Mortgage Free Wannabe - My Diary

v1ckyt

Hi all, and thanks for the welcome.

Yes Lois you are quite right, have looked at snowball calculator and need to re-focus all "spare money" on mortgage overdraft. Sister visiting this week so will speak to her as don't want to offend her by reducing payments and have her call the loan in on me!
Psychologically think I will still OP the mortages a bit as like the feeling that am building a buffer between me and unavoidable interest rate rises in the future, plus allows me to legitimately keep my diary here :-)

Lois_E

Well, do whatever works for you, but don't include keeping your MFW diary legitimate as a reason for OPing the mortgages themselves rather than the mortgage OD. Read a few more diaries (for example mine, Froggy's and earthgirl's) and you'll see that all sorts of strategies are welcome here, if they're at least tenuously related to paying for a house, and part of the ethos of paying for these things sooner rather than later to reduce the interest.

v1ckyt

Ok, bit of background as have a few minutes until DH home from work.

We are family of 2 (supposed) grown ups, 3 kids, 2 dogs and 1 cat, plus 2 part-time children of hubby's who come every other weekend.

Biggest expenditure in our house other than loans/mortgage is groceries. Big family including bottomless pit of 11 yr old son, nigh on impossible to fill up. Couple that with hubby working for very nice supermarket that we pop into far too often, average grocery spend about £500 per month, (include nappies and animal fodder she adds cringing):eek:

Have tried allsorts to reduce it, including using monopoly money as visual aid to let us know when approaching out budget limit (as still like to actually pay on cards to get points and vouchers) but still go over budget each month. Son very patronisingly told us "you do know mum and dad that they won't let you pay with that money in the shops don't you?"

On the plus side if we ever get snowed in we would eat like royalty for at least the 1st 6 months due to freezer and larder stocks.
But anyway, excuses won't cut it, so we need to live out of the freezer for a bit and do some serious using-stuff -up meal planning. DD aged 5 has done the menu board for the week ahead, sadly for her we are not having sausage and mash 4 times and spag bol the other 3, two of the very few things she will eat.

Off to make approved food biscuits in a mo for daughter to take to school along with some money to buy them back. hhhmmmm how does that work exactly? and should I feel bad about sending her in with Jane Asher funny face bisuits made from packet that's out of date (only just) to sell to her unsuspecting friends?

Lois_E

v1ckyt wrote: »

Son very patronisingly told us "you do know mum and dad that they won't let you pay with that money in the shops don't you?"

DD aged 5 has done the menu board for the week ahead, sadly for her we are not having sausage and mash 4 times and spag bol the other 3, two of the very few things she will eat.

:rotfl: at both of those!

v1ckyt

Ok at risk of boring self and anyone else around with mutiple posts on first day of diary, (it won't last I promise!) I have decided to make a list of MSE -type tasks done tday, and maybe it will be habit forming and I will do it again tomorrow and maybe even lead to an OP at some time so here goes .........

MSE-wise

No Spend Day

Done 1/2 hour book-keeping work for 1 client to be billed soon

Avoided unnecessaary use of electricty by not hoovering

Meal planned for forthcoming week out of freezer, very little to buy apart from milk and veg(Note to self, must not buy more meat for freezer, or anything else for freezer really.)

Got 17 sausages defrosting ready for slow cooker sausage casserole for us and friend and her daughters tomorrow. This will in turn lead to free haircuts for us in return for book-keeping work for her tomorrow.

Chased up last direct debit changes as moved to H*lifax current account and plan on putting the £5 per month reward to OP

Made biscuits for DD aged 5 to take to school for cake sale (and even better managed not to eat any)

Sent letter to CSA complaining of their ongoing shoddy admin, never know it may lead to a compensation payment. (In my dreams)

Closed up the holiday cottage I looked after and collected the 5 eggs, half tub of cream and bunch of tulips they left and brought them home

Thrown together a slimming world quiche to go into the oven whilst its already on with mine, DH and DS's tea in

Made all 3 kids share the bath water - topped it up and spooned the scum off in between kids

Phew, I think that's quite enough for a first day, don't want to set the bar too high for tomorrow.

Off to collect DS from panto rehersal now.Oh not Im not, oh yes I am....wanders off stage left.......:dance:

gallygirl

v1ckyt wrote: »

Made all 3 kids share the bath water - topped it up and spooned the scum off in between kids

Oh you are such a BAD mother :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:. I used to do the same, but I only had 2 .

Is DS back yet? Oh, there he is....... he's behind you .

v1ckyt

gallygirl wrote: »

Oh you are such a BAD mother :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:. I used to do the same, but I only had 2 .

Is DS back yet? Oh, there he is....... he's behind you .

Lol GG, we're JUST back, spent last hour in freezing village hall watching final dress rehersal, dreaming of coming home to my nice hot dinner.

Will be getting good deal out of hairdresser friend tomorrow as she's going to have to shear his luscious blond curls in order to get his costume hat on, and will probably get her to loosen hat too, seeing as her dressmaking skills are far superior to mine. :D Oh how he will have to suffer for his art :rotfl:

Lois_E

gallygirl wrote: »

Oh you are such a BAD mother :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:. I used to do the same, but I only had 2 .

Is DS back yet? Oh, there he is....... he's behind you .

My mother used to put three of us in the bath together - needs less water to fill it up if there are more bodies in it.

sweetilemon

Hey, I don't have a MF diary as I don't OP, just save & plan to pay off a lump sum after the 2 years fixed. Your diary is inspiring, especially like the saving electricity with no vaccuming! Panto? At this time of year? Who am I to comment! I try to have no spend days but do regularly slip up although gone well today - NSD.

alwaystryyourbest

gallygirl wrote: »

Oh you are such a BAD mother :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:. I used to do the same, but I only had 2 .

Is DS back yet? Oh, there he is....... he's behind you .

Had to laugh at this i had five of my 6 kids, in corner bath earlier ...( think thats the most that will fit in my bath not enough room for 16 year old ) :rotfl: