Jumping aboard!

Jock_Tight

Dont be too hard on yourself £75 extra a month will still make a difference.

For the first 4 years we didn't make any overpayments, we then started looking at our outgoings and looking at where we could cut back, get better deals etc.

We use coin pots to save 1,2,5,20p's this alone can net us ~£200 in a year. Its just spare change which you dont miss day to day but builds up over the year.

2 BoS reward accounts net us £10 a month for free, switching life policy saved us another £25 a month, utility bills, car insurance, etc etc. Within no time we were up to a fixed OP of £100 a month. 5 years have passed since then and are now up to £475 fixed OP...........it takes time though.

All the best,
Jock

Weronika

First 2.5 years I have not made any OP at all! Only recently I added £60, and from today it's £160 each month by DD.
I do envy people who can overpay their max 10% or 10k per year but I keep telling myself it's not worth killing yourself in the process! If I have more funds next year I'll OP more, but for now I'm happy with my little OP as it still reduces balance massively - it would cut 15 years in a projection!

So don't be hard on yourself - even the £75 will make a difference! Just keep telling yourself it's not £75pcm but £xx from your mortgage over full term or that it cuts so many years of it.

downsizer3

Oh - thanks guys. Its hard not to flag a bit sometimes. Slow slow progress but its in the right direction I suppose!

thriftylynny

:jMy one day off today,then back on the treadmill till the 31st :eek: house a complete mess, mountain of ironing,but so tired i honestly cant push myself to do any of it ?? Getting my hair done today to make me feel better & im dreading looking at my withered face in hairdressers' harsh mirror !!! Meeting a friend for lunch so a few wines & forget WORK & MESSY HOUSE for a cple of hours :beer: Apologies for sounding like a right little creep DS but i love your diary, its so encouraging to have someone on here with same aims/targets as mine (you're about a year ahead of me tho !) Yes certainly we'd have it cracked if we could make op's of 1k a month wouldn't we ?!! If it wasn't for you on here i probably wouldn't have been able to keep all this up,so there you go you are :A

downsizer3

Sniff! That's really nice Thrifty!! Thanks for that - and as for you lass? Enjoy that day off! Forget the ironing, forget the cleaning - its a DAY OFF!!! You can run yourself ragged tomorrow once you've recharged your batteries!

Covered in bites this morning - maybe the cat has fleas? Going to investigate online and must. stop. scratching..............

Not spent a bean so far this week :A

downsizer3

Payday looms and another month's payments will be met. It actually gets more frustrating the nearer the end of a debt you get as its so close and yet so far.........;) Roll on June and no more card to pay!!

lexington013

Downsizer you are doing so well, to be MF by 2016 will be brilliant. I'm really inspired when I read your thread. Having wasted money for the last 20 years it's really cathartic to have goals/aims rather than wanting the next big thing, it certainly hasn't made me happy....I'm content in who I am and want to do the right things now, feeling secure is certainly a big one in the current climate. I raise a glass (Asda sparkling wine) to your continued progress/ determination and honest diary.

Jock_Tight

downsizer3 wrote: »

It actually gets more frustrating the nearer the end of a debt you get as its so close and yet so far.........;)

Tell me about it, my mortgage is now small but seems to be taking an age to finnish!

Hope you are enjoying the fine eather at the moment in Edinburgh, just back from a walk through Inverleith park in my lunchtime, didn't need to take my coat. :cool:

downsizer3

Caw Jock - you're soooooo close to paying that off - exciting but that last bit will seem like forever. Great effort though - well done you!
Lex - it is hard when you've seen the light not to beat yourself up for the years past.
My biggie is that when I split with my ex I sort of wanted to try and keep the house a while longer as I'd only just finished decorating it ( with £290k mortgage :eek:) so signed up for a 5 year fixed. Then I had a LBM and decided to sell. That was £10k to get out of the mortgage. Doh. I refuse to dwell - made a blunder but it turned out OK in the end but still I'd be a lot further on now..................

Been gardening this weekend - and what a scorcha!!! Factor 50 required for my blue scottish skin :rotfl:
Slabs going down for my greenhouse - very exciting - and I've dug a space for two fruit trees. I'm thinking one apple and one pear tree. I can always make cider Probably missed the best time for planting but I'll give it a go if I can get the trees.
The bairn and I are off next week to a wee fishing village. Praying this weather holds but not going to look at a weather page 'cos they're always wrong.
Payday on Wed and more spreadsheet updating - very exciting for a spreadsheet saddo like myself!! I'll have paid of 81% of card and 31% of tax credit OP - progress indeed!! :A

downsizer3

Well slab man has nearly finished - on time AND he only charged me £40 for the extra work ( had a quote for that of £320!!!) yahoo.
Next step is greenhouse builder and we're ready to grow......(geddit?)
Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, chillies, usual stuff - best not get too adventurous too quickly eh? I've wanted a greenhouse for as long as I can remember - finally I've (nearly) got one!! Hope I don't turn out to be the kiss of death for all things plantwise....
Am -£20 this month so not a bad start to next month for a change.Payday tomorrow - phew! In it comes, out it goes.....and council tax is back. £141 - flipping extortionate! And thats with lonely person's allowance...........;)