Project Mortgage Neutral Begins

ajmoney

I have been pondering a lot over the last 24 hours about my job and its contract, mortgage and savings. My regular saver matures at the end of the year when I plan to open another one. I have never counted the money in this account towards my mortgage neutral goal so have been wondering what to do with it. My current thoughts are to either buy premium bonds with it or OP on the mortgage. Nice decisions to have, maybe I will split it between the two.

ajmoney

Still pondering about my work contract as I had quite a casual conversation about it with a couple of colleagues earlier, I was more honest than I have been in the past. I have no idea what the right thing to do will be but in the meantime I am trying to work out some rough calculations so I can make an informed financial decision. I have only done calculations until July 25 at the moment as I remortgage then and with a much higher interest rate I have no idea how my mortgage is likely to reduce monthly. I am looking forward to some better calculations then so I can work out a rough mortgage freedom plan which will help gauge when I might look to get a different career.

I did some furniture window shopping for my living and dining room the other day ready for when the decorating is done. I am concerned the rooms will look quite empty compared to what has been here before but I am looking forward to playing about with the layout and having it however I want. I am so excited about making my house my home

My neighbour has wanted to replace the fence between us for a while and last week said it should be done before Christmas when he is due to go away for a bit. I came home on Friday to see that the old one had gone and in a couple of days the new one will be fully installed. There are a couple of areas of the garden that I have never done anything with because there didn't seem much point until this was done and I need a good structure to plant against or build raised beds. I have a couple of days off over the weekend so as long as the weather is ok I am going to clear one of the areas and replant. I can't really see this specific part of the garden so plan to plant some camelia and cultivate the roses that are there.

Things slowly seem to be fitting into place and is proof that baby steps can work even if it feel like they are not steps at all.

Watty1

What a lovely post to read. Slowly it will become yours.

ajmoney

I had a lovely afternoon and evening with a friend yesterday, I went with her to watch her daughter's riding lesson (something I said I would do nearly a year ago) and then went to theirs for dinner. I was talking about my experience of tradespeople but chatting about how things are moving now and I am looking to decorate in the new year. He has offered to do any and all decorating for me at mates rates, I was kind of blown away by it. I would like to do itmyself but I don't really have much time to dedicate to it and the cleaning of stuff etc comes with added stress so I am seriously considering it. He still wants me to get a couple of quotes so we can work out what the going rate is up here and then work out a price, which he has said he will beat. I can't believe my luck, I was going to ask his advice on a couple of things anyway so this could really work out for me. They will probably be living in the area until summer 2026 so that feels like a great timeline to get all my other rooms done too, maybe even the kitchen which would just leave the bathroom to sort. I am aiming to get my bedroom and hall done by next summer anyway and if I have a plasterer and a decorator already lined up, then only thing delaying anything is me!!!!!

Last push for work today. All the events that have been mounting up end today and after that I don't have any pressing projects, just things without a deadline. I am planning to take the whole of tomorrow off and go and explore the Christmas markets that have just opened and then will make a plan for what I can tackle and get done before we finish for Christmas. The main priority is to find more time for me so I can reduce the stress I have been feeling.

LadyWithAPlan

ajmoney said:

I have been pondering a lot over the last 24 hours about my job and its contract, mortgage and savings. My regular saver matures at the end of the year when I plan to open another one. I have never counted the money in this account towards my mortgage neutral goal so have been wondering what to do with it. My current thoughts are to either buy premium bonds with it or OP on the mortgage. Nice decisions to have, maybe I will split it between the two.

Indeed what a great decision to make and 50/50  is always the easy option as if it’s mortgage neutral your goal then being in PBS are pretty safe (I am definitely at a low win rate with mine though ) 

great news re the mates rates on the jobs 
! Lucky you  

ajmoney

And just like that, my manic and pressured couple of months should ease from today. Today has been far more draining than I realised it would be though as it working with people I haven't seen since before covid and are from my "old" life with my ex-husband. I had a lovely chat with someone who sees him regularly and plucked up the courage to ask how he is getting on, I never stopped caring for him and I will always second guess whether anything I did was the right decision. 

I am feeling a little numb now. I was planning to go to the gym on my way home but think I need to be kind to myself. I will pop out to the supermarket in a little while to get stuff for the weekend and then have an easy rest of the day I think, doing whatever I feel like at the time. I want to enjoy my day tomorrow so probably need to do this.

ajmoney

It's nearly December... What will the figures say...? How close to mortgage neutral will I be...?

I am a little excited and am really hoping I might have done it, right as I start paying out money to make my house my home 

LadyWithAPlan

Fingers crossed on the figures!!

Sorry re the ex and feelings popping up, I am sure you did the best you could at the time.

ajmoney

My aim for the end of the day is to have an idea of what to buy everyone for Christmas, even if I haven't bought it. I have got a few things online today which will be delivered by the end of the week so really I am just trying to work out what to buy my niece. She doesn't know what she wants so I am thinking of a stocking with a few bits and a voucher. I definitely need to spend more time with my family so I have an idea of what to buy them!!!!!

I am hoping to meet up with my parent for lunch in a couple of weeks so will do the present handover then, it gives me a deadline to work to. It is the same week the plastering is being done so hopefully by the end of it I will have all the Christmas stuff bought and can spend that weekend cleaning, getting the furniture back in the right place and putting some decorations up.

I am resisting the urge to do my account tallies today. The anticipation is better than Christmas as a kid!

ajmoney

£24166.75 Cash ISA

£36066.30 S&S ISA

£60233.05 Total

£61066.05 Mortgage total

£833 Shortfall

Up until this month I have only included these savings accounts however seeing as I am so close I am tempted to include the regular saver and my PBs. I should pass this at the end of December although I am likely to break even in the end due to paying out for the plastering work.