TYO's 2011 kicking the mortgage into shape...

[Deleted User]

Hello peeps and Happy new year :beer:
I thought Id join in on the shiny new diary idea as anything like lists or new starts keeps me motivated!!

Bit about us ...house consists of me and mrtyo and we also have another place which we rent out (as we both owned properties when we got together) .

Last year was a bit pants in several places for one reason or another, but the great thing that came out of it was that it has made us really aware of our finances and that we can be in control of them rather than vice versa ...

2010 started with nothing in savings, no emergency fund of any kind (other than credit cards) and very much living paycheck to paycheck ....

2011 starts with both of us OPing the mortgage , budgets drawn up and (hopefully!) stuck to and enough savings to tide us over emergencies , feels like a massive achievement as even 6 months ago none of that was in place :eek:


So my MF aim is to have £100K by New Year 2014 ... this would give a decent size deposit for when we buy a house which I then never intend to move out of! I have moved around so much in my life , plus it costs so much to buy and sell that I have announced to mrtyo that the next time we move that is it! :rotfl: he also wants this house to have some kind of man-shed where he can "potter" and do DIY of some kind ...and I want pretty bedrooms where people can stay and a garden that I can grow stuff in ....

So ...this gives us a good 3 years to get sorted , which I think is a good amount of time but not so long it feels impossible and out of reach - not sure quite how Ill measure the 100K challenge yet as a lot of it will also depend in equity in the property which will go up (and down!) but my aim is to save 10K a year towards the mortgage ...if I can get up to saving £1000 a month that would be great but will take some doing...

okay - essay over for now , will reserve a few posts for SOA etc

other goals for 2011 included getting (and staying!) fit.... too much xmas "decluttering" of chocolates into my belly has been happening methinks ! :rotfl:

[Deleted User]

reserved for SOA

[Deleted User]

reserved for amazon/ebay challenge
ok...so the idea (see below) is to use amazon /ebay to pay for all the wedding- related (not mine! ) stuff I have on this year...
am reckoning it will amount to £300 or so for everything so this is quite an ask! but seeing what I can do.. and will also help with the decluttering :rotfl:

so far already sold one thing which will post on tues - about 10 mins after listing it!

yukkibear

Welcome to the boards, good luck with your journey

twinklie

Yey you. I thought I'd better track you down quick smart before I lost track of you as well. Other silly people have started new threads but then didn't tell me. How rude?? Ha ha.
Happy New Year honeypie, looking forward to watching you achieve your goals. x

[Deleted User]

Thanks yukkibear and twinklie!
cant figure out how to link to old diary but figured those who put up with me rambling in 2010 will listen again in 2011! :rotfl:
MF activities so far- have listed a couple of books and dvds on amazon, rest to either go to charity shops or musicmagpie as they arent worth much!
have also "decluttered" more chocolate - oops! AND.... done my first exercise session (mw if youre reading the challenge has begun.... :rotfl:)

need to also work out how to squeeze an extra £300 or so out of savings this year without having to re-budget! as lots of my friends are getting married this summer!
will post anything else interesting I come up with but at the moment really just trying to stick to £100 p/m grocery challenge (this month with all the xmas leftovers should do okay!) and then work out from next month how much extra Ill have over to OP..

still...Im sure Ill find something to ramble about in the meantime lots of new diaries too to get through !

tootallulah

Brilliant to have found your new diary, looks like a great year in 2010 so I am looking forward to seeing what you do in 2011.

cha97michelle

There is something special about shiny new things. Good luck with the new year challenges.

[Deleted User]

Thanks toot and michelle - yes I am always very excited by shiny new things :rotfl:
2011 seems to be starting off well - I have spent about £30 of my xmas/bday pressie fund (£350 total for the yr) in the sales so got some great bargains and the pressie stash is coming along well...
also sold 2 things on amazon and have decluttered 3 bags of stuff to charity as for the price/effort Id get anywhere else the charity shop could get more ... have also *ahem* brainwashed mrtyo into decluttering a lot of stuff so things going well on that front too...:rotfl:
my exercise resolution (3x per wk) is going well so far- 2 sets done this week and one more to go.. good thing really as have packed on a few pounds (mainly chocolate induced) over xmas! may have to join the wt loss thread if I dont reign in the eating soon!
have been quite surprised at how considered I am able to be now with spending money - I will think much more whether I need/want it and whether it is useful/something Id buy anyway or could do another way - its amazing how much nicer it feels then to buy things rather than the out of control grabbing type shopping I used to do and get home with a bag of stuff I didnt even really need!

so for this morning am up , fed and cuppa'd (is that a word...) so better get sorted and out the door ... ooo also have a £5 boots voucher to spend which I shall enjoy on my lunch break today methinks (tho no more room in the pressie stash at the mo so may have to use it as a pressie for myself!)

LilacPixie

OOO shiney new diary for 2011... Don't you think it feels so refreshing to start the new year with a plan??

XSpender

Happy New Diary and good luck with your 2011 goals:)