Aspirations of Frugality and Fun on the Road to Mortgage Freedom

jwil

Hey DDFW Well done on the stooze and congrats on the assignment! :T

DedicatedDFW

Chocforever wrote: »

I'm very pleased you passed the assignment.

No, I'm not starting a diary. I would feel a fraud since I am currently debt-free and don't have a house. I am feeling a bit lost with things to be honest. I am desperate to find somewhere to live and willing something suitable to come onto the market. After that, I will be with big mortgage and debt but I just want to get on with it.

Anyway, I'm very busy at work at the moment so at least that is keeping me occupied.

Take care x

Hi Chocs and thanks

It is entirely up to you re. diary but i know there are people on dfw who are debt free and don't own a home, there are also mfw on dfw and on mfw there are people who are saving for a house and like the focus this gives them. Anyways it is whatever you are happy with and feel free to post on my thread any time I really like hearing from you - you are always supportive

Hang in there re. house and stuff - i know it is hard but you have done brilliantly to be in the position you are in. I like my thread as i like the focus it gives me which was why i was suggesting one for you or joining the savings challenge or declutter ready for the move. It will happen hon x i am thinking positively fo you x

Karmacat

Chocs, I'm with DDFW - I don't know you, so excuse my butting in, but the focus a diary gives you is amazing. I felt a little bit lost myself in pushing hard for what I want, I'm not in conventional circumstances either - the house I live in is mortgage free, I'm paying off a euro mortgage on an apartment in France, but I can't overpay on that without absolutely stinging penalties - my focus is on several ways of maintaining and boosting my income so that I can retire, and mfw felt like the best place to put a diary like that.

DedicatedDFW

Thank you so much all It is nice to pop on and have people popping in with nice things to say

I couldn't get on yesterday as i went to do the food shopping straight from work and started with a migraine just before getting there, it just got progressively worse which may be why i made some mistakes on the shopping

Receipt analysis shows i picked up the wrong garlic bread in error + 53p wasted Found a shampoo thought was the cheapest - it wasn't - by this point though i was struggling so + 99p there and then £5.65 spent on reduced price bargains - in a way i would buy these anyway but i can't have them on my list as there is no way of knowing in avance if i'm lucky enough to get these - this covered 8 meals :T

Today was an nsd - yesterday was not as i bought the most gorgeously fantastic but unusual dress in the sale It is a stunner! Though it is odd too Everyone i have shown it too has said it is stunning and my style :T It has spurred me on to get running - so i can do it justice I am happy i bought this so was just the right dress for me :j

kc, greent, inod, alchemilla, ed, chocs, jwil thank you so much for the congrats

I need to crack on with more study but am a bit late in getting to it as i have been helping a family member out and am going to have something to eat first

I have also selected another item and will give it away - i could sell it but person its going to is having a tough time just now and will really appreciate it. They offered to give me some money for it and i politely declined.

DedicatedDFW

jwil wrote: »

Hey DDFW Well done on the stooze and congrats on the assignment! :T

Thanks jwil - i really appreciate this as i know i spoke to you about stoozing before and as i said on my thread / to ed on here that its hard to have a 'debt' that you don't pay back in full each month after being in debt before. Having used my other credit card for purchases for several months now and cleared in full each time then i think that has helped. Plus it is just another money shuffle - this is a positive way of me using it, Just waiting for the funds to arrive now

DedicatedDFW

Karmacat wrote: »

Chocs, I'm with DDFW - I don't know you, so excuse my butting in, but the focus a diary gives you is amazing. I felt a little bit lost myself in pushing hard for what I want, I'm not in conventional circumstances either - the house I live in is mortgage free, I'm paying off a euro mortgage on an apartment in France, but I can't overpay on that without absolutely stinging penalties - my focus is on several ways of maintaining and boosting my income so that I can retire, and mfw felt like the best place to put a diary like that.

Thanks KC - you put it so much better than me

DedicatedDFW

Next month i think i will set me a challenge on spends on food shopping - i will need to give this some thought as to what to set it at thats achievable but still a challenge. I have overspent on food shopping this month but that has included the full wine making kit, food, meat on offer and household stuff too. i;ve also spent money to get a vital ingredient to go with another item so that the item wasn't wasted :cool: I'm happy with the items i've bought which is the main thing except the £1-odd wasted due to painful head not being able to think

Today at work i was directly asked to sponsor 3 different people for 3 different charity things. I politely declined - i saw lots of other people popping down £5 + sponsorship. I just cannot afford it. I do give to charity and have done voluntary work and given alot of time. Still it wasn't well received.

I am owed some money i have not been paid yet - i think i'll get it next week, i would have like it today to have made an overpayment. I've not lent the money btw.

Good money - i made my 1st regular overpayment of the year

And i moved my first lot of money for the year into savings / emergency fund - as opposed to savings for house stuff x

littlegreenpeas

Congratulations on the OP




Not giving to charity is really hard at work, people think you are being tight and its not the always the case. Although we do have some really tight and very rich people in the office.

I worked out one month that I had give £60 to charity. From now on I just give to a few people only £2 but I do get funny looks when I say no thanks.


Stay strong and keep going on the mf journey


LGP

DedicatedDFW

Thanks LGP - i really like your username

Yes it is hard in work but when i have done sponsored things i have simply made people aware where i am if they do want to sponsor me as i know that there are very few weeks where someone isn't asking for sponsorship / donations etc. I have a very limited amount of personal spending money and we do give to charity. I have even been challenged previously as to why i am not making a donation :eek: - i had no money in my purse or in the bank and was fretting over how to get money in to pay a bill (when i was in debt) and i was shocked and upset at being publicly challenged like that

I do sponsor some people still but i can see how easy it is to pay out £60.

Thanks for understanding

DedicatedDFW

Sold a couple of bits on the bay of e - 1 person not yet paid but i had some prompt payers so i have made an overpayment :T

Before i sold these items i decided to cheer myself and count my little savings pots. i have been putting my leftover £1 coin spends in a jar and 20ps in another - the £1's are my xmas savings and the 20ps are my day out savings.

I am really trying to make my money work as hard as possible - go as far as possible for me so it put me in a little dilemma - with the £80-odd pounds i have saved should i make an overpayment now to the mortgage thus seeing a saving of a few pounds on the interest for the year as these savings pots will only be needed at the end of the year. Keep a tally of these savings in my little book then i know what amount was for and come the end of the year when the money is needed take it back out of the allocated overpayment amount from my monthly budget ?

Any suggestions?

For me even just a few pounds is important as its making something out of what i have as opposed to the £0 it would make...

I am really tired now so am going to go to bed and want to wake up refreshed and energised and ready for the day

Night all x