Mortgage Free in Three Yrs

HammersFan

DD. Yes, I have started wearing disguises now.

Kaz2904

Well I'm still plugging away at it.
I failed my November shopping budget disasterously so have cut £50 off Decembers to make up the shortfall. I am also going to try and stretch it to 31st December so that I run from start to finish rather than 21st to 22nd.
When I get to the end of each month if there is any money left then I will pay it towards a debt.
I'm paying £16.60 per week towards DS's preschool sessions. I also have to pay for 1 extra session every term. I'm finding it crippling at the moment but I think it's mainly because money is getting spent like water.
DH seems to have taken to going to Asda on a Saturday and a Sunday when I'm in bed and spending £20-£30 on stuff we don't need.
He then says we need milk. Which he could get at the bottom of the road for £1.25- expensive I know but cheaper than £20!
I can't wait until next week when I can update my snowball again and see it go down a little more.
I am expecting to be in August 2013 but not sure when- ie 22/07 or 22/08. Exciting stuff heh?

setmefree2

"Just to let you know we try to make sure we only show items that are available to buy online. Occasionally, when a product is popular or during SALE periods ans special offers, it's possible for a number of customers to order the last item at the same time. We're working on our availablilty systems....blah, blah, blah" M&S Customer Services

An extract from an e mail from M&S. So on 19th November 16 of the 17 items I ordered (trust me they weren't difficult to buy things - I went and bought them in store yesterday) were UNAVAILALE yet showed themselves as available. DO M&S on line actually have any stock? :mad:

You may wonder why I care as I obviously don't hate M&S. But I spent at least an hour and a half of my life choosing and buying things THAT DIDN'T EXIST. AND THEN I WAITED for them for 10 days. That's just mad.

setmefree2

Hi Kaz,

It's funny how popping out for milk can be so expensive - I too am guilty of this:eek:

TallGirl

Morning All
Online shopping with 16 out of 17 unavailable is just stupid what is the point at least you got it in the shops. We just got in at Tescos wine sale last Sunday found our favorite wine for less than what you could get it for in the shops at the time if you could get it. I must have got the last two cases as that was all I could order. Then we come to the same senario as the milk story. I get £99 worth of wine with vouchers etc from here, DH goes on sees 6 bottles of red for £68 that he has to have £120 later his order is in at least he got 1000 club card points. Hope it will track in Quidco that would be a nice bonus.

Not heard anymore about my fraud on the credit card still using it so assume all is fine. Feeling rough today have a wisdowtooth growing out. Ironic as DH went to the dentist and was told his only option is partial dentures. He is 45 but cannot eat properly only has front teeth. He is guttted and does not want to do it is scared of it. There goes to £2k that could have come of the mortgage but you cannot put a price on welbeing over MFW.

Need to write a whole months sales reports today so better get on with it. Work is a bit better and had a nice chat with top boss last Friday so should settle down now.

Take care all and be good.

chickadee

Just thought I would update you all on my progress so far. I don't post regularly, only when I feel I have something important to say, but I just though today I would join in the conversation for a change.

This month I am really pleased to have made a large dent in my mortgage. I have a One Account and rolled up in with the mortgage is a car loan for OH, who was unfortunate enough to write his car off early this year. The One Account came in useful for this as the rate is as low as any personal loan rate he could have got at that time. Anyway, the total balance is £68K, with £7K being for the car and £61K for the mortgage (round figs). I have set up 'virtual' separate accounts within the one account so that I can tell OH how much interest he has to pay on the car loan, in addition to repaying the loan. So far, he has been able to pay back £94 extra per month (odd figure I know but it rounds it up to a nice round number each month).

I'm really pleased as this month I've been able to pay off an extra £1000, in addition to my increased regular payments. This is as well as OH, XDH & 2 sisters having birthdays this month and a weekend in Paris for a friend's birthday! Go me .

I have been using Quidco wherever possible and renewed my car insurance online as well, but this didn't track. I wondered about just forgetting about it, but I raised a query just on the offchance. Now there is £70 in respect of the car insurance waiting to be paid to me. It was well worth asking the question!

Earlier this week I did some Christmas shopping online via quidco, with my Cap One cashback card. I bough DS a football kit from kitbag. When the kit arrived they had sent the wrong socks. I checked online, just to make sure I had ordered the correct ones and they now have £10 off these particular kits. I called them and asked about it and after being passed to a supervisor, they have credited my card with the £10! :T When I ordered the kit they had an offer of a free backpack and football with replica kit orders, so I have them as well! What a fantatic company! ....Just have to sort the socks out now....

Right, enough rambling. Have a great day everyone.

setmefree2

Hi TG,

I am determined to get to the bottom of what happened with my order. I have just redid said order and was able to buy most of it with a delivery date of December 3rd. I have e mailed the person dealing with my complaint. They are either still selling stuff they havn't got or something went badly wrong with my order.Anyway, enough of that.....

That is tough about Mr TG's teeth - my M-I-L paid £15,000 (NO LIES) to have a load of dental work done so she didn't have to have false teeth. She is 67. It was incredibly painful :eek:(it took months) and I have to say the end result doesn't look that great:o (of course I havn't told her that). I cannot imagine paying that amount for dental work. Of course I have been brushing like mad since I heard that,:D though I'm sure alot of trouble with teeth is just bad luck cos of your genes.

setmefree2

Well Done Chickadee:T:T:T:T:T

ailuro2

All quiet here- my Christmas present was my martial arts suit, it was £70 which is expensive, so we made it a present for me.

DH would like a weekend away for his Christmas, but we normally have a break then anyway to cheer us up in the middle of winter.(Both SAD sufferers)

I have ordered some stuff onlie for DD from the Discovery store in the U.S. one of the things just couldn't be bought here, and the dollar's a good rate at the mo, so don't grudge the postage too much. Hopefully they won't do an M&S on me- that's so bad,setmefree!

We don't buy for the adults in our extended family unless we are going to see them over Christmas, and even then it's silly little presents, or a present to share. Secret Santa is suffering from hyper-inflation if he's up to £35.:eek:

Today I'm off to do the second round of the 'self awareness programme' at work- have to do a presentation, then sit round a table and discuss controversial issues with the other candidates. I say candidates because if I get through the full round of self awareness things it could end up in a better job for me, and eventually more money. I'm doing it to escape a horrible,narrowminded co-worker though, not for the money, but hey, it'd be a bonus.;)

Anyone got good tips on how to stun an audience with your presentation skills in only 5 minutes?:rotfl:

Having the update in January is a great incentive for everyone not to go wild at Christmas and New Year.
For any of those who tend to take Christmas outwith the original script and have a 'TV ad Christmas'-

Ask yourself if you really need an extra present in case someone turns up unexpectedly. If that happens, tell them you bought them a goat from Oxfam, and get down there on the 27th and do it.;)

You don't need to buy that extra box of chocs for after the dinner - the kids teeth will thank you in later life that you shared the burden of those selection boxes.:rotfl:

Don't buy any new alcohol for Christmas - tell any people who moan you want an hangover free Christmas to make the most of quality time off of work.:j

Keep up the good work everyone!

chickadee

How did the presentation go Aliuro2? It does seem a bit strange that your company use a 'self-awareness programme' as a route to promotion.

I agree about Secret Santa being a bit steep. £35! If you shop MSE-style you can get quite a lot for £35

I have done some Christmas shopping, all on t'interweb and have a couple of things I bought in the Next sale a while ago for DS. I need to get it out and have a look at what there is so I can see if that is enough, or I need some sticking fillers. I haven't started for extended family yet but I'll try to do that all in one hideous frenzy of old-style shopping. I'll take a day off work for that torture.

Is it just me or does anyone else increasingly hate shopping as they get more focused on paying off the mortgage?