On the road to freedom!

Anna_Glypta

Hi All

Been ages since I've posted on here. I lost my dog in August and what with one thing and another my focus changed and I haven't been around for a bit. I have managed to overpay on the mortgage and will update my signature when I get the mortgage statement through early in the new year. I've registered for the 2013 challenge and look forward to following everyone's progress next year.

Good luck and best wishes for the New Year to all.

AG :-)

*Jellie*

Hi AG
Sorry to hear your news but good to see you back.

Anna_Glypta

M1 - continue to save to make quarterly Capital Repayments on this mortgage (it's on a fixed term and whilst I have to pay a fee for each repayment it still makes sense to pay it off quicker). I don't think the bank likes it but I figure if I do it in chunks of around £5k they can't refuse to accept my money - well that's the theory anyway.

M2 - I had originally intended to leave this mortgage as it was until M1 was finished but I'm impatient to see it decreasing so I plan to start to make regular monthly overpayments immediately - plus I want to see movement on my goals on the MFW13 spreadsheet. Whilst it's on a low interest rate I cannot get more on the money in a savings account so I'm going to start chipping away at it.

12 month savings account finishes this month and final payment on interest free car loan done in March so the money previously heading in those directions is going to go to M2.

Continue to use cash back site - thanks to the MFW'ers I found out about these sites last year (first time I've said that this year!) and have so far received £116 back. Love free money!

Having been away for a bit it's great to catch up on everyone's diaries and re-motivate myself. I can feel a freezer check happening and a meal plan following on soon after

Anna_Glypta

Ok, so the best laid plans and that!!

The bank have told me that I can set an overpayment amount on M2 however they will then recalculate the end date and I will not be able to go back on that and that it will cost me £75 to do so. The alternative is that I can make 2 over payments annually on this mortgage in excess of £1k.

I have decided therefore to push all the additional cash at M1 to clear it off first and then go down the route of saving to pay off M2.

I do have an emergency fund but I'm nervous about committing myself to more money on the banks terms just incase something should happen that I have no control over. At least if the money is in my savings account I will have an additional buffer and if necessary can maintain the mortgages with very low monthly amounts.

Rather frustrating that I can't update any overpayments on MFW13 until April at the earliest but hey ho - hopefully that will be a good one and I can catch up - I shall just have to learn how to be patient!

Lois_E

I completely agree with you Anna. I'm always wary of committing to things that will take away my flexibility to respond to unexpected happenings in life. If I were in your position, I think I would do what you have decided to to.

Anna_Glypta

OK so back to work tomorrow - finished on the 14 December so it's been a while! Holiday will definitely be over so I have to focus and my plans for the rest of the month are:

Pinch the idea from Slowlyfading and try and cook at least one new dish every week (starting I think with the yummy looking Summer in Winter Chicken)
Finish the freezer list
Plan my meals for at least the next two weeks (I know I should have done this whilst I was off but somehow it seems to be easier when you have less time - stops me procrastinating so much!)
Keep reviewing bank accounts to move as much as I can to the overpayment pot
Do at least one job every night when I get back from work instead of getting stuck on the computer (and where do those hours go!!)

AG :j

Anna_Glypta

So, I got through the first week back and it was nice to be back to see the dogs and the boss!

My new dish last week was a Mary Berry lamb shank recipe which was yummy - I will definitely do that one again, oh and I also made a minty pea and potato soup which will also be added to the list.

I failed with planning the meals for two weeks but I did manage one and I am now working on what I am going to have this week.

I went through the fridge yesterday to see what needed using up and dug out some chicken from the freezer (that had been bought when it was reduced) so have just made a leek and chicken mix (with a packet of mix that went out of date Jan '10 - it is fine!!). I've mashed all the left over potatoes and will freeze a couple of portions, ditto the parsnips. I've also made red lentil, chickpea and chilli soup which will last a couple of days for lunches this week (must remember to get over to the lunches thread and report in tomorrow).

I'm obsessively checking the spreadsheets to play around with what ifs - guess it keeps me out of trouble. I HAVE to update the App on my phone for my credit card account - I have got terribly out of date with it and it needs attention to get me back on the straight and narrow. The other accounts on it are fine so it is annoying not to have that one straight.

After paying off a huge chunk of the mortgage last April I requested a review of the protection policy and the payment was reduced by half. I've just realised that after paying off two more chunks last year I haven't been in touch with them again so have just sent them an email to ask them to review it. Better £5 in my account than theirs every month!

Next job after that is to make sure that all the VAT refunds have come in from my online Christmas shopping.

Oh I'm also going to up my target on the MFW13 as I am determined to clear M1 this year completely.

Enjoying looking at everyone's diaries and getting ideas from you all, it's quite hard to keep up to date on it all though! Enough waffling, there are jobs to be done!

AG

nattypants

Hi AG

I finally caught up with you on your own diary:) I am terrible at meal-planning despite knowing the merits of it.

PS It must be a fantastic feeling to see the end in sight for M1:T
PPS I will keep visiting, I promise!

NP:D

Anna_Glypta

Thank NP, nice to have a visitor, especially as I have been laughing at the talk of you trimming your bush and your stripping expertise as I have been dipping in and out of diaries all afternoon! :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

nattypants

nattypants wrote: »

Hi AG


PPS I will keep visiting, I promise!

NP:D

See! I'm back already:T

My diary is singularly the most embarrassing, and ridiculous diary in the whole MSE forum - no focus, very little mention of any mortgage stuff and lately it's turned into something not dissimilar to a Carry On film:o
(It's a wonder :money:'s team haven't forcibly removed me!)

Thank you for reading though:)