Project Mortgage Neutral Begins

ajmoney

I am all ready for Christmas.  I did my final shop this morning before our schools finish today, it looked like everyone else had the same idea as me!!!!  Pot of soup on the hob, another flavour will be cooked tomorrow and that takes me close to New Year, I really don't want to go shopping again! 

I am not a fan of this time of year, I used to go on holiday to escape it all but can't really do that at the moment.  I am meeting a friend on Christmas morning and going to parkrun with her, other than that I don't really have any plans.  I will try and find some ways for social interaction as I suspect all my plans after Christmas may be curtailed due to new restrictions!

ajmoney

I had a lovely day yesterday, it wasn't traditional by any means but it was right for me and I loved it.  The only way I might change it next year is to find an easier way to do my dinner or prepare more in advance so I don't have to spend so long in the kitchen.

I am starting to get itchy feet to get away although I don't know how achievable it will be to go abroad in 2022 so I am going to look at places I can visit locally.  I have ideas of what I would like to do if I can get away though and have some money saved up so I will keep an eye on things as the year goes by.

As for today, I have no idea what I am going to do.  I don't want to spend all day inside but the weather forecast isn't great. 

ajmoney

I realised this morning that after reviewing my finances I hadn't changed the standing orders into my accounts so that has now been done.  I think rather than the usual 6 month review that I have done the last few years, I will check this a little more regularly to make sure I am not leaving myself short.  I have no real plan for the year from a money point of view but maybe that is my plan, just topping up the different accounts. 

I might not be a fan of Christmas time but I do enjoy the time between Christmas and New Year.  A time for reflection and planning and, for the first time in a while, I am kind of looking forward to what is to come without knowing what that is!

Watty1

Reading your SOA made me painfully aware of how unfrugal I have become

ajmoney

Watty1 said:

Reading your SOA made me painfully aware of how unfrugal I have become

That is my SOA going forward but it is not where my money was going, I still don't really know what I was spending on, lots of tea and cake out probably! I haven't spent any money since Wednesday now and it is a very strange feeling. The gym is open again from today and as I am a member is won't cost me anything. I don't need anything from the supermarket but might go and have a wander round the shops in town for a change of scenery which could be a bad move! I might some bargains I can put away for next year though...

ajmoney

I have been thinking about the things I would like to do in 2022 this morning.  I would love to go on holiday but who knows if that will even be realistic so I am focusing on different things that are achievable. 

First and foremost I would like to enjoy the journey rather than always focusing on the end goal, for instance I want to improve my 5k running time but let's face it, that isn't going to make me happy and once I have achieved it...what then?  It might be that I set small goals towards it but ultimately I want to enjoy it because what is the point if I don't?

I would like to get better at using up any leftovers.  I am not bad at this but I did throw away a duck joint with far too much left on it on Christmas Day.  It was hard to carve, I was running out of plastic tubs to put things in and I went with the easy option.  It is mostly with joints of meat that I find this but in general, this is an area I would like to improve.

My weight has been getting me down over the last 5 months or so, to others it doesn't look like much but I have to choose my wardrobe based on what fits and this is not something I have struggled with in this way before.  I can focus on the weigt loss or the measurements around my middle but I don't want to become obsessive with anything and whatever I do, it needs to fit with my lifestyle and fuel me for the exercise that I enjoy.  I love food, I don't go too crazy with it but am know to have a sweet tooth which I have got a lot better at controlling over the last month.  I am going to focus on the measurements as that is the things that I have been obsessing over, if it reduces the number on the scales then that is great.  I guess this goes hand in hand with my running goal but I want to enjoy the journey.  I know execrise makes me feel better when I am in a low place so the focus will be on this, making a regular commitment to myself but giving myself some slack when a busy work schedule means I need to change my plans.

I have some money goals, to work towards saving £10k in easily accessible cash and OP 10% of my mortgage but I want to enjoy the journey once again and not deny myself fun along the way. 

I am also contemplating a new MFW diary.  My life is in a completely different place from where it was when I started this back in 2016 and it might be nice to reflect that with a fresh start.

Lots to think about...today I am off to get a new A5 diary, not to use for work/social things but somewhere that I can write what I have done towards some of these goals and put my exercise/meal plans in.  I have so many spreadsheets and notebooks but having some of these things in one location might help me feel a little less overwhelmed.

ajmoney

Over the last couple of days I have really got into knitting, so far I have made a tea cosy, a mat for the tea pot to stand on, two bookmarks and I am onto my third.  I was trying a different bookmark pattern but was getting frustrated so am sticking to an easier pattern for now.  A friend's daughter is trying to raise money for a school trip and has been selling some of her crafts in the run up to Christmas, I have decided to make some Christmas related stuff that she can sell next year too.  I would like to knit some of my own decorations so have just had a look at some of the patterns online and feel this could be a lot of fun.  My mum has already joked that if I keep going, I will have Christmas 2022 sorted in no time!!!  Yesterday I got a load of wool in a sale so it is already very affordable.

I also picked up my first Christmas presents in the saes yesterday, I wonder if I can be one of these that has done all of her shopping before the end of January???

juliejim

Happy New Year aj!

Your goals are looking right for you and definitely start putting yourself first and looking after you! It's no use looking at other people's OPs as everyone's goals/incomes/expenses/priorities are different - you need to look at what's right for you.

I'm just doing a bit of catching up as I've been feeling pretty overwhelmed myself the last couple of months and haven't really been on MSE but I am going to try and rectify that as I do enjoy keeping up with people.

ajmoney

I hadn't realised it was quite so long since I had checked in here! 

I am ticking along, work has been crazy busy but is calming down a little now thankfully.

I am working towards my money goals for the year.  I can't help but think I could be doing more but I am happy with the balance.  With everything that has gone on over the last couple of year it is proof that nothing is guaranteed so while I do really want to be mortgage free and have a good amount of savings behind me, it will all be for nothing if I can't enjoy it.  Saying that, I have come up with a number in my head that I would like to get my mortgage to by the end of the year.  It might not be achievable but that is ok.

I was aiming to bolster my holiday savings back up to £3k over the first 6 months of the year as I hope this might be the year I can get away again but thanks to throwing everything at that so far this year I only have £100 left to put in now which will happen by the beginning of the month at the latest.  It is funny really as I have been looking at different websites that will cost a lot less than I had been spending when I was holidaying with Mr AJM.

I will try and decide whether to put that extra money towards my cash ISA or mortgage, I am still working towards the idea of having £10k available in easily accessible cash so it might go towards my ISA.

ajmoney

I am currently debating my mobile phone and $ky contract. 

I pay an ok price for my mobile but I feel I am going to need more mobile data with a change in circumstances.  I am contemplating changing provider too as research shows that a couple of other providers have better coverage where I live. 

I pay quite a lot for my phone, internet and tv with $ky.  I don't use the phone so that can go which will save me £2 a month.  If I am increasing my mobile data, I have been considering the possibility of unlimited data for my mobile and ditching the internet in my house.  I need to look at the difference in price.  As for the tv, I don't watch much although there are a couple of the sports channels that I watch which is why I have kept my full package so far.  I also have a couple of people that legally use my logins to watch sports but they don't pay anything towards it so that isn't a reason to keep it all going.  I clearly need to think a bit more about this.