Excited to try and be mortgage free

chumpy45

Thanks SSS, it's such a lovely feeling when there is a little break from the constant preparation/marking cycle. Hope you have a good break too.

The sun is shining this morning and I am hoping to get out in the garden this afternoon. Currently cooking a roast, mum will be round soon and 3 out of 4 DSs home :j Found 15p when tidying up yesterday which has been put in my coin counting jar. Am trying very hard not to think about DH's lack of employment and just enjoy the day. (However, my MSE brain is whirring around in the background thinking of further ways of cutting back/earning more). Onepoll ticking along nicely. Although it's only 10 or 20p at a time, the surveys are much quicker than YouGov and don't ask me endlessly about my TV viewing. Have had some fun introducing pie charts and bar graphs to my spreadsheet. I have found this to have much more of an impact on me than just the numbers (and quite scary). My target is to have decreasing lines in my graph for petrol and food which always seem to creep above budget despite my best efforts. Must try harder and also keep DH under control (he is a fan of the "quick nip to the shop" for milk and returning with numerous strange and bizarre items, which always scuppers the budget!). Can ring mortgage company on Tuesday and get latest figures to update my sig. Have a lovely day everyone.

chumpy45

Just won 300 points from YouGov in a a prize drawer, now up to 3850. Getting there very, very slowly :rotfl:

Contacted the washing machine insurance people as it had broken down. They came out, decided it was too old to be repaired, so it would be replaced free of charge - apart from the £19.99 delivery, the £70 for the remainder of the year's insurance premiums up front, and they wouldn't install it as it is integrated and they didn't want to damage the kitchen units !!!! I am not sure how this translates to "we will replace free of charge" which is what they said on the phone :mad: Many cross exchanges later, they dropped the delivery charge but the rest stands including £125 for installation from a local company. Still cheaper than buying another machine from new, but lesson learned - cancel the insurance at renewal ..........

5 pence found in town this morning. Coin counting jar is slowly filling

chumpy45

Busy morning so far. Rang mortgage provider and current balance is £34,694.71 and the daily interest has decreased again to £2.20 :T Need to update my signature. Then I submitted an on-line meter readings to Sainsbobs Energy. I was told to submit them after the 15th of each month but last month I submitted on the 17th and received an email saying it was too late for them to be incorporated! So am trying earlier this month. Does anyone else know which date I should use? Whizzed to HomeBargains to buy some limescale remover to clean up a very disgusting looking en-suite shower. Also picked up a bargain anniversary card whilst there. Back home, have cleaned the bathrooms - very much overdue. I feel our original MF date of Sep 2017 will be out of reach now given that DH has no work atm, but will have to wait and see. It all hinged on a dividend being paid from his company once his new financial year starts in May. Plans a little in limbo. Must start TTing again regularly. OnePoll over £7 and YouGov building nicely after my prize win earlier this week! Just about to have lunch and hopefully head out into the garden in the sunshine. Spring definitely seems to have sprung.

ETA: Forgot to say went to see Beauty and the Beast last night courtesy of Tesco Clubcard with sweeties from £land. A bargain trip out and absolutely loved it. Am still singing "Be my Guest" (to the amusement of the DSs !)

hiddenshadow

No idea on the energy - we do ours every month on the 1st and invariably a week or so after I've entered them I get a panicked e-mail saying I have to submit by the 18th of the following month or something. You'd think they'd realise I already did it, and would be doing it again well before their date, but they seem to live in their own universe re: time and schedules.

chumpy45

Thanks HiddenShadow, I will see what happens this month!

Aldi shop today at just over £82. That's all meals planned for the next week for 5 adults (well, DS4 is 13 but has the appetite of an adult so I am including him) including lunches and the never ending snacks. Probably be a top up of milk and fruit due mid week. I am tracking spends carefully (another line graph inserted into my spreadsheet - go me with my amazing techie skills :rotfl:). Makes a big difference seeing a visual representation of your spends - makes each spend scarier ! My target is to make sure the lines decrease each month. Have been going over the budgets tonight seeing what else we can cut out as still no job news for DH. He is very despondent this weekend so am trying to remain cheerful and positive. It's not easy though. DS4 needed new school trousers which I have ordered from T*sco at £6. He is growing so tall and I realised his trousers were becoming ankle flappers at the end of last term. I also ordered some jeans for myself from Next which only cost me £2 as I had a birthday voucher - that's the kind of shopping I like :T Hopefully no more spends over the weekend, just bobbling around in the garden, walks with the dog, and might even drag the BBQ out if the weather holds as promised. Enjoy the weekend everyone.

EatingTheElephant

Great shopping costs there Chumpy. Fingers crossed something will turn up job-wise soon.

chumpy45

Thanks for your good wishes ETE, keeping everything crossed. A few possibles in the pipe line so we shall see.

No spends over the weekend as we didn't go anywhere! However, a lovely "first of the year" BBQ on Saturday and then watched Pete's Dragon (had to get the tissues out, how sad am I :rotfl:).

Will sadly have to cancel our OP before our next mortgage payment goes out. It will be painful to do, but I have to think how lucky we are to have been OPing regularly and be in our current mortgage position. Will also have to reduce our regular saver with FD from the maximum to the minimum and see what else can be dispensed with. A little bit of spreadsheet shenanigans coming up I think.

No real plans this week. A little bit of marking to catch up on and some decluttering/cleaning/sorting around the house. I know how to enjoy myself:rotfl:

chumpy45

Soooooo, managed to come down with a horrible lurgy during the second half of the Easter hols. Cough, cold, sinus infection generally feeling meh and completely lacking in energy. So frustrating as had so many plans of things to do in house and garden and spent most days lying on sofa. Hey ho, am of course now feeling a little better now back at work !! Still no work for DH. A few "possibles", but it all takes so long. The person to speak to is always "away" or "back next week", then you have to wait for a certain date blah blah. Don't they realise I am trying to clear this mortgage and can't have my spreadsheets messed with when there is no money coming in lol. Having said that, have worked out what needs to be cancelled/reduced and am waiting until the last possible minute before pay day in case there is a reprieve and I can make normal OP (can always hope). Am investigating extra hours at work, but there seems to be nothing available atm. Need to also take action regarding my weight so that is also now a target. Have a school reunion and two weddings coming up so need to do something drastic. I do so love my chocolate though so its very hard atm as the DSs have Easter Eggs everywhere :eek: Car failed MOT yesterday :mad: nothing too major, so is being fixed and re-tested today hopefully. Have a couple of long journeys at the end of the week so really need it back. However, car fund money is available so hopefully shouldn't be too painful. Hope everyone had a good Easter. Need to catch up on diaries now.

chumpy45

Car cost just over £200 including the MOT, which I suppose in the scheme of things is not too bad. Can take from my car fund which will deplete it somewhat but thankfully means it won't be too painful and I won't have to use EF. NSD today as teaching off site where there are limited facilities so can't really spend anything even if I want to !! Trip to Brighton coming up at the weekend to see the Uni with DS3. I hope the sun is shining as I might get a paddle :rotfl: Lots of preparation required for next week as well as some marking too. You soon know you are back at work. Not sure how everything will be fitted in as also have to sort out DS4's birthday which is on Tuesday. Present ordered via TCB and need to collect tomorrow after big food shop and housework. On the countdown to payday and money shuffle next week now.

chumpy45

So, didn't feel well enough for trip to Brighton sadly, so DH took over that journey. I supported DS4 who had auditions for a show locally. Dosed up on Sudafed and had a chat with a couple of the other mums. About all I was up for today. Popped into town and quickly collected DS4's pressie and bought a card as won't have time next week once back at work. Couldn't resist an extra little pressie which was a little naughty but am sure DS4 will love it. Justified it to myself as received some TCB on his main pressie so free really :rotfl: No real money news, just waiting for payday next week. DH has an interview on Wednesday which I am hoping will be successful and then I might just sneakily manage to make our usual OP. However, don't want to count my chickens ...... so will wait and see. Enjoy the weekend everyone, the sun is shining here.