XSpender Speeds it Up - £0 to £60k in 27 months

XSpender

We have 2 rooms to paint and the house will be going on the market in March. We are moving (about 3 miles away) to a bigger house, they get snapped up as soon as they come up so we need to be ready. This is why we are sorting out the mortgage now as due to our history we need it agreed in principle before we start the process.

Completion certificates were posted yesterday, along with a letter to :santa2:. I bought 12 1st class stamps in Mr T and nearly fell over at the price:eek:

Last day of my hols today and then I am away with work from very early Monday to late on Thursday:(

Plans for today are to finish putting the decs up, buy DS some new school shoes as his are now leaking and chill out at home. I might go for a short off road run too.

XSpender

Been away all week with work so lots of diaries to catch up on.

£960 added to moving pot

Will do a run down of where I ended up against November's goals and to do list tonight or over the weekend. Will also think about a few goals for December, not many though.

I know DH lost 5.5lb against his 7lb target and I lost the 2lb I was aiming for. The problem is we both look like a bag of rags in our work clothes as nothing fits! DH has gone down 4 inches at least on his trousers and I am now 2 dress sizes smaller than this time last year and I am still wearing the old dresses and suits!

Had some great feedback from a very difficult client regarding the sessions I ran this week so absolutely buzzing about that:D

DH and I have our race on Sunday, I have a feeling that it will be a mud fest rather than a run but should be good for a laugh.:rotfl:

I have secured a place in the GNR for September (charity one) but still need to sign up for something in Feb or March.

Goldiegirl

Sounds like a very positive week

XSpender

Unfortunately my race has been cancelled due to the high winds. We are very disappointed as we have trained for the last 3 months for this but as DH said we have both got fit and lost weight and it only cost us £30 each in an entry fee! (We will get a refund too).

Claimed £70.70 from TCB today and have another £70.70 tracking for the home insurance renewal. All TCB is going towards the house fund.

Suffolk_lass

XSpender wrote: »

Unfortunately my race has been cancelled due to the high winds. We are very disappointed as we have trained for the last 3 months for this but as DH said we have both got fit and lost weight and it only cost us £30 each in an entry fee! (We will get a refund too).

How disappointing that it is cancelled - but as DH says, the benefits of training probably outweigh the race. To me you are much more focussed than you were a year ago. I remember some of your posts around then on the Grocery Challenge and you seemed always to be setting and breaking your goals.

In contrast now, your diary is a pleasure to read. Your positivity shines through and minor setbacks are treated as simply minor irritations to be overcome. You know where you're going and you are getting there.

Well done and keep up the hard work - and maintain that fitness - it is clear you are both benefitting.

SL

XSpender

Thank you SL for your lovely post.

I know exactly what you mean about the GC, I think I hit it once in all the years I did it I started it again in November and have come under straight away:rotfl:

XSpender

We have bought DH 2 suits today, 2 inches smaller jacket, 2 inches smaller trousers and a slimmer cut. He is over the moon I also got three new dresses and a pair of shoes, all for work, that cost less than 1 of DH's suits:eek:

I have just checked our credit reports and the files have been updated to remove our IVA from the file as it was cleared over 5 years ago and started over 6.:D:D:D:D:D Both our credit scores are 999 out of 999 and are rated 'excellent' I have just done a happy dance around the room :j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j

I cannot explain how I feel; I feel like a normal person

I will email the broker tomorrow and send off our cleared reports and speak to him later in the week to complete the income and expenditure part of the application.

DH and I also want to look into applying for a 0% CC each to clear my high interest, debt repair CC quite soon and to clear our secured loan when the balance is about £3k (about March).

I am wrapping presents tonight as DS is at DMIL, better not have too many celebratory b@ileys (aldee cheapee version of course;)) or I will be labelling everything up wrong

XSpender

Lovely chilled out day today (except when helping DS do his school project; you teachers must have amazing patience).

Found some of DH favourite shoes in Debs with 30% off to go with his new suits, bought me a load of new tights (it's December so moving from nude to black:rotfl:) and used the last of my personal spends to buy a new jumper and a top for dinner with the client and MD next week.

Away for most of next week but really need to fit in some exercise at some point or it will be the weekend before I get to it. DH and I have found a run to do at the end of Feb to keep us motivated, we just need to sign up for it

I haven't sorted out my December goals as yet and the month seems to be getting away from me as we have something on every weekend until Christmas. I will probably focus on Jan and Feb goals instead.

Pearla*Merle

Congrats on the credit scores! :T :T

Suffolk_lass

I thought these two threads might be of interest to you - given you are trying to pay down your existing mortgage, and trying to save for your house move:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5375506
This is the Mortgage Free in Three (Take 4) thread that is just starting from January

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5369493
And this is the Save £12k in 2016 thread, which commences on 1st January.

Both are slight misnomers as you don't have to actually clear your mortgage in three years, but it does (in my experience of challenge 3) provide an element of discipline that I always need. And you don't have to save £12k - you can set your own target - and in both cases, you can update the target if that needs to be amended.

It's another area to be accountable to yourself, if you find the temptation is to stray (like me!)

HTH SL