£14310 off mortgage 2010 lets make 2011 better

sarahevie

paid the final car maintenance yesterday.

In the last month

£404 insurance (£34 dearer than last year despite another year no claims. No joy with cashback either oh well. I did shop around. My renewal quote was £658 so did better than that)

£119.85 service had to be done via dealership or franchise for the 7 year warranty. (Negotiated a £30 discount.)

£110 road tax.

That's the best part of £635 have got £200 on a credit card due around 1st of Jan the rest have paid out of wage so at least it will be paid off

sarahevie

We have made the exciting decision to apply for planning permission.

Had the architect round earlier and as we have 5 metres at the side of our house (dead space really) it would be ideal for an extension. He suggested two double bedrooms to mirror what we already have. Turning the original box room into a second shower room. So we would have four large double bedrooms, a bathroom and a shower room.

Downstairs we currently have a lounge and kitchen diner (used to be a small square kitchen and small dining room knocked into one.) We would have a formal dining room and a playroom/office with WC. So decent reception rooms, kitchen diner and a playroom/office.

Not sure where we are going to find the 50K to fund this (considering extending the term of mortgage) we have 20K overpayments we can tap into but need a further 30K.

This really would make it a long term family home in a location we love. We wouldn't outgrow this. So would definitely be worth it in the end. Daunting though!

sarahevie

Earlier in the month we swapped electricity and gas suppliers according to uswitch we should save £228 per year.

Our dd has dropped from 71 to 52 per month. However just had our final bills and we have got £78.44 back on electricity and £126.90 back on gas.

So in real terms for our 3 bed gas and electric has only cost £53 per month (last year) pretty good for a tumble drier addict.

Was hoping to overpay but I've got £205 on credit card from car service to pay. This sees to happen a lot everytime I get a windfall I need to spend it on something essential.

sarahevie

There's six inches of snow outside but I've still not got heating on. I did have it on for five hours yesterday but the girls are wrapped up well. There's no wonder they get such red faced when they go to the 'boiling' children's centre.

I'm loving the snow. DD1 (25 months) it's the first time she's understood snow.

I've managed 5 no spend days in a row as the snow is providing such good entertainment.

Spent £34 at Mr S in nectar points for some wellies, snowsuit, two new outfits for christmas for girlies but still effectively 'free'. Yay

sarahevie

There's a bit of respite from the snow I can actually see a small bit of lawn for the first time in over a week.

Need to stop snacking though all DD1 and I seem to do is eat. She has this little bowl and I was chopping banana, red grapes, cheese, raisins then she wants it refilling. She's grazing all day bless her. She has just brought me a green apple and wants that chopping into cubes.

She is really into her healthy snacks in little bowls because that's what she gets at the children's centre when we go.

surveys

I'm up to £15 on lightspeed and should be on similar with Valued Opinions when the pending credits go up so that's good.

extension

Big debate with the extension going on my grandad who died when I was heavily pregnant with DD1 has left us some money that we didn't know about. So we can either spend £17,500 on our mortgage (knocking a huge 7 years off the term).

Or we can draw down all of our overpayments, remortgage, borrow some more money and make this place a 4/5 bedroom (3 reception room) forever home. We are taking our time deciding because the reality is even with the extra funds we are still about £30,000 below what we need for the extension so the extension isn't really viable.

We have been looking at what's for sale in the area and actually there's some good options as prices have dropped which also make it dearer to improve than move so we'll see

sarahevie

Still got £970 in the bank to last 15 days includes bills of £500 but aiming for a decent whack of an overpayment. :money:

Still don't know what to do with the unexpected £17500

• Put it towards the Big E (extension)
• Pay a whopping 7 years off the mortgage (this gets my vote OH not so sure):A
• Have another baby (no chance of this one):rotfl:
• Buy a sports car (I can't bring myself to buy branded chocolate so there's no way this will happen) :rotfl:

Have had to return a large item from ebay 15kg managed to get it for £6.99 courier so pleased with that.

I'm moneysaving today waiting for said courier (will save me £20 as I was supposed to be going to York which costs £15 in transport alone.)

sarahevie

Decided to just do it and the maximum we can pay off without penalty is £14310 so have done it.

This has left us with £3000 in rainy day savings.

Options were reduce monthly payment by £90 a month - tempting but decided to knock a huge 6 years off the term!!

Waiting for postal confirmation from Halifax but think this means I'll be mortgage free in 2030 (aged 46) Previously was going to be 2037

According to overpayment calculator we have saved £45,810 in interest alone!

Planning on getting this down.

Main aim for reducing mortgage is that we are due to remortgage in 2012 and this has made our ltv drop to around 70% therefore accessing better rates which hopefully will mean more OPs.

Going to open a better savings account for the £3000 and add to it over the next 12 months as I now can't make any more overpayments as I have used my allowance.

sarahevie

• Have a couple of hols (1st in 3 years)
• Ebay (house bursting at seams especially after christmas - thank you to very generus family and friends)
• Finish PhD (this is most important - decided not to get a part time job and just focus on this.)
• Have another baby (would like to TTC next christmas)

sarahevie

£120 across as money left over from christmas.:beer:

Will be putting £500 across as soon as paypal sort out my claim.

Had £500 worth of christmas presents we bought off ebay never arrived (managed without them) so when paypal finally sorts out my claim will put this money towards mortgage.

I started claim on 3rd of Dec and paypal are still requesting additional information (have spoken to my bank though and can put in a credit card chargeback if paypal don't sort it out.)

Apparently the seller has shown proof of delivery even though it's not been delivered to a) my postcode b) my signature. Many hours spent on phone to ebay and paypal so hoping for a refund shortly.

sarahevie

I've decided to try and get my present spend under control this year as last year I spent around £800 once I had added all the extras such as new babys, kids parties, etc.

We spent £600 on family presents, which I would also like to cull but it was the £10 kiddie ones for parties that really seemed to add up and I need to get a handle on this as soon they will be at school and it will get worse.

£3 - pirate squirters from ELC reduced from £10 - friends 2 year old party next week. Wish I'd got more of these as they are nicely boxed and good bday party presents.

£6 - apron, oven gloves. John Lewis. £5 2 make up bags boots. Sister b day march. 75% off both.

£6 vanity case. Matching make up bag £4 boots. 75% off both Auntie Feb

£3 baby percussion gift set elc £3 70% DD2 July

£25 Accessorise all 70% off - pleased with this lot as I have people who I post presents to and these will all post very easily
2 boxed necklace and earrings set
1 three strand pearl necklace
3 coin purses - may stuff these with hairslides/ small chocolates for DD1s friends as they will be 3 next
3 passport holders

I'm going to put presents on my sig. I've bought presents in advance before but end up spending more because I *know* how much they have cost and therefore feel the need to top them up so I've spent more - really need to stop this.