The impossible dream

Tahlullah

Sad isn't it? How we choose to spend our money? I do sometimes wonder how the ones who are now mortgage free manged to do it. An amazing strength of will to do without in other areas of life, freeing up valuable money to pay down the mortgage.

I use Top Cashback, and had a look at the dashboard for the first time today. Never paid it much attention. But, I was shocked - and I mean genuinely shocked - to find that since January 2018, I have spend £5,500 on ebay!!! Haven't got that much back, but what a figure to spend on ebay!!!

The only think I can say in support of such an amazing spend level is that if I had been buying from ordinary shops, the expenditure would have been much higher! The reason I buy on ebay is because I want the small things that oil the wheels that allow life to roll more smoothly. those small things clearly add up.

For example, I have 2 things in my watch list. Stickers to go in the car and on the house to say that you are being recorded on CCTV. If you don't warn people, evidently, you can't use the footage as evidence. And a new set of pillows. So, I could re-wash the pillows, which I have done in the past and it destroys them, or I can buy a set which is much cheaper than if I went to a shop. Should I buy? Yes of course, they make life more comfortable and easier. Should I think about not buying them because I need to pay down the mortgage? Yes, I should give it consideration, but I am going to continue buying the small things.

So, I could have been £5k less on the mortgage. Do I feel bad about it? No, I am being realistic and this is what it takes for the world to go round.

I might think twice in the future though...

StripeyTightsSpottySocks

Hi Tahlullah

Happy Belated Birthday to you :bdaycake:

You are doing brilliantly with the overpayments :T

& :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: to your bay of e spends - i don't have a tracker for all bits & bobs i buy to make this a life rather than an existence but i imagine the spends are up there - &, like you, all bargainous I have been outside 2 bookshops recently :smileyhea and whilst i saw books through the window that spoke to my heart i did not go inside - my budget extends to second hand only. I recently was thinking the library would be even cheaper - except they don't have the books i want and i think i'd need to order / wait / get there to collect. The time i save is worth the £1 or so i may spend on a second hand book and i always pass these on to friends and family x

I was also :rotfl: as i got new pillows a w hile ago and only just changed them as it seems such a waste of the old pillows

I've not been posting just lately - hopefully back now

Tahlullah

Good to see you back and thanks for the birthday wishes Stripey. Another year gone.

What to do with old pillows? I gave one to Kitty, who genuinely did not want it. And the angst of whether to throw them or keep them was extreme. All part of our money saving ways I guess.

Books are clearly your thing. I have been a quarter way through a really good book for about a month. Every so often I look at it and think I need to start reading again, but I always find something else to do. I just wish I felt the same way about money as you do about books, spending etc. My ambivalence towards paying down the mortgage is concerning. But the fact I am able to do it without too much stress, means that I should be trying harder.

The positive is that next month I get to pay off more, inching me towards the great day! All good!! Stay positive.

Tahlullah

So, I have a new laptop. Birthday present as the old one was years old and I remember talking about it on this thread whenever that was. Anyway, time to transfer from old to new.

But, I have long ago forgotten my login. Should be easy you think to reset. No, it isn't. I need the login to change the login. If I want to do so, I have to send a reminder to myself on the email address I set up with. And that was a Hotmail account and I can't remember the login to that either!

So, unless I retain my old laptop which is automatically set to remember me when I come to this site, I can't re-log back in and continue my diary, which is so sad because I have been tracking my endeavours for forever and I would like to get to the end of this journey, just to see where I came from and what I encountered along the way.

So this is it. This is the end. Or, I will try my next cunning plan. I will try to re-register as a new use, with a similar name to what I am now, and then just continue posting on the bottom of this thread!!

This will either work, or it won't. Wish me luck and see you on the other side...

Tahlullah.H

So, this may work!!

New me!!!! I will update my footer to pick up where I left off asap.

Where there's a will, there's a way!

TallGirl

Great not to have lost you forever but we can't see your footer (never could on the other one either) so you need to select display signature somewhere.

Tahlullah.H

Cheers TG. Will do.
Hope you are enjoying the countdown to the new life!

T.Hx

StripeyTightsSpottySocks

Hehe Tahlullah - as I was reading through i was thinking of the solution you've used - great minds and all that

I hope all is good in your world? Here it is overcast with a chance of rain - and that's just my mood :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: Joking aside it is miserable outside and a day I shouldn't have minded being in work but that was distinctly not good Glad to now be at home and enjoying cat cuddles and yellow stickered tea

My mind is busy thinking of all the ways of looking at goals and targets and achieving them in our MFW / FIRE quest.

Keeping the balance with living this life we are catching up with some very good friends this weekend and they always motivate me to want to achieve my goals so that will be good too How is your weekend? Any plans?

Tahlullah.H

Hi Stripey. Great minds think alike. Absolutely always a solution to a problem!

I have no big plans this weekend. I would love to say that I have, but alas no. I did go to the beach last weekend, which was lovely, so had a mini break. I also have plans to go for a long weekend in the campervan in a couple of weeks, so counting down to that. Otherwise, just trying to enjoy life as it comes around.

No rain in this neck of the woods so looking good for the weekend of nothingness, then new month and time to re-look at the finances. Two steps forward and one step back.

tootallulah

All makes perfect sense to me glad you worked out a way. £76 k is looking very good!