Pay off mortgage and start having fun!

newgirly

Dinner went well and I have stacks of leftovers, so no cooking tonight

I would like to try and set a couple of new challeges for next year mf wise, it does become a slog sometimes with a fairly long mortgage so it help to set smaller mini challenges along the way. Spending less on groceries does not really feel like a "proper" challenge anymore as usually most months I stick to the budget ok ( as there is not really spare money to spend more anyway)

In 2012 I decided to earn £2012 extra cash, so I will total that all us later today to see how I got on. Most of that money went to op's but about £300 paid towards merlin annual passes.

The only successful new thing I think I've stuck to is making my own laundry washing gloop, I could really work out how much its saved doing that too, as I do multiple loads a day it should be significant.


Anyway todays to-do list is:

• flyladying
• reading diaries and relaxing
• setting a few challenges for next year
• seeing how well I did this year with moneysaving
• possibly having friend and her kids for tea
• packing cases for cp's

alwaystryyourbest

newgirly wrote: »

Dinner went well and I have stacks of leftovers, so no cooking tonight

I would like to try and set a couple of new challeges for next year mf wise, it does become a slog sometimes with a fairly long mortgage so it help to set smaller mini challenges along the way. Spending less on groceries does not really feel like a "proper" challenge anymore as usually most months I stick to the budget ok ( as there is not really spare money to spend more anyway)

In 2012 I decided to earn £2012 extra cash, so I will total that all us later today to see how I got on. Most of that money went to op's but about £300 paid towards merlin annual passes.


The only successful new thing I think I've stuck to is making my own laundry washing gloop, I could really work out how much its saved doing that too, as I do multiple loads a day it should be significant.



Anyway todays to-do list is:

• flyladying
• reading diaries and relaxing
• setting a few challenges for next year
• seeing how well I did this year with moneysaving
• possibly having friend and her kids for tea
• packing cases for cp's

Can i ask how to make laundry washing gloop,( i have 6 children so i wash at least 2 loads a day...)

alwaystryyourbest

newgirly wrote: »

I have been reading through some diaries this morning and noticed that yesterday was the start of the mfi3 take 3 challenge, so popped on to have a look at my target:

• Get balance down to £115,000 in 3 years
• So, £10,733 per year

I paid off quite a bit on the 11th but am sticking with the same start amount as I have already changed the figures once and its only £100 out. I need to set the 2013 mfw figure at the same level as its going to get too confusing otherwise. The target reflects (hopefully!) savings of £850 per month plus just over £500 per year op's from extra saving made on the grocery budget/surveys and misc. stuff.

I'm already getting excited about next year, its always easier the first part of the year to save money, and I feel more organised than ever before with what we will be paying for during the year even though we are still on a low budget. Plus we will start next year with no debts except the mortgage for the first time in about 15 years :j

Been reading your diary, you are doing so well, and i am also excited to spend less next year, all spare money to mortgage, also have you put any money away for a rainy day,as i have only got a few hundred pounds spare.:(

newgirly

Hi always try your best

I don't have any rainy day savings and I know we should have We have only just cleared the debts, plus I have never saved in my life (although am about to start next year)

The laundry gloop receipe is soemwhere on the oldstyle threads, however my less acurate version is:

• Grate 1 bar of soap (tesc* lemon is the best- pack of 4 for about £1.35 ish I think
• about 4 tablespoons of borax substitute- about £1.70 ish for a small box in r*bert dyas
• a cup and a half of soda crystals-about £1 a bag from all supermarkets

1. boil kettle
2. grate soap into saucepan
3. add soda crystals and borax
4. fill up pan to few inches from the top
5. simmer and stir until soap has melted
6. get a bucket , put in around 7 litres of lukewarm water
7. tip in pan of soap mixture, stir and let cool until it does'nt burn your hands
8. tip mixture into empty coke bottles/milkcartons/squash bottles!
9. lie on sides until cooled right down and it sets a bit.

Then just use a big squirt in the drum with every wash- depending on how dirty it is.
You can use essential oils for scent, but I have up as the lemon soap was better.:D

newgirly

Right, had a count up and have "made" an extra £2021.03 this year :j just scraping over the target by £9.03 phew! Its nice to actually succeed at something as I have failed miserably on my £10k op challlenge this year.

The money was made up of a mix of lots of stuff like ebaying/surveys/halifax rewards/cashback/gold selling.

I'll do the same challenge new year I think and hopefully will be able to op the lot.

Another idea I might try is making an op everyday, I am running the everyday spending on a cc so there will be (most!) days when I can't round figures up in the current acct to op at all. So I plan to just make token tiny payments on those days of say 10p, I know it probably seems a bit pointless to some people to faff about like this, but personally I think it will help with overspending on small things dailyby keeping it in the forefront of my mind. The worst that can happen is I need to find an extra £3 at the end of the month :rotfl:

newgirly

I forgot to make my daily op yesterday, I might start properly with that in Jan as I am bound to forget over the xmas period.

Just deleted a long stressed out post about the xmas /inlaws issues we are having at the moment.:( No matter how organised I am it always ends up being stressful in one way or another at xmas!

No extra earning going on at the moment and I have spent the whole food/petrol budget already until the 27th , so I might have to use some or all of dd's mobile phone contract refund as we have 12 for lunch boxing day. I think its about £52 so that will be a bit tight :eek:

alwaystryyourbest

newgirly wrote: »

Hi always try your best

I don't have any rainy day savings and I know we should have We have only just cleared the debts, plus I have never saved in my life (although am about to start next year)

The laundry gloop receipe is soemwhere on the oldstyle threads, however my less acurate version is:

• Grate 1 bar of soap (tesc* lemon is the best- pack of 4 for about £1.35 ish I think
• about 4 tablespoons of borax substitute- about £1.70 ish for a small box in r*bert dyas
• a cup and a half of soda crystals-about £1 a bag from all supermarkets

1. boil kettle
2. grate soap into saucepan
3. add soda crystals and borax
4. fill up pan to few inches from the top
5. simmer and stir until soap has melted
6. get a bucket , put in around 7 litres of lukewarm water
7. tip in pan of soap mixture, stir and let cool until it does'nt burn your hands
8. tip mixture into empty coke bottles/milkcartons/squash bottles!
9. lie on sides until cooled right down and it sets a bit.

Then just use a big squirt in the drum with every wash- depending on how dirty it is.
You can use essential oils for scent, but I have up as the lemon soap was better.:D

Hi thanks for that will have a try and make some in the new year, when i get some spare time.... have a lovely christmas....
:j

pink_poppy

Hope you all have a lovely Christmassy time at CP, newgirly :xmastree::xmastree:

newgirly

Hi pinkpoppy, thanks for that

I am still not packed yet :eek: Its very unlike me , but the whole week both day and evening has been manic, I've so far managed the twins. DH has gone in to work late so will now be home later so goodness knows when we will get away. We are going for 2 nights and now have to visit the inlaws for dinner sunday lunchtime for a full xmas dinner, so I will spend the day unpacking and washing on xmas eve.:( I am wondering if it was all such a good idea so close to xmas !

Dh has given me a bit of cash for food :T so I went to ald* and bought lots last night (lots of 1kg bags of carrots/sprouts/parsnips/tangerines for 39p) so I stocked up. This means I have been able to op the mobile phone refund, so have just paid £51.35 off the mortgage today.:D I can't believe its December and I am managing to pay a bit off still, in years past I would be happily puttting a fortune on the cc's to worry about a long way in the future.

Best shoot off and do some packing.

[Deleted User]

Well done on the OPs newgirly
have a fab break and hope that by the time it gets to :xmastree: you manage to relax properly