Southernman's steps to freedom!

Southernman

I bought my flat in March 2011 with a £50k deposit and so far i have paid off about £7500 off the mortgage.

When i bought it it was repossession and the inside was destroyed but all cosmetic.

My bedroom which is now nice and comfy with fluffy carpets had blacked out windows, horrible lino and mirrors all over the walls. It also looked like someone had been playing darts at the ceiling.

Anyway i had to spend £3000 doing up the place including carpets, blinds a new toilet, a new panel on the bath, painting etc.

Anyway a flat on my corridor has just gone on the market. It is extremely similar to mine, although i think my two bedrooms may be slightly bigger.

It's on the market for £190,000. I paid £140,000 for mine last year. It'll be interesting to see how much it sells for, i think £190k is a bit ambitious but if it sold for £170k that would be really encouraging!

Southernman

What an expensive month it's been.

Not only was i only paid £650 this month due to buying John Lewis shopping vouchers for my new fridge freezer through work (9% discount), i also bought £300 euros (1.23 exchange rate) and a new bin (brabantia for 10 year warranty after the disaster of my previous one) and finally Glastonbury tickets this morning with a £50 deposit in place.

Basically making me very poor.

On the plus side, i did get a full refund on my bin as it broke only after 6 months of owning it. There was also a slight dent in my fridge so i complained and got a £90 refund (the dent is not noticeable after disguising it with a magnet!)

I've still managed to overpay £100 on the mortgage this month considering all these factors, I've also reduced my sky by claiming i plan to move to virgin and their retention team offered me a deal saving me £15 a month for a year.

Looking forward to payday on the 18th and will be lying low for a bit. Why does everything seem to happen all at once?

Got a free tv for my bedroom too as my aunty's friend was chucking hers. I've never had a tv in my room before so it really is amazing!!

Southernman

Think i'll get involved with my work's sharesave again this year.

Currently do £23 a month at 23p and fancy doing another £25 this year (going to be about 24-25p ish. It's fairly risk free and it's a bit like on the side saving!

Does anyone else put into one? I'd do more but i like to have instant access savings too for emergencies.

In other news, i had a DISASTROUS toilet seat moment. There i was blissfully relaxing and the next minute BOOM i'm nearly on the floor and the hinge has fallen off. I won't lie, i panicked as i fail at handy man jobs.

My dad agreed to come round and help me this morning and after about 30 minutes of the two of us puzzling over it, we FINALLY figured it out! THere was a moment where i thought i'd have to call a plumber!!

Oh well, all sorted now!

Southernman

PS i'm going to BARCELONA on Friday and i'm SOOOO EXCITED!!

gallygirl

Southernman wrote: »

Currently do £23 a month at 23p and fancy doing another £25 this year (going to be about 24-25p ish. It's fairly risk free and it's a bit like on the side saving!

Does anyone else put into one? I'd do more but i like to have instant access savings too for emergencies.

Ex hubby used to pay into one. It matured the year after we broke up, my share was around 10k, that was divorce settlement. Used it as a deposit on a btl. Sold it 8 years later, profits bought 1/2 a house in Spain. Just as importantly, it started Mr GG and I buying a few btl's, upshot is we can retire in a few years time. So, in my opinion, they rock .

PS - ex spent his on a car & a holiday.......

Southernman

Wow!That is very impressive GallyGirl!!!

I don't think my £50 a month will go quite that far! I was just looking at a lump sum mortgage overpayment that would accumulate with little thought put into it, working away in the background similar to a pension pot but with much earlier returns!

I'll probably do little ones each year with £20-£30 a pop in them and eventually i'll see the benefits (i'm on 5 year plans, first one maturing in 2016 the same year my fixed rate ends)

greent

Both Mr G and myself used to do sharesaves and made quite a lot out of them over the years. Sadly his last few were with one of the Big 4 banks... needless to say they are worth much much less now than we paid for them!

Southernman

Well i put into my sharesave £27...hopefully there will be no scalebacks

JUST GOT A WATER BILL TODAY FIRSTLY WITH MY NAME SPELT WRONG AND SECONDLY THE UPSET OF FINDING OUT MY BILL HAS INCREASED BY £20 A MONTH

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Southernman

Urgh i find work so depressing.

I wouldn't mind but i try my hardest, hit all my targets, go above and beyond my job role and literally do a lot more than i get any credit for but i don't really get given any opportunity for progression.

What makes me even more frustrated is that a girl was given a management secondment, the original manager then returned so you'd think she'd go back to her original job but that's not the case. Instead they created a job for her. If i'd known this job was readily available i'd have applied myself! Probably helps that she sleeps with another manager.

When i mentioned to my manager that i was looking for jobs elsewhere in the company because i felt like i couldn't move forward in my current role he has put me on the back burner even more. Giving other people progression opportunities over me.

It's a lose lose situation. I spoke to my dad about it and he says it's quite common in the workplace especially 'if your face fits'.

Feelings of demotivation don't even come close.

Reading it back, i sound so bitter and jealous but i just feel that there's nothing more i can do.

gallygirl

Don't get mad, get even. Get your CV up to date and look elsewhere, and good luck :T.