ATB'S Frugal Foray to Freedom

atypicalblonde

Good Afternoon All

Well we had a fab weekend, the garden looks great and we keep getting little suggestions of Spring in the air, which always lifts the spirits. Had a fab lunch out yesterday at a local pizza place (using a voucher, naturally ) - something we so rarely do, so it was very much enjoyed. DH is working all this weekend so I am crossing my fingers for fine weather so I can take the kids out and about.

It's my two year anniversary on Wednesday of being a MFW, wow what a journey it has been. I'll save waxing lyrical until Wednesday though :rotfl:

In the meantime, I am trying to galvanise myself to list a few more bits on the bay of e.... NSD today, tomorrow will be too - trying to be ultra frugal this week and just use what we have in stores, nothing else....

Best wishes, ATB xx

atypicalblonde

Listed two bits, and one sold immediately so £5 OP duly made - I really am going to bash this mortgage to bits in no time :rotfl:

themadvix

How's the garden ATB? Looking better?

atypicalblonde

themadvix wrote: »

How's the garden ATB? Looking better?

It looks fantastic, we are so pleased with it. We've had a couple of passerbys commenting how pretty it is too (shows how dire it was before ), it's really cottage-garden esque now

I might just have poured a cheeky Monday night glass of rose xx

atypicalblonde

Morning all

Just checked online banking as I had hoped to be paid for some consultancy work today but the money hasn't landed. Will chase today - person I am doing work for is a friend as well as a professional acquaintance so there isn't an issue other than her forgetfulness I expect!

Just totted it up and we knocked £3k off the balance in January - which I am mightily :T about. Must must keep momentum going though. Today's plan - NSD, and try to list at least £50 worth of buy it now bits on eBay.

Dinner is lamb shanks from the freezer with leftover mash and the usual veg.

Have lovely days all xx

genieuk

Morning,
I have been following/lurking.with interest
I am on the mfw journey also OH lets me handle all the money side and luckily he is onboard

We took our mortgage out in June 2011 £146,000 current balance is £71500.
My aim is to try and be mf by Aug 2019. Feels unreal but possible OH knows the balance is obviously reducing but would love to surprise him one day.
Our fixed rate ends August this year currently 1.79% am currently oping £500 and when I remortgaged I increased the monthly repayments to £1128
Am thinking whether to do this again in August as our 10% allowance drops.

I started a monthly spreadsheet to combine our two accounts have a good emergency fund as well but some of that is also earmarked to pay off a lump sum when I remortgage in the summer.

Started listing odd bits on ebay and sphock.

Each week I withdraw £150 for "housekeeping" good old fashioned word, over the last 3 weeks I have been able to squirrel away £230 from that, which is handy as we are off to Edinburgh at the end of this month, we are taking our own caravan.

I have a free £40 restaurant card from buying tyres that we can use and have just used Zeek to buy another £50 card for £35 so another meal. a couple of treats but saving as well.

Always on the look out for codes coupons and yellow stickers. My lot laugh at me but it is rubbing off I have 4 kids one graduated uni last year another in her 1st year and two still at home.

Have a good day.

atypicalblonde

Hi Genie, thanks for popping in. Wow, you have been doing so well getting that mortgage down! Your MF date seems highly realistic to me if you carry on as you are - do you have your own diary? I can highly recommend starting one if not - such a huge motivator.

Keep it up, you will be MF in no time x

genieuk

No I don't not sure if I would keep it up.

I am always playing with op calculators and looking at spreadsheets.

Think I maybe obsessed

themadvix

Hi ATB, sorry - I completely missed your earlier post about how good the garden looks! I'm glad it worked out well and it must be great that passers by are commenting too!

£3K in January is very impressive - I thought our £1229 was good, but it pales into insignificance in comparison Hope you get your money sorted today - although it doesn't sound like it'll be an issue.

You do really well with Ebay - I think I must have sold everything that's worth selling. I've got at least 10 items on there at the moment, all BIN but they're just not really shifting. Apart from the lanyards we get two of every year at an event we go to - have sold four out of 6 of those in the last couple of weeks... why?!!

Have a good day!

atypicalblonde

It's odd isn't it what sells and what doesn't!

January was a particularly good month for OPs, helped massively by the ebay sales. I am down to the last few bits now, if I earn £50 from it this week I would be delighted.

We had intended to go out today but last minute change of plan means an at home day instead. DS is playing happily, and I need to get in the kitchen to do more batch cooking - spag bol first I think x