Mortgage free by 50

QB_Wolf

Yeah that's the one we've got and it's been brilliant, according to Mrs QBW (didn't do a lot for me) think we bought it using boots points.

Mortgagefreeby50

No probs! The one I hired was £5 a week and was the hospital grade industrial milking machine!

ammonite

LOL @ Milking Machine - yes I'm sure I'll feel like that too! May investigate the hiring then...I'd have to use mine for 16 weeks for it to work out cheaper which it may not do...thanks for the inadvertent suggestion.

Hope Mini-MSE is still sleeping well for you

Mortgagefreeby50

I only pumped for 6 weeks as once my DH went back to work it just was too time consuming. She is sleeping well, we put her to bed at 11 with us, she wakes at about 4 for a feed and then about 7ish.

Mortgagefreeby50

I transferred £42.66 to the overpayment account today as we used some coupons today and also the gift card from the snail.

I had a think and once the ISA is full then that shall be the emergency fund finished. We are both in secure jobs, and the £5640 would cover our mortgage and essential bills for 3 months. We also have three credit cards with large limits that can be used in an emergency.

So everything over £5640 can be overpaid directly! So far we have £3604 saved, so £2036 to go. With the £150 regular overpayment and finding approx £100 extra a month then we should be overpaying directly by around June next year.

The only thing that has been niggling me for ages is my pension, or lack of. I had a pension with my old employer, but I changed jobs over 2 years ago and still haven't got round to sorting a new one out. My new employer has been promising to start one ever since I started so I suppose he has been encouraging my procrastination. Part of me thinks that the overpaying and saving is providing for my future, but I get nervous when I hear that at my age I should be saving 31% of my take home pay towards the future. Obviously timing isn't great at the moment, but even £50 a month standing order into my old pension would be better than nothing. Must do it. Will someone please nag me until it's done?

Posted my phone off yesterday, so the £26 should appear sometime over the next few weeks. Waiting for the buyer of my SIM card to pay, it sold for £5 in the end which is great.

My first week of weightwatchers has gone pretty well, I have stayed within my points and I'll update you with the loss on Monday. I have about 4 stone to lose (56lb), so will add it to my sig. There is a new series of Biggest Loser USA started, so I will watch it for inspiration!

edinburgher

I had a think and once the ISA is full then that shall be the emergency fund finished. We are both in secure jobs, and the £5640 would cover our mortgage and essential bills for 3 months. We also have three credit cards with large limits that can be used in an emergency.

Tha sounds perfectly sensible. In a worst case scenario, you can always run up the credit card and then use the ISA to keep the payments up to date. Should buy enough time to get a new job, even in the current climate

Mortgagefreeby50

Sorted out the home insurance renewal today, saved £100 and £38 cashback on the original quote.
Other things in the pipeline: Returned some dodgy ebay coupons for a refund, sold a book on Amazon for £13, cashed out my SIM card payment from paypal, submitted expenses from work, cancelled 3 month free trial of ESPN before they started charging, quidco payment of £15 due soon. I will updated when the money appears!

I applied for a promotion at work, not expecting to get it as I'm on maternity but to register my interest for any similar future jobs. I've been invited for an interview! Scared now! It will be good if by some miracle I get it as it will be working from home so much more flexibility and less travelling. Not holding my breath though.

Mortgagefreeby50

PS, weigh in day yesterday, lost 7lb! This normally happens in the first week and then the second week might stay the same. Sig updated.

Mortgagefreeby50

Finally used the Go Ape voucher I had for Christmas last year today! I went with my DH and it was brill! My upper body strength is rubbish though I thought I would be scared of the heights but I was very brave and did fine

Just updated my sig with the £4.74 from the sale of the SIM card. Can't wait until tomorrow when all of my standing order savings payments go into my little accounts, and the £150 will go into the overpayments account. Will make a decent % change in my target and I can update MFW2012.

Mortgagefreeby50

The Quidco money has arrived, so transferred £15.36 and updated sig.
I decided to move across my MOC savings while I was doing the banking, so that's £36.50 moved across as well.

I'm due to go to the hairdressers tonight (comes round so quick!), and I know I can get 10% discount as I do the local charity lottery. Scared to ask though as I will look a bit tight, especially as I don't tip! I only tip the last haircut before Christmas normally but I feel quite pressured every time I go as the stylist hovers by the till until I've paid and then says bye. Probably me being paranoid but I always feel like she's waiting for a tip!

My first £5 Halifax money has arrived, but when I tried to transfer it over to HSBC so I can put it into my overpayments account their over-zealous security wanted to phone me to do the authorisation code thingy. My mobile is upstairs, next to my sleeping child and I'm not going to disturb her for £5! It will have to wait.

Fone bank emailed yesterday to say they have received my phone and will be paying the full £26 by BACS, probably will arrive early next week.

I had a nice letter from Very offering me £20 off a £50 order. I had put a food processor on my Christmas list (sad eh! But Jamie seems to use his a lot in his 15 minute recipes), and there was a good one for £60, reduced from £90ish. So with my £20 off that's a bargain. DH refuses to buy me something so boring for Christmas, so I'll have it now

I was reading on Baby Centre a thread about how much spare cash do people have spare each month. The answers were pretty scary for some, who have to put their weekly shop on a credit card and don't know how they're going to pay for Christmas. Times are very tough at the moment for some people. On the other hand, I agree with what Martin says about Christmas, that it's no surprise that it comes the same time every year, so put aside something each month, even if it's £10. One lady bought savings stamps from Mozzas every week, and used her miles vouchers as well. She must be a MSE. :money:

I never understand it when I'm in the petrol station and when the assistant asks if they have a miles/clubcard/nectar card, the person says no! IT'S FREE MONEY, PEOPLE!!

Anyways, I've rambled enough, the verbal diarrhoea has come to an end.