I really really want to be........mortgage free!

shangaijimmy

Short and sweet! Think 50% of people are struggling with sore throat, head ache and/or coughs!

ourcornercottage

£4 spent today for miniOCCs gym class.

Fridge delivered today and old one taken away. Took advantage of a day off to clean out old stuff and light the woodburner. Using wood from tree we cut down in the summer and a bit of coal it's cheap heating.

Still eating from store cupboard and will try to do this until the weekend as much as poss. It's good to do a store cupboard week every so often.

No sign of TCB or fit payment yet, shouldn't be long now.

Invested some of the payments I recieved on my blog on FB advertising and now have 100 likes! Will do the same again after Christmas with the rest of the money. My blog isn't to make money just pay for itself so I plan to spend all income from it on advertising.

ourcornercottage

Kicked off decembers OP's with £9 OP's yesterday from TCB and a top up to round the mortgage to the nearest £5. stands at £128065 now.

Still feeling poorly but happy as business is busy which takes some of the financial pressures off which have been on for far too long. Also got the accounts from the accountant and last year was a good year financially which is always the same when the accounts look good its never a year we've been cash rich!

The S&S ISA is going up nicely and choose a fund myself this time to invest into (woodford equity income or something like that!) to add to my vanguard lifestratagy 80. I think I will leave it putting my monthly £50 into vanguard and any extras into woodford for now as they seem to be quite a sensible combination. Unless ive got it totally wrong for a small time invester with zero knowledge 2/3 funds is plenty for diversity as they are diverse themselves. Im sure those more experienced in investing would put me right if im wrong (please do!)

My FC loan that I was worried about has finally become officially a bad debt but FC are confident that they can get the money. Ive written it off in my head anyway!

On a personal note the christmas decorations are up and the £250 I put in my savings (actually personal spends but Ive put it in a higher interest account and am leaving it as long as possible from the 18th) the 250 is still there but I'm going to need to dip into it soon for a new last christmas bits and bobs (ie everyones apart from miniocc's presents!)

ourcornercottage

Plastering done today so small bedroom (4) done. Next Thursday the BF will decorate and then hopefully that weekend the carpet layer is available. He has the carpet ready in his garage waiting til we're ready.

After Christmas we will start of bedroom 3. I need to set some renovation targets for 2016 this year we've done well with the plumbing, solar panels, removing one tree and one border in garden and bed 4 renovations.

We need to do bed 3 renovation and remove large border in the garden. We have a big tree that's a bit like a Christmas tree that needs to come down too. I would really like to get the guttering done too! Actually that seems like the renovation targets set!

edinburgher

We have a very similar to-do list!

May I ask what the point is of diversifying when your core fund is already diversified across much of the developed (and some of the developing) world in thousands of companies?

Choosing an index tracking fund and an actively managed fund would seem to be add odds with each other unless the second fund adds something that the first lacks?

Sorry about your default, I currently have two downgraded loans, not too bad out of 300+ I suppose..

ourcornercottage

edinburgher wrote: »

We have a very similar to-do list!

May I ask what the point is of diversifying when your core fund is already diversified across much of the developed (and some of the developing) world in thousands of companies?

Choosing an index tracking fund and an actively managed fund would seem to be add odds with each other unless the second fund adds something that the first lacks?

Sorry about your default, I currently have two downgraded loans, not too bad out of 300+ I suppose..

Re funds, It's called not trusting anyone at all! I don't like all my eggs in one basket no matter what the basket is! Hence 2 pensions, 2 savings accounts, 2 life insurance policies! I just don't trust financial institutions. Thus 2 funds in my ISA! Mad logic but logic none the less and it doesn't cost me extra as a rule

Do you ever invest in individual shares or always funds? I've a couple of holdings of shares I brought years ago but have had little from them TBH. I added another couple in the last couple of years on 2 punts which have both gone up quite a lot. I like the idea of individual shares as you feel like you own something but as a rule I've never done well with them!

I'm a bit annoyed about the default but that's life, they may get some back, although I hold little hope.

ourcornercottage

Still awake, plastering plus chesty cough = me sounding like a crazy seal. Annoying the BF but can't go in spare room as all stuff out of plastered room is in there! Just got another pillow

Just noticed another £10 save together bonus arrived from HSBC so promptly sent the balance as an op. Total of £45 sent from ISA so that makes me £54 so far this month

With my standard op of about £200 and the FIT payment due of around £100 I will hit my annual target a though I'm setting myself a target of £550 for December so £200 still to find. Hopefully some TCB payments will be quick!

ourcornercottage

Still ill, can you believe it! It is so miserable here in Norfolk too. I don't think we've seen the sun in a month!

The boys have taken the dogs out and will probably go via the pub so I have an hours peace. MiniOCC insisted on wearing my vivofit so I'll be on target on my lazy day as he's stepping for me !!!

Brought paint for small bedroom it was £68! The room is 3.5 by 2.5 meters I kid you not. Just needed the larger size tin. Our main bedroom is about 5 by 9 meters (maybe bigger, it's huge!) so I am going to have to put down a paint budget of about £150-£200 for that room!

Otherwise little spent this weekend. Just shopping £55 and a few toiletries £5. Which isn't bad as we didn't even do a shop last week.

edinburgher

ourcornercottage wrote: »

Re funds, It's called not trusting anyone at all! I don't like all my eggs in one basket no matter what the basket is! Hence 2 pensions, 2 savings accounts, 2 life insurance policies! I just don't trust financial institutions. Thus 2 funds in my ISA! Mad logic but logic none the less and it doesn't cost me extra as a rule

Mhhh... Considerations on this would be: a) you'd be covered by the FSCS should the worst happen up to £50k, can't see the need for concern and b) funds invested should be ring fenced so that if the fund provider falls over, the assets are held in trust or similar so that you don't lose money? Could be talking out my bottom on that second point, hopefully not.

Do you ever invest in individual shares or always funds? I've a couple of holdings of shares I brought years ago but have had little from them TBH. I added another couple in the last couple of years on 2 punts which have both gone up quite a lot.

I don't own any individual shares. Like all MFWers, I like to gamify my finances, so I could see the appeal of dividend paying shares etc., but I've yet to find anything that they can do that I can't do just as well (or better) with cash, funds or a smattering of P2P.

ourcornercottage

edinburgher wrote: »

Mhhh... Considerations on this would be: a) you'd be covered by the FSCS should the worst happen up to £50k, can't see the need for concern and b) funds invested should be ring fenced so that if the fund provider falls over, the assets are held in trust or similar so that you don't lose money? Could be talking out my bottom on that second point, hopefully not.



I don't own any individual shares. Like all MFWers, I like to gamify my finances, so I could see the appeal of dividend paying shares etc., but I've yet to find anything that they can do that I can't do just as well (or better) with cash, funds or a smattering of P2P.

I still don't trust them! I just can't help myself!

So you generally just go for one fund in your ISA and SIPP? Is it same in both or different ones?

I have a few shares brought years ago and some dividend paying shares brought more recently. Not planning on buying any more individual shares unless something tickles my fancy! I'm sure when I brought the original shares funds didn't exist or at least I hadn't heard of them!