The march to financial freedom

Ali-OK

A late daily update after a busy evening.

Ald! food shop done and spent £22.18. Not too bad as we were running out of a few irregular things like hot chocolate and DS needed some ingredients for school later this week.

Great work day, though not billable, but the next 3 are thank goodness.

Financials then:
- bank account checked. £730 off the mortgage, now the long 10-14 day wait for the amended interest amount that goes out at the end of the month. Ex paid DS's maint in as well. All good news there and sig already updated as I was soo excited about mortgage! Next month is a milestone as I'll be into the £120Ks and interest will drop from £400s to being in the £300s. I am wondering though if I should stop the capital payments and throw £1k a month at the CC debt (or close on) to get rid of it quickly?

- freepostcodelottery checked
- Nectar adpoints, canvass and search - not looked at
- Nectar card value - gone up to £47.77. Yay, that's the XL Christmas turkey paid for
- Inbox Pounds - up a tad to £9.13
- Qmee - another 15p whilst doing 2 IP tasks

New job on the To Do list is to go through clothes and prepare a spring/summer wardrobe with what's in there - things seem to get hidden behind or under the winter woolies and I don't want to be tempted to buy anything. Except sandals when it gets much warmer.

Off to update grocery sig and thread. 1 weekly shop down, 4 to go.

Hope everyone has had a good day.

Rollercoaster_Rach

Went looking for sandals and realised I didn't have any! Need some for Cornwall so (if car is ok and fixed today??????) will go and get some tonight xx

RR x

Ali-OK

Rollercoaster_Rach wrote: »

Went looking for sandals and realised I didn't have any! Need some for Cornwall so (if car is ok and fixed today??????) will go and get some tonight xx

RR x

It'll probably be June before it's warm enough for me to get my toes out :rotfl: Still wearing boots here

Ali-OK

Work has been a pain today and with diary changes and rescheduling work, my optimism for this week has taken a dip. Will keep plodding though.

DB has been over tonight and we've had fun trying to transfer video footage of niece's BF's proposal last week phone to phone. Blue tooth and cables and other technology we don't understand called for DS's help who did it in an instant :rotfl:. I feel old!

Financials then:
- bank account checked
- freepostcodelottery checked
- Nectar adpoints - up to 41
- Nectar canvass and search - not done any
- Nectar card - as yesterday at £47.77
- Inbox Pounds - up a little to £9.23
- Qmee - nothing there.

I need to do some surveys to up the pennies or possibly find another site to use to earn from, as both adpoints and IP are slowing down on what is available.

Electricity meter change and readings seem to all be updated on the supplier website now, so it's time to do a comparison and I feel a switch coming on . Still no call back on the final gas bill query - what a surprise :mad:

Still thinking about the mortgage capital payments vs big debt repayments - think the balance might be to take mortgage payments to required level rather than including a £100 OP until the CC is cleared. So that will up CC to £350 a month from next month - all being well on income. But doesn't solve getting the emergency fund back up to £3k. Hmmm, some creative thinking and doing required me thinks.

Hope everyone has had a good day.

Ali-OK

Had the business banking appointment today to look at funding to buy the business for sale. They will lend it to me, but I am not sure enough about a few things, so think I will back out of the running. I really don't want more debt and I am thinking about how I've probably only got 20 working years left and retirement plans :eek:. Doesn't seem very far away really and I don't want to be chasing debt down any longer than I have to.

Had to pop into Sburys today too to pick up an ingredient for DS that I thought I had in the cupboard and turns out not. Still, had a 250 bonus points voucher and spend was 80p. :rotfl:

Financials:
-bank account checked
-freepostcodelottery checked
- Nectar adpoints - up to 48 points
- Nectar Search - started and up at 5/100
- Nectar Canvass - [STRIKE]need to do![/STRIKE] 2 done, 70 pts
- Nectar Card - finally awarded the 250 birthday bonus points so up to £49.02
- Inbox Pounds - 2 x 30p tasks done but they've not credited yet. Still, other small bits done and up to £9.33
- Qmee - another 15p in the pot

Still waiting for the car tax refund and vehicle sold confirmation letter, though did receive yet another 0% 15 month BT offer from one of my empty CCs. Don't need it, where as this time last year I was hoping for them to keep shuffling everything on 0% :T

Feels like I'm coasting a bit at the moment, I could be doing surveys, I could be eBaying, I could be pricing up car boot stuff.

Need a kick up the you-know-where

Rollercoaster_Rach

I know what you mean about working years left Ali...that scares me but also helps kick my bu** LOL

RR x

Ali-OK

End of the week and Year End too - whilst gross profit was down very slightly on last year, nett was up 2.2% due to money saving on expenses - MSE ways have been applied. . Just got to send off to Accountant and tax return can be done nice and early, which also means I'll only pay what I owe at end of July, as opposed to an overpayment.

Good news in the post with the car tax refund of £114.58 arriving today and I also banked the £10 in 50p's. Quidco have paid the £20.32 as well, so that should arrive in my account within a few days. This will all backfill the emergency fund and help with May's bills as April salary will be short with having a week off over Easter.

CC statement available on line today, so I've set up a £250 payment to that for Monday. :j

Other financials:
- bank account checked - paid myself expenses and salary for the week, so that year end is clear and simple.
- freepostcodelottery checked
- Nectar adpoints - a triple pointer, but only double for me as watched the single value yesterday. Still up to 54 points this week
- Nectar Canvass - some more in, will look at those tonight
- Nectar search - 7/100
- Nectar Card - another nice jump up to £50.31
- Inbox Pounds - up to £9.70
- Qmee - nothing else today as yet

Have already started on the routine weekend household tasks, so bins emptied, towels changed, one load of washing done and dried on line, dishwasher filled to capacity and done and emptied.

Dinner was going to be whatever DS produced at school today, suffice to say a garlicky, onion, yellowish mush was not eaten - apparently it's leek and potato soup :eek:. We had a 99p pizza out of the freezer instead :rotfl:

Taking DS to his event shortly which is close to Farm Foods, so I might pop in there and get the toilet rolls and sugar stock.

Hope everyone's weekend gets off to a great start.

Ali-OK

Lots of little bits to update on. Popped into F@rm Foods last night whilst parked there for DS's event and sugar is currently £2 for 3 bags - making it 66p a bag, when Ald! is 79p. Toilet roll packs have changed into 18s for £3.95, so £5.95 spent. Then I found a pack in the garage - we now have 27 rolls. That should last us a good while! I'll update grocery sig and thread after this one.

Washing finished this morning and all dried out on the line - what a lovely sunny morning we had here.

Elec and gas readings done and submitted (and onto my spreadsheet for tracking ). Both down nicely on previous weeks. :T. Still no sign of old gas supplier sorting the final account bill. Doesn't sound like I'll be getting anywhere with that.

Birthday card posted 2nd class - that is touch and go whether it will arrive in time though.

The weather forecast suggested rain for tomorrow, so I decided to weed and tidy up the front garden. A good job done and looks smarter than it did. Big job of weeds in block paving still to do - I'll wait until they're bigger and easier to pull up :rotfl: Yet to start on the back - the grass definitely needs it's first cut now too :eek:

Started to have the shaky and hot sweats again and had to come in. Water and a biscuit later, felt a bit better but left with a headache, so after a lunch of bits and pieces, went for a sleep - that turned into 2 hours :eek:

At least a NSD today and batch chilli for dinner with garlic bread. TV night tonight. Ironed 4 things whilst waiting for rice to cook, all washing put away.

Financials then:
- bank account checked
- freepostcodelottery checked
- Nectar adpoints - still on 54
- Nectar Canvass - did 2 late last night for 160 points
- Nectar Search - up to 20/100
- Nectar card value - up to £50.65
- Inbox Pounds - up to £10.64
- Qmee - another 16p, total 71p this month so far in PP to move to bank account

Plans for tomorrow - if it's raining, then housework, Year End completion and possibly some cooking. If it's dry, then cut grass, start on weeding/tidying back garden and taken car for another free valet. It's covered in that Saharan dessert sand, with clean patches where I've wiped bird pooh off Trying to look after the paintwork!

I still need to get a few Easter Eggs as well. Hops off to find offers!

Hope everyone has had a lovely Saturday.

millionaire_in_training

Our weather is still pants. Bouncing rain again today. Had to put the heating on in afternoon as it was so cold. It's clicked off now mind you. You're doing really well with your mortgage but if I was you I'd get rid of the debt first then hammer down the mortgage. But then I am desperate to get rid of mine and my o/s mortgage is only £25k so totally different circumstances.

Myself you and Rach must be similarish ages( think I'm a bit older). I'm 49 this year and I am much the same as you. I am happy enough with my lot and see my job now as accommodating my children to do better than me career wise etc, If that happens I will feel as if I have been very successful and can put my feet up a bit. A few years to go yet though . If I can get rid of my debt by the time they finish uni then I will be happy

Ali-OK

I think your weather is going to be here tomorrow, forecast is chillier with rain, so suspect our heating will be flicked on as well. It's on first thing for a little while - boiler is below the bathroom so the floor gets toasty and airing cupboard is in the bathroom - probably the warmest room in the house thinking about it :rotfl:

My head is overflowing with worry about debt, mortgage, SE income, pension, helping DS. I am not sure I can make it all work out over time either. Hmmm.

The mortgage repayment is £1,020 per month including interest, interest rate is fixed 3.69% for another 3.6 years, 13.6 years remaining. There are a few options:

1) Pay interest only (as it's an I/O mortgage on paper) at £400 per month until debt paid off, but required repayments will head upwards towards £1050

2) Pay minimum capital payment of £500 per month (plus £400 int) until debt paid off

3) Pay minimum required capital payment (£1020 inc int) to keep mortgage on track to finish on time until debt paid off

4) Keep paying the £100 OP (£1120 inc int) and prolong the debt repayment. That plan brings mortgage payment term down from 14 years to 11 yrs, 5 mths.

With the debt on 0% until March 15, Option 4 seemed like a good idea in January. 11 payments of £250 = £2750. £4950 - £2750 = £2,200 - I could use the emergency fund to avoid another BT fee and then re-save that money.

Starting to think now that DS is older, that I would like a more stable and secure income by getting a FT job, but don't want to go back to my old industry but that's probably the only way I'd get close to my old and even current salary. Oh and then there's DS's maintenance...ex will most likely stop that when he turns 16 even though he'll still be in education so that'll tighten things even more.

At 46, I need a plan! I think downsizing will come into it sooner rather than later and get another £20k paid off the mortgage (3 years) and I could probably sell and buy a 3 bed semi outright. This is my dream home and been here nearly 12 years, but the savings of somewhere smaller could be significant on council tax and bills.

So need a new career that pays well and a smaller house. That's the plan sorted then :rotfl: