Can definitely do better!

new_mortgageeee

Olexadov wrote: »

Have you any profit from that?

I'm not sure what you mean? It's generally not profit - just my money that I haven't spent on unnecessary things!

The surveys don't make a huge profit but every little helps I'm saving the vouchers to buy Christmas presets

new_mortgageeee

juststuff123 wrote: »

You sound like like you're pretty well sorted. So I don't think you need it but Good Luck anyway!

Thank you! I was just reading your diary - your savings are really impressive!!

Idon't feel sorted at all - a bit bemused this month and waiting for an enormous bill at my new house that I haven't anticipated... will see!

new_mortgageeee

Nice big boost to my savings as my relocation expenses were paid today! £4100 that I've been missing for quite a while :j. For a short while my current account looked amazing! But now stashed away. It was everso tempting to overpay another big chunk of my mortgage, but I'd love to have £10k easy access cash incase of emergencies, so have resisted (for now). It has made me think that I should do more with my savings - my regular saver has just ended so will start another of those this weekend. And I'd love to have a S&S ISA so might research that abit.

Annoyingly I was declined a mobile phone contract a few days ago due to my credit score! I did check online and there are no "black marks" against my name, and I've never had any problems before. But I assume it's because I've just moved house and there has been a lot of money moving around me and insurance/mortgage checks etc. recently. Will leave it a few months and try again; I'm keen to get a contract that includes wifi calling as I get absolutely no signal at home or at work... makes my current mobile a bit superfluous!

An expensive week coming up - I have a winter's worth of logs coming in (£90) and a bookcase being built (£1700 :eek: but beautiful!) but then I think I'm set for a while and can get into a proper budget. Actually I will update my SOA this weekend too now I've had a full month here.

jodles16

Congratulations on you new job and home! It already sounds like you have a great plan and I look forward to popping in again to see how you are getting on!

Jodles

new_mortgageeee

Payday in a couple of days, with no planned outgoings, so I've made another overpayment, leaving me with £300 in case there's something I've forgotten! Hopefully this can just transfer into savings on Thursday. A whopping £1250 overpayment in just over a month - sadly this won't be typical as my mortgage payments don't start until December. Still, nice to take a big chunk off at the beginning while I've got the cash; the MSE calculator shows that as a 5 month reduction in term - amazing stuff!

After a bit of posting on another board I've decided to transfer my languishing pension and ISA into S&S, so I set them up a couple of days ago. A nice feeling initially, but I've had notification that the transfers should go through and regular payments start at the beginning of January?! That's ages; perhaps I've been spoiled by the speedy transfers now available for switching most things. Maybe tax and investments are more complicated... still, took a bit of the shine off the excitement!

Must head off to work - it's so easy to get engrossed in other people's diaries and the challenges they're overcoming. Inspiring stuff!

Have a great Tuesday NM

new_mortgageeee

First mortgage payment taken (a whopping £750 (for nearly two months)!!). It finally feels real! Most of it interest though. A little immediate OP of £72.89 to round it down nicely.

It looks like my OPs to date have taken me down from £8.52 to £8.40 daily interest... not much yet! I've seen others measuring progress in this way, but it does seem slower than seeing the big numbers change in your capital?

Not much to report - quiet end to last month financially. I'm picking up lots of freelance work (must do invoicing tonight) which will be a nice addition coming in just after Christmas. Presents mostly sorted; my mum wanted a new phone so I've decided to give her my most recent smartphone having just upgraded. I could have sold it for a reasonable amount and given her something more basic (she only really makes texts and calls!), but she loves a gadget so we'll see how she gets on.

Dad has been very unwell recently and spent a lot of time in hospital, and is now far less mobile than he was, so gifts are pretty limited to books, earphones, and other sedentary entertainment. He likes to watch birds from his chair but he's already kitted himself out with excellent bird feeders and binoculars, so that seems to be a bit exhausted! Have settled for a couple of books and some of his favourite chocolates.

I'm rambling, but I don't really want to get out of bed and move... my cat is snoring away next to me and it would seem totally heartless to disturb her!!

new_mortgageeee

Hope everyone has had a lovely Christmas! I have, if a little different. For once I took three solid weeks off from work as my dad is still in and out of hospital, and I wanted to spend a decent amount with my parents and get things done around their house before Christmas. It's definitely the longest I've spent here for many years; presumably since I left for university.

Anyway, I'm exhausted now - much cooking, cleaning, painting and shovelling of coal done. Time to put my feet up! But my thoughts have drifted to planning for next years' targets...

I'd love to reach my 10% (£12,000) OP limit for the year. Now my savings are good and healthy it's possible in theory as I have limited other outgoings. Still, £1000 a month is more than I've ever managed in "normal" financial circumstances. I've joined MFW 2017 with a target of £10k so will see how that goes - with a side eye on the bigger target if at all possible.

I've made a start on Jan's OP already (as the money was ready to go - seemed silly to wait until Jan!) with £405 sent off today. :j

Something I really want to sort out this coming year is to properly use cashback sites for online purchases. I'll have a wade through the forum for some tips. I do so much shopping online now it seems mad not to. Not sure if I'll be able to use it fully though, as most of my gifts/treats come from J0hn L*wis with vouchers earned on my c'card or online surveys. Will see.

Must also do better at meal planning in 2017 - it's a decent drive to a supermarket from my new house, so proper planning, lists and efficient shopping is definitely needed. I used to live (literally) next door to Waitr0se, which was absolutely fatal - like a giant (and expensive) store cupboard! I was doing pretty well with a £40 a week household budget but that drifted when I moved house. Will start that again.

I did too much private work (spare time admin/graphic support) last year - it really took its toll on my ability to get on with my hobbies and my social life, though was very good for the bank balance. I'll try and balance that a bit more this year (my mother does worry), though it's hard/impossible to say no when people are relying on your for support.

Right, enough rambling. And my mother has started purposefully vacuuming around me which is probably a hint that she'd like help with something. I'll do a SOA in the next couple of days with a few OP scenarios to see how they pan out. Really determined though 2016 was a tough year for various reasons, looking forward to a new chapter in 2017! :beer:

Kittenkirst

Sounds like an eventful year for you in 2016! Here's to a successful and happy 2017 in your new home

new_mortgageeee

Here's my current SOA, so in theory...!

Statement of Affairs and Personal Balance Sheet

Household Information
Number of adults in household........... 1
Number of children in household......... 0
Number of cars owned.................... 1

Monthly Income Details
Monthly income after tax................ 1890
Partners monthly income after tax....... 0
Benefits................................ 0
Other income............................ 350
Total monthly income.................... 2240

Monthly Expense Details
Mortgage................................ 479
Secured/HP loan repayments.............. 0
Rent.................................... 0
Management charge (leasehold property).. 65
Council tax............................. 120
Electricity............................. 50
Gas..................................... 0
Oil..................................... 0
Water rates............................. 0
Telephone (land line)................... 0
Mobile phone............................ 25
TV Licence.............................. 13
Satellite/Cable TV...................... 5
Internet Services....................... 0
Groceries etc. ......................... 250
Clothing................................ 10
Petrol/diesel........................... 60
Road tax................................ 10
Car Insurance........................... 17
Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 20
Car parking............................. 0
Other travel............................ 0
Childcare/nursery....................... 0
Other child related expenses............ 0
Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 10
Pet insurance/vet bills................. 12
Buildings insurance..................... 20
Contents insurance...................... 0
Life assurance ......................... 0
Other insurance......................... 0
Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 20
Haircuts................................ 0
Entertainment........................... 20
Holiday................................. 0
Emergency fund.......................... 0
Total monthly expenses.................. 1206


Assets
Cash.................................... 10700
House value (Gross)..................... 150000
Shares and bonds........................ 200
Car(s).................................. 2000
Other assets............................ 2000
Total Assets............................ 164900


Secured & HP Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
Mortgage...................... 117995...(479)......2.59
Total secured & HP debts...... 117995....-.........-

Unsecured Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
Total unsecured debts..........0.........0.........-


Monthly Budget Summary
Total monthly income.................... 2,240
Expenses (including HP & secured debts). 1,206
Available for debt repayments........... 1,034
Monthly UNsecured debt repayments....... 0
Amount left after debt repayments....... 1,034

Personal Balance Sheet Summary
Total assets (things you own)........... 164,900
Total HP & Secured debt................. -117,995
Total Unsecured debt.................... -0
Net Assets.............................. 46,905

Created using the SOA calculator at https://www.stoozing.com.
Reproduced on Moneysavingexpert with permission, using other browser.

new_mortgageeee

Kittenkirst wrote: »

Sounds like an eventful year for you in 2016! Here's to a successful and happy 2017 in your new home

Thank you and to you!

NM x