Hurdler's Race to be Mortgage-Free

gallygirl

Great news Hurdler :j

Sepa74

Hi Hurdler,

Don't be downhearted about your weightloss slowing down. Slow and steady is the way to go and makes it stick much better.

I lost 0.5kg every month for nearly two years, and at the end of it a step change had occurred. I had learned during that 2 year period what my body needed to be healthy and as a result the weight has largely stayed off.

Hurdler

Sometimes I think I over-think things... I was contemplating also building up a reserve of 6 months for the BTL property (especially as half my savings are going to be wiped out with a new back door)... but then realised that liquidating shares and putting them in a better rated savings account to cover off potential switch to Journalism - would also suffice for emergency BTL cover.

I should maybe just focus on one thing!

I got the obligatory repeated letters from Woolwich yesterday - but confirming that the £20,000 was a part-redemption and that my rate has dropped to a staggering £470 a money (from £560)

So now next thing to try and get to the end of the month and payday.

Actually before that - I have to try and get to a state of understanding enough public affairs to pass this damn exam.

Hurdler

New post on the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/ros-satar/customer-service_b_1207674.html

Hurdler

Howdy all - I got the weirdest (and stroppiest) call from someone from Lowri Beck - apparantly a company that does meter readings in the area.
Basically the message was along the lines of: "You haven't given us a meter reading and you need to do so NOW."
They gave details of a website or to call them back on an 0845 number and the webby looks like it was designed by 5 year olds, and has a ~.net suffix that you could buy for £9.99

So I came home early, took my readings and gave them to NPower direct but complained about them, as I have seen no cards saying that anyone has even tried to read the meters (and they're on the outside of the house anyway so they could just toddle round and do it themselves)...

The guy told me... if he had a £1 for every time someone rang up and complained about them...

Just curious if anyone else has had to deal with them!

sweetdaisy

We are with Npower, but I never heard of Lowri Beck. I provide online meter readings every 3 months to make sure that they are up to date on their system.

Congratulations on having your article published .

Hurdler

Meh - seem to have put on 1.5lbs although according to my whizzy scales my fat percentage has gone DOWN by 2% so I am kinda hoping that stepping up the intensity of my gym sessions is increasing the heavier muscle intensity and not the flab....

Anyway - plans for a nice risotto and I think I will oven-roast some asparagus wrapped in bacon.

I think I am going to try it with vegetable stock cubes as the chicken stock cube makes it taste uber-salty and then I find myself drinking more wine. That can't be right surely! :beer:

misscousinitt

Risotto sounds nice especially with the asparagus and bacon....mmmm

Hurdler

I got my BTL statement (dated 31st Dec 2011... good going, Woolwich!) - £138,888.36
The rate is 1.45% but I still think it is better to focus on my residential mortgage first.

Depending on how the removal of the managing agent goes, I might start paying in some of the excess from the rent in as overpayments from time to time... Interest for the month went from £176 to £168 over the year so I might just make little over-payments to chip away at that.

ETA: Holy lord - I just found the original paperwork.
I SHOULD have been paying £642 but I wanted them to put the payments back up to £745 which was what they were originally and they reworked it to £746 for 19 years.
I can pay in lump sums so I think I will have to look at rent to whittle away the sum itself.
But that can't come into play unless I get shot of the useless managing agents!

I also got a share-dividend statement with one of those "sell all your shares" inserts so I need to find the certificate this weekend and get that off.
Then will scoot into Nationwide and open up a saver for that money.
Then will eventually move some of that into Stocks and Shares ISAs so that dad's legacy will eventually go where he originally intended. I think he'd approve of that.

icontinuetodream

Congrats on the placement!!