Lois_E begins a long MFW journey

Lois_E

Oh dear. Been very busy recently and haven't been keeping up with reading everyone's diaries - and more importantly I've got behind with my spending diary. There's a huge pile of receipts sitting in front of me as I type, waiting to be put in. Will try to do that tonight.

Good news is I have paid off another £250 off FL#2, so it's now below £5k.

Lois_E

Spending diary up to date now.

Kids have friends round to play today, so they are busy & happy with them, & not pestering me.

I ought to be getting on with some work for school, but haven't the energy. Perhaps this evening... I'm more of an evening sort of person.

[Deleted User]

Well done on the spending diary!! I have tried to be dilligent with mine otherwise its easy to wonder where it all goes! (as I often do!!)

Lois_E

Good news!

Today I was looking for some masking tape - need to do a bit of painting soon - and while looking for it I found my fleece hat that's been lost for over a year. Last week when it was really freezing I went shopping looking for a hat/scarf set, and I really wanted fleece ones, but couldn't find any. So now I'm really glad I didn't. The long-lost one, although not actually matching, goes nicely with my fleece scarf (not lost) so now I'll be nice and warm if it gets horribly cold again, and won't have to spend any money.

Thanks for the encouragement TYO. Hang in there with your spending diary. They really do make a difference. Apart from anything else, mine makes me open up my financial master spreadsheet every few days, which makes me look at the mortgage graph and keep motivated.

newgirly

Hi lois, just thought I would pop in and say hello. I wish I could stick with a spending diary, I tried in january but its so hard to remember to write everything down you must be very organised.

Lois_E

Hi newgirly and thanks for dropping by. :wave:

I'm an excel geek, so my spending diary is part of my financial "master spreadsheet", and has graphs and pivot tables and stuff.

I only have to remember the occasional cash spend, because almost all my spending is on my CC. I have a DD to pay off the full balance every month, but it means I don't actually have to pay for things until after the following payday. I think of it as a sort of mini-stooze resulting in that little bit of extra money in my savings account earning interest each month. So anyway, that means all I have to do is keep the CC receipts in my wallet until it's convenient to type them in.

I have realised that I am coming very close to owning 75% equity in my house (assuming its value hasn't dropped since I bought it, which it probably has, but that's not terribly relevant since I won't be selling for years and years anyway). So I've added percentage equity to my sig. Another number, another set of milestones along the way... more things to help motivate me to keep plugging away.

So far today I've been helping DS with the initial research for his history project, and wasting time on here and other websites. Must get down to some work I need to do for school - it needs to be done before Monday, and today's my only non-busy day of half term. Hmmm.... think I might just wash my hair first, though.

Lois_E

I got that work finished for school so it's not hanging over me this weekend.

I'm doing well for NSDs - 3 in a row now
(although I think I'm going to have to spend some money today or there will be nothing to eat this evening).

Today should be a good day - I'm meeting up with a friend - but I must remember to get some washing done so the kids have uniform to wear on Monday.

Lois_E

Should have got paid today but it went in on Friday because today's not a banking day.

Got an extra £50 for going in and doing some extra work on a day I'm not usually in.

Mortgage payment showing on online banking already because it will happen tomorrow. Mortgage now below £74k

Lois_E

Today I have had a long hard think.

It's very kind of the family members who've lent me money at 0%, and I know they say they're not in a hurry and are happy to have it back as and when I can afford it, but it's not fair if I start OPing the mortgage to save myself interest when I've got those loans outstanding, and I don't want to take advantage of them like that. So that projected MF date is going to have to stay where it is for a while, and I'm going to throw everything I've got at those loans until they've gone. At least I can still watch the black number coming down as well as the blue and green ones, and the red will come down with the standard payments anyway.

Next target: 75% equity! Can't wait. Just another £279.17 to go!

fishfins

Hi Lois,

I hate borrowing from friends/family but I think I'm going to have to soon

I think you'll feel better getting rid of that little niggle, then you can fully concentrate on your mortgage.

Great news on the 75% too!