Sweetdaisy's aim to be mortgage-free

BlueMoo

Happy 2nd Anniversary :j

megela

Happy 2nd anniversary - and well done on the reductions:T

sweetdaisy

Mortgage balance is £66,565 and I have reached my target of reducing the mortgage balance by £10,000 this year. Hoping that I can get it down to £65,000 by the end of the year. My overpayments have reduced the mortgage term by another month and we are now set to repay the mortgage by August 2022 - 3 years and 5 months earlier than the original term end date :j.

I've been doing well on the Survey front recently. Reached the payment thresholds for Onepoll, YouGov and Valued Opinions. DH purchased some biking bits and bobs through TopCashback and earned £3.38 in cashback, so waiting for that to be made payable and I will redeem.

Received an email from BT informing me that my BT Line Rental Saver (£141) is due in 3 weeks, so I'll renew closer to the date.

We have been given authorisation from DS1’s school that he can have 2 days off at the end of January, therefore we have booked a long weekend at Center Parcs for DH’s 40th Birthday. I'm really looking forward to this as it’s nice to have a little break/holiday to look forward to and I know the children will enjoy it.

The Christmas rota has been done in work. I am off Christmas Day and Boxing Day this year, so working Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day instead (as well as a few days in between). I am also On-Call for a few days over the Christmas/New Year period.

BlueMoo

we are now set to repay the mortgage by August 2022 - 3 years and 5
months earlier than the original term end date :j.

Congrats :T :T :T

That's amazing news! Good on you!

Centre Parcs is lovely - which one are you going to?

sweetdaisy

BlueMoo wrote: »

Congrats :T :T :T

That's amazing news! Good on you!

Centre Parcs is lovely - which one are you going to?

Thanks BlooMo .

We are going to Center Parcs in Longleat. We went in 2010 when DS1 was 2 years old and he enjoyed, so I know that the children will enjoy it. Also, I have got quite a stressful period coming up in work from mid December - end of January so will need this short break to recharge my batteries and mind!

sweetdaisy

Cashback Credit Card statement received today and last month I earned £20.88 cashback. Total cashback to be paid in January 2014 is £155.95 (which I think is more than last year) .

I have completely changed my strategy regarding my 'saving pots'. To make things simpler I have decided to get rid of my: Family, Annual Spends and Car savings pots and have clumped it all together in the main Savings pot.

Our new savings 'pots' are:
Emergency Fund
Childcare costs
Christmas/Birthdays
DH's pot (for his biking bits and bobs)

My reason for this is to simplify our savings, rather than having to divide savings up every week into various pots. I have a figure that I need to keep in the main savings pot as an Emergency and will not go under this. DH gets paid weekly and from his pay I will put a set amount into his savings pot, 50% will be put into Savings and 50% paid to the mortgage.

This means that our mortgage overpayments will increase and based on my mortgage spreadsheet, I could pay the mortgage by the end of 2018 (if all goes to plan).

Also, work is getting me down and I know that the only way I can change job/do something different is to pay off the mortgage and I am keen to do this as quickly as possible. However still ensuring that my MFW plans don't have an impact on our family life and we continue to have fun .

BlueMoo

I have completely changed my strategy regarding my 'saving pots'. To make
things simpler I have decided to get rid of my: Family, Annual Spends and Car
savings pots and have clumped it all together in the main Savings pot.

Yes, I too just had one 'annual savings' pot - this includes car, insurances, tv, water, and OH's sport club membership.

My other pots are fun money/wedding/mortgage OP/unexpected longterm pots and of course my regular account.

Though once wedding over, this will be remortgage pot.

I find it much easier this way and so I don't move money in and out constantly. Just once a month.

***

Sorry to hear work isn't going well. Just think only 9 years to go before MFW!

southerndave

Simplification Daisy, it is the key!! And I echo your sentiments regarding having fun....see my diary!

sweetdaisy

Cheques written for next weeks Childcare/School costs, bought a Horse/Donkey outfit for DS1's nativity play, all housework and ironing done and kick starting my healthy eating/exercise regime tomorrow . It's too dark to go for a walk after work, so I'll have to go on the cross trainer.

It's Pay Day for me on Tuesday and I have set up my December finances spreadsheet in earnest. I need to renew by BT Line Saver next week and it looks like my car is going to have to go into the garage as there is a strange whistling noise coming from the clutch/clutch pedal (?!) when I change up a gear :mad:.

Christmas shopping is almost done, apart from getting a Gift Card for my Sister and some greeting cards :xmassmile. I am pleased as I have remained within budget.

Secret_Saving_Squirrel

Well done, you will reach your target in no time. It will be worth all of the little sacrifices when you have the freedoms to choose about where to work and when.

Squirrel