Move mortgage mountain project

Primrose

Julliff, it's good that you are still going in the right direction. It isn,t always the amounts saved that necessarily matter but the mindset which keeps you pointing in the right direction. Over the years it's surprising how the small amounts consolidate up to make the difference. More power to your elbow!

ClaireN75

Hi Julliff,

I lurked on your thread all those years ago, never having anything useful to say but urging you on silently

I was surprised to get an email saying there was a new reply on the thread but I'm really happy to hear life is going so well for you.

Having massively overspent for Christmas (for the first time ever I think - I'm blaming it on the newborn!) we need to make some New Year savings and you're inspiring me as to what little things can make a big difference.

Hope you have a lovely weekend with your daughters.

Onwards and upwards!

julliff

Hi Primrose

Lovely to hear from you again. Of course you are right, and I am setting myself a challenge that I *have* to pay in every week, even if it is only a pound. Momentum is so important, and it does indeed all add up!

Claire, thank you for your lovely post, and congratulations on the newborn.
It is an expensive time, but so lovely too, worth every penny!

Have had a fab weekend with the girls. DD2 made a big batch of cakes in honour of DD1 coming home for the weekend. Delicious, but not doing my waistline any good! We had a lovely dinner today of toad in the hole, mash and veg, followed up with Apple Crumble and ice cream.
In true MFW style, I used up some apples that had started to go a bit "leathery" and finished up the sausages languishing in the fridge. Very satisfying!

Two of my items sold on ebay tonight, one was a blouse that I bought and never wore. It still had the tags on, and I got back what I paid for it ! Result.

I have listed another 3 items. I really should do more, but it is so tedious, and I struggle to keep focused!

Anyway, girding my loins for another week of challenges!

julliff

Well, it has been a very long week. I have worked every day, including Saturday and Sunday, and now I feel exhausted. I have decided to have a day off tomorrow, but I will still be ahead because the weekend working was 11 hours each day, and my day off will be losing 8 hours.

In terms of MFW, I have had an excellent week:

• £80.97 from Quidco;
• £18 from ebay;
• £5 from Halifax c/a;
• £4.29 from Nationwide Flex Direct
• £3.00 in luncheon vouchers from PineCone!

Yay! I am very happy with progress!


So, my total paid into Mortgage account this week is – £111.26

Lots of little things too. Yesterday I was bought a massive pizza at work. I ate a couple of slices, and then took the rest home for DD2, so no cooking at all! The same today. I am two dinners “in credit” So, now I will do Sundays planned dinner tomorrow (as I am off), and then Saturdays will become Tuesdays dinner!



I managed my no spend days (Weds,Thurs and Sat).


Wetsuit I was offered for a fiver fits perfectly, and colleague at work had offered me a load of dive kit too! He says I can have it for nothing, as it will need servicing. But it could still potentially save me hundreds of pounds on buying new.

Another free listing weekend, so will try to get a few bits up again. It is better for me to just out a few things on, as if I try to do too much, I run out of time/motivation and then feel like a failure. I don’t mind if it is a trickle, it all adds to the pot.


Tomorrow I will be spending though. I have promised both of the girls that we can have a real tree this year. And if I don’t get it tomorrow, it may not happen, as I don’t have any weekends free from now til Christmas. I will need a base too I think.


I still have not managed to get the curtains sorted out for project draught proof my home, but as I have done a seven day working week, I will not beat myself up about it! I have had a bit of cavity wall insulation done, and the gutters at the front cleared, so there has been some progress -- and it did not cost me anything as it was done as part of a government scheme.


Right, will think about this weeks challenges, and put them up this evening.



x

julliff

right

Christmas tree is now bought and decorated. In the spirit of MFW, I bought a potted one, which I will try to keep alive for next year, and maybe a few after that, or put in the garden.

Went to boots and got a few 3 for 2 s so am already on the way to next weeks over payment -- £10.39. Its all stuff that I use anyway, so have quite a stock now, should last me a while.

Anyway, this weeks challenges pretty much the same:

• [FONT=&quot]Acquire and put up heavy curtains at window top of stairs & my bedroom (currently just blinds there);[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]3 no spend days (1 so far, yesterday);[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Soup for lunch at work;
  [/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Meal plan -- Mon: Casserole, Tues: Chicken & Chips; Weds: Omlette and wedges; Thurs: Bolognese: Fri: Risotto: Sat: away
  [/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Find 3 thing to ebay;[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot] 2 gym sessions [/FONT]- will be away at weekend, so 2 is realistic
• Ring Virgin to see if I can get a better deal, been meaning to do this for ages

Have a big Christmas do coming up, and it has been decided that the dress code is black (its a bit tongue in cheek). Now I have a black dress, but I wore it to a wedding evening do, at which most of the people I will see at Christmas bash were. Should I just wear it again? hmmm....

Nothing to do with MFW, but I am doing a little diet challenge at the moment. I eat far too many bread products, so I am challenging myself to only have bread once a day. Soo, if I have toast in the morning, I can't have any bread for the rest of the day. Or if I will be having a sandwich for lunch, I can't have toast in the morning. So far, going quite well..

julliff

Oh dear, I have slipped on this a bit.

The truth is I have been very up and down these last two weeks, and my motivation has ebbed and flowed.

Sometimes life just seems too,too complicated, but then again, I seem to be the architect of most of it myself. Trying very hard not to fall into a brown study, but this time of year is always a bit tricky. I won't go into details, as it is wearisome.

Anway, I shall try to focus on the positives, and not become too introspective about things.

I have not done much in the MFW space, but today I found a bag of 50 pences that I need to bank. I also need to pay in the equivelent of the interest on the second mrtgage account, which is somewhere in the region of £27 -- will check in a bit.

It all helps though, so I will not beat myself up about it.

Had the best of times this weekend though. Went to stay at a friends who has bought and renovated a farmhouse. There was a group of us (7) and we all meet up several times a year, and we always have an absolute hoot! The farmhouse is amazing, like something out of a Richard Curtis film, fabulous. It was lovely to spend the weekend there in great company. Bit of an anti climax now though.

Have not had to buy much for Christmas in the way of food. The girls are going off to their Dads, and I will be having a Cornish pasty, so thats all sorted. Not many people to buy for, and girls are getting mostly money (I have bought some presents for them to open, but they are of an age where they like to go out and choose things for themselves).

Must try harder!!!

Primrose

Don,t beat yourself up Julliff. You have come a long, long way and there are always hiccups on a journey. Just relax at Christmas, savour your successes and treat yourself to a lazy time.

julliff

Hi Primrose

Lovely to hear from you. Hope you have a very Merry Christmas!

I am very grateful that my life is so much more peaceful now, but I'm afraid there is a part of me that gets very down at this time of year. I am trying to not succumb to what amounts to self pity, as that is rather ugly.

I still have feelings of extreme anxiousness about Christmas, its a bit like Pavlovs dog. That and a feeling of resentment -- I try not to be dog in a manger about it (Oh, what is this preoccupation with dogs? lol), but the girls always go to ex's for Christmas dinner. They do ask me if I mind, and I always say no, I try to be grown up and dignified on the outside, and just let the girls be happy. I know they feel sorry for him.

Well, I may go out for a long walk this afternoon, and be a bit Pollyanna, and think about what I have to be glad about :-)

Have a lovely time Primrose, and thank you again :xmassmile

skint_spice

Be glad you have the girls to miss - I'm good at the glad game.;)

DS always goes to his dad's for the meal here too but I like Christmas eve and the pressie opening bit better so not fussed:D

julliff

Hi Skint_spice

Merry Christmas and thank you so much for taking the time to post!

Yes, I am so,so glad to have my girls. Went through a really tough time when divorcing (it was hard for them too, I know), and I thought that they hated me, especially the eldest. Now it is completely different, and I could not ask for better :-)

Feeling much better than I did this morning. We had a lovely breakfast and presents. Then I dropped them off at their Dads, and drove into the country.

Stopped for a walk in the winter sunshine, absolutely beautiful, and peaceful.

This afternoon, I have capitalized and swept/steam mopped all of the floors.
Just enjoying a mug of tea, and the left over apple crumble from yesterday.

Also, I have made plans with the girls for a day out to Wells later in the hols. We are going to do the Hot Fuzz tour (got the plan), and the little shops (there is a phase eight shop there too -- hehehe release the vacuous woman!). We'll also squeeze in a pub grub somewhere. Really looking forward to that.

I know I can't relive all those spoiled Christmases while the girls were growing up, and that makes me feel very cheated and down, and very angry with myself for allowing it) ;but I can make the most of now. I just need to keep telling myself. Maybe a kick up the bum will remind me, as and when ..

Thanks again, xx