Hope is not an Effective Financial Strategy

mrsp1987

Good idea to get your locks changed SJ. I'd consider that £100 (ish) as an investment against the aggro of being broken into, dealing with the police, insurers and then the cost of your home insurance increasing.
Fingers crossed it works and you escape the stealing g!ts.

Absolutely stonking month finance wise! Just wish I could overpay like you could rather than waiting to build up £500.
I've got no doubt whatever happens you'll hit your goal in 8 years time. Wouldn't surprise me in the least if you finish early! X

jodles16

Hello, great round up! It's always lovely to see how your efforts are paying off!

I am always worried about being burgled after it happened a few years ago at my parents which is semi rural. Great idea to change the locks, we have put pricka strips along the top of our back fence which makes it uncomfortable for someone to climb over therefore hopefully a deterrent, our gate lock is broken currently though so not that helpful right now! I also leave our downstairs curtains shut so a burgler can't mooch around to see if anyone is home or not, our dogs are also barky so hopefully that would be off putting! Hopefully all this does is ease your mind and you won't have any problems!

Jodles

shangaijimmy

Quick post with some stats for the year:

• Opening Balance - £136,000 - Closing Balance £123,494.38
• Total OP's - £6,862.03
• Total Balance Reduction - £12,505.64
• Ave Monthly Net Reduction - £1,042.14

I am amazed at these figure, and with this very enthused to get cracking on year 2!
Next to come are a few targets for the next 12 months!

shangaijimmy

hiddenshadow wrote: »

True enough. Do you view 99,999.99 as untidy?

Id have to say hidden that such a number is uniquely tidy (when it suits...!)

shangaijimmy

jodles16 wrote: »

Hello, great round up! It's always lovely to see how your efforts are paying off!

I am always worried about being burgled after it happened a few years ago at my parents which is semi rural. Great idea to change the locks, we have put pricka strips along the top of our back fence which makes it uncomfortable for someone to climb over therefore hopefully a deterrent, our gate lock is broken currently though so not that helpful right now! I also leave our downstairs curtains shut so a burgler can't mooch around to see if anyone is home or not, our dogs are also barky so hopefully that would be off putting! Hopefully all this does is ease your mind and you won't have any problems!

Jodles

I think were we are lax is with kids leaving tablets on the couch, and me leaving laptop or ipads on show in the living room, which is open invitation really! Need to make a concertive effort. Totally agree on the whole barky pooch thing, and ours barks at the wind, the rain and every human or animal that goes past!

shangaijimmy

mrsp1987 wrote: »

.Absolutely stonking month finance wise! Just wish I could overpay like you could rather than waiting to build up £500.
I've got no doubt whatever happens you'll hit your goal in 8 years time. Wouldn't surprise me in the least if you finish early! X

Unlimited OP's was a strict criteria when we remortgaged last year. It was actually the deciding factor between FD and Nationwide, as i knew we were making a big effort for the 2yrs we fixed for.

I'm (not so) secretly hoping for a further 6-7 years, and just weighing up how long to fix for on the next remortgage. DS2 starts primary school in September and i'd love to be MF by the time he leaves...! Do i go for 2-3yrs, or 5? That deliberation is for Christmas time though!

Ali-OK

Great work in just a year - more OPs than I've made in total! :T

On the security side, does your Police Force have a 'Bobby Van'? Here they come out for free and advise on any weak entry points, provide security advice and fit items I've never seen before - they put some internal push-over block locks on my Mum's upvc back door (items were free for over 65s, but payable for others). Just need the name plaque for Fort Knox II :rotfl:

Definitely barking dogs (and 'Beware of Dogs' signs) should be a good deterrent

mrsp1987

shangaijimmy wrote: »

I'm (not so) secretly hoping for a further 6-7 years, and just weighing up how long to fix for on the next remortgage. DS2 starts primary school in September and i'd love to be MF by the time he leaves...! Do i go for 2-3yrs, or 5? That deliberation is for Christmas time though!

I fixed for 5 two years ago. In hindsight I wish I hadn't but that's mainly because of dipping into a lower LTV ratio and having to stick at my monthly payment for the next 3 years. If I'd fixed for 2 I could now be shopping around, saving £100 a month on the payments AND being able to overpay £100 a month.
But hindsight is 20/20 as they say and I thought I was making the right decision at the time.

shangaijimmy

mrsp1987 wrote: »

I fixed for 5 two years ago. In hindsight I wish I hadn't but that's mainly because of dipping into a lower LTV ratio and having to stick at my monthly payment for the next 3 years. If I'd fixed for 2 I could now be shopping around, saving £100 a month on the payments AND being able to overpay £100 a month.
But hindsight is 20/20 as they say and I thought I was making the right decision at the time.

It's these thoughts of 5 yrs being so long that's makes me reluctant. That said we'll be less that 50%LTV by then so I wouldn't have that issue... 3yrs may the happy medium and you never know 2 remortgaged of 3yrs may well finish us of by then.

But that's 9 months off so I'm trying to not think about it for now!

SueP19

jodles16 wrote: »

Hello, great round up! It's always lovely to see how your efforts are paying off!

I am always worried about being burgled after it happened a few years ago at my parents which is semi rural. Great idea to change the locks, we have put pricka strips along the top of our back fence which makes it uncomfortable for someone to climb over therefore hopefully a deterrent, our gate lock is broken currently though so not that helpful right now! I also leave our downstairs curtains shut so a burgler can't mooch around to see if anyone is home or not, our dogs are also barky so hopefully that would be off putting! Hopefully all this does is ease your mind and you won't have any problems!

Jodles

Can't beat a german shepherd as a deterrent :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: We are very rural and (whispering) I don't lock my car...............even gone to bed without locking the front door, in fact I think we have gone to bed with the back door open before now :eek::eek: