Mortgage freedom..Shala_moo's attempt at a diary..

shala_moo

Today is pay day :j

So i have to have a bit of a play around with my money and pop it into the different pots i have.

£156.08 balance paid off on credit cards
£150 left in current ac moved to savings
£250 into share save scheme
£900 into my bills current ac

Also moved money in and out of Ha1ifax to get my £5 reward..

I have two current accounts - one for my spends and one for my bills. I then put a certain amount each month into the bills ac and it covers all monthly bills plus annual ones like car tax/insurance etc. I like to do this as i don't have to keep tabs on all my direct debits, i just know there is enough money in the account to cover them all (although i still have a spreadsheet that i update regularly.. love me spreadsheets :rotfl:)

So the good news that we've had today (after we've shouted at the builders) is that we should have an exchange date coming for next week (3 weeks later than planned) and they SHOULD be moving in to start the re-furb end of next week - estimated refurb time 3-4 weeks :T so we should hopefully be moved in by the end of November and overpaying on that mortgage by...... the end of November!!:rotfl::D

Exciting :T:T

I'm hopeful that it will all go to plan but who knows what they'll find when they start.. as long as i'm in before Xmas, otherwise the family have no where to go!!

Have checked my overpaying rules and i can pay back 20% each year but only in lump sums of £500 - so i'll have to save the money in a new pot and then over pay when i reach the £500...

shala_moo

Bit of money saving today - the water meter i've been asking for, for 6 months, has finally been fitted.. just in time as well. If we're moving out next month then i could do with not paying a massive rates bill for an empty house.

I should be receiving a cheque back off the Water board for about £160 as I've only just paid my 6 month advance bill. I can then set up a DD to pay as little as I can whilst its empty (usually around £10).

As soon as I move into the new house I'll be getting a meter there too. Not sure how much the rates are, but it's a 4 bed detached so i'm guessing over £400 a year.:eek:

Other money savings
- £10 Amazon voucher ordered from My Survey
- made sure i did a clothes wash this morning before they swapped me to a meter! :rotfl:
- half a free bacon sandwich for brekkie (i didn't want a whole one so shared it)
- come straight home from work - no shopping on a friday afternoon
- Signed up for some free trials of cat food and dog food... got three free trial packets and two vouchers for a free large pack - checked the price and it's £6.50 a bag! nice savings(even though the dog is my dad's:rotfl:)
- will spend the afternoon catching up on diaries and surveys and also my stories on the tv

Hope everyone has a good weekend.. will be mainly packing i think

shala_moo

Wow such a busy day today...

We spent the morning packing boxes, packed most of the [STRIKE]rubbish[/STRIKE] items that we don't need desparately in the next few weeks.. going on 30 boxes so far! who needs that many DVD's/Cd's/books i ask you... :rotfl:

This afternoon i started pickling my onions for christmas. I like to make my own as i find the shop bought ones a bit hit and miss, my favourites are the Garners original ones at £2.59 a jar :eek: Doing my own I reckon for approx £5 i get about 12-15 jars from the sack of onions and vinegar i buy, saving me at least £20/30 - they also make up part of the christmas food hampers i make for family. It takes a while to peel all the onions and I look like i've smoked 50 cigs with the stains on my fingers but i enjoy the sense of achievement when i look at all the lovely jars of produce!:D

Got a free Christmas present today too, sent off for the Chocolate hamper from Tesc0 clubcard vouchers(Thortons). Got this last year and it was a hit so i thought i'd repeat it, it is £26 in vouchers for a present that's worth £50 in money but i think it's a really good present for a joint family present. I know we've had to spend a lot to get the points in the first place but I have a Tesc0 credit card so I get points for things i'd be buying anyway.

More freebies - used Tesc0 clubcard vouchers for our evening entertainment - we have been to Bl0ckbuster to get some free films... :T Bad teacher (v funny) Green Hornet (for OH so i've not really watched it) Source Code (still to watch) and Chalet Girl (still to watch)

So today i think i've saved about £80 for things i would have previously paid for... it was a good MSE day all round..

shala_moo

Afternoon...

Disappointing news for us at the moment, we were meant to be exchanging on new house on Wednesday so the builders could go in on yesterday and start the refurb, BUT at the final hour the sellers solicitor decided he doesn't like the terms of our mortgage(something to do with the retention amount)!! We're ok financially and living-wise for it to drag on a bit more, although i did want to be in before xmas :xmassmile, but the sellers have actually moved out!! They were told we were definitely exchanging and have gone to live in rented accom somewhere.. awful for them because if the solicitor decides he doesn't accept out terms then the sale is off!!

I just get really annoyed with solicitors.. in the 3 house sales we've done in the last year they've messed them all up, dragged everything out, not done whats needed, waited for us to shout at them before they do anything and kept money owed to us (over £100K) for 2 weeks! I now see why they get the reputation they get (*disclaimer - not all solicitors, i'm sure there are some fab ones:D) I'm at a loss as to why everything takes so long in this day and age of computers and internet... and then we have the priveledge of paying them thousands!!!

ohhh rant over.. apologies...

On a MSE note, i've been xmas shopping yesterday.. £40 on two presents that are worth over £90. Also shared the cost with a family member so that we will have a half price xmas each hurrah. We realised that we didn't need to go overboard on xmas presents to have a nice enjoyable xmas!

Today, as its raining, we are pickling more onions and making onion chutney for the xmas hampers. Have now made all 4 christmas cakes so these are ready to be marzipaned and decorated to add too.

Will post a picture of my stash when i have the know-how of how to post pictures :rotfl:



Photo of my produce today... i made marmalade instead of chutney as my sister is staying here but going to a party and i didn't want her smelling of vinegar all night!! So 5 jars of marmalade (61p each) 7 jars of pickled onions (35p each) and 4 xmas cakes (about £7 once decorating)...

shala_moo

Today's list of things to do...

Actually get new property sorted :mad: - STILL waiting for solicitors
[STRIKE]Source House insurance for new property[/STRIKE] - done - AA £238 with £38 cashback
[STRIKE]Source Table and chairs - want solid oak so not cheap[/STRIKE] - sourced, waiting for a date of completion so i can order
[STRIKE]Source Fridge freezer[/STRIKE] - p1xmania - cheapest and cashback
[STRIKE]Source cooker[/STRIKE] - p1xmania - cheapest and cashback
Source new microwave
Source 2 bar stools for b'fast bar
Ring Sky to see how much notice i have to give - t/phone, b'band and tv

I know it seems like i'm buying a lot of new stuff but our fridge has been on the blink for a year and is over 10 years old(same for microwave - all rusty) and i don't have a table and chairs at the moment. I do just want a new cooker though - naughty

So off to spend some time browsing the internet for new things hurrah :rotfl::T:o

shala_moo

Hello, hope you're all well...

£150 back off the water people today, i'd paid my water rates just before they installed the water meter so the cheques for the advance pymt i made - that will go back into my savings pot:j

Need to set up a DD to start paying it monthly so will fill out the form in a minute..

Also got a viewer coming round Saturday afternoon, they are looking for a buy-to-let property so i'm not holding out much hope for a decent offer if I get one at all.. but as my friend says "positive mental attitude" put your wish to the universe and the universe will provide..:D here's hoping!

shala_moo

Well it seems I put my wish to the universe to sell my house and i have had an offer.. :j

The investor put a lowish offer in within an hour of viewing, we had a few phone calls with the estate agent back and forth but have eventually decided to accept an offer of £125K (£10k under asking price) which I will confirm with the estate agent on Monday.

Obviously i'm hoping that the sale goes through quickly and without any hitches but not so fast that we haven't sorted our new property out first and we end up with no home at all!:rotfl:Anyone got a spare bedroom over xmas?? I'm quiet and I bake xmas goodies...

On a serious note, i really hope that the sale goes through ok, it will wipe out most of the money owed back to my family and that will start the new year with a cleanish slate. It's one less worry off our minds!

Money saving this week... hmmm... went to the International Cake thing at the NEC (Birmingham) and didn't spend anything! We just had a good wander round the stalls, looked at the beautiful cakes, ignored all the crafty stuff for sale and then wandered back out again! Phew.... does this count

Actually money wise, i've been doing pretty well. I have 2 weeks left till pay day and over £1000 left in my account. I have no idea why but i shall be putting whatever i have left in two weeks time into my savings... also did 11 hours overtime at time and a quarter last week..

have a good week y'all... x

shala_moo

Morning all..

Well i'm not at work today so i've set aside a day to do all my jobs that have been sitting patiently waiting for me to get round to them.. (some will spill over to the weekend)

• [STRIKE]ring about lost Dave Gorman tix[/STRIKE] picking new ones up at the box office:T

[STRIKE]

• drop OH at work - his car's in the garage again!!!
• sort out paperwork building up
• tidy kitchen

[/STRIKE]

• [STRIKE]2 washes[/STRIKE] - both drying
• [STRIKE]read meters for my next bill[/STRIKE] done £65 in credit and 7% down from last years usage :j
• [STRIKE]order christmas gifts for OH on amazon - £20 voucher on there - he's the easiest to buy for cos his Amazon wish list is always full [/STRIKE]- done £44 of stuff for £24.. just have to make him a white chocolate hamper and he's finished for xmas
• [STRIKE]go to dad's - sort out all his DD's and pension stuff[/STRIKE] going now
• [STRIKE]ring solicitors to instruct for house sale[/STRIKE] done should be £460
• [STRIKE]chase solicitors so that our exchange on the new house goes through today[/STRIKE]:mad: promising for it to go through at 2 o'clock
• [STRIKE]order thortons hamper through Tesco clubcard for friends xmas pressie - it's fab!! -[/STRIKE] form is on it's way
• marzipan 4 xmas cakes - find the boards and boxes for them:o
• [STRIKE]start onion chutney before the onions go mouldy [/STRIKE]- done 3 jars but nearly cut my finger off with the mandolin so i'm postponing for the moment:(
• [STRIKE]pick up OH from work and don't be tempted by the pretty xmas things to buy
• [/STRIKE]sort a recipe for gingerbread - going to make them for work colleagues instead of cards
• [STRIKE]watch DIY SOS from last night- one of my fave programs[/STRIKE] watched whilst doing internet jobs
• [STRIKE]update money spreadsheets
• catch up on surveys[/STRIKE]

Hopefully i'll be able to get all that done, although i feel like someone's standing on my eyelids i'm so tired. I've done 20 hours of overtime since 1st Nov... and while i enjoy the money aspect of it, it's wiped me out a little bit


off to start me jobs....

shala_moo

:j:j:j:j:j:j:j

HURRAH HURRAH!! hurdle 1 is finally over..

We've actually exchanged on our new house!! At long last....

The builders are starting Monday morning and hopefully should be completed in 3-4 weeks.. apparently the company have had that much trouble with this sale going wrong that we are top priority and hopefully that means all resources will be put our way!

The pessimist in me still can't believe it'll happen smoothly but PMA and all that - lets try it again!!

lulabelle1

Congrats, great news!