:) The Night before Christmas...

SJ1

Hi SD

I do think that offset is the way forward, certainly going to investigate that when the mortgage comes up for renewal. I did think about doing this when we last fixed and then was put off it because we were doing house things and spending rather than saving, I was also obsessed with getting a fix as the mortgage was a big one, intention is for it to go down now rather than up and at that time a lot of the offsets were variable which wasn't for me, we needed certainty.

It does certainly feel that the offset makes your money work for you as you get such tiny amounts of interest these days that it is hardly worth it. Much better for the interest payment to be less.

Do hope that your DH finds a job quickly, it is very hard to have that kind of worry so sending lots of good luck your way.

SJ

SJ1

Hi there everyone!

Well today was a good day all in all. No spends, on-line or in cash! Very pleased with that. :A

I have also opened a cash back card to get 5% cash back. Hubby was like why are you opening that - we have enough cards. I explained the whole thing and he said something like, I don't like getting additional cards and I said well if we make it work for us its £325 of free money!! I am going to have to work on him!

Need to think about my aims, probably for February now. Off to spreadsheet land to plan out my various accounts that I will need although I think I am going to do a virtual pot system, I think 7 savings accounts would finish me off and I may need to borrow from one to pay off the other = Tilly was this not an issue for you or did you top them all up for a years worth of spend and then start spending & saving??

Hope everyone is having a good evening!

SJ:)

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Hi SJ1, I switch my money each month - some gets used each month and some annually.

Your DH will soon come round - my DH is already planning what car to buy in the last quarter of 2016!

Good luck Tilly x x

macgirl

Hello SJ1 :hello:

Pretty soon you will be addicted and will doing your own nails, selling your books online and feeling really smug that you are knocking £1000's off that mortgage!

I wish you well

SJ1

Hi Macgirl

I have hundreds of books, I am a complete book addict (recovering one now). I buy and read loads but I find it very very hard to part with them after I have read them, which is ridiculous!! I will have a good intention to sell some, start sorting and then start reading them again and then decide that really they are too good to sell! I am getting better and have three bags of books in the loft to sell. I am determined to sort out my loft this year and ebay the lot and make a bit of extra cash. Although someone mentioned facebook which sounded good too, had no idea you could sell stuff on there!!

Luckily I don't really like getting my (finger) nails done. I only like clear or pale nail polish, I have olive skin so anything darker just looks plain weird on me. I also keep them cut really short as I type a lot for work and it slows me down if they are long!!:rotfl:

I do get my toes done in the summer but that does last for a long time and I have a real thing about feet as in I think that they are pretty ugly and need all the help that they can get!! I don't actually like getting this done either - I have very sensitive feet so it's like torture:eek:

Really looking forward to getting things moving on the saving front, I know we can do this but we are going to have to be so controlled it will be unreal! Giving myself daily pep talks at the mo and this is all helping. Keep telling myself - baby steps.

Thanks for the post and the encouragement - do love this forum!

SJ

SJ1

Just posted a response and lost the whole thing! :mad:

Anyway was saying that today had been a goodish day. Spent a little in the shops on some tops for DD but that was it. Got home though and we are going to have to invest in a cat flap that will sense our cat as there is another cat coming in and spraying. It happened on Monday and then again tonight - not nice. It's a massive Tom, I have no idea who it belongs to and I think that our poor boy is being terrorised by this big guy who has decided that really our house belongs to him. Vet is booked for a microchip as he hates collars and new cat flap is on the way. It's a big expense but I am not having my house ruined by cat wee....

Anyway aims for this weekend/next week

- clean the kitchen out and make a list of everything that I have food wise
- set up sales for at least 3 things on fleabay
- don't buy any books and only use cash after shop has been done and cars filled
- try to batch cook something and freeze

I have been thinking about the savings accounts. I think I am going to do a virtual pot as may have to beg and borrow from one to the other. The following are going to be my pots for yearly spends

- Christmas
- Birthdays
- Cars - servicing, tax and insurance
- Holiday
- Home insurance
- Clothes

Not sure about the last one but it might help control me, almost bought a paid of black suede boots whilst shopping, I was very tempted, 33% off as well!! I walked away!!

SJ

TwinnyD

SJ1 wrote: »

Hi Twinny

Thanks for stopping by! I find shopping online good too, I especially like popping out (not to the shops but to the cupboards) to investigate what I have and haven't got! If you haven't already had a look at mysupermarket.com I would recommend it.

SJ

I've never had a look at myspermarket.com as tend to stick with Mr T, maybe it's time for a change
Well done on resisting those boots, must have been hard!!

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Hi SJ1, what resilience you are showing in the boot department.

Tilly xxxxx

SJ1

Hi Guys

I did find myself thinking, how am I going to justify that on MSE! Which was actually really helpful, almost someone on my shoulder saying 'don't do it, don't do it'! I really don't need them but black suede, money off and something I could see on myself is usually a heady combination!:o

SJ

macgirl

Well done - when it comes to making a case for the defense, I'm your woman! I can justify any spends on clothing and footwear and with soooooo many bargains out there right now, you need iron will to resist, so hats off :T
Each small victory will make you stronger, then watch that mortgage balance tumbling!