
    113. 10 tubes/ bottles of handcream/ bodylotion - donated
    114 - 241 - No of items/ bundles of items sold at NNS 28/2/15 :-)
    242. - 252 - Books sold via Ziffit
    253. toys sold on ebay
    254. jewellery sold on ebay
    255. cookie cutters - charity shop
    256. picture - charity shop
    257. 2 soft toys - charity shop
    258. lampshade - charity shop
    259. set of Bob the Builder stencils - charity shop
    260. Unused Easter cross stitch kit - charity shop
    261. LOTS of dried up pens/ chewed up pencils - bin
    262. LOTS of recipes from magazines - recycled


    Ebaying has slowed down, but I plan on listing about a dozen items on there today. Am slowly clearing out unsold items from my ebay stash to the charity shop or elsewhere. I also have a box of books and a binliner of clothes for the C4C place which I shall do later this month - am going to try and add some more before I go.


    Ooh - I have a job! Only exam invigilating - so VERY part time - but it's proper paid work!!!:rotfl: I don't want a 'real' job with regular hours so this suits me just fine! I shall throw my miniscule earnings from it at the mortgage and then towards the new kitchen and boiler :)


    Mortgage balance stands today at £8209 - and I have no more spare funds this month. I would love to knock the £209 off before the month end - hence some more ebaying. £30 is still to come from Ziffit (assuming they accept all) and there will be maybe £10 from C4C. I have no cashback expected this month (or if any appears it will be < £10) I do have some old gold which would do it - if I get it all together and take it into town. It is a busy month, though. Aside from standard stuff I have the funeral, 2 mornings in school for literature/ numeracy info meetings, a PTA event, the post NNS stuff to do, my birthday (:D), mothering Sunday, m-I-l's birthday, parents evenings for 3 children, a night out to see Ian McCulloch (:D), a training day for my new job(!), a presentation evening for Cubs, a trip to see the Octonauts live, PTA meeting, an open day at a uni with DD - and there's other stuff which I also need to do. And I want to do more decluttering!!!! :D It's getting addictive!:p
    I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul
    Repaid mtge early (orig 11/25) 01/09 £124616 01/11 £89873 01/13 £52546 01/15 £12133 07/15 £NIL
    Net sales 2024: £20
  • Karmacat
    Karmacat Posts: 39,460 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Thats amazing! Truly, well done on that amount of decluttering and **selling** not just getting shot of it!
    2023: the year I get to buy a car
  • You must be feeling fab x x x x

    Congratulations on the job, as well as the decluttering

    Best wishes, Tilly 😄
    2004 £387k 29 years - MF March 2033:eek:
    2011 £309k 10 years - MF March 2021.
    Achieved Goal: 28/08/15 :j
  • apple_muncher
    apple_muncher Posts: 15,366 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Mortgage-free Glee! Name Dropper
    Yay to the job - well done! And yay to amaaaaazing decluttering and selling. That mortgage-freedom is soo close!
    NST March lion #8; NSD ; MFW9/3/23 Whoop Whoop!!!
  • Firegirl
    Firegirl Posts: 1,017 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Wow amazing selling!!! Well done:beer:
    Mortgage balance Feb 2015 start of MFW Journey-£245316.06/Aim to be mortgage neutral 2022 — Target for May 2024 14 Year Target Balance MF50 = £89,535 — Mortgage Balance £106, 000—Target for May 2024! £89,535

    Retirement Planning
    Starting Position (Jan 2024) : Pension 1-£165,000/Pension 2-£50,000/Pension 3-£9,500/ISA-£87,000/Total-£311,500
  • Goldiegirl
    Goldiegirl Posts: 8,807 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Rampant Recycler Hung up my suit!
    Fab decluttering!

    Well done:)
    Early retired - 18th December 2014
    If your dreams don't scare you, they're not big enough
  • CathT
    CathT Posts: 7,135 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Wow, your decluttering list is impressive! Is there much more to go? I dread to think what carp we have lurking in wardrobes!
    Nov 2025 - part 1 - £13,878 part 2 - £20,953 Total - £34,832 24 months to go!
  • greent
    greent Posts: 10,914 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    And the decluttering STILL continues - there is so much there once you start really looking!!:eek:


    I am trying to sell as a primary aim - but have decided not to hang on too long to things which aren't selling - even if they cost ££ and are unused :o - they have no value to me, after all, so I may as well get rid and then I can't feel bad about them lurking in my cupboards!:D And someone will hopefully benefit from them from the charity shop :)




    263. Stretched and bobbly jumper - recycled
    264. Very OOD packet of tikka mix (was a freebie) binned
    265. Corset style top -unworn - charity
    266. Dolphin ornament - unwanted Xmas pressie - charity
    267 -268. 2 x Mothering Sunday gifts sorted from stash (mainly regifts)
    269. pile of unused and unwanted birthday/ occasion cards - charity
    270. unused pack of phone screen protectors - charity
    271. several large blue IKEA bags - donated to a local charity which uses them
    272 - 285. 2 pairs gold earrings, 1 gold locket, 1 gold brooch, 1 gold bracelet, 2 gold chains, 1 gold tie pin, 1 gold tie bar, 2 silver rings, 1 silver bracelet, 1 silver tie pin, 2 pairs silver earrings - SOLD
    286. cake tin and large gift box - used to take cake donations to a funeral and left with the donations :)
    287. cake tin (for baking) - charity (do I really need 3 the same???)
    288. 4 unused eyeshadows/ eye shadow sets - donated
    289. 9 unused body lotions - charity
    290. 2 lipsticks in a weird shade - bin
    291. unused hair treatment product - charity
    292. large stockpot and lid - charity
    293. frying pan - charity


    'Stuff' isn't important - people are. Too much 'stuff' = time spent on dealing with it when I could be doing more fun/ productive things with/ for other people. :)


    Hope everyone is well - I have much catching up to do (again) xxx

    I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul
    Repaid mtge early (orig 11/25) 01/09 £124616 01/11 £89873 01/13 £52546 01/15 £12133 07/15 £NIL
    Net sales 2024: £20
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 352.9K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253.9K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 454.7K Spending & Discounts
  • 246K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 602.1K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 177.8K Life & Family
  • 259.9K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.7K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.