Lois_E begins a long MFW journey

Radish72

Nights out with friends could lead to you bumping into men that are out and then you can chat them up and dazzle them with excel

Lois_E

Well, we can but hope, Radish, although the one earlier in the week was a girls' night in, so not much potential there!

Just checked online, and the cheque I paid in the other day has cleared, so that’s £159.83 gone to the EF, and I’ve updated my sig.

Here’s the latest version of my plan:
1) Apply for Santandr 123 account - Done
2) Apply for Ntionwide 5% account - Done
3) Wait until 15 March when existing ISA gets its interest added and then its interest rate collapses. Then close it and get the money out.
4) Open a Covntry ISA and put the money from the old ISA in it. - Applied for
5) Send £500 to FL1.
6) Close existing "everyday savings" account. Then using this money and the EF money, top new ISA up to max for 2012-13, put about £2,490 in Ntionwide, a couple of hundred in the 123 account, and anything that’s left (probably not much) in the EF account (which will still earn 3.05% until August). - Old “everyday savings” account now emptied into Ntionwide although not closed yet
7) Transfer cashback-qualifying DDs to 123 account.
8) Set up SOs and reminders etc to pay money to 123 account to cover DDs. Set up additional SOs to pay £1,000pm from Ntionwide to 123 and immediately back again.
9) Close plethora of disused savings accounts. Consider what spreadsheet trickery is needed to keep the emergency fund and everyday savings in the same account as each other without mixing up which is which. (Everyday savings change all the time – I put stuff in there when I get paid and get it back out again later in the month when I need it, whereas the EF is not meant to have anything taken out unless there’s an actual emergency or huge item like replacing the car. This is why the EF counts towards my MFW sig and the everyday savings don’t.) - New spreadsheet columns created
10) Attempt to save £3,000 by August so that when the EF account needs ditching in August, there will be enough to move that money to the 123 account and still get 3%.

jimmybrid

Lois_E wrote: »

Ah yes, that one. I'm afraid I've got that problem with my spreadsheet too. I think it must be a bug with excel, because nothing seems to work on it. :rotfl:

Ooh, Excel problem....can I play? If you can drop me a link to the spreadsheet and a note explaining the problem I'll take a look.

tattycath

Lois_E wrote: »

Well, we can but hope, Radish, although the one earlier in the week was a girls' night in, so not much potential there!

Just checked online, and the cheque I paid in the other day has cleared, so that’s £159.83 gone to the EF, and I’ve updated my sig.

Here’s the latest version of my plan:
1) Apply for Santandr 123 account - Done
2) Apply for Ntionwide 5% account - Done
3) Wait until 15 March when existing ISA gets its interest added and then its interest rate collapses. Then close it and get the money out.
4) Open a Covntry ISA and put the money from the old ISA in it. - Applied for
5) Send £500 to FL1.
6) Close existing "everyday savings" account. Then using this money and the EF money, top new ISA up to max for 2012-13, put about £2,490 in Ntionwide, a couple of hundred in the 123 account, and anything that’s left (probably not much) in the EF account (which will still earn 3.05% until August). - Old “everyday savings” account now emptied into Ntionwide although not closed yet
7) Transfer cashback-qualifying DDs to 123 account.
8) Set up SOs and reminders etc to pay money to 123 account to cover DDs. Set up additional SOs to pay £1,000pm from Ntionwide to 123 and immediately back again.
9) Close plethora of disused savings accounts. Consider what spreadsheet trickery is needed to keep the emergency fund and everyday savings in the same account as each other without mixing up which is which. (Everyday savings change all the time – I put stuff in there when I get paid and get it back out again later in the month when I need it, whereas the EF is not meant to have anything taken out unless there’s an actual emergency or huge item like replacing the car. This is why the EF counts towards my MFW sig and the everyday savings don’t.) - New spreadsheet columns created
10) Attempt to save £3,000 by August so that when the EF account needs ditching in August, there will be enough to move that money to the 123 account and still get 3%.

Wow! Lois, you're so organised-I wish I was/could be half as organised as you are. I'm more...haphazard

QB_Wolf

Radish72 wrote: »

Nights out with friends could lead to you bumping into men that are out and then you can chat them up and dazzle them with excel

What man can resist, a well put together pivot table with an embedded macro or a snazzy v-lookup?

gallygirl

jimmybrid wrote: »

Ooh, Excel problem....can I play? If you can drop me a link to the spreadsheet and a note explaining the problem I'll take a look.

The problem is jimmy that no matter how hard we try the balance still isn't zero . I think we do know how to fix it in theory but it appears getting the formula right is taking a few years .

Lois_E

jimmybrid wrote: »

Ooh, Excel problem....can I play? If you can drop me a link to the spreadsheet and a note explaining the problem I'll take a look.

gallygirl wrote: »

The problem is jimmy that no matter how hard we try the balance still isn't zero . I think we do know how to fix it in theory but it appears getting the formula right is taking a few years .

Thanks GG. I was just gathering all the quotes to show jimmy the conversation where the problem came up, so he could see exactly where the problem lies:

Lois_E wrote: »

Any excel problems, do feel free to ask - I might know the answer, and if i don't, I'll enjoy finding out!

gallygirl wrote: »

Yes please Lois. Try as I might I can't get the balance on my mortgage spreadsheets to read '0' .

Lois_E wrote: »

Ah yes, that one. I'm afraid I've got that problem with my spreadsheet too. I think it must be a bug with excel, because nothing seems to work on it. :rotfl:

Lois_E

QB_Wolf wrote: »

What man can resist, a well put together pivot table with an embedded macro or a snazzy v-lookup?

Thanks QBW

Obviously I want a man who doesn't feel put off by the geekness of my excel activities. (I'm quite far gone - I write VBA code from scratch for it.) But OTOH, any man trying to tell me that my spreadsheets were the main (or only?) thing attracting him to me might very soon find himself feeling rather puzzled as to why he wasn't getting a second date. :rotfl:

Radish72

Just for you

Lois_E

Thanks Radish. I like his/her chart, but s/he looks very serious about it. Spreadsheets are FUN.

I was hoping to update my sig and spreadsheet today. I thought the ISA interest would get paid in. But apparently it won't go into the account until midnight, so I'll have to wait until tomorrow.

Off out again tonight. Hope everyone has a good weekend.

This evening I am grateful for
1) Having a job
2) People who organise social events you can take your kids along to, so no spending on babysitters
3) Not having the winter vomiting illness
4) New piece of equipment working first time I tried it this morning
5) Low interest rates - I know they're demoralising when looking for a new ISA, but I try to keep remembering that if savings rates went up then mortgage rates probably would too