FinancialBliss: My mortgage free journey…

gallygirl

Queen-Bee wrote: »

Evening FB - well I've created a cahrt I am very happy with, but I've gotten stuck of the Export Chart to Paint bit. If I right click on it, I don't get a 'copy' option. I guess this could be cos I am using a different version of Excel or using it in the Boot Camp partition of a Mac... Goodness knows! But hopefully, it'll eventually get posted up in my diary. In the meantime, thank you very much for the helpful instructions, Queen-Bee

QB before you right click on the graph you need to select it. If you left click towards the edge of the Chart Area you will get little black boxes appear round the edges. Now right click & select copy - but again do it towards the edges of the chart area, not on the actual graph bit. HTH & look forward to seeing it!

financialbliss

Despite taking some headache tablets this evening, I’ve got a thumping headache I can’t seem to shift. Think I’ll turn in, ahem “early” this evening – well early for me…

Been lurking on a few mortgage diaries of late and there seems to be a trend of listing objectives for the weeks / months ahead.

While I appear to have got a bit of regularity back into this diary, I’ve lost my form in other areas. So, here’s a short list of things I’d like to achieve in the next two weeks:

• Balance joint accounts
• Enter credit card receipts into MS Money
• Balance credit cards
• Pay Barclaycard credit card
• Pay ASDA credit card
• Review / open savings accounts

Rather than just go quiet for a while, I’m hoping to expand on some of the above. We’re off to Filey (another short 4 day holiday) on Monday 31st August, so I want the above objectives completed by Sunday 30th August.

Made a start on the CC receipts, but as I feel lousy this evening, I’ve kicked that into touch…

FB.

financialbliss

Slight issue earlier today - PM mailbox was full. Now cleared down a little

Been doing some recon work on Sat Navs this week. Our thinking was perhaps purchase one before our trip to Filey, but the more we look at them, the more confused I seem to get.

Buy product X, but look, if I spend a tenner more, I'll get feature Y and so forth. Spotted a Navman which appeared a good deal, being reduced from £199.99 to £99.99:
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_564251_langId_-1_categoryId_165685

However I visited a local Halfords earlier in the week and spoke to an extremely helpful staff member who had lots of time for me. In short, he advised not to buy it. Stock has had to be heavily reduced to shift it and while it appears a good buy, he suggested there are better (and more reliable) models out there and that I stick to a Garmin or a TomTom model.

Today we have done "touchy feely" #1 recon - been in a few stores and managed to have a play with a few products. I quite like the Garmin 205WT - this is a wide screen with traffic notifications. Quite liked the "Find nearest..." option - searched for nearest McDonalds and it quite correctly pointed out that the nearest one was 0.4 of a mile away - we could see it when looking through the front of the shop. :rotfl:

The garmin specs for this model are here, in case anyone is interested:
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=134&pID=13432

Garmin say the RRP of this product in the UK should be £159.99. PC world are selling it for exactly that, but I've spotted it for sale at £113.85 (plus £2.99pp), but unfortunately they have no stock. Emailed them asking when they may have some in. Amazon also have stock at £126.46.

A friend has very kindly offered to loan us his Sat Nav, so we can try it out while away, so that takes the urgency off a purchase.

Financial Bliss.

#1 Note: I've never been (and probably never will be) an impulsive purchaser. I'm typically internet research, shop based "touchy feely" research, then normally further internet research before I commit to a high street or internet purchase.

earthgirl

My OH managed to get a reconditioned Garmin for me for my birthday from Halfords website, for about £70 - its great! I know its £70 as he got it via my quidco account

financialbliss

Quick lunchtime post. Spotted this on thisismoney:
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/mortgages-and-homes/article.html?in_article_id=490005&in_page_id=8

suggesting that mortgage borrowers are likely to be better off on they lenders standard variable rate (SVR), rather than move on to another fixed deal. Not sure many people here on the MSE forums need to be told that mind you...

In our own situation, we're fixed at 4.79% until March 2011 - just over 18 months away now. Hopefully, the BoE base rate will stay quite low over the next few years, and we could then drop onto the Nationwide base mortgage rate (BMR), currently at just 2.5%. Their BMR is guaranteed to be not more than 2% higher than the BoE base rate.

Still, all guess work at the moment - the BoE base rate could bounce back as quickly as it dropped - guess I will have to wait until December 2010/January 2011 time before I can make a call on which direction we take our mortgage.

Financial Bliss.

rrwfotr

It is highly unlikely the BOE base rate will stay at lows such as 0.5% as we are seeing now.

With the funny money that the BOE is printing now I would not be surprised if we are not in for a large increase in inflation in a year or two's time. Base rates would have then be increased to well over 5 -8% to curve inflation therefore the SVR will shoot up in line with the base rate.

Might be best to fix in a year or two's time, mind you the fix rates will be increased as well as the banks are not fools.

RosieTiger

I would go with Tom Tom - I know quite a few people with them but dodn't be tempted by all singing and dancing versions, most of the features are nonsense. basic Tom Tom 1 works great

setmefree2

I love my Tom Tom too - however, I've never tried the other brand:p

financialbliss

RosieTiger wrote: »

I would go with Tom Tom - I know quite a few people with them but dodn't be tempted by all singing and dancing versions, most of the features are nonsense. basic Tom Tom 1 works great

Hi RT,
I'm sitting here with a TomTom GO 920 plugged into my USB port busy charging. Borrowed it from a friend at work and will be using it when we are off to Filey next week. Think it's a bells 'n' whistles one, but to be honest, I'm still not 100% sure if we're going to commit to one.

We'll see how it goes next week, but we drove home from work this evening with it attached (I got picked up for a change) and it worked a treat. Deliberately took a detour to see how quickly it worked out an alternative route. Kids were impressed with it too: "Wow, it knows where grandma lives" :rotfl:

While I'm here...

Phone unlocking. Initially tried unlocking on software by a company that promised a successful unlock or a refund. Price was £2.99 for each phone, plus VAT, so £3.44. Company have been a bit slow in offering a refund, but another e-mail this week has proved successful and we now have 2 x £3.44 refunds. Even though it's small amounts, better in our bank account than theirs!

Tasks. Have been quietly beavering away with the tasks I set myself. I have until this Sunday to complete everything. I'll try and update the tasks post soon.

In the mean time, back to receipts and probably some lurking on MSE...

FB.

financialbliss

Natwest e-savings.
We have been saving £100 every month since last summer, but then recycling the £100 back once it was shown each month as cleared.

I've had a letter from NatWest today confirming that the £50 bonus in light of saving at least £100 every month for 12 months will be paid by the end of August. :j:j:j

Mrs Bliss still to receive her letter, but as we have funded both accounts exactly the same, here's hoping we get a second £50.

FB.