Goodbye Mortgage - the beginning of the end!

Beckyy

I appear to have exhausted Nectar Adpoints and watched every single advert on there, which is a shame because I've only collected 186 points this week. I notice it does say at the bottom *subject to availability on the 250 points per week. Although I've never known of an advert shortage anywhere else

We have the option of going to fireworks/bonfire tonight for a free night out. Although if the weather of the past few days is anything to go by I think a flask of coffee and a hot water bottle in the car wouldn't go a miss

We also spoke about going to see James Bond this weekend and using our Nectar points to pay for it.

I've a few days off work which I SO need at the moment. Very tempted to turn my mobile off for the weekend too!

Have lots of housework to do, and also need to get more don at BTL. Spent a few hours there earlier this week but still have lots to get done - almost too much!

2 x £5 reward recieved from Halifax, which move into OP pots to OP once I've got the bill out of the way. Don't want to run short this month!

Beckyy

We went to the fireworks last night, then got a bag of chocolates and watched Derren Brown - a nice cheap night!

I did the food shopping today, was roughly in budget as have stocked up on some extras for the store cupboard so they'll last a while. Must be all the talk of the Hurricane Sandy making me feel like I should stock up.

I've been reading blogs and articles about minimalism and simple living tonight, they're very inspiring. I think I've become a million times less materialist over the past few years, I hope I learn to live an even simpler life and in turn a calmer one too!

£5ish of Quidco cashback through, will put it in the OP pot!

Beckyy

I think my Mortgage Free Dream might have to take a back seat for a while. My OH isn't a fan of OPing the mortgage and thinks that because it's a very manageable debt we should just spend our money and let it run it's term. He's desperate for a new car and I know that if I don't start saving hard towards it then it will mean finance/a loan - he already wants to sell our BTL house to fund it because I'm taking a while to get it sorted.

So I'm going to funnel my main OP money into OH's Car fund and just OP bits and pieces here and there. Hopefully once BTL has a tennant in, or OH has his car sorted I can pick up the bigger OPs again.

MuffinTops

Hello Beckyy,

Having the money to funnel a new car and other bits you need is still fantastic. Lots of people would need a loan but, due to your savviness, you don't.

Just adding the odd £ here and there on the OP is all that some do, especially when you're busy saving money elsewhere. I generally lurk on your diary, but I subscribed as you're motivating and do a great job.

I hope all goes well with the BTL work you need. Did you apply for the cleaning job?

MT x

lilmissmup

Hope to still see you round Becky even if its just for motivation!

I am off to look at a car tomorrow looking to prehaps borrow £10k to buy it :eek: but I am going on the basis if I dont buy it now I will never get the chance again, will be my car for at least next 5 years!

Beckyy

Thanks Muffintops, I never really looked at it like that, but you're right! Hopefully it'll just be less for the next few months until BTL lets sorted. There's not a huge amount to do but it's just finiding the time and initially getting everything sorted with a tennant - it's my first time as a landlord (although intentional!) so it's quite daunting, but will be fine once everything done.

lilmissup, I totally see where you're coming from. We were saving each month towards a new car, as well as money in the pot for repairs etc. but OH's car has had a lot needed doing to it lately so has wiped out most of the car fund at the moment!

My work has made things a little busier for the time being so I decided not to apply for the cleaning job, just incase I couldn't fit it in and ended up causing more harm than good trying to juggle things around.

On a MFW note, I used the Novelle £1 off voucher (x2) to get 8 loo rolls for 46p today in the co-op.

Beckyy

I've just blitzed through Nectar Adpoints but only had about 70 points worth of adverts to watch! I hope they add more by the end of the week, have noticed them decreasing each week now. Nectar points are back up over the £20 mark thoug . Not sure whether to use them to go to the cinema or not...Hmm.

I just have a shift this afternoon/evening and then a couple of days off, so I'll get some more decorating done at BTL and maybe try and get my head round a tenenacy agreement, inventory etc. think I may need to seek some help for those!

I also need to get a haircut before I take the scissors to it myself :eek:

Beckyy

Have just OPd a few bit and pieces I had in the OP pot - mainly Quidco cashback. Only came to just over £13, but better than nothing! Am hoping to still make a three figure OP towards the end of the month, but not sure how big it will be. Determind to make my £3000 target for the year, just need to make sure I don't hind getting BTL sorted in the process.

We went out to dinner last night, and are going out for the day in a couple of weeks to do some Christmas shopping and have a day out. Have been saving up my luncheon vouchers for coffee and a cake at Starbucks - outrageous prices though!!

Beckyy

It's been a while since I've done an update. I've realised that I was a little bit over zealous starting my overpayments and in reality I should have got our BTL property sorted instead of funelling so much into the overpayments as it's limited what I've been able to do, and how quickly at BTL. Hindsight is a beautiful thing!

I won't be making any more big OPs for the rest of the year, but bits an dpieces here and there so I won't make my £3000 target by quite a few hundred pounds, but I'm happy with what we have achieved so far!

I've been off work on annual leave for a few days which has been lovely, however very expensive. Our washing machine has broken, and I've had to order a new motor (£85). I just hope that is what is wrong otherwise the bill is going to keep going!

We also still have a lot of Christmas presents to buy, so not a cheap time at the moment!

Beckyy

A little update from me.

Again, just a token OP for December but better than nothing. I didn't reach my 2012 OP target, but I was a little over zealous when setting it and didn't quite have my priorities right. I'm going to wait a month or two before I set my 2012 one to get a rough idea of what is realistic!

We had a nice Christmas, albeit a quiet one. I feel really motivated with money at the moment and I really hope it lasts. I've buckled down with our food budget and am determind to stick to it regidly - so far so good (love how I'm saying that on the 1st of the month!).

We definitely have a few big expenses coming up this year. The first will be a new front door, hopefully in the next couple of months. After that should be a woodburning stove with backboiler to replace our current open fire equivalent. After that will possibly be new windows. OH would also like a new car, but has done for quite some time now... it's a possibility for much later on in the year but will eat away a huge chunk of money if/when it happens. The door, stove and windows will be a few thousand between them :eek:

I've changed the way we budget entirely this past month. I've worked out our annual bills, divided by 12 and wil pay this amount per month into a dedicated account with our bills set to come out. This will make 'spare money' (when is it ever spare!?) much easier to sort out. I also need to keep a tight reign on what I spend!

I hope everybody had a lovely Christmas and New Year - wishing you all the best for 2013.