£14310 off mortgage 2010 lets make 2011 better

Courgette

Just caught up with your diary - you're doing brilliantly well! You're right about all the small things adding up.

Glad to hear that DD's health is on the up, how worrying for you. Good luck with returning to your PhD. Would love to do one but left academia after MA for a more secure better paid job. It's one of my goals though for when we are mf!

sarahevie

Iris - I do try with ebay, but I get fed up with it as well. I can never do a load without some going 'missing'. Then you don't know whether they are genuine or pulling a fast one. Then the hassle of claiming from the PO. Whereby you have to wait 15 working days to claim, then another 28 before they pay so almost 2 months.

Matt - It's up to £41 for royal mail compensation on standard mail now, so yeah not a problem claiming back when parcels go astray, just annoying.

Courgette - thanks for stopping by, a lot of my ex colleagues, friends have left academia for jobs without 'fixed terms' lol. Does make getting a mortgage hard etc

sarahevie

OH is away with work for two days so I'm home alone with girlies (no change there then yet) :rotfl:

Sorted through my 9-12 months from the loft yesterday for DD2. Took a couple of bags to the charity shop and a free sample of dog food 1kg that we got as a free sample from some survey site, but don't have a dog, so popped that in the collection box at morrisons.

Put 4 boxes back in the loft (so much for a clearout) as I've sold 30 bundles of kids clothes on ebay in the last three weeks and now I've had enough. Decided to keep them for next time I can be bothered.

When I get to the end of ebaying I always throw in extras to get rid, but I sold a couple of bundles of 0-3 months 20 item bundles (put in 40 items as I had some unsold lots and it ended up virtually costing me to send as the postage cost doubled, so two of my buyers should be happy)

The rest of the unsold ones I charity shopped. Will start again when lily grows out of her 6-9 month stuff.

sarahevie

Morning at the children's centre, this afternoon going for a walk to the tarn. Hopefully tire out the girls so they are not too bad tonight.

£3 until tomorrow when I'm doing an hours interviewing for £45 so another very tight month. Then that £45 has to last until 29th when I get my child benefit.

Fortunately OH paid for our holiday. It's times like this when I wish he would let me control all our finances, as I find it really hard managing half the bills, mortgage on just the rent from my house and the tax credits, child benefit.

He has his wage for his half.

sarahevie

Well got my £45 for the interviewing last night.:D

Had to pay £4.41 for a standard parcel (final for my ebaying)
£14.40 national insurance contributions
£5.18 essentials from Morrisons.
£70 transferred out of paypal to pay my credit card bill

As you can see now around £20 to last until the 29th.

On the plus side I'm up to another £10 voucher so have requested. Hurry up Dooyoo it's now been 9 working days (supposed to come within 10) that £50 would be most appreciated:rotfl:

CathT

hope that dooyoo cheque arrives soon for you. You need a reward for the effort you put into it.

sarahevie

I have calculated if I want to put away £400 a month for April, May and June and come close to hitting my OP targets for the year, I need to have three months of very frugal living.

I personally have £770 a month income (me and OH don't do joint accounts, we each have our income then pay 50/50 for everything, and I mean everything.)

Out of my £770 I have £52 gas and electric. £30 water. £395 mortgage. £30 phone and internet. £10 phone top up. So approx £520.

Leaving me £250 to pay for petrol, food, entertainment for me and my two girls. To help me I am going to draw out £50 on a Monday and when it's gone it's gone. :eek:

The £400 that I am going to pay off the mortgage is the rental surplus from my BTL. Really hope I can take it off my mortgage.

I've decided on this challenge now, as summer is here so entertainment, transport costs should be cheaper:D

Wish me luck, I'm going to need the support as this is going to be a hard slog as I've proved in the last 24 hours now quick £25 can disappear.

Iris_Blue

You do so well with your money and stretching it. I really admire you. I'm looking forward to reading how you do and I will spur you on. I'm sure you will do really well.

It wouldn't work for us splitting our money, we share everything, well he shares I take ...but I don't spend anything on myself I just organise the finances which he likes.

Can I ask how long you've had your BTL for? It wasn't until I started reading the diaries that I'd ever heard of them. I'm quite interested in the idea but finances wouldn't allow.

sarahevie

friday nsd

sat needed a full supermarket shop our last £50 one lasted 13 days. Spent £47 at Mr T's including nappies, trying value for the first time. Had to go on cc as I have £20 left til Tues

£10 petrol (spent £55 this month) so not bad.

sarahevie

Iris - Buy to let is just where you get a mortgage for a house then let it out. You need a specific mortgage or consent to let or it invalidates your insurance. The rates are usually higher as it's a higher risk, and typically you need a larger deposit. Currently for the best deals you need 30% deposit, although the mortgage works allows 20%.

Being a landlord can be stressful empty property but still mortgage to pay, even worse non paying tenants trashing the house. :mad:Also a lot of rules and regulations. Lots of advice on house,buying, renting forum on here. :A

Plus side where else can you get someone else effectively paying your mortgage. Ours is a long term pension plan. We would love another but can't raise the 20% needed for a deposit don't have £25K laying around unfortunately. :rotfl: