Jumping aboard!

downsizer3

Hi thriftylynny! Good to see someone on here who's got the same targets as me.
I think you're doing really well - you should give yourself a pat on the back. For me - area is key as I wanted my daughter to go to this local school so moving isn't an option - but when I watch these property programmes and see what £300k can get you in other areas......oh - its tempting! Don't fancy a long commute though - but it still takes me half an hour to get across town anyway......

I do get fed up being the sole income and worrier!! That said - I have so many friends with 98% mortgages ( try remorgaging these days) and credit card debt that would make your hair stand on end, that I feel quite smug that I'm where I am really. My mortgage free dream is tangible (almost) and if I could just be certain that they can't take my home away (who is 'they' I wonder - bogeymen??) I feel more safe. Its only wee but its quicker to heat (had a big house before with massive mortgage - always freezing).
Hang in there - I think if you're doing this on your own - stay small and get mortgage free - then look about - and start again haha!! :rotfl:

More smugness - I made my christmas drinks (brewing in the shed for two weeks) and made my own door wreath. Looks good too. Next is to make a door curtain to keep the draughts out - mum's sewing machine won't know whats hit it. The bad news is that the material cost £122 - doh. I put the door rail up myself (squint) and now need to paint the door. All to be done before Xmas. Oh - and new curtain track is going up this week in the living room. More cash - I'll be warmer though!!

thriftylynny

Aah thankyou for the pat on the back downsizer,been feeling down in dumps last week & wishing xmas wasn't looming up,if it was just me it'd just be a plain roast din + box of chocs + the all important bottle of cava!! How mean of me?!! This time of year puts too much pressure on so next year i'm gonna try to be more creative, you're berry brew fermenting away sounds scrummy,bet one glass of that stuff 'd blow all our worries away! Yeah and you're right best to stay put,bigger house bigger bills, longer journey more fuel and would be spending mortgage free extra cash paying for that lot? My house needs about 6k spending on it though & guess i got bit carried away wandering round them gorg showhouses,en suite bathrooms etc.,etc.,!! Would lose value in that area also in long run? Keep on with your great ideas they're what keep me pushing onwards & making me believe that yes!! we can do this !! Get sewing girl !

downsizer3

Yay - glad you're feeling a bit better - keep your wee house till this recession is over - who knows whats around the corner? No idea what financial meltdown really means but one thing is sure - as soon as these sods get a chance to hike that interest rate up to something scarey they will - and if you're saddled with a bigger place, bigger bills, bigger maintenance, bigger mortgage.........well - it scares me I know that much!!:eek: Pity I can't swing a cat but at least I can sleep at night!

My turn to feel fed up today. Just did my sums and I've got about £100 to last the month. Everything mounts up as usual. I did my monthly mega shop so won't need much and Xmas sorted but still. Gotta have some fun eh? Every month I hope I'll have a little bit left over but I don't. Hope I can treat myself - but I can't. And I haven't even bought too many pressis for the wee one. She'll get loads from grandparents etc - and nowhere to put them of course......been a bit frugal - hope noone is cheesed off with their presents! ( if they drink it - they'll instantly feel cheerier...........:rotfl:)
Flamin tax credit repayments start in Dec too. Daughters swimming classes - £77 worth! (per term) and I'm sure some unexpected bill will come and hit me soon. Gawd. Where's that lottery win when you need it?

downsizer3

Things must be bad. I've done some spreadsheets!!
One for my mortgage overpayments - I found one on thismuchiknow website - allows to put in any regular overpayments - which I'm doing but also any additional one-off payments which is handy. Currently looking at 2020 to be MF.

I'm sure I can improve on that once I've paid off my debts - so I did a spreadsheet for them too........all will be gone by Dec 2012 but then I put all that I was putting towards debts into savings - and I'll have my 6 month pot by March 2014. 'Struth! :eek:
Going to have to improve on that somehow.
I'm sure I could do it quicker but frankly I'm finding things tight already - although its not full on frugality it is still an effort.
Onwards and upwards. Keep on hoping for a few positive help along the way.:)

thriftylynny

Big pat on back from me to you now, us single mums need that ! You are doing brilliant & encouraging me at same time ! If i'd stayed married my earnings would be pin money , had a lovely home,2x hols a yr in the sun,kids wanting for nothing but i got out cos ex was mentally abusive to us all & i was desperately unhappy for 22 years, came out with a good settlement but spent first year searching for happiness & literally threw away 20k trying to find it? Wish i'd found this site back in 2007 cos my mort would be half what it is now & my life such a lot easier(i'm 52yrs old!) & i'm thinking how the hell could i have been so stupid,i didn't even have a nice time & nothing but bad memories to show for it?? But i'm back on track now & trying my best, like you the immediate future scares me especially with regard to wanting a decent life in flipping retirement,trouble is i'm caught btw thinking lifes too short & wanting to not work so hard & still have a life & having that great positive feeling seeing my debts ever so slowly coming down. Def need to start doing lottery but would begrudge spending 2 quid !! Keep warm up there !

downsizer3

Just had my curtain track fitted and the man charged me less to install it - bonus!
I'm 45 thriftylynny and have no pension pot to speak of. I'm having enough to deal with in childcare and my own business to manage that. I'll have to work till I drop I recon. I try not to think about it till I can clear my feet a bit. Even my 'wealth advisor' ( gotta laugh at that name) said that at the moment I should forget my pension.
I think you're well off out of your marriage - I recon I lost about £30k in getting out of my relationship - selling up at a bad time, lawyers etc. It was worth every penny not to have to worry about what my ex was up to ( gambling - constantly terrified about what he was up to. Unbelievable debts.....) - self sufficient again and much much happier despite a lower income.
Just think - one day your home will be yours - a big house owned half by the bank isn't yours - and I'd rather have this peace of mind any day.
Even if I won the lottery I'd not buy a big place. I may put in double glazing though........brr
Talking of which its becoming very obvious that my bathroom ( in a wee outshoot at he back of a ground floor conversion) is completely uninsulated. Its about -10 in there. Gawd. You need to put your coat on to go for a pee - there'll be stalegtites on my bum by the time the real cold weather sets in.......:rotfl:

thriftylynny

Great news on the curtain track are you buying curtains aswell? I live in a 60's built house and have had to furnish with my traditional marital home stuff so got swags 'n' tails up for goodness sake, with the dim energy saving light bulbs its like life in the 19th century here!! Absolutely horrid little downstairs bathroom,seperate loo,no bath just a shower cubicle for me & 2 teenagers, a wall needs knocking down where loo is,partition wall to make bathroom bigger to get bath & toilet in there,at a cost of around 2.5k with bloomin tradesmen prices here! And thats just the bathroom. I pay from my seriously low salary into a local govt pension mthly & when i retire pays out a pitiful 7k i think with an equally low annual income 750 quid a yr if i've got this right?? Need a rich man to come along,a nice one tho!!

downsizer3

Gave up on the rich man theory years ago. Some of my clients fall into that category and believe me - their wives ain't letting go!!!:D

My house in pretty good nick thankfully - I had some downpipes to replace, new gate and that sort of stuff ( things you
hate spending money on) but it's all done now. Just had to bite the bullet before it all started to cause problems.
Yor pension sounds like mine - my income protection would be better - just need one leg to drop off or something........;)

I quite like having projects to do on the house - but some are more do-able than others. Knocking walls down and stuff maybe a step to far? :eek:
Thankfully I had curtains already - we were toasty last night(ish) - old victorian place - I've got the ground floor (and gardens) - so feel the cold coming up from below. I do have plans to extend one day to give me a 3rd bedroom (any guests get my bed and I go in with my daughter - its not ideal) and kitchen / dining but all are pipe dreams just now. More attainable is a greenhouse - my next project (beyond decorating that is). I am saving / paying off card but I also want our curent house to be as good as we can get it.
Schools shutting today at 12 because of the bad weather up here. I'm in edinburgh - where abouts are you thrifty?
Off to check my lottery numbers. If I move to the savings / investments forums you know I've won!! :rotfl:

thriftylynny

Yep i know what you mean about the guys with a bit of cash,also if they're single they're usually pushing 70 or the middle aged ones are looking for bubbly booby blondes! Saying that i do have a boyfriend' who works & is very good to me, but who owns absolutely nowt & i am reluctant to let him move in here with me cos of that. He talks about buying an apt in spain & having a life in the sun when my kids finally leave home, with whose money would that be? Mine!! Sometimes i feel like i'm his retirement policy so it aint happening. I live in St Albans,Herts btw Downsizer & its a lovely town,commuter belt to London, if you can really afford to live in it, i've a very tiny 3 bed semi & my council tax alone is 180 p/m !! I've heard that Edinburgh is beautiful,never been but my dad was stationed at at the Castle there just after the war & has fond memories of it? Bet it's bloomin cold up there tho according to the news isn't it? I can just picture you sneaking off to the shed for a wee dram of your merry berry liqueur just to warm yerself up course!!:beer:

downsizer3

The merry berry did indeed get a wee taste at the weekend - just to check it's OK of course.........;)
Like you I'm very wary of anyone who's not got thier finances in order. Having kids puts it into perspective as you've got to provide for them - and way beyond their leaving home stage - if indeed they ever do..........I don't get any help from ex ( as he hasn't got a bean) so it's pretty tight.
Not sure how I do it but I work out every single expense through the month - and always always some things crop up and I really struggle towards the end of the month. Just to cap it all my neck has seized up (as it does sometimes) so its off to the physio this afternoon - that'll be £40. Jings. Every month I think I'll be ok as I have it all worked out and it seems everything is a bit more than I expected or something need done at home. Money money money.
Oh - and not a single number on the lottery this weekend - thinking of giving up - but I'd miss that 'what if' dream that goes with it!
Hey ho - payday on 22nd!! Jan will be a hard month!:eek: