Getting a mortgage and then becoming mortgage-free!

themadvix

Well done on the eBay listing Kittenkirst, they're irritating to do, but it's such a good feeling when something sells!

And when you start your mortgage by making OPs they have a huge impact - even small amounts. But you know this. Don't lose heart - small amounts add up! (My OPs would look a lot smaller if I was able to transfer them throughout the month, it's only that I have to make an OP of at least ~£430 each time (one month's capital repayment) because my lender is incompetent!)

Kittenkirst

Thanks TheMadVix, you are very right. It will all pay off in the end!

went for a run after work, only did 2.16miles before I had bad calf pain, similar to the pain when I tore the calf muscle a few years back so I limped home. Taken ibuprofen and will restart the physio exercises tomorrow if the pain subsides.

I have however already signed up to two races- one 10km run at end of April & 1 obstacle race which we have a team of ten for on 1st April. Wil need to stretch plenty and train well for it.

Made aubergine parmigana (of sorts) for dinner tonight and it was lovellly! Had a slice of the banana loaf cake and custard for dessert too (took a few slices to gf's parents earlier too).

Gf is away from tomorrow until Thursday evening, tomorrow I'm going to bake a lemon & lime drizzle cake ready for tea & cake win my friend on Wednesday night quite looking forward to getting my bake on.

Am visiting suppliers tomorrow so lunch should be provided- I do love a free lunch :P

themadvix

Mmm, banana cake and custard is one of my favourites! Have you tried putting lumps of chocolate into the cake too? That's even better!

Enjoy the free lunch! (I never get one as I work for myself, but I'm always pleased when DH gets one! Sad isn't it?!)

atypicalblonde

Small OPs add up to big amounts hun, keep the faith

Well done on doing some ebaying - I agree it is a pain in the neck, but the feeling of getting some money in and stuff out at the same time is very worth it I think! x

ch4rly2002

Phew! It's taken me hours but I've finally caught up with your diary There are a few things I wanted to comment on but I'm not sure if I'll remember everything, but I'll try..,

First off, well done! It sounds like you are doing amazingly with the money saving, overpaying and getting the house sorted. It seems like you are really committed.

If I remember rightly, your mortgage is with Clydesdale but they told you can't have online banking? Hope I've got that right. I've just moved from Clydesdale but I did have online banking so I could keep an eye on the mortgage. You'd need to open a current account with them and when that's open you can get online banking. It's pretty rubbish as you can only see the current balance (you can't see your payments going in, interest etc., which would improve the site no end!). If you tell them you're opening an account to be able to see your mortgage online, you can get a big standard account without minimum pay in or direct debits etc. But if you have a spare current account hanging around you could look into getting a switch bonus.

You mentioned Tilly Tidies a few times, can you explain what that is as I've seen it a few places and I think it might be about making little extra payments to round off the mortgage payment but it seems to be more than that.

I hadn't heard of the free postcode lottery, I'll look into it.

We have CCTV and an alarm, both were already installed when we bought the house so it wasn't our choice but we're really pleased with them. If you decide to go for only one of them, you could always get a dummy version of the other one.

If your mattress is still causing you bother, have you tried making it work for you rather than replacing it? If it is too firm you could try getting a mattress topper to soften it or if it's too soft you could try slipping a board under the mattress under your side of the bed as I've read that firms it up.

Sounds like we have a similar taste in TV programmes! How's the Walking Dead going? Did you finish the box set? That's my fave but I also like Game of Thrones, Scandal etc.

Last thing, you mentioned a cut price shop. There used to be one near where I worked in Sheffield but I haven't found one round here. Do you know if it's a chain? / the name of it?

Don't worry about the size of the overpayments, the main thing is that your doing something and it will all add up. When I first got a mortgage I couldn't afford to - or think of - making any overpayments. A saying I like is "it doesn't matter how slow you're running, you're still lapping everyone on the couch" and I think this is the same. You're still ahead of what you would have been if you hadn't made any OPs

Nice to read your diary and I look forward to hearing how you get on going forwards.

Kittenkirst

Hey CHarley! Well done for slogging through my last years of scribbles

I didn't realize Clydesdale did online banking for current accounts- will have to research this and get one opened as that'd be fab for checking the balance!

Tilly tidies are just sweeping funds from an account to make it a round number, some people do it to the pound, nearest £5, nearest £10 etc. I do it to make the joint account into round pounds i.e. £8.50 supermarket shop was showing this morning so I tilly tidied 50p to the mortgage. (I believe it's named after a meg diarist named Tilly)

I've now finished Scandal but only watched a few The Walking Deads as the gf is not into anything horror genre so watch it when she's away (& im feeling brave! :rotfl: )

The cut price food place is a one man band type enterprise- I got chatting to him last week and so far have been pretty impressed with everything!

Today was a bit rubbish, the supplier I've worked with for the last year is having an end of year celebration and invited all the important people at work and my colleague but not me. Not sure if it's an oversight as we both do the same job, and they were chatting a lot about it today in the all day session So I'm not feeling very valued by my colleague (who just shrugged about me not being invited!) or the supplier really...oh well, it's paying the mortgage and I got a free lunch today so it's not all bad really.

50p swept to mortgage this morning, two loads of washing done and half the car hovered out this evening (before the dyson ran out of charge!), just waiting for the butter to warm a little to make the lime drizzle cake for tomorrow and will make something for dinner but not feeling inspired at the mo..... must resist just eating cake whilst the gf is away'

Kittenkirst

Hey MadVix- Free lunch was pretty tasty and they did keep me supplied in frothy coffees so not too shabby!

ATB- eBay is such a chore but i got a bid this morning which is spurring me on so I'm scouting around looking for other things to eBay....I have some beautiful IronFist skull shoes I love but never wear. I have dodgy big toe nails you see and these are peep toes hence never wearing them....I've hung onto them for years without wearing them and I think it's time to say goodbye! Will photo them this week and get them listed to start on Sunday.

Kittenkirst

Evening peeps!
Today has not been a great mfw day; I had no motivation for work and feeling a little down about it all at the mo, which resulted in getting involved in the daily take out run- £4.45 later and a lovely little box of Chinese noodles magically appeared alongside a £1.25 latte!

Not the worst spend really but not too great either. Must try harder tomorrow!

33p tilly tidy today and a few Onepoll surveys completed

Oh and a few bids on one pair of shoes on bay of E- the pink & black hi top converses WOOP!

Kittenkirst

Forgot to add that 60p confirmed from Quidco so will await something else confirming before I can withdraw and OP.

Potential tenant for gf flat has fallen through at the last minute so money will be tight this month covering that mortgage as well as our house one....may not be overpaying her share of the council tax this month....will see. Another person is viewing the flat this week so fingers crossed they pass the credit checks etc!

Kittenkirst

Reading this through some motivational posts on Instagram has made me realize I'm a little moany on here at the moment so a few things I'm thankful for:

* my gorgeous lady, who is coming home tomorrow evening and I can't wait to see her

* lovely friends who enjoy coffee & cake with me to save money

*lovely parents in law with a gorgeous kitty!

* yummy lime drizzle cake this evening