Its time to grow up and pay off the mortgage

OS_QS

well I updated my spreadsheets and I was very pleased to see:

- I have saved £310 this year from reviewing my bills/products (BT, broadband, sky, etc)

- I have 'earned' an additional £370 from banking (better interest rates / joining bonuses, etc)

- I am saving £100/month on grocery compared to last year (can I put that down as a £1200 saving?!):o

Am also saving more - and for the first time ever I have a 6month rainy day fund what a relief

AND more importantly me and OH are overpaying the mortgage :j though we have a very, very long way to go yet.

cheers folks!! :beer: (now gotta keep it up!)

OS_QS

Just when I thought everything was going so well, we have an unbelievably expensive month. :mad:

Shower broke, then had water coming through kitchen ceiling.... Plumber & new shower £250! Just like that!!!

Had constant stream of friends visiting for past 2 weeks, one of which touring UK, So we took time off work to entertain. Never realised it would be so expensive- showing the sites, petrol and meals, etc. £350+ too scared to tally it up properly, but am trying to see it as our mini-break also, as we're not going hols this year.:rotfl:

Grocery budget shot And savings taken a bit of a hammering

Don't know whether to reduce next weeks OP to give us abut of breathing space or use this to batten down hatches......

OS_QS

I harvested my first ever home grown food last night!!! Lovely potatoes :T

Had a delicious egg, ham and new potato salad for my supper last night. It was so good that I made the same for my lunch today!:D

If only I could keep ckickens!! A dream for another day, but i already have a good list of names

My carrots are beginning to develop into carrots (I couldnt help but peek) but I think are a good few weeks from being ready.

I'm already hoping OH can dig up a bit of the garden so I can plant up stuff good and proper (and on a larger scale than my grow bags/sacks on the patio)

Best not let one batch of HG tatties go to my head! :rotfl:

OS_QS

Just documenting August's OP, another £540

7 months off the mortgage term now!

First month that I've been itching for payday so the OP can go in...need to get focussed on something else to generate some pennies

QB_Wolf

Fantastic OP:j

OS_QS

Thanks QBWolf, it was really tough this month as its been an expensive one, with repairs and international visitors!

Hoping to keep it going though, plus put any of my surplus (there was none this month!) into my savings at the end of month. I leave OH to do what he likes with his extra pennies

After reading a few folks' diaries, I've decided to aim to be mortgage 'neutral' by 35!

Because me and OH split the OPs 50/50, we have agreed the OPs and pay in our share into the joint account. If I've had a good month, then I will save it instead, rather than asking if OH will match it with an additional OP.

Doesn't make much difference, as the interest in the savings and mortgage is practically the same.

OS_QS

OS QS ISA 3210 / 5640 57%

(is saving £300/month to fill this possible?)

LTV = 79% (conservative estimate)

Its gonna be a long slog!

OS_QS

Another beautiful day. Hoping to spend it pottering in the garden so a NSD

This is the end of the first week of my meal planning and we've done really well and stuck to it :T

OS_QS

went for a lovely walk with OH last night and was discussing weddings.........

I dont like fuss, and avoid being the centre of attention at all costs, which is kind of difficult at your own wedding :rotfl:, and is probably the reason I've not even started organising anything in the 2yrs I've been engaged.

I'd love to be married, but dont want to have a wedding. It honestly scares me, but friends and family dont understand. I had said to my OH that I just want to go away, just the two if us - but feel this is incredibly selfish?!

I could get a dream holiday and married at the same time for probably around £10,000. I liked the look of going away to somewhere nice, just the two of us and be instantly on honeymoon. Somewhere that we would never be able to do again.

Although this is a crazy amount of money, but OH has suggested we maintain the 'sensible approach' we've introduced to our finances so we can save this amount of money. (I daren't bring up that ideally i would like it to happen next year!!)

But after talking about it, I'm now thinking £10,000 could be better spent?!

OS_QS

Joint Finances

Mortgage 21% complete with 19yrs to go (so they think!)

Wedding fund 0 / 10,000 0%

Car deposit 0%

Personal Finances

Emergency Fund 3500 / 5640 62% complete

FD Regular Saver 900 / 3600 25% (OH's 30th Birthday & wedding fund? )