All I want to be...is Free!

juststuff123

Happy Weekend MSEers’

Thanks Luckyinlife feels good to set a new challenge!:D

Well I set up my M&S account standing order wrong so I missed this month’s payment, so it will start next month instead. Doh! :doh:

I also set my budgets this week for the following year. (I run my finances in line with the tax year) So I got to set up a new 2015/16 expenses spread sheet. Yay, :jI love a new spread sheet – How sad is that!?:o

I’ve had my eye on a pair of black boots for 3 months now, they’re £100. I’ve been waiting for them to go on sale; all the other colours have been reduced by 40% or 50%. I emailed them this morning to find out when the black ones would be reduced. And while I was at it I cheekily asked for a more immediate discount. I doubt I’ll get one but it doesn’t hurt to ask.:p

Last weekend I went to see my Great Auntie Ethne, (She’s always been my favourite) she’s 96 and has dementia, is very frail and she slept most of the visit so I don’t think she knew who I was, but as I was telling her about what me and my sister had been up to she seemed to nod and smile so I’ll take that as a good sign. Still it was lovely to see her again and I only cried a little bit this visit so I’d say that’s an improvement.:)

Well that’s all for now folks, see you next week.:beer:

juststuff123

Hey strangers!

I missed my update last week. It was so quiet I had nothing to report. This week has more than made up for it!:eek:

I’m a director of our Flat management company. Someone had threatened to sue us, can’t go into details even if a wanted to, the information we have is very limited. I’m not personally liable thank goodness. But it brings into sharp focus the fact that we are severely underfunded. I want to raise the service charges significantly. This won’t go down well – Especially as many residents are pensioners. STRESS :eek:

I’ve just ordered the boots I wanted, customer services didn’t reply to my email but I kept checking the website and finally they were reduce by £30, I had a 10% discount code and 8% topcashback. :DI had a gorgeous full pedicure (1½ hrs) free because they were student training! :money:Unfortunately I then went and wrecked it by landing funny during a pilates class and cracking by big toe nail right through the middle – OUCH! :doh:I’ve got a private Hoop lesson this weekend, I hope my toe is ok for it.:o

I took my mum out for Mother’s day on Monday. We went for lunch and then to the cinema to see the second best exotic marigold hotel. That was a nice day out.:)

Today I had a tidy up of all my current accounts ready for my new financial year (April) and baked 4 loaves of Banana bread, I hope that’s enough… It’s very popular – one loaf for work, one for pole, one for hoop and one for home.:D

At work I submitted my pay rise request/report since the budgets for the year Aug 15/16 are being worked on now. I won’t know if I’ve been successful for months but if you don’t ask you don’t get right?


Well, have a good weekend everyone.:A

juststuff123

Hi Everyone:hello:

I have to thank Debjam for identifying HSBC as another source for a 6% regular saver:beer:, I’ve gone ahead this week and got the ball rolling on setting all that up. They also have a cash Isa where all you have to do is put £300 in and they’ll give you £10 per month for 12 months. It’s a onetime only deal but it’s essentially 40% interest for a year! :TSo that brings my current account total up to 10. I hope no one thinks I’m money laundering?!?:eek:

I’ve been working hard on a plan for our flats, the financial cost of all the jobs I want to do and getting samples of carpeting, laminate etc., arranging for an artist conception of a rendered building rather than the hideous look we have at the moment. I’ve also been trying to calculate the savings of switching to motion sensor LED lights for the communal areas in an attempt to drop our utilities bill. I’ll also be looking in to the feasibility of solar panels. I’d like to have as much info as possible so people can see their money will be spent well. Hopefully all these changes will increase the value of all our homes.:A

I updated my salary calculator this week to take into account the tax changes coming into effect in April. I work out I will be £11 per month better off.:D

Happy Weekend:j

juststuff123

Happy Easter People!:icotbaske

I’ve updated my signature as below:

MFW & DFW - Goal - to be Debt Neutral by Dec Feb 2018
Mortgage to pay -£47763/£66445 (started Feb 2010)
Parent Loan to pay - £6660/£15000 Student Loan to pay - £3820/£9479
Stoozing Credit Cards -£5210
Savings - £33234
Debt Neutrality - -£30220

Well it’s the start of a new financial year, so I get to start some crisp new spreadsheets, :j and to review how last year has gone! I’m very proud of myself, I paid off £10,000 of the capital on my mortgage and I’m £19,831 closer to my debt neutral goal.:T I’ve set up a load of new current accounts, regular savers, and I started stoozing to help me make the most of my money I calculate I’m earning over £1000 per annum in Interest alone, I think this is pretty awesome considering the typical interest rates about at the moment.:D

I know this new year won’t be so productive as last, I won’t be getting a substantial parental gift like I did last year and I’ve run out of money to be able to put in any new accounts so the next year will be about letting all the accounts I set up this year run their course and deliver me my returns. As a result of this I think I’ll be switching to monthly rather than weekly updates in this diary for a while, I’m running out of things to say..?

I finally bought a new microwave this week, it was on sale – only £42 but it didn’t look right in my kitchen so it went back. Now I’m back to trawling the Internet for another one.:mad:

The shoes I had been wanting for so long arrived I wore them into town, I don’t think I’ve ever worn such an uncomfortable pair of shoes in my life they somehow managed to make my hips hurt! :eek:I don’t know what I’m going to do with them now that I can’t return them.

I’ve been taking the last of my holidays from work, it’s been marvellous I’ve had some lovely lazy days at home to de-stress :cool: of course the second I went back to work it all came flooding back but at least I have the memories!

Well I suppose I better get up now, I’m off to Easter Lunch at Mum’s. You can’t beat mum’s roast!:dance:

Happy Easter Everyone, and if you are on a reduce mortgage / reduce weight plan - stay strong this weekend while the chocolate temptation is at its peak!
:EasterBun

juststuff123

Hey Gang

Well it’s been a month since my last update, I thought I’d have plenty to say, but I don’t really. I sold one of those Meerkat toys on eBay, I made about £15, on a policy costing me £72, that’s a pretty good deal . And I made £100 profit driving my own car on business last month. :T

I had my first pay cheque with the new tax allowances, I'm now an extra £150 per year richer!:beer:.

All the paperwork has been sorted with my new HSBC current account, regular saver and Isa. And the standing orders are all set up. :A Now I have nothing to do until my Car insurance comes due in August. I’m a bit board to tell the truth . I’ve run out of accounts to open and money to put in them. I’ve been researching costs for all the work that needs doing around the flats but there’s nothing I can do until we have our next flat owners meeting. Any suggestions on things to do will be welcomed.:o

I booked a Spa afternoon for me and some of the girls from work it’s for someone’s birthday we usually just go out for a meal, but she’s had a rough time lately so we decided she needed pampering,:A it’s at the end of May and I can’t wait, I did have to pay for everyone on my credit card so I hope people pay me back soon, it was almost £500!:eek:

I had some trouble with my online sports membership for my exercise classes, nothing serious but they gave me access to the pole jam usually reserved for gold members if I’d had to pay it would have cost about £40 – Score! :j

As usual I have updated my signature, I can see I'm slowly creeping towards my goal...

MFW & DFW - Goal - to be Debt Neutral by Dec Feb 2018
Mortgage to pay -£47512/£66445 (started Feb 2010)
Parent Loan to pay - £6512/£15000 Student Loan to pay - £3727/£9479
Stoozing Credit Cards -£5901
Savings - £34098
Debt Neutrality - -£29553

Well I hope everyone is ticking along nicely, see you next month!

juststuff123

Hello MSEers!:hello:

Here we go with my monthly update. And I've had a pretty hectic month.

I had a couple of last minute work trips this month, the first to Copenhagen and the second to France. A few drinks and I managed to get my boss to tell me what the standard pay rise is for the next year and that I’m in line for more but the amount is still undecided.;) On top of that so far our sales for the year are doing really well so I should get a decent bonus this year.

I had my free 2hr pole class this month. It was good fun and needed after my business trips abroad I put on rather too much weight! :eek:I went to a floorwork class today so I got a bit of a workout, and now my shoulders, knees and feet are covered in bruises, I got some good ideas though.:T

I had a lovely day trip to Cardiff a few weeks ago I went with the best intensions, I planned to get a T-shirt and some hair conditioner that’s it. I ended up spending over £150 on an assortment of stuff! :eek:Eep – I’ll be good next month!

I bought some Dorothy Perkins trousers while I was in Cardiff, they were too long, and so when I got home I checked online to see if they had a petite version. They didn’t but they did have a 25% discount running online, so I bought them again online and through TC. I returned the originals, a bit of a hassle but I saved £8, and good old mum will shorten them for free!:p

The Spa afternoon I booked came just at the right time. I slept funny a couple of nights before and got a crick in the neck, the Indian head massage I’d booked made a start in loosening me up, I had to book a proper sports massage as well and I’ll probably have to have another in a few weeks, but lucky for me, it’s all free – good old medical cash back scheme!

I’ve been on my best behaviour with the other residents this month, trying to again their favour before I ask for a maintenance rise in the next few months. I found a company that could do the much needed communal windows for the best price as well as sort out a corridor painter for next year.:A

As usual I have updated my vital stats:
MFW & DFW - Goal - to be Debt Neutral by Dec Feb 2018
To pay: Mortgage -£47259/£66445 (started Feb 2010)
To pay: Parent Loan £6364/£15000 & Student Loan - £3635/£9479
To pay: Credit Cards (Stoozing) - £6093
Savings - £35521
Debt Neutrality - -£27824

See you next Month :hello:

juststuff123

Well it’s been a busy old month for me. Sorry about the war & peace length post below.

I’ve been told what my pay rises will be for the next 3 yrs, this year is a little disappointing but the following 2 yrs are pretty reasonable as long as they stick to their word So I have been playing around with my take home pay calculator, I linked it to my forward projection spreadsheet. I could be debt neutral in just two years!:T Somehow the closer I get the further away it seems? Weird! :think: I think because it feels more real I’m more impatient, 2 yrs seems an age away at the moment. With this in mind I have adjusted my goal again. I’m now aiming for Feb 2017 – 7 yrs after moving in. :TCurrent projections show I’ll be £3300 short at this point so I need to save an extra £160 per month to make up the shortfall. I build a little slack into my budget and I’ve been prudent with my bonus, but I still need to tighten my belt :A

I was confused as to why the interest wasn’t paid in my Lloyds account last month, after examining the statement it seems that one of the two direct debits I have attached didn’t get taken and more than that they were crediting me. Instead of paying £2 pcm for internet they are paying me £2 pcm. I called EE to find out what was going on; they said it was correct – something to do with paying my line rental upfront? It’s a great surprise :dance: but it did screw my interest (which would have been a lot more than £2, over the year I’ll get my money back, just wish I’d realised sooner so I could have fixed it.:doh:

The place I go for Pole and pilates has decided to close down. It’s pretty much the only place I socialize so I’m worried. :(Hopefully one of the teachers there will take over in some capacity to keep some of the classes going. I had planned to upgrade to 9 classes a week for 8 weeks next term, so I’m pretty gutted that now there’ll be none. I suppose I’ll save £160 but to be honest I’d rather have the classes.:(

I went to lunch with ‘the girls’ a few weeks ago. We had a buffet style garden party, we each brought a dish to a friend’s house, it was all very grown up and sophisticated except for the trampoline that we all had a good play on. I don’t know if I’ll ever really grow up! :dance: I had a wander around a local Food festival earlier this month, spent a little too much, ate a lot too much still what’s life without a bit of naughtiness?

I had my hair cut this month, it was pretty expensive but I had a £5 coupon. I was a bit disappointed, the hairdresser I wanted was sick so I had to have someone else who always plays it too safe for me.:(

I had a wonderful time a couple of weeks ago. I went to the Circus. It wasn’t the traditional sort, it was the welsh version of Cirque du Soleil. The performers were absolutely amazing:j, I came away wanting to have a go at most of the aerial tricks even though they’d probably kill me. To celebrate the occasion I dyed my hair pastel pink, :eek:I’m usually such a boring dresser it was great to try something a little bit crazy. I even looked at getting a tattoo, my mother said she’d never speak to me again if I do, and if the pink hair was permanent, the circus could keep me! What a wonderful woman. :A

For Father’s Day I got my dad some special pruning shears that can cut thick branches with minimal effort, I actually bought them from a Christmas market back in December, wow I’m organised!:D

Well done if you’re still reading this. Give yourself a pat on the back & have a lovely cup of tea.:coffee:

My updated signature
MFW & DFW - Goal - to be Debt Neutral by Dec 2018 Feb 2017
To pay: Mortgage -£47009/£66445 (started Feb 2010)
To pay: Parent Loan £6216/£15000 & Student Loan - £3543/£9479
To pay: Credit Cards (Stoozing) - £6930
Savings - £37161
Debt Neutrality - -£26538

juststuff123

Happy August MSE'ers! I apologise for another lengthy post, it's been a busy month. Also no fun smilies in the post, I've just upgraded to windows 10 and they don't seem to work properly.

I've been using my spreadsheet skills to help a friend start a new business teaching fitness unfortunately the room we were hoping to rent as a pole, yoga & hoop studio fell through, which is really disappointing we haven’t found anything else suitable yet. So we’re back to square one. It’s especially disappointing because I was asked if I wanted to teach Aerial Hoop. I would have to do a training course but that would have been I cool opportunity for me and a way of warning a little extra cash. I was also very proud to have even been asked!

I had an extra hoop class a couple of weeks ago, and booked a private lesson, so we could have a play with some tricks and have some extra practice with a new routine which is much harder than previous ones. I’m covered in bruises and I’m going to a wedding later today – not good but worth it!

I got details of my Bonus payout this year. It’s the maximum I qualify for. It’s come just at the right time I have a large credit card bill due next month and all the money moving I do means that cash flow is very tight for the next couple of months. It’s also gets me closer to my Debt neutral date of Feb 17. I get 80% of my bonus now and 20% just in time for Christmas.

I got a letter from the credit card company reducing my limit again. They did this in January, I successfully argued my case and they put it back, I did the same again this time, though it was a bit quicker because I managed to sort it over the phone rather than having to write a letter. When it was sorted she asked if I wanted to raise a formal complaint, I said no, she asked if I was sure?? I thought encouraging me to complain was a bit odd, but the incident didn’t cost me anything, and who needs the extra hassle? Plus with my 10 current accounts, 4 regular savers and an ISA I know I look a bit iffy on paper. They took more personal info this time round so hopefully it won’t happen again, or by the time they check it again it will be nearing the end of the 0% period and it won’t matter if they drop my limit.

I’ve re-opened the nationwide 5% account this month (I had to wait 12 months to become eligible again) so that will earn me an extra £8.33 a month.

I have decided to renew my Medicash scheme through work. The price has gone up for me from £1.94 to £4.08 per month. But I’ve claimed back £200 over the last year so it’s still worth it. This year I get access to the rewards part of the scheme, I think it’s similar to topcashback etc. They give you reloadable gift cards, pay £95 and get £100 worth of credit at Asda or Sainsburys etc. I’ll have to set up a new spreadsheet to keep track but I think this could save me quite a bit of money on in-store shopping

I renewed my car insurance & breakdown cover this month, I’m sticking with my current insurer but I cancelled my existing policy and opened one as a new customer to take advantage of better rates and over £60 cash back. Companies are starting to get a bit savvy here. It wouldn’t let me complete my registration online, it recognised me as a previous customer, I had to call I number to complete the transaction. Luckily the lady on the other end of the phone told me how I can get round the system and still claim the cashback!

Well I finally gave in and got a new microwave. The old one was smoking badly and giving off a scary burnt rubber smell. The new one is a bit smaller but it looks good in my kitchen and cost less than £60.

I went to a BBQ / pole party this month. The parking was terrible and I ended up with a ticket. My first ever. £35! Doh, I’ll have to find some way of making that money back, hmm I’ll get my thinking hat on. My current ideas are on the other side of legal.

I agreed to do some modelling last week, it was a vintage themed charity evening, (Purely amateur – I’m 5ft2” pasty white and plain) I wore a couple of outfits and in one I looked amazing if I do say so myself, but I managed to resist the temptation to purchase it!

My updated signature

MFW & DFW - Goal - to be Debt Neutral by Dec 2018 Feb 2017
To pay: Mortgage -£46755/£66445 (started Feb 2010)
To pay: Parent Loan £6068/£15000 & Student Loan - £3175/£9479
To pay: Credit Cards (Stoozing) - £7307
Savings - £35786
Debt Neutrality - -£27519

Happy weekend all. See you next month!

juststuff123

Hello MSE’ers & Happy September.
Time for my August update;

I got a pay rise this month that equates to £40 per month extra so that’s nice I used my salary calculator beforehand and I was only 12p out. Yay for spreadsheets! Unfortunately it was way out in calculating my bonus month, something to do with the way NI contributions are calculated so I’ll have to see if I can adapt it at some point soon.

I paid off one of my Stoozing credit cards last month and closed it down. The Nationwide account I opened failed to give me the 5% interest (hidden in the T’s & C’s) so I emptied the account, I’ve left it open though as Nationwide do some good mortgage deals for their customers and I may move to them in the future.

We had our Flat Maintenance meeting a couple of weeks ago, it went just like I thought, the old ladies wouldn’t accept anything I said, it looks like I have to wait for them to die before I can start to make improvements. Maybe I’ll just do some of them myself once the mortgage is gone / fully offset.

I used my new Medicash extra’s membership this month I got £100 worth of Amazon, Tesco’s & Sainsbury’s gift cards for 10% off each. Normally these are on offer at 2 to 4%, I wish I’d put more money on them now. I also got 8% off a Debenhams card and 7% at Dorothy Perkins. All in all I saved around £50 last month, that’s more than covered the cost of my membership for the year and it’s only month one.

I went to a wedding at the beginning of the month, it was a nice day and I saw plenty of family! I was invited to another one at the beginning of October. I was only given 4 weeks’ notice and I’d already made other plans so I won’t be going. At least I don’t have to but a dress and get a hotel room!

I had a burlesque lesson a couple of weeks ago, it was a right giggle, but I don’t think I’ll be turning it into a career any time soon, I just can’t walk in heels! I also had a Silks taster session last week. It was very squeezy and I have some bruises but it was brilliant fun, I can’t wait to try it again. I booked to go to a circus skills weekend festival at the beginning of October to do Hoop, Silks and equestrian vaulting (Handstands and stuff on a horse)

I’ve started my Christmas shopping. I bought my Dad a SatNav, on sale with assorted cashback and vouchers but then he called – he wanted a different one. So I’ve had to return it, it wasn’t returned and the new one purchased the way I wanted it so I’ve missed out on Quidco cashback, fingers crossed Tomtom will still pay the £30 cashback for the new machine. I’ve put all the details in my Dad’s name so fingers crossed. He’s agreed to pay me the difference either way.

I’ve planned / purchased gifts for my Mum, work colleagues and close friends but still need to sort out my sister, part present for her boyfriend, secret santa (as yet still secret) and any guests that may come over for christmas.

My updated signature
MFW & DFW - Goal - to be Debt Neutral by Dec 2018 Feb 2017
To pay: Mortgage -£46504/£66445 (started Feb 2010)
To pay: Parent Loan £5920/£15000 & Student Loan - £3075/£9479
To pay: Credit Cards (Stoozing) - £4200
Savings - £36661
Debt Neutrality - -£23038

SuperSecretSquirrel

You are 4.5k ahead of where you were last month, that's amazing - well done! :j