The march to financial freedom

mizmir

All sounding good Ali - I think the car on the business sounds sensible. If it reduces your personal debt then that has to be a good thing. And well done on the car insurance - that is a massive saving! I was stupid when mine was up for renewal and let it go even though it had gone up a lot. I need to make sure next time we get a good deal. Did have a claim last year (I banged into the gate post and took out most of one side of the car!) but even so. Will make a note to check.

Ali-OK

It's all going ahead! Will be getting the new car next week on Tues or Wed :j and the Accountant is doing his bit. Once that happens, I'll change my sig to reflect just my personal debt which is currently £5,044 with £94 budgeted to the CC until I can see what March is really going to look like!

The monthly car cost including servicing will be £151, compared to the £159 all in I was paying for this one - and they'll be no payment for either car this month. Take into account less fuel and zero road tax and cost becomes approx £65 a month.

Lots to sort like cancelling the insurance I paid for at the weekend - thank goodness there's 7 day cooling off though if they'll amend it for free then I'll do that with a later start date, as I get free insurance for 7 days from the manufacturer. And cancelling the planned service and sorting the plan to roll it up and re-do for the new one. Ahh, I don't like things too easy, do I?! Serves me right for being too organised!

Car insurance leaves me stunned at the audacity of how renewals are loaded for no good reason. Miz, it's definitely worth shopping around, even with a claim on it.

I've changed my sig for the mortgage as that went out today and did my now usual monthly phone call to advise it's all capital. :j Now the long 7-10 day wait for the letter with the lower interest payment at the end of the month! I get sooo excited about that one even though it's only about £2 lower :rotfl:

Work is pretty busy this and next week and could be in for an over-target month fingers crossed. I've also booked a few bits into early April which is great.

Other financials:
- bank account checked - delighted that ex's maint for DS arrived. It's the first time in a few years that it's hit every month for more than a 6 month run. I can't become complacent though.
- freepostcodelottery checked
- Nectar adpoints - new week, new set of ads done but a low 44 points
- Nectar Canvass - I need to do a few of these and catch up
- Nectar card - up to £40.92
- Inbox Pounds - up a little to £15.24
- Qmee - another 5p, total £1.81

I've still got to sort the books/CDs/DVDs/PSP games :mad:. Can't believe 7 days has flown by. Not sure when I'll get those done now as out tomorrow eve and Wednesday to friends - silly season (but very enjoyable!) as the run of friends birthdays starts. I also need to do the Ald! shop with the £5 off voucher before it runs out on Thursday I think.

I think I might need to head to ye olde ironmongers to see if I can get like for like replacement screws for the outside lights, which means a trip into town and parking charges at some point.

Busy week all round, I'd better do some surveys whilst I've got a bit of free time tonight!

Hope everyone has had a good day.

beanielou

Nectar ads seem to be drying up

Ali-OK

beanielou wrote: »

Nectar ads seem to be drying up

Yes, it seems to be dropping at quite a rate too. Let's hope they add some more tomorrow.

There were no Canvass surveys left for me either Never mind, wasn't feeling particularly enthralled about doing some so maybe a blessing tonight.

I did get another 10p from Qmee though - again, they pop up when I do tasks for Inbox Pounds. So that's another 25p I've moved to the bank account. My budget sheet is getting lots of little 'Ins' added to it recently. Hoping to hit £20 again on IP by the weekend and the cheque gets processed quicker than the first one.

Bedtime for me, boing said Zebedee

Ali-OK

An early update for me today.

Good work day, still doing some admin bits and pieces and stuff for later in the week. Cuppa break and catch up in the meantime

Whoop, have received emails for the gas supplier move - definitive date of 13 March, 12 months budget plan with DD dates and amounts - very impressed with the clear and simple layout, information and instructions. All good. First DD goes out on the 15th of this month for £54.48 - that's quite a big drop from the £76 (now £70) I'm currently paying. Painless so far! Wondering whether it is safe to cancel the current supplier DD or not. It looks like I'm in credit still after usage to date, but don't want the transfer stopped. Might be safer to let it go through then claim it back afterwards.

Financials:
- bank account checked
- freepostcodelottery checked
- Nectar adpoints - there's a few new ads to do for 12 points
- Nectar Canvass - 60 pointer completed
- Nectar card - value up to £41.01
- Inbox Pounds - not done much there today, but up to £15.55
- Qmee - that tends to pop up during the eve so nothing today yet.

Am planning to do the big Ald! shop on the way back tonight as they're open until 10pm. List is done and the £5 off £40 voucher is safely in my purse.

Back to work stuff for me now and then to meet DS.

Hope everyone is having a good day.

mizmir

Great news on the car! And that the insurance can still be redone. And well done on the gas switch - that is a great saving! You are doing so well!

Ali-OK

Afternoon diary,

Another earlier than normal update due to being out tonight.

Last night, I did the Ald! shop and spent £38.83 after using the £5 voucher so I need to update my sig and the Grocery Challenge thread. We are now well stocked in the goods that we use regularly that won't go off, the dogs have food for the rest of the month and DS has enough bottled water for 2-3 weeks. I treated DS to the half price box of Magnum look-a-likes at 49p, though he doesn't know it yet and hasn't found them either :rotfl: Give it time!

My current gas supplier has stopped my access to parts of their website, namely the bit where I can see credit vs. usage vs. payments. Interesting! Good job I've been tracking everything so closely for so long.

I'm meant to be going to the garage this afternoon to sign the paperwork for the new car, but haven't received the phone call to say it's all ready to pop in and do. Hmm...will leave it with them, though that bit will start off the chain of events of everything else I need to do on the back of it.

The financials:
- bank account checked - £94 sent off to the CC so it's down to £4,950 and should show up online tomorrow
- freepostcodelottery checked
- Nectar adpoints - up to 52
- Nectar search - I've enabled the extension again and up to 4 pts
- Nectar Canvass - nothing more as yet today
- Nectar card - up to £41.31
- Inbox Pounds - up to £16.28
- Qmee - came good with 17p, total now £2.08
- NSD so far!

Time to go and meet DS now.

Hope everyone is having a good frugal day.

Ali-OK

So much going on at the moment that I seem to be doing more personal than work related stuff!

Car update - Paperwork is ready to sign and just waiting on delivery date by the transport company, but we're all fingers crossed for me taking possession on the 12th March. :j

Insurance update - have gone to the new insurer and they've amended the policy for free and I've paid the extra £20 that I knew it would cost to insure. Same start date at the moment but that could change - though the 7 days cooling has re-started

DS was upset last night as I haven't booked the Tankfest tickets or accommodation for June and his friend who is booked to go, was saying they had trouble finding somewhere to stay, all busy due to this. So, sat on the net late last night and have sorted it - Tickets booked (with 10% discount) and gives us an annual pass to the Museum and a guide - cost £55.50.

I've plumped for accommodation on the coast as it's half the price and we can take advantage of being by the sea for the 2 evenings - good old reliable Travelodge and quite good enough for a bed for the night. Nearer the event inland, B&Bs and pubs were coming up at £60-65 per person per night :eek:. Managed to get a family room for £136 all in, plus free full breakfasts for DS We're staying 2 nights and it's about a 40 min drive to the event from there.

Booked the dogs in at the kennels on the farm this morning - so for the 3 nights there (as they will be closed before we can get back on the Sunday) cost is £100.80.

A big spend of close on £300, but something DS wants to do and one of the few places he hasn't yet visited.

This is a very expensive month and I'll be breaking into the £3k emergency fund. April and May will be lesser earning months due to Bank Holidays and taking 1 week off around Easter, but will be working the other 2 weeks to try and boost the fund back up again.

I've yet to sort travel down to the event at Wembley we're going to later this month, nor meeting up with cousin in London for the day. Ahh, everything is falling at once and it's all choices I've made

Received an email from current gas supplier about leaving and they've given me an extra 26 nectar points.

Best I go and do some billable work and I'll update later with the other financials and meal plan too.

Ali-OK

Just enjoyed a lovely beef cobbler (scone topped beef stew) and there's enough left over for tomorrow night - great news.

Meal plan for next 2 weeks:
Sun - YS Roast duck and trimmings
Mon - LO duck stir fry with veg and noodles
Tue - LO duck in pitta breads with cous cous or hm wedges
Wed - Cheese & Onion potato cakes and veg
Thur - Cottage Pie and veg
Fri - Fish fingers, chips and peas
Sat - Chilli, rice and garlic bread

Sun - Gammon and roast trimmings
Mon - LO gammon, new pots and veg
Tue - LO gammon with egg, chips and peas
Wed - Spaghetti bolognaise
Thur - Chicken drumsticks in BBQ sauce with savoury rice
Fri - YS Pizza
Sat - Chilli, rice and garlic bread

Out of that, I need to buy noodles - forgot in the food shop - and fresh veg. Everything else I have in. DS has perused the plans on the fridge - approving noises have been made

Other financials for today:
- bank account checked
- freepostcodelottery checked - see they're close to putting it up to £40.
- Nectar adpoints - triple pointer done and up to 62 points
- Nectar search - up to 12/100
- Nectar Canvass - a nice little 40 pointer done
- Nectar Card - up to £41.44
- Inbox Pounds - a nice rise to £17.36
- Qmee - another 10p, total now £2.18

Phone and Internet online bill is in, the first of the new £8 per month. It feels good to start seeing the work put in to changing deals coming to fruition in the DDs.

I've set up next month's mortgage capital payment for 2nd April at £716.

DS's trousers are really too short now, so I'm going to have to measure him and order some new ones. These ones have lasted since September 2012 so he's had good wear out of them. No hem left to bring down now though!

We're off out again tonight to visit another friend for another birthday cuppa!

Hope everyone has had a good day and Beanie if you're reading - congratulations on being DF! That's fab news. :T

beanielou

Thank you Ali-OK.
Hope you had a nice evening