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Hope is not an Effective Financial Strategy

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  • shangaijimmy
    shangaijimmy Posts: 3,803 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Regarding the high chair - please consider whether a local hall might be able to take it - our Village Hall now has (a second hand) one that was kept at a Grannies house that can be pulled out when lunches or coffee mornings need it.
    We don't really have a village hall, but it makes me think of the church groups...I will enquire!
    themadvix wrote: »

    Now thats the other great thing about this community, people direct you to things you would never know existed! I'll add it to my weekend reading. Thank you.
    MFW: Was: £136,000.......Now: £47,736.58......
  • shangaijimmy
    shangaijimmy Posts: 3,803 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Sunday morning ritual complete:
    1. Put kettle on
    2. Log on to internet banking
    3. Gather up all my TT's for the week into 1 payment
    4. Pour water on bag in cup
    5. OP TT pot - this week with a little extra round up it was £5
    6. Debag the brew, our milk in and sit on couch ready to find some sport - cricket this morning
    7. Update spreadsheet to reflect the OP
    8. Enjoy the 5mins of peace and quiet before the kids descend and madness ensues!

    Enjoy the relaxing Sunday morning people. Crispy bacon on toast, with brown sauce obviously (please don't spoil the bacon with tomato ketchup) is always a necessity on a Sunday morning!
    MFW: Was: £136,000.......Now: £47,736.58......
  • themadvix wrote: »
    Really impressive decluttering Jimmy!

    You might like www.becomingminimalist.com

    You've given me a new topic to read, thank you! I've even ordered a book from the digital library :eek:
    MFW: Was: £136,000.......Now: £47,736.58......
  • Well chugging along towards the end of the month. Accounts posting and networth calculations are only a few days away.

    January is a tough month for us. Not only is it post Christmas but we also have a plethora of family birthdays to contend with including 2 of our own kids. We managed to achieve it all this month without dipping into savings, although we may need a 3 day loan from our savings until Mrs SJ gets paid. Any shortfall we usually catch up with the no council tax payment in Feb, but thus year we should be fine. So I think I'll use the council tax money for part OP and part night out for Mrs SJ and me.
    MFW: Was: £136,000.......Now: £47,736.58......
  • themadvix
    themadvix Posts: 8,808 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Mortgage-free Glee! Photogenic
    So glad you’re enjoying it Jimmy. I’ve been a minimalist in a lot of respects for a long time, but have only recently discovered that it’s a ‘thing’ and that people write about it... am now making my way through the archives on Becoming Minimalist.

    Sounds like you’ve had a great result financially this month - you and Mrs SJ deserve that night out!
    Mortgage free 16/06/2023! £132,500 cleared in 11 years, 3 months and 7 days

    'Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with what there is.' Ernest Hemingway


  • I think I'm a minimalist at heart. I've always felt unable to relax at home when the living room is a mess so the part about clutter being stressful has really resonated with me. In fact I distinctly remember a week when I didn't go in there after work, much to Mrs SJ annoyance. She couldn't understand it saying it comes with having 3 young kids, which I understand but only to a certain point. Mrs SJ and her dad are definite hoarders (I dread the day when we will need to clear a house), and I think DS1 has some of those tendencies as well so I'm doing my best to encourage him to let go of things when he has outgrown them!

    84p TT this morning which is a good figure I'd say!
    MFW: Was: £136,000.......Now: £47,736.58......
  • I'm the same SJ, can't think straight when I'm surrounded by clutter!
    DFW (08/08) £64,346.53 Gone (02/19)
    MFW (08/08) £118k Gone (09/23)
  • shangaijimmy
    shangaijimmy Posts: 3,803 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Well the end of January has arrived! I've sorted all my spreadsheet tabs, and am ready to post my accounts, but that may get to Sunday afternoon. DS1 birthday today and I've got a fair bit of work to do for work so under pressure on all sides!

    I rounded up some current account interest and OP's that last night for our final OP of the month. It only came to £1.80, but that's £1.80 that I'll never pay interest on ever again. 53p TT this morning which will form part of the first OP of February on Sunday morning.

    Have a great start to the weekend everyone.
    MFW: Was: £136,000.......Now: £47,736.58......
  • shangaijimmy
    shangaijimmy Posts: 3,803 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 1 February 2020 at 10:23PM
    First month of a new calendar year underway and we are now 1 month away from completing year 5 of our challenge/journey. The amounts of OP are now small in comparison to 12 months ago, but we're still managing to clear over £500 a month which I am really happy about.

    Anyway onto the figures:

    Month 59
    • Closing Balance - £76,155.36
    • OP's - £152.49
    • Net Reduction - £549.44
    • % Loan Remaining - 56%

    Length of Diary Figures
    • Total Reduction - £59,845.25
    • Ave Monthly Reduction - £1,014.33
    • Total OP's - £32,263.01
    • Average Monthly OP's - £546.83

    Retirement & Savings - doesn't include short term savings that are for less than 12 months
    • SJ Pension (DC) via sal sac - £822.14
    • Mrs SJ Pension (DB) - 281.37
    • Mrs SJ AVC - £100
    • S&S Isa - £500
    • Total - £1,703.51
    MFW: Was: £136,000.......Now: £47,736.58......
  • great figures SJ
    Mortgage restart June 2018 £119950Re mortgage August 19 £110470, … Mortgage November 22 £85600 final 0% CC 3300Home renovations - £65000, mid 2018 - mid 2022
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