Our 'Mortgage Free By Forty' Dream - Truly Madly Hannah

PennyJar

What a fab diary...so frank and honest - I love it. So after reading it all I have subscribed :-)

I always visualise bumps along the way as being like commars (brief pauses) not full stops and soon get myself together again feeling fresh and reinvigorated for the next part of the challenge. This usually keeps me back on track...when I was in debt the last £3,000 seemed like the biggest mountain ever to climb even though I'd already paid off £12,000 - mad when I think about it now.

The MFW game -is a privileged position to be in, no matter how small your payments are...and I think it's fantastic your doing it with 4 children - you deserve a medal to be honest.

PennyJar

trulymadlyhannah

Its sad to see how neglected Ive let my diary become, but i thought id post quickly just before my husband comes home from work.

We are back on the overpayment wagon and have been since September and are down to £91'340.

DH wants to cancel Decembers overpayment for Xmas but i don't want to.... eeekkk. So I am trying to work on a way I can make some extra money without cancelling our overpayment.

We are struggling to rein in after our holiday and although we have still been overpaying the £500, our other savings are looking really bleak!

Our plans are:

Make the most of an £100 Argos card for the children's Christmas presents, as I just missed the 3 for 2 sale.

Plan a minimalist Christmas so we don't go overboard, including days out, food, presents, elf on the shelf and all things festive. I am thinking of getting them 2 of each things from the 'want, need, read, wear' categories.

I have just created a new meal planner, so i need to start using it to cut down on trips to the shop

Sell the contents of my house, including an old phone, my woven wrap (babywearing) the childrens old clothes or anything I dont think they will wear.

Consider selling our rotavator - maybe an hard thing to sell as I am a little bit in love with it (yes I am odd!) and it makes life so much easier at the allotment.

That's it so far... but I am going to have another brainstorm and read/catch-up of more diaries for inspiration!

debtfreeoneday

Nice to see you back! x

Kittenkirst

Welcome back

trulymadlyhannah

Thanks Kittenkirst and debtfreeoneday

A November Update.
Our total overpayments in Novemeber were £520.06, and on top of our contracted payment of £593.

Our mortgage is now down to £90'460, Yay!

I managed to make a grand total of £5 last month from selling things. I have given my old mobile to my MIL because hers broke and the wrap hasnt sold just yet, I dont want to reduce any more so I plan to hang on until spring if needed as it will sell better then

I do have a massive box of children's clothes and shoes to sell, so hopefully I will get through them this month.

We haven't spent anything on Christmas decorations this year, other than my £2 poinsettia from Mr T. I want to create a christmas tree on our wall above my dining table, so ive started painting the wall white and I have found some lights that I think might work. The end result I want to look like this, but we will see! (photo inspiration from Instagram of @mostlychloe)



December aims

- Sell the clothes
This has been on my list for far too long and I just need to plan on spending a day photographing and listing on facebook and ebay.

- make £200 matched betting
I have never bet a penny before in my life except on the lottery, but so far this month I have made £60 matched betting and my aim is £200 in December

- Continue to meal plan and join the old style grocery shopping challenge
Ive put together a meal plan for my blog and my next plan is to create a Christmas menu and grocery list to help myself and others cut down on the cost of Christmas food shopping. Its probably not going to help anyone this year except me! but my aim is that you fill in the meal plan and then have a list XMAS food and drink you would like for over the season, that you tick off as you go along. I want to buy my buy my baileys when its on offer, store it in my Christmas box and tick it off my list, so i buy little and often all year. I am hoping to keep a better track of our spending by joining old style challenge.

- To make £50 from my blog in January
I currently don't make any money from my blog, but I have started to be approached by PR companies wanting me to work with them, the problem is I keep saying no! I don't want to recommend something to someone else if i don't truly believe it their service or product, so I think I am going to start approaching brands that I want to work with and looking into affiliate product's through amazon. I don't make a penny at the moment, but Id love to be making enough from my blog that I can work from home when Ava goes to nursery in just under 2 years.

Hannah xx

Save
Save
Save

debtfreeoneday

Well done on the matched betting and goals
If you aren't on here before, have a lovely Christmas and new year!