Countdown to Freedom

unhappy_shopper

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS wrote: »

Spending diary up to date, credit card bill reviewed and ties out, receipts destroyed unless I needed to keep them. S&S uploaded. That is such a slick process and takes no time at all. I am just over a week away from another £10 Am@zon voucher. We are participating in a further trial thing with them so get a further 1000 + points per week which is great.

Tilly, well done on the voucher redemption from S&S.
Can you do referrals for S&S? If so, I would love to be referred.

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Hi US, I have no idea about referrals but am off to check right now

I have just mailed them to check.

Tilly x

abouttimetoo

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS wrote: »

Hi ATT, thanks for stopping by - I have no USisms to share as they are just driving me mad and I am not listening - says she with her fingers in her ears :rotfl:

I will look at the vantage account, I haven't heard of that one. I am finding it a difficult decision and it is definitely down to emotions not logic. I know the sensible approach is to realise as much cash wherever it is from, but my need to see the numbers come down seems a difficult barrier to overcome. Even Mr Tilly has the same view which makes it doubly difficult. We sat and discussed it this evening funnily enough so I guess it is at the forefront of our minds which is a start.

The heating :eek::eek::eek: don't tell my kids - I refuse to put ours n until 1st October earliest :rotfl:

Best wishes Tilly x

Hi Tilly, I've had not direct contact with the US for a little while but did get stuck in front on an american chap last week in an barely moving security queue. I was [STRIKE]amused[/STRIKE] bemused to hear performace gaps decribed as 'white space' and Steering Committees described as 'steecos'

Have you decided on savings v OP'ing? I tussed with that for ages, particularly with such a mortgage rate but there was only a few quid in it really and decided that whilst for some the numbers make the decision, for me I need to see the mortgage balance come down.

Did you have a peek at the Vantage? It usually flies under the radar as it's a current account rather than a savings so doesn't seem to get picked up on various sites that rank savings accounts

BTW, there is next to never a single week in the year that I don't have the heating on, seasons mean nothing to my ice-water blood :eek:

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS wrote: »

Good morning, quick bank account tidy of £1.90 so that will have me MF in no time :rotfl:

I love seeing people making these sorts of OP's, i think it shows real committment as it's all to easy to think 'it's only £1.90, it's too small to make a difference' I can't remember whose thread I saw of recent times who had worked out that a third of her not inconsiderable OP's had come from doing all the small things like this

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS wrote: »

I find TcB much swifter than £co, I stole that from Mr Froggy, so I can't claim it as my own. I have decided to stick with them but will only use them when I can't use TcB.

I know when I first found this site everyone used to talk about quidco but I never quite liked the £5 charge and the things I was looking for always seemed to be on TCB anyway and I've had smashing service from them

Regards
ATT

abouttimetoo

Hi Tilly

Hope you have had a lovely weekend? Amazing weather yesterday, very hot and not a cloud in the lovely blue sky. Today is, well, the opposite of that!

I must do an update to my thread and also reply to a couple of PM's. Actually, scratch that, I need to delete some before I can reply as I know that both you and FB have had a 'inbox' full message

Regards
ATT

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Hi ATT, you have triggered a memory, one USism on a call on Friday afternoon. I can't recall the word but it will come to me. It certainly does not exist in the Oxford English :rotfl: I was in the office at the time and laughed out loud.

Your heating bills must be sky high but given my age, I am permanently boiling, much to the frustration of my kids. They sit with a throw over their laps, and I am sitting in a t shirt

I have looked at the Lloyds account but something put me off it, but I cannot recall what it was now. Will have to revisit to remind myself. I seem to think it had something todo with not understanding whether the money had to stay in the account, rather than switching back.

On the account tidy ups, I have just had a quick look and i average around £60 ish per month, just by doing this.

OPing vs saving has been a big discussion between Mr and Mrs T. I cannot believe how big a deal it has been. However, with such a big mortgage, whilst the interest would mean we have a bit more money to throw at it, it's not enough to stop the OPs. Not sure this debate is finished with yet. So close to £250k now. Then it will be on to £225k. I cannot believe how the mortgage is dropping. Every month when the interest 'bill' arrives from FD, I OP the difference between my original interest payment back in March and the current one. On the basis we managed before, we will continue to manage so it all helps to reduce the debt.

Do I sound completely mental? No don't answer that :rotfl:

I managed to do some more gardening although the sky was grey all day. I even managed to get washing dried on the line so the weather was kind ish.

Good to hear from you and get your in box emptied :beer:

Tilly x x

unhappy_shopper

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS wrote: »

Hi ATT, you have triggered a memory, one USism on a call on Friday afternoon. I can't recall the word but it will come to me. It certainly does not exist in the Oxford English :rotfl: I was in the office at the time and laughed out loud.

Lately, I heard someone talk about preponing a meeting.

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Morning, offset mortgage stands at £252,400 :T

So next month will see us push through the £250k barrier. Not sure whether bonuses will be paid this financial year, so it is a good job we have changed.

Getting to £199k is going to be significant - countdown to freedom was thoughtfully chosen as the mortgage feels like a weight on my shoulders.

I should be more upbeat due to the difference we are now making, but in fact today, I just feel cross for wasting so much money previously.

This thought crosses my mind periodically and I know it will pass.

Have a good day and enjoy the weather, it's going to be fab by the looks of things.

Tilly x

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Quick post.

Thanks to Peonie, I checked the MSE calculator to determine whether saving or OPing makes the most sense. I would have to gain 4.8% in savings to justify saving vs OPing, so that's the decision taken. I will always save in to the ISAs so that each April, I can drop the max in to them but apart from that it will be OPing and off setting. The offset is my insurance in case of redundancy - emergency fund.

Thanks, Tilly x

Polly_Wolly_Doodle

As always Tilly those figures are really dropping like stones, to be under £250k will be huge and, in the overused word of my 6 year old, to be at £199k will be awesome!
I completely understand about the anger and regret for not waking up sooner but there is NOTHING we can do about that now, so maybe we have to give ourselves a huge telling off (i've done this in front of my DD) and we and they can learn from this.
My Mum never discussed money or budgets or planning with me and i'm not blaming her (well sometimes) but i want my children to learn about finance and hopefully never be borrowers - is that realistic?? xx

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Hi PWD, thanks for your support. I can see that DD is going to be very sensible with money and has stuff set up already ready for the future, including an ISA. Go girl.

DS is not bad but is still a little young to understand everything. I really do think that kids need more financial education. Schools should do more but given the mess the world is in, I wonder whether there should be adult education classes as well. That way the 18 year olds etc could get some advice and education. I do believe people are becoming far more savvy now, but I wonder about the kids whose parents haven't woken up. Two years ago, that was me :eek:

The day I post that we have broken the 2 barrier will truly be 'AWESOME', said with a definite drawl. It is still a long way off but I will be absolutely delighted.

Have a fab week, Tilly x