My Hectic Year Ahead!

FacelessNumber

I have read quite a few diaries on here and it really seems to keep everyone on track so I am going to try it myself!

As to the title of my thread....OH just got offered a new job, which is brilliant for him but means we will have to move, not a huge distance but far enough away that I will need to change job as well. Luckily we won't have to move straight away as he will be on a 6 month probationary period, with a home base and company car.

But I feel like I should start getting organised now, rather than in 6 months. We have been overpaying on our mortgage this year and I am hoping to continue this, as well as building up savings.

I'm just coming to the end of a week off work, which has mostly been R+R (I definitely needed it!) but now feeling like getting productuve before I go back on Monday.

Budget is a bit tight for the rest of this month (payday on the 25th). Not counting the money I have just made from ebay I have £12.18 left - and I have a couple of small spends required. I also need new car tyres but they are budgeted for!

Made £33 on ebay but keeping that in paypal until I've decided what to do with it!! Other money I owe is £840 to parents and a student loan of just under £4k (not bad by todays standards!!)

Anyway, although this is a long first post I am going to add a to do list for today, hopefully keeping it reasonable!

• A load of washing
• Cycle into town to pick up handheld garden fork
• Send cheque for remaining course cost (£65)
• Hoover and dust downstairs
• Tidy kitchen
• Post ebay item
• Start filling in diary (new one!)

Hopefully when I come back in a couple of hours this will all be done

There are other things, but I want to make the list doable!

FacelessNumber

[STRIKE]
• A load of washing
• Cycle into town to pick up handheld garden fork
• Send cheque for remaining course cost (£65)
• Hoover and dust downstairs
• Tidy kitchen
• Post ebay item[/STRIKE]
• Start filling in diary (new one!)

It's amazing how putting a list on here motivates you! On top of those things have also called Lenovo about my faulty computer keyboard - new one being sent, and called a company about a job I might apply for - they were meant to call back but haven't

Spent £0.90 on a large letter stamp for OHs contracts and £4.99 for a bottle of wine as a thank you for my friend (she dogsat for us for 2 days earlier this week, much cheaper than kennels!) So I now have £6.29 for spending for 13 days. This doesn't include essentials so should be fine!

Also spent ebay postage but not counting that. Going to transfer £330 to parents today which will put me at £510 owing to them - my course was cheaper depending on how many of us go on it from work and only 3 of us meaning we get £330 each off the original price! 66% saving!!

Diary will be updated tonight and I will start working on tomorrows list, feeling very motivated after starting all this rambling. If anyone is actually reading it I apologise!

southerndave

Ramble away! Welcome to the MFW forum and good luck with your efforts, it is possible! Check out Voucherman's mortgage free update thread and fill in the form to join.

tootoo

Welcome

FacelessNumber

Hi southerndave and tootoo. Thanks for dropping in

Well I got up at 9 this morning, lovely lie in as my usual wake up time is 5:45 back to that on Monday!

Planning on going for a run in half hour - haven't been for about three weeks and haven't ran regularly since I did a 10k in May. I think I need to sign up for another one for motivation! The £50 I've knocked off the food budget this month which was going to be an extra OP (we have a DD of £100 that gets OP'd every month regardless) is now going to pay a builder to repoint part of the house where we are having damp issues - as we are going to have to sell in the next year we now have to prioritise things that need doing!

Anyway my list for today:

• Run!
• New tyres on car
• Withdraw money for builder
• Sort clean washing
• Do another load of washing
• Tidy and hoover bedrooms
• Persuade OH to clean bathrooms!
• Meal plan
• Photographs of a few more ebay items
• Sort packaging to send computer keyboard back for replacement

That's a long old list! Am having a night at a friends tonight for wine and films so a nice cheap Saturday night! The dog is coming with me as well as OH is going out with his mates.

FacelessNumber

[STRIKE]
• Run!
• New tyres on car[/STRIKE]
• Withdraw money for builder
  [STRIKE]
• Sort clean washing
• Do another load of washing[/STRIKE]
• Tidy and hoover bedrooms
• Persuade OH to clean bathrooms!
  [STRIKE]
• Meal plan[/STRIKE]
• Photographs of a few more ebay items
• Sort packaging to send computer keyboard back for replacement

Oh dear, not so productive today! My run nearly killed me! PB though so considering I haven't run properly in months that would explain the near death experience!

I have an hour til I need to leave so in that time will spend half hour tidying the master bedroom - the spare room is ok as I did it earlier. Will be withdrawing the cash I need out on the way to my friends house which will leave only ebay stuff, the keyboard and hoovering til tomorrow. Along with the food shop.

OH will be hungover so I guess I will be doing the bathrooms! Right I'm off to crack on and then have a nice chilled out wine night with my friend and the dog :T

southerndave

Enjoy your night out! Do you have a 'plan' for clearing your mortgage down?

FacelessNumber

Not a specific plan! We OP £100 a month by DD and add extras as and when. We know we are going to have to move in the next year so when we buy the next house, hopefully the forever house, we will probably nail down a more specific plan!

Today is a fairly chilled out Sunday, watching Moto GP and hanging out with the dog! Going to have an afternoon of cooking, roast dinner and packed lunches

Back to work tomorrow, earlier hours so breakfast will be eaten there too which means a bit more organisation required!

£143.87 on tyres yesterday, but budgeted for so not too bad. Been food shopping today which was £31 - not bad as I thought it was going to hit £40+ as I was going around, got a bit enthusiastic in the veg aisle! Haha. Also had to fill up with diesel (£75!!!).

FacelessNumber

First day back at work today after 10 days off, bit of a shock to the system and now I have to be there 11 days in a row!! Keeping this diary is making me realise how many days I spend money! £39.95 on dog food (price has dropped from £41.95 so not bad!).

Pretty sleepy now, but a few things to do before bed...pack lunch (leftovers so easy enough), hang washing on airer and put dry load away, couple of emails, dog training and a shower (for me not the dog). Ideally a little tidying in the kitchen and living room as well!

OH away for work today which is nice having the house to myself but means I need to do all the jobby bits. Anyway best get cracking!

southerndave

I hate first day back, so admiring your get up and go! Keeping track of the small spending makes a massive difference to overall expenditure. Have you tried this:

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/demotivator/

FacelessNumber

Yes I have, I have stopped my weekly (or twice weekly) Costa and now take my own coffee to work! Also try my best not to buy food at work as that gets expensive at £2-5 a time.

Another couple of spends yesterday, it looked like it might be spend free but I got home to a load of inforation about my course this weekend and there is some pre-reading, the book isn't in works library and I can't borrow it anywhere else at such short notice so had to buy it - £37.47!

Also spent £1 on chocolate.....I class this as a NEED though. Haha. Right I need to get ready for work, leaving in a few minutes. It's getting super cold this week, especially walking the dog in the morning but am determined not to out the heating on at least until October!