Taking it slowly, but doing it well.

wishingthemortgaheaway

I am determined to be mortgage neutral by the time we would be remortgaging in July 2020 (we do have a remortgage due in July this year, but have decided to stay put for another 2 years, then move).
So, this morning I have 'bullet journaled the life' out of my plans.

I've broken down the amount (£34000 at the end of Feb 2018) into 13 steps to help me feel like I'm achieving something and so it doesn't feel insurmountable.

I've updated my ynab categories and sub categories to help me. And my bullet journal has been suitably set up.

Here are my steps:

Step 1: standard payment & overpayment reducing capital owed by £400 per month (£11,600)

Step 2: Emergency Fund £2000

Step 3: 1month wave/expenses buffer £2300

Step 4: white goods repair & replace £1000

Step 5: New house 'bills increase' a conservative estimate that the new house would cost £100 a month more to run than this one (£2900 - I'm going to budget the £100 a month to this category so it should look after itself)

Step 6: estate agent fees (worse case scenario) £3600

Step 7: mortgage arrangement fee £1000

Step 8: stamp duty £2750

Step 9: legal fees £1275

Step 10: survey fees £400

Step 11: Removal costs £1400

Step 12: Mortgage Neutral £3000

Step 13: Commercial clean of old & new properties £375

It doesn't really matter how accurate these figures are (for estate agents/removals etc) it's all about breaking down a huge amount of money into achievable steps.

We are starting ahead a little bit (about 3months) from the savings I've already made for these categories. I will try not to harp on about this too much, but hope it will be a motivating factor to save, declutter and take on any small bits of Work I can.

Here we go....

DrSpendLittle

Hi Wish! I really like how you've laid this out - it is a fantastic way to break down your 'insurmountable' goal and I'm 100% sure you will achieve this sooner than you plan to, given your determination and commitment!

Moving house is always a good way to focus debt slaying and its something that definitely caused me my LBM back in early August.

Do keep 'harping on' about it as we like reading your mop pots and break downs of spends!!

wishingthemortgaheaway

DSL thank you for your support, I can only wish (ha ha) that my plans will come to fruition sooner than planned. There are targets, stretch targets and super stretch targets, this is a super super stretch target.
Please keep popping in with encouragements, it really means a lot.

Today I have had a day at home without any work. Good for the house, bad for the finances.

Washing is all up to date, house is tidy, Pickle's toys have been swapped round and I've spent a good chunk of time in the room of doom (the office) it was getting to the point where there was a narrow gap from the door to the desk and that was it.
The floor space is now clear, I've decluttered as good chunk of stuff and put things away properly. There are so many things up there to fleabay/boot sale app, I need to get cracking. Might ask for help from an experienced ebayer I know as it scares me.

It's been a nsd (woop woop)
payslip from supply Work last week has arrived, so I've entered it on ynab with Friday's date.

I've also started planning the mega work trip, this means my 'expenses slush fund' will take a real hammering, but that's what it's there for (in fact I may need to add to it- eeek) I know I'll get it all back, but still, I don't like spending money.

I really don't know what to do tomorrow, hubby will be around for most of it, getting under my feet and preventing decluttering (one day I'll tell you about hiring a skip and him not realising things had gone!)
A few work emails to send, but that's about it. I don't want to, or need to hit the shops, so we'll have to see.

I hope everyone is enjoying the positively tropical weather.

Wish.

mse March Goals

1) Mop Pot
Target 1: next brick on the countdown house
£50.97/£50.97 :j :j
Target 2: monthly interest payment
£13.52/£13.52 :j :j
Target 3: mfw March target
£81.84/£145.51
Target 4: new 2018 target (to catch up on January's low payment)
0/£7.34

2) Emergency fund growth
£250/£150 :j

3) nsds
5/16

4) 1p a day challenge
7/31

5) save the £2 coins (update monthly)

6) get in size 14 jeans (update monthly)

gallygirl

The targets are wonderful - just think of the spreadsheeting and graphing opportunities for each one .

wishingthemortgaheaway

gallygirl wrote: »

The targets are wonderful - just think of the spreadsheeting and graphing opportunities for each one .

Mse confession time...

I don't use spreadsheets or graphs for personal finance one of my jobs involves designing and managing very complex spreadsheets and databases. I like my personal finances to be a bit less 'work like'

I use Ynab and my bullet journal. Love it.

I do love a good spreadsheet, but don't go near computers (not counting phone and tablet of course) much in my personal life - even playing around with ynab categories needs entering as a 'job' in my bullet journal as it takes effort!

Thank you for the support Gallygirl.

Have a great day.

wishingthemortgaheaway

Today is most definitely defined as a mental health day, it involves spending £12 on lunch , but it was a very good lunch. And a lovely catch up.

£2 cash on a set of knitting needles in a size I can't believe I didn't have. (And need for my next project)

I've then had a massive sweep of my pots - I'm losing patience which is
Bad as it's only the 8th of the month.
1p challenge done.
I'm off to knit now... night all.
Wish.

mse March Goals

1) Mop Pot
Target 1: next brick on the countdown house
£50.97/£50.97 :j :j
Target 2: monthly interest payment
£13.52/£13.52 :j :j
Target 3: mfw March target
£90.17/£145.51
Target 4: new 2018 target (to catch up on January's low payment)
0/£7.34

2) Emergency fund growth
£250/£150 :j

3) nsds
5/16

4) 1p a day challenge
8/31

5) save the £2 coins (update monthly)

6) get in size 14 jeans (update monthly)

wishingthemortgaheaway

Another day of spending far too much on 'food out'. Usual friday morning 'mum's gathering followed by a first visit to a local church who do a friday morning coffee morning with cake. I needed to get out of the house, so it is worth it.

This evening I've meal planned and done a shopping list, Pickle and I will be up and out to get that done straight away tomorrow. No idea what we're doing with the rest of the day. Hubby is away and our friends all seem busy. We'll think of something to do I'm sure.

Sunday is Mothering Sunday, And hubby is not getting home
From his job until around 4am, so it's one of the days when I need to get Pickle up and out of the house as quickly
And as quietly as I can to allow hubby to sleep.
Normally we descend on friend's houses who have kids up as early as us and have breakfast there, but nobody wants us on Mothering Sunday do they. Boooo

I'm sure we'll find something.

mse March Goals

1) Mop Pot
Target 1: next brick on the countdown house
£50.97/£50.97 :j :j
Target 2: monthly interest payment
£13.52/£13.52 :j :j
Target 3: mfw March target
£90.49/£145.51
Target 4: new 2018 target (to catch up on January's low payment)
0/£7.34

2) Emergency fund growth
£250/£150 :j

3) nsds
5/16

4) 1p a day challenge
9/31

5) save the £2 coins (update monthly)

6) get in size 14 jeans (update monthly)

pinkypig

Awwwww, I would have made you breakfast Wish xx

wishingthemortgaheaway

pinkypig wrote: »

Awwwww, I would have made you breakfast Wish xx

Ah thank you Pinky, that would have been lovely.
We've actually teamed up with friends who are avoiding Mothering Sunday (her parents are away, and his mum died last summer) and are going to hit the local prem inn all you can eat:kids eat free breakfast. Well- if you are going to screw over the eating out budget, I may as well do it properly.

I hope you are spoiled by your children tomorrow.

wishingthemortgaheaway

Today has been incredibly speedy.

The weekly food shop has come in at around £33, and that includes some incredibly naughty spending when I stopped at a sainsbos this afternoon (cake and a gorgeous 'sport relief tote bag' perfect for work visits (I do need to jiggle ynab to take this out of spends, not groceries. ) groceries budget is holding up well about £145 left for the rest of the month. I will have a more expensive week coming up when the parental visitc but hey, I'm a ynab girl I 'roll with the punches'

Stocked up on nappies today too, nearly £10 worth as I need to send another load to the Childminder's on Tuesday, and I have this thing about always having a sealed pack in the house. (I guess running out of nappies goes in the same category as running out of loo roll - NEVER do it!)

Then... 1 train ticket (return) and 4 hotel room stays paid for for work, the expenses slush fund has disappeared and I've had to 'wam' the category to cover the overspending. I will get it all back (but not until the end of May probably as I'll miss the April expenses deadline due to when they are booked for and I can't expense them until they have been used (in case we have to cancel for some reason as it gets too complicated) I did go through tcb for them all though, so a little bit of cashback should come my way eventually. I did quite well though, I managed to get a £10 a night discount by booking the rooms as separate transactions, rather than all in one go. It was a bit of a faff, but saved £40, which I know work are paying for, but I have to pay it out now.

Actually thinking about it, I'll get the train ticket in in time for the end of April payroll.

Right, I need to go to bed. Pickle and I have to get up and get out tomorrow (we'll, we don't HAVE to, but it's better for hubby to sleep in the morning or it will take him forever to recover.


mse March Goals

1) Mop Pot
Target 1: next brick on the countdown house
£50.97/£50.97 :j :j
Target 2: monthly interest payment
£13.52/£13.52 :j :j
Target 3: mfw March target
£90.49/£145.51
Target 4: new 2018 target (to catch up on January's low payment)
0/£7.34

2) Emergency fund growth
£250/£150 :j

3) nsds
5/16

4) 1p a day challenge
9/31

5) save the £2 coins (update monthly)

6) get in size 14 jeans (update monthly)[/QUOTE]