Sin hipoteca - via the Armada

ocemeer

Quick run down I suppose would be order.
There is me, my OH ( mi marido), Zorro - the dog, and two stepsons. If not caught on by the title, I'm British, he's Spanish and until I retire in a year, to start a new career in Spain, I work in the UK, he works and lives in Spain. Bizarre I know.
We currently have two mortgages which we would like to get free of, so we can then buy our dream finca/cortijo.
Mortgage 1. £34,000 on a cottage in the UK - hoping this sells soon.
Mortgage 2. €38,200 on a flat we rent in Spain - this is the part of the post retirement plan.
I know they sound small amounts, but clearing these will enable us to get that dream home.
Oh and target is April 14 for the both, obviously once dream home found we will need another MF target.

abouttimetoo

Hola Ocemeer y bienvenida a el foro

April 14 is not too far off, do you already have a plan to help you reach that date?

I'm sure the thought of being able to live with your husband and get that dream house is a great motivator, although the thought of leaving our fabulous UK weather must be hard to bear

You'll find everyone on here really helpful with lots of good advice and sounding boards if you need them. We also have other people using the board who either live in other countries or have homes abroad that they hope to move to on a more permanent basis in the future so they may be able to assist you too

Buena suerte
Regards
ATT

ocemeer

Hmmmm just spent a week of torrential downpours!! I should be a pato or at least have Welles grafted onto my feet!!
Just to help, the cottage mortgage should clear when sold, fingers crossed sale goes through, the residual will be deposit for dream house - determined to have chooks, orchard etc, just need FK's btm then maybe truly good life as OH wine is possibly worse than on the tv show!!!
The flat mortgage is the overpay target, the more we do the better though I have a savings bond maturing we could use - but working on ebaying, surveys comps the whole lot to try and reduce amount of savings used.
Oh and huevos rancheros was a HUGE hit with DSS1 & 2 so big thanks to this forum for that.

ocemeer

Well a good day and bad day on the MFW front.
Good side got a payment from a survey site last night - another thirty euros into the OP pot so that's good.
Bad side eb@y es have just suspended selling account for no apparent reason, how am I suppose to get rid of my tat :eek:
Well dinner tonight, boulangerie potatoes with lamb chops (DH not me) and courgettes so all MSE as whoopsie meat and extra spuds done for freezer.
Manically trying to refill freezer so that DH doesn't starve:( or die of food poisoning whilst I'm back at work:rotfl: in his defence he is learning to cook just not quite there yet.
Friday is strawberry jam day - trying to think of other recipes for strawberries as they are v cheap here ATM, :T
Must put thinking hat on tat removal plan.

ocemeer

Arghhh - rental flat fridge broke so just had to get out and get another one, which means thats this months rental income spent
On the upside I complained to a certain SP bank and they have given me 20 pounds for causing problems and actually were really good at sorting it out (not in branch which were appalling though have an appointment with them to see how to manage finances better).
Apart from that a slow day on OP, just cooking like mad to fill the freezer, one banana and choc chip loaf made and cauliflower and mushroom curry all from reduced items so that´s food for me and food for him - he would just eat cake and looks like a flippin rake thin starved git however much I stuff down him.
Kangeroo steaks and jacket spuds for dinner as clearing out freezer items we have had for ages.
On the upfront - the trees are looking good and we have two cucmber plants loking good and cabbages are good, just need some garlic to grow and get OH to plant some tomatoes. Just chicken and mushroom pie to make and a quiche as have excess eggs - looking forward to the day when the chooks are mine and we get our own eggs and chicken. (working on goats as well but think Zorro may think they are there for him to play with rather than as an asset.)
Right got to find a youtube for crochetting as thats the plan for Xmas and seen as my knitting is hopeless I am not holding out hope.

ocemeer

Nothing really to report today, though because strawberries here are über cheap have made jam, ice cream and strawberry and white chocolate muffins.
Now looking for ideas as have 2kg left......
On another note my job moves to London in a month for my final year and looking to see how I can not only have a frugal time but manage to put money into mortgage.
One step closer to mortgage free on the uk side, have it under offer and contracts ready to sign but not holding my breath it could all go horribly wrong.

ocemeer

:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:
Anyone want a cheap ESP DH going realy really cheap. Sometimes I would really like to kick his btm. HARD.
Now the ebay issue is something he posted has got lost and he didnt keep the proof of postage :eek: so no seller account and now possibly a huge loss because he doesnt take care.
arghhhhhh
Oh and OP on the mortgage have to be above 300:( so no little TT for us - though thinking of doing it into our savings account noting it in a SS and doing it that way.
However my master plan is sell DH (stops me kicking him hard right now) and become mortgage free that way
:rotfl:
Please note Dog not included in this once in a life time offer - he is way tooo cute

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Hi Ocemeer, your post did make me laugh. You have no idea how often I have offered to sell Mr T. I even offered him as a free gift at a car boot sale once - no takers though

These things are frustrating but go and give him a hug - you'll feel heaps better :T:T

Best wishes Tilly x x

ocemeer

I wish no hugs for me/him until I see him next - probably June
DH now looks like the little doggie does when he knows he is not suppose to :whistle::whistle: somewhere and has.
Just was sillily cross thankyou for making me see the bigger picture.

ocemeer

Hmm simmered down now and kind of got things working again, though am I awful have put DH on a treats ban until he has accumulated the cost of his stupidity (or bought me flowers - so he will be treatless ).
Well we did some finacial thinking and worked out some priorities, I have an appointment to see the bank manager on Sat and we have worked out that if we OP on the flat and then try and put some money away each month for the DSS's that way we have something we can give the chicos when they are much older - whether as for their wedding first house or seomthing else would be nice to be able to have something set aside for that rather than a panic.
Good news contracts signed on Cottage and sent onwards fingers crossed this doesnt fall through.

And tilly on the heating front hmm its April its spring dont care what the weather thinks its doing I'm cycling to work in shorts so it had better buck up its ideas and get warmer.....

On upside the item i am selling on [EMAIL="eb@y"]eb@y[/EMAIL] has sold and a day left to go and mnanaged to get a silk dress for confirmation in June for a mere 3 squids, fingers crossed it fits.

problem is with cottage looking sold I'm avidly house hunting at the moment and cant convince DH that he could drive further than an hour for work as all the hosues I fall in love with are miles away (plus he wont let me have Zorro's sister who needs a home....working on that one though.)

ocemeer

:j:j VOPS paid out and so my 'lilies' if I may be so bold as to borrow the concept from Fortune was spent in A.... well if lilies can be counted as red lentils, some new loaf tins and muffin cases - survey vouchers like that can be used on lillies for the house - or in this case red lentils as I have a to die for recipe for daal and cant get red lentils at home.
Another survey paid into Paypal and so bought some cake tins adn jam jar lids - I know all vaguley practical stuff but it oculd have been almost 50 euros OP must get better at OPing.
Down side OH didnt read mortgage stuff properly and we have insurance with them (lowers the interest rate of mortgage) but we had arrange insurance anyway so think thats almost a months mortgage payment there so I am grumpy.
Hes out tonight as a big works do so at least we cant argue about it and I can simmer down - in his defence this is a new concept for him (saving not just Oping) and actually on the most hes not too bad - just trying to get him to cycle to work now rather than use the car - after all he gets sunshine not rain all the time!:p
Hope everyone has a lovely weekend