Team Remote_Control: Mortgage-Free before I'm 63

remote_control

July update

Mortgage: £127,760.51
Overpayments in July: £20

MSE endeavours:
Rang mobile phone provider and have changed contract mid way through which saves £5 a month
£38 refund from something we didn't realise we still had credit on
top cash back - £19.56
NSD - 8
I got some overtime which is great but not sure how much money I'll actually get.
Hubs got a payrise which is very very small but still is brill.
I took part in an online forum via a survey website which will be paying out £75. Bonus!

Happy money saving.

remote_control

August update

Mortgage: £127,709.95
Overpayments in August: £0
Expensive holidays: 1

MSE endeavours:
ebay - £132.39 :-)
Toluna voucher - £15
NSD - 1
Hubs got a bonus which paid for most of our holiday.
Got a few full size bathroom product freebies which is always nice.

Joined Michelle's challenge and plan to overpay £500 by Christmas.

Happy money saving.

remote_control

Hi

Well not much in the way of overpaying going on but I've started a new job now so it is onwards and upwards!

Have tried a spending diary for the last couple of months - it is so difficult! November is shaping up to be seriously expensive compared to October but I guess that is Christmas and some car expenses.

I'm thinking of giving up surveys. Is that very bad and un moneysaving of me? I hate coming home from work and then having loads of emails with surveys, half of which I get screened out of or they break half way through. I love having the vouchers and other freebies and feel guilty for giving them up. I want to spend less time on my laptop and more time reading all the books I own but haven't read!

Programme about 'penny pinching' on Channel 4 later in the week, looks good!

Happy money saving

remote_control

Just opened a Santander account via topcashback and a credit card with PO so hopefully they will go through and will get some good cash. Not sure if I can be bothered with the effort of the DDs moving over. Does anyone have a Santander account? Do you have to have your salary paid in to get the £100 or could you just transfer £1000 a month in and out? Thanks!

joedenise

You just have to put in £1,000 per month. If you want to move it back to your main account shortly after then just set up a SO a couple of days later. I wouldn't bother having Santander as your main account their customer service is CARP.

Denise

remote_control

Thanks, I was hoping that would be the answer!

£500 op made today! exciting to get the ball properly rolling. Christmas costs are stressing me out though so things might not go so well in Jan.

remote_control

Annoyingly the bank have now written to me to tell me they are reducing the amount I pay each month due to my £500 overpayment. It says there may be a possibility of reducing the term instead but I have to go into a branch to discuss this! What a pain in the .....!

Hurdler

remote_control wrote: »

Annoyingly the bank have now written to me to tell me they are reducing the amount I pay each month due to my £500 overpayment. It says there may be a possibility of reducing the term instead but I have to go into a branch to discuss this! What a pain in the .....!

I gave up in the end and changed my strategy to overpay as much as I could to get the payment down, and then hopefully when I move into a less well paid role, I can revert back to cutting off months ( but obvs at a much slower rate)...
But you're right - it is a pain in the wrong place when "computer says no"...

remote_control

Well, we have both improved our salaries in the past year and so far we've managed to overpay £2500. We've still got some money on a 0% card so we want to get that paid off by the end of the year too. I've joined the 1% club on DFW and that is helping to pay that off. I really enjoy watching the capital go down each month on the mort, its just a shame the interest goes up by the day.

It has taken me about 4 years but I'm nearly at payout on onepoll!!

remote_control

Updates for 2012, 13 ands 14...oops

Hi

Well its been a while since I posted but I plan to be a bit more regular from now on. Since I started the diary we have got better paid jobs, managed to overpay on our mortgage and have now borrowed this all back to pay the stamp duty and fees on our almost dream house we are hopefully going to buy soon. Our new mortgage will be around £325k and so we are looking to sell and declutter our possessions, use what's in the freezer and find any money we have lying around.

Can't wait to move and then start overpaying!!

So plans for June:
Use all food in cupboards and freezer
List on ebay (5/20 done)
Put in expenses claim for work
Make birthday cards etc to save money
Start doing yougov surveys again and actually reach £50!

p.s. we are now a family of 3

Happy moneysaving