FinancialBliss: My mortgage free journey…

Peonie

financialbliss wrote: »

Recently posted a link to the Aldi special buys event which had cycling accessories - I got some cycling compression underwear:
http://www.aldi.co.uk/uk/html/offers/special_buys3_26710.htm

Was slightly dubious about them - that was until I cycled in wearing them on Wednesday. OMG. Is it wrong to get excited about (men's) underwear? :rotfl:

:rotfl:Brilliant. I think you're allowed to get excited by them.

gallygirl

financialbliss wrote: »

Recently posted a link to the Aldi special buys event which had cycling accessories - I got some cycling compression underwear:
http://www.aldi.co.uk/uk/html/offers/special_buys3_26710.htm

Was slightly dubious about them - that was until I cycled in wearing them on Wednesday. OMG. Is it wrong to get excited about (men's) underwear? :rotfl:

Not at all FB. I have happy memories of Jeff Goldblum running down the street in white boxers (so much so that Mr GG bought HIMSELF a pair for MY birthday many moons ago :rotfl:). And I spent many a happy hour in a cafe opposite H&M with 15' of THIS in the window. So, like I said FB, not at all wrong .

Queen-Bee_2

Hi Financial Bliss,

I just dropped by to see how you've been faring in your MF journey, as your diary helped inspire my own journey (which finished a couple of years ago now...)

And I am delighted to hear your news. Very many congratulations to you, Mrs Bliss and the Blisslings on being mortgage free. Feels good, doesn't it?

QB

Slith1961

Yes I'd like to know what's your progress / status right now. I am inspired by this post and I want to be like you.

diadeb

Just wanted to offer my congrats here FB as well as over on the MFiT-T2 challenge. So exciting and telling your wife that way was such a weird but wonderful romantic gesture.

I have really started to get a grip on our finances over the last few weeks, so looking in good shape for the end of MFiT-T2 and looking forward to hearing everyone's progress on MFiT-T3. thanks so much for setting yourself a new challenge and being willing to nursemaid us all through the delights of spreadsheets.

See you over there; I have now subscribed to your diary.....although I really musn't spend too long reading....it doesn't earn the money does it?!

Sunnyday

Hi FB
Just stopping by to add an enormous CONGRATULATIONS to your growing list of good wishes :beer:
You can now relax a bit and bask in the warm glowing feeling that comes with a sense of great achievement, I would have loved to have seen the look on Mrs FB's face

Looking forward to reading a savings thread if you decide to start one too.
All the best!
SD

JonnyBravo

Congratulations FB and welcome to the club.
I had to check back, it was page 3 that I first posted on your diary (Nov 2007). Your diary set the benchmark for others to follow in its technical content, it's realistic goals and the friendliness of the host!
It's been a long ol' haul but you've stuck at it well and you deserve to enjoy the sense of achievement. Make sure you have a slightly larger Christmas than normal!

Twiddy

Has FB run away with all his money??

financialbliss

Twiddy wrote: »

Has FB run away with all his money??

Ha. Been stupidly busy of late. Work and home. Had some man flu too.

Been looking at ways to keep saving money - feel I need a diary update, which I may try and fit in this evening.

FB.

financialbliss

OK. What have I been up to in the last month? – it’s probably a month since I posted anything substantial here in my diary…

The mortgage. We went away at half term (end of October). Sometime after Sunday 28th October and Wednesday 31st October when I next checked, the mortgage account (balance showing at zero) was removed. We also had a congratulations letter from Nationwide on our return.

Since then, I’ve been trying to get into gear regarding savings, of which the rates aren’t fantastic just now. Already have a regular saver (mine - 6% Nationwide, taxed). Recently opened another regular saver (Mrs Bliss - N&P – 5% no tax), so along with our instant access post office account (Mrs Bliss – 3.17% no tax), that’s pretty much our savings accounts just now. Aim of the regular savers is to pay off the credit card debt, which I’ll come to in a moment.

Savings checking. Recently discovered http://www.savingschampion.co.uk and I thought it was a well established site until I got an email last week informing me it was their first birthday.

Credit cards. Look away now if you scare easily. We’re past £16,000 of debt on the credit cards, although to be fair, I’m already up to £6k in savings, which will now grow quicker with no mortgage. Debt is all 0% of which the first needs clearing in February.

Decided to do a little housekeeping on the credit cards – we have five of them, and called the other day to close my Barclaycard Goldfish card. I’ve had this some 15 years now – originally as Goldfish and subsequently when Barclaycard took them over. For reasons best known to Barclaycard, they put me through to retentions and offered me £50.00 credit to my card to keep the account open. Was a bit shocked at this and said yes – can always spend the £50 and still close the account. :rotfl:

Phone and broadband. Decided to switch from Talk Talk due to being out of contract and switched to Plusnet last week. Talk Talk were charging me £14.50 line rental. Due to Plusnet being a 12 month contract, I paid the line rental up front and this ended up being £9.49 a month. I also got £55.00 cash back for switching, so a no brainer really. Talk Talk managed to mess up my final bill and are going to bill me for a further month for no service and then refund me the month after.

Cycling. Felt really under the weather and decided to get the bus the other Monday, which ended up being the full week due to man flu. I’m nearly at my commuting target of 2,012 miles and should hit this on Wednesday 5th December. Recreational miles taking a bit of a hit due to pretty poor weather.

The north of England has had environment agency flood warnings this week and there has been lots of water run off from fields etc. Cycled though a pretty deep section this morning – both carriage ways were flooded, plus paths either side!

And that’s pretty much me just now.

Need to get back into regular habit of posting here on MSE – running challenges etc – Need to step up a gear – got a MFiT-T3 savings challenge to start…

FB.