I can't sail the seas forever!

Runders

ourcornercottage wrote: »

Yes I've used them to do an install also a stove renovation and chimney sweep too.

Have been very good on all occasions, I can't praise them enough.

David is a thoroughly nice bloke too as are the lads that work for him.

Definitely worth getting a quote in.

Oh great, thanks for the recommendation, I'll give them a call

Runders

Hi all,

I'm back from my Hols! Well I actually got back a couple of weeks ago, but things are uncertain at work and so I haven't had the motivation to post. Bit silly really, as I could enter a period where the posting gives me the motivation I really need.

I just made my usual £150 OP for the month of November, but that managed to break the next thousand. I'm now under (just) the £104k mark, yay!

I've spoken to my family and they all know that I am only buying gifts for niece and 2 nephews. I'll get my Mum a few bits as well. I am exchanging gifts with a couple of friends, but we have set £10 limits. My Mum is coming for xmas, but I have some vouchers from my credit cards to use towards food etc. I have £22 for Marks and £25 JL, so that will help a little.

The house is still a building site, but I can at least move into the back bedroom now Where I can and I have the time I will be attempting to do more of the work myself. It won't be much, but any money saved is a bonus! I also plan on hunting around recycling centres and up-cycling stuff myself rather then buying new.

I am also going to try a shop at Ald! and see how that helps with the food budget.

Phew, that's my updates. I'll catch up with everyones diaries over the next few days.

Toodles.

Runders

An OP of £17.48 paid today, made up of interest from 2 accounts I hold

Luckyinlife

Great job Runders big over payment of 140 now 17.48 :] just under the 104k to is great work well done i bet you

100k isnt far away at all now you rekon you can get it next year ?

Runders

Hey LIL,

I would certainly like to think I can reach my target of 100k or below next year. Being in double figures always sounds better, even if it is the high doubles

Runders

So I did a little bit of xmas food shoppping the other day. I had £22 of vouchers from my Marks card so I went and got some treats for my Mum and I, including the ever so important pigs in blankets!!! I also got some meat in for the freezer. My £41 shop actually cost me £19, and I also had a voucher that put another £3 worth of points on my card. Pleased with that!

I only really have to get the veg now, as my Mum is getting the other bits we need. I can't wait to spend Christmas in my own home, very excited!

My goal for tonight is to get a few bits and bobs listed on ebay and to try to make some headway in my dining room. It's currently the box/storage room whilst work is happening upstairs. One day I'll be able to actually unpack.....one day

Runders

Hi all,

Another big break from me, we had the dreaded redundancies at work and I was just feeling a bit stressed. I thankfully still have a job, but some of my friends have lost theirs It's a really horrible thing to have to see your friends go through. Those of us left behind are taking a pay cut, not sure how it will affect my finances overall yet, but now It's more important than ever that I stop wasting money and go down the frugal path. I still want to overpay my mortgage, that is the only debt I have and it does feel like a bit of a mill stone round my neck. With this in mind I have set some goals/resolutions for 2016:

1) To be less materialistic, no buying of tat/things that I think I want only to never use! I can however buy experiences, such as once a month go to the theatre or for a trip down to London to visit a museum etc.

2) Use up my stash of toiletries and only replace items once I am fully out! My bathroom shelf is groaning with mositurisers etc. I reckon that there is enough there to keep me going for at least 6 months or so.

3) Be better with food, I still spend a lot in this area and most of it is on junk! Which also leads into me trying to loose weight for my friend's wedding, I do not want to be the only hefty bridesmaid out of 5!!!

So those are my goals, hopefully I can stick to them and come out with better health and a smaller mortgage in 2016!

I few big expenses coming up unexpectedly though, my oven door decided to implode into a thousand tiny pieces just before xmas. It was just the outer saftey glass, so I managed to nurse it through the Christmas period by being extra careful not to burn myself on the inner door. Hoping I may be able to get a bargain in the sales, but I mainly cook on the hobs anyway so it's not an urgent matter just yet.

Well, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and I wish you all a Happy New Year.

Runders

Good MSE day today. Haggled £50 off my car insurance for the year, and £162 off my internet for the year! Pretty pleased with that I have to say! Next stop is to query some prices with BG, wish me luck!

Runders

Hi all....I know, I know, I've been AWOL for 6 months! Life just got in the way and I didn't feel up to reading diaries or updating mine. I realise this also probably means that I am no longer in the challenge, but I needed to just shut down for a bit. Work was very stressful, people became and are still are ill and other passed away. But I am back and ready to seriously crack on again.

I have been keeping up with my journey away from the forum though and I have made my Target of £1000k or under before September. I'm actually at £99997, yay!

I went to look at the options for remortgaging today and I am currently weight up my options between a 2 yr fix, or a variable offset mortgage. Decisions, decisions! Who knows what could happen with Brexit ey!

My main aim today is to get some stuff listed on ebay and try and make some pennies out of all the junk that I bought that I just don't need! Why do I do it?! And I shall catch up with some of the diaries on here

Runders

Hey all,

Monthly update time for me.

After lots of mulling it over and talking to my broker I have settled on a re-mortgage deal which starts in October. I can't believe I have had my house for two years already!!! I decided to go with and offset mortgage on a 1.6% rate. So that takes my payment down by £60 a month, yippee! I realise that you can potentially make more money from some savings accounts etc. But, I feel that this is the best way forward for me. I can be quite competitive/addictive, plus I like the idea that my money is there if I need it.

So this month has been bad on the spending front I needed a new laptop, but I did get a bargain of a return in JL and I even managed to haggle another £30 off. I also finally found a cast iron surround for my woodburner which set me back £620, but I LOVE it and it looks fantastic. I was then very very naughty and bought myself a rather expensive necklace...bad Runders! I now have to curb the spending and get back into the money saving mindset for September.

I'm still in the clearing out phase, I took 5 bags to charity the other day! I already have another 2 ready to take as well. I need to move everything from my dining room (A.K.A the storage/junk room) so that the re-furb work can be started in there. I really can't wait for all the work to be done and to stop having to spend out large sums of money on the house. I went up in the attic the other day and noticed patches of daylight in the roof...eep! I need to ring the roofer tomorrow, please keep your fingers crossed for me!

During the clear out I have put some items on ebay and most have sold I think my running total for the month is £56 (before fees etc.) and I have 3 items on there at the moment that are doing well. I also just sent some books off that I should get about £6 for.

My aim come the 1st of October is to save at least £700 a month into my offset savings account. My goal for myself is to have at least £15000 in there by October 2017. This value takes into account the money I will spend finishing the house and yearly insurances etc.

Right, I have waffled on enough. I hope yu have all had a fantastic bank holiday!