Getting rid of a London-sized Mortgage

Tropically

Thanks Tryharder, you too!! Health is definitely most important, and the allergy pills keep the peace!

Tropically

NSD day yesterday! I got tickets to go to a free showing of Thor Ragnarok for the EE Rising Star Award and had a great time. Really good film.

I was absolutely ravenous before we went though. So I looked up cheap places around that area and found a place that did jianbing (chinese crepes). Even getting a burger at Five Guys ends up being a tenner at least. The jianbing were super filling - we probably could have split one between the two of us. And a bit weird but still good. E.g. a Crepe with an American-style hotdog branded as a 'Chinese sausage', pork belly, and a variety of fried goods. My partner picked these up, and in total it was only £12 so I don't feel too bad about it. Still an NSD for me!

Have some left over veg mac and cheese for lunch so no lunches out either! That is my usual weakness.

Tropically

So... I have been avoiding my daily update because, you will not be surprised to learn, that I did not escape Fri-danger unscathed.

Where was I?

Woke up Friday morning, £74.02 in my pocket.

Had a hankering for a bacon sarnie. Didn’t bring my lunch. Great.

Asked my partner if he knew where to get a cheap one, and he did! £2 for a breakfast bap and a coffee. Bargain! I went there and alas, inflation has hit so it was actually £2.50. Got one anyway because I was there and it was tasty, and hugely filling. It had two fried eggs in it and three or four bits of bacon. Plus this was right next to Borough Market, so it’s hard to find something cheap around here.

I didn’t have lunch and so I was googling desperately a place to get lunch for about £2 or £3. I didn’t find one, and ended up getting a £4 sandwich. It was tasty but still tooooo much.

We were having drinks in the office after work, so drank lots of free drink at work. Then, was starving so split a pizza from Franca Manca for £5. Then, I was having too much fun to go out so went to the pub. NO rounds of Sambuca, but I did spend £4 on a G&T. So much spending. I also then paid £5 to get into a night club… but didn’t buy any drinks there as I certainly didn’t need any more. Despite going to the chicken shop with my colleagues, I didn’t buy anything there either, and so really was quite successful in terms of a night out. I had a few work friends, and they left about 6 months ago. Since then, I didn’t really hang out with work colleagues because I felt like I didn’t belong. For example, there was a work-related hen party for one of my co-workers and all the women in the office except me and one other woman was invited. I don’t know why. Worse, I unknowingly helped plan it because I know all the good places in London to go and was asked for recommendations. I think it’s because I’m neither a graduate nor one of the more senior people, I’m just in the middle so don’t have many work peers. I don’t need to have work friends, and day to day I just get on with it, but I do still like having the occasional work buddy. We’ve had some new people start that I really get along with and so been out with work a bit more.

Fri-Danger = £2.50 breakfast, £4 lunch, £5 dinner (all three meals out – very bad), £4 G&T, £5 club entry = £20.50

Saturday was a NSD, and we went to a friend’s house for wine night. Got fed dinner and it was delicious. We were all meant to bring a bottle of wine and then rank them based on a few categories. I brought a bottle I had in the cupboard and it won best wine!! Woo! An amazing night and I didn’t have to spend anything.

By Sunday, I realised that we probably needed to get some groceries. I sold an item on Fbook for £10, and spent £15 at the supermarket, so really only spent a net £5.

Yesterday, I went to see I Tonya at the cinema which was a great film. Also a NSD thanks to SFF.

So it is the 13th and since I had a spendy Friday I am down to £48.52. It’s just under half way through the month and I'm slightly over halfway through my budget. I had intended to go until the 25th, which is my payday. I hope I can last that long. Today, shall be a NSD.

I hear there are pancakes in the kitchen, so that's all for now.

try_harder

You are actually doing really well then ,you had a hundred for the month and we are almost half way through and you have spent just over half you are doing so well .

Enjoy your pancakes ,i am having mine this evening

Tropically

Thanks tryharder, ours were delicious! I hope yours were great too!

Today was meant to be a NSD, but I had a noon to 2 pm meeting off site. When I got to work to eat breakfast, I only had a tiny bit of cereal. I worked for a bit and left for the meeting, but when I got to the train station I was starving. £3 wasted on a train station pastry. Waste.

Then. A spanner was thrown in the works! Our lodger moved out, and we were debating what to do. In the end, I put our place back on airbnb with a minimum 2 weeks stay. I didn't think anyone would go for it, but today just before my meeting we got a booking!

Great - yay, 2 weeks is about £450 of income after airbnb fees!! But, I need to spend some money on cleaning products because since I haven't bought any in a while and I need the house to be spotless. Plenty of things I didn't clean as much while we had the lodger, like the microwave and the fridge. This will be my Saturday night parrrrty!

Second spanner, this morning when I woke up I had a valentine's day card waiting for me! Yay but also damn because I had to run out and get one too.

Went to the shops to get air freshener and toilet liquid for the airbnb, draught excluders (so I don't have to keep the heating up so much for these people!), plus mozzarella for our V-day meal. No draught excluders but everything else came to £5.35. I had £4.99 left on a BT rewards card from switching internet last year, I put in 40p into the machine and used the rest of the rewards card so the stuff only cost me £0.40 really. Plus the air freshener and toilet cleaner is really a business expense... We'll see how I calculate it closer to the end.....

Got home, made pizza dough for Valentine's Day! Better than a take away or going out to eat.

Tropically

Airbnb guest has arrived!

Had a NSD FRIDAY! My parents got me tickets to Matilda for Christmas and I loved it. Really resisted hard the urge to get programme/icecream/drinks etc. Made it unscathed.

On Saturday I had a friend's baby shower so alas, I spent £20 even on a sit-down meal and a glass of wine.

On Sunday, did an amazing MD at a cool cafe, and came out under budget so still had a brilliant day and a NSD!

So, looks like I'm down to *gulp* £25.12.

I haven't had any breakfast (ran out of cereal) and didn't pack any lunch so will not be a NSD.

Tropically

Alright.

I bought cereal and an expensive (but oh so delicious) lunch on Monday because I was so hungry having not had breakfast or packed a lunch. £6 lunch + £2 cereal for an £8 day.

Tuesday, brought a wrap for lunch, NSD!!

Wednesday morning, I was putting on my shoes and wobbling a bit as I pulled my boots up. Right at my elbow at chest height was a sneaky glass of water, which came tumbling down, drenching me and the wall, and floor. Luckily no glass smashed. I looked behind me to see a shocked boyfriend who carrying the glass to water the kitties moments ago. In the distraction we both forgot our lunch.

I had referred him to Shopm!um and my credits came through so even though I really really wanted a fancy lunch, I used the credits plus the discounts to have a free lunch. Ended up getting £6 worth of free food by combining the referral credits with the discounts! Win!

Did a MD for lunch today but went over budget by £2.

Three days to go before the next pay day, but could I make it to the actual end of the month?

I am at £15.12 now.

Airbnb paid out which is also lush. We haven't made any overpayments this year because we want to save up and then see where we are when we go to remortgage. I expect to get a really good rate as we will be at like 62% LTV. If the rate is lower than 1.5% then I would rather have the money in a savings account.

Our mortgage balance is currently £294,833. It is SO nice to be in the 200s. Still a huge amount but looks so much more manageable than the £318,000 we started with.

try_harder

Great news about the airbnb that is going to be really helpful and such a great idea having the two weeks minimum condition that definitely saves a lot of bed changing for a start.

Tropically

It's really helpful! Plus, our guests are really cool. They are both fashion models so there are a lot of avocados in my kitchen now.

I have a dilemma. I have been invited for a trip to Margate with seaside chips however if I go, I will lose my competition. The train there costs £15 and I would probably need £5 for chips. If I have NSDs today and tomorrow, but still spend £20 then I will lose.

What do?

Win and ditch friends? Or lose by a tiny amount? If I hustle £20 from PA/£co etc. will that still count as losing?

Tropically

So I lost my no-spend big time.

NSD Friday.
NSD Saturday despite having an excellent time with my friends.

Firstly, I went to Sainsburys to get some cat food and, it was actually a MSE-win. My cats only like sensitive cat food, and the Sainsburys doesn't usually carry it except in small sizes that last about 1 or 2 weeks. But today, they had the big size - the 3 kg ones of the sensitive catfood AND they were just over 30% off. So I ended up buying all the ones they had in the store and now have 3 months worth of cat food. I think it was worth it to break the no-spend because I will save money in the long run from i) not buying multiple small packs and ii) it being on sale. All in all, it was £30 for the 3 months worth of food.

Secondly, I decided to go to Margate which was a BIG waste of time and money. Not because of Margate itself (lovely). Should have trusted instinct and resisted FOMO and stayed home. Due to a minor mix-up, we missed the train my partner's friends got on. We got on the next one, and it was no problem (so we thought). My boyfriend was super upset with himself, I've been a bit annoyed with him sometimes because he does a 95% job (e.g. will put the washing away but leave the basket on the bed or will wash the dishes but not wipe down the counter etc.). I wanted to cheer him up because I wasn't mad about it, so we bought some coffees for £6. I bought the train tickets too, which were £35 on the day for the two of us.

Then, our friends did something quite horrible. They ate fish and chips without us. I was really grumpy! The plans stated earlier in the day were that we would walk around, go to the Turner Gallery and THEN get fish and chips. But they decided to get fish and chips first, without us. What is the point of going to the seaside if not to fight off seagulls from your fish and chips?!!?!

I was very grumpy. I realise it sounds silly but my FOMO turned into actually missing out so I wish I had stayed home and just had the fear of it! My partner had to persuade me to go to the pub to meet the chip-traitors and then I bought 2 drinks so another £8. I am exaggerating for dramatic effect but I did think it was really rude that they went to get lunch without us.

Monday - NSD
Today should be a NSD too.

So starting with £15.12, spending £30 on catfood, £35 on train tickets to Margate, £8 at pub, £6 on coffee and I lost by £63.88. I am filled with regret. As soon as I made the decision to spend, I exploded with spends.

But I shall do a spending round up now.