The long road to being mortgage free!

Marie27lol

Hiya Ammonite

Don't don't don't!

We also had a my OH's boss's wedding evening at a rather expensive location, so we decided to make that our weekend away.

Started off by doing a mystery shop visit at McDonalds at 9am, and went down to wedding area and spent 6 hours looking at local NT attractions, without going in. MSE are we. We did buy something from the shop and made a small donation to National Trust, but we still saved £15 in fees!!!

We then went to the evening do, and I didnt drink (saved on drinks), but it still cost us £25 which included a round to the big bosses. So we made a saving of £25 in drinks, £80 on the room within the hotel, and x2 taxies if I had driven.

The following morning, we had planned on more touristy things, but the weather decided to change dramactically, so we headed back early, without spending anything extra.

How about doing something similar with your weekend? Find a different B&B before/after, and make it a tourist trip in the wedding area....

Just an idea.

M

kimberleesmith

go for it you can do this

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Morning Ammonite, with the weather the way it is I would stay home and save your money. What about keeping a couple of days for your de-cluttering, then maybe a car boot on a weekend. You could make the house sparkle (sorry if it does already) and you can be in your own hotel. Fresh laundry, new shower gel (from offers :)h, good food, all in the comfort of your home.

You are doing so well and you must be delighted to see your saving growing :T

Have a great holiday however you choose to spend it.

Best wishes Tilly x

ammonite

Thanks all We have decided not to book the break but check the weather for next week, if it is sunny we will go for 3 nights (instead of 7) think that is a good compromise. :j

I will be doing lots of eBaying in the next few days and de-cluttering as you say Tilly. I do love a sparkling house but it is a total mess at the moment with clearing out a room!

Feeling slightly aggrieved that we have to spend £1000 on the house but sometimes needs must.

£50 coming in from DooYoo and nearly at £10 again there. £26 from Ciao and at £32 on Onepoll (£40 for payout) so that is over £100 coming in very soon for adding to savings

Also did a few more calculations and managed to siphon another £200 from the "car" fund.

Total savings now at 5.66% of the total mortgage :T

ammonite

Definitely think the "savings" is the best way forward for us at the moment. There are so many uncertainties coming our way in the next 18 months in terms of money, it is safer to have access to the money if we need it and then when we become more secure we can overpay then if we are able.

We only need to overpay by £2100 every year to reduce the mortgage from 21 years to 12 so if we have that money spare at the end of next year, we can overpay 2 years worth then.

Enjoying seeing the savings grow. First time in ages we have been able to save up for a rainy day, usually high days and holidays have eaten it all up.

Doing very well on Doo Yoo, managing to write and rate daily. It has become a habit which is great.

No petrol spends as I'm off work on hols, so saving around £100 this month because of that.

Founds loads of stuff to eBay tomorrow so hopefully that will bring us some nice pennies in.

Currently not going away as the weather is so poor, if it perks up we're off on days out and may spend 1/2 nights away.

How is everyone else faring? X

gallygirl

ammonite wrote: »

Definitely think the "savings" is the best way forward for us at the moment. There are so many uncertainties coming our way in the next 18 months in terms of money, it is safer to have access to the money if we need it and then when we become more secure we can overpay then if we are able.

I so agree hun, money in the bank gives a bit of security. I overheard 2 guys talking in Asda today about getting consultation letters next week - one's wife had a couple of vases in her hands, the other a new teapot....... couldn't help thinking they weren't really priority purchases :cool:.

ammonite

It is amazing how much my views on money have changed. I have always been careful with money and a good saver, but when I was younger, £10 on a top here, £20 on jeans there would be nothing. Now I'm thinking "that could be £20 towards the electricity" or "I'd better not buy that, I don't really need it".

I had enough trouble spending my birthday money this year which I'd specifically decided to spend on new clothes (as I need them).

Anyway, today a day of eBaying beckons, although this does seem to be the first morning in which I've seen the sun, so if it is nice I'll be outside and eBaying another day!

Just done various car insurance quotes and they are coming up around £150 cheaper than I had budgeted for.....which means the spare cash can be saved


Also rang gas people to see if I could reduce monthly Direct Debit as it had been put up to cover winter arrears, after the next payment I can reduce it by £20 per month. I know this means we might have to do the same again next year (i.e. pay more) but at the moment, it's better in my pocket. I really need to try and get our gas consumption down somehow during the winter. We cook gas and have gas heating. It will be worse this year as I will be at home all winter so will need to have it on more than usual (i.e. when I'm at work). The house is not draughty and I sit in my big dressing gown as much as possible and wrap up with blankets when watching TV. Perhaps I need to find a cheaper gas tarrif or supplier?

katsu

Check the utilties forum here and see what people in similar properties use? Make sure you get your boiler serviced annually (my service costs £65 and the chap is fully corgi registered) to ensure it is running right.

Line your curtains - perhaps hang a curtain over the front door (my door is UPVC but it makes a real difference). Check how long you have the immersion heater heating the hot water.

Hope some of that helps with ideas.

ammonite

Thanks Katsu - I didn't even realise there was a utilities forum. I asked over there and got some good advice - will be giving nPower a ring later today. Our curtains are all lined and the door is UPVC, I think in that sense the windows and doors actually do there job. Boiler is pretty new but will be worth getting it serviced I think, I know a good reasonable plumber.


In other exciting news I temporarily lent a family member some money which has just been repaid in full so total savings have now jumped from 5.663% to 6.387%.

In case anyone wonders what the percentage is, it is the percentage of the total mortgage cost we have in savings (as we may need access to the money in the next 18 months - if we don't use it, it will then be overpaid).

Very pleased, had a few good months sorting the money out - not sure how much longer it can continue for! Home improvements need to happen soon!

Great that I am off work this week as have saved a fortune on petrol We aren't going away this week now but have had a few cheap days out instead which have been nice.

Also I'm doing the "eat out of the freezer and cupboards challenge" on the food & grocery board. I have also discovered the coupon thread and had various bits and bobs free (jaffa cake bars, cherry bakewells etc.). I've had to buy key essentials to keep us going but mainly fresh stuff. Trying to eat up all the meat that is in the freezer - at it's current rate of consumption, we'll be absolutely fine until September for meat. Really tried hard just to buy what I need in the supermarket. It has allowed me to save even more pennies for the mortgage/savings pot.

ammonite

Decided not to do the work on the house this month so managed to put £200 away before it gets spent on nothing. Savings now 6.651% until payday (unless eBay or survey money arrives). Can't see us managing to save anything next month as all the house work will come out of there so may have to be clever with the grocery budget or something to save some pennies. Can't bear not to save up! Although I think car insurance will be £150 cheaper than expected so hopefully that can get saved!

Just realised our LTV on the house will be going sub-50% this year too (that's with a conservative estimate of the house price) which is always encouraging after 4 years.... I just know the next 50% is going to be soooo much longer and painful to pay off!!!