FinancialBliss: My mortgage free journey…

setmefree2

aliwali wrote: »

beware people on tracker mortgages, rates will increase as fast as they decreased. .

This is true, but we can move our mortgage to another product with no penalty, so as soon as rates look like they might go through the roof we could move to a fixed rate...

financialbliss

Quick-ish round up of events in the bliss household, as the forums are going off for maintenance @ 23.00 today…

Brithday. Many thanks to everyone who said happy birthday. Was a reasonably quiet affair, as we were busy with other issues. As the forums are off at 11pm, I’ll not explain this evening, but I do feel I need to explain, as it has a financial impact. I’ve not done a gallygirl and bought a car though. :rotfl:

Still on the subject of birthday – I was 39, and in December 2012, I’ll still be 42 (just). I’m now very much determined to clear the mortgage while I’m still 42, ie sometime in 2012.

Asda credit card. Got a letter this week that they’re revising the rewards for this card. Only use this for the 2p off a litre of fuel. This 2p rewards is now terminating on 28th February – being replaced with a 1p off a litre of fuel from 1st March. Still, better than nothing.

Tesco Internet saver. Originally opened this in November 2008. Got a card this week for the account. Just need the card PIN and the card reader and we may then be able to set up a payee to transfer funds out of this account. You never know, may be fully operational this month

Holiday. Been receiving holidays e-mails, and mail shots in recent days. Been occasionally looking around to see if a good deal could be sourced since before Christmas, but have been alarmed at the prices. #1 doesn’t finish school until Friday 17th July, so we have been looking at holidays in the six weeks break.

Previously, we have taken holidays in May or June, ie out of school 6 weeks holiday time and benefited from big price reductions. Well this evening we bit the bullet and booked another holiday with Haven. Kids like the caravan, pool, entertainment etc – we’ve done it before – this is actually our fifth Haven holiday so we know the format and know what we’re getting for our money.

Didn’t just jump in – also researched abroad, log cabins, country cottages, Center Parcs, narrow boating (phew – thin that’s all) and Haven came out favourable for the dates we we looking at.

We’re off to Great Yarmouth – Norfolk on Monday 20th July (cheaper starting on a Monday ), for a 7 night break. Should have been 689.00 but we got a 40% early booking/pay in full discount, bringing it to 413.40. We also booked via quidco, so should get a further small cash back discount.

It’s a big price compared to some of our other Haven Holidays, but it’s the start of the six weeks holidays – supply and demand, so I guess I need to start to get used to those sort of prices…

Got to dash – nearly 11pm.

FB.

financialbliss

financialbliss wrote: »

We also booked via quidco, so should get a further small cash back discount.

Wow. Tracked already. That's under two hours! Is it normally that quick these days? - haven't used quidco for a while. Holiday cash back tracked at 16.54.

FB.

StuartGMC

FB
Agree the hike in prices related to the enforced demand for holidays during school breaks is high, but yes you have to live with it. We have anyway because taking DD out of school (before they imposed the fines!) would have incurred additional cost in the holidays for the summer activities clubs which we use anyway to cover for all the extra weeks they get compared to us.

We're rapidly closing on the point where DD will no longer qualify for child prices (>12yrs), and that really will have an impact on the price vs. available budget. Hence looking at Mexico this year and possibly another long-haul in 2010 whilst she is 12 before we may have to rein in the costs thereafter.

Do consider the free child places etc for future years and total costs before your two miss out on the reduced prices.

Lunar_Eclipse

StuartGMC wrote: »

FB
Do consider the free child places etc for future years and total costs before your two miss out on the reduced prices.

But beware that sometimes these are just marketing gimmicks, such as with Disneyland (Paris) IMO.

Child's prices for long haul flights are typically priced at 75% of the adult fare, but with no reduction on taxes which can make up a significant portion of the overall cost. Our taxes for our NZ flights were just shy of £500 each!:eek:

However I think there are good savings to be had on package holidays and accomodation, particularly when the child/ren are in the same bedroom as the adults.

StuartGMC

Lunar Eclipse
I fully concur that you need to "do the math" as our cousins over the Atlantic would phrase it. Yes they can be hooks, but on family packages can make a difference, less so on flights etc which is why sometimes with children a package can be cheaper than independent booking.

canne_2

Hi, I haven't checked your diary for a while but I just noticed a couple of pages back you mentioned me. You said 'he' I am in fact a 'she' LOL

financialbliss

canne wrote: »

Hi, I haven't checked your diary for a while but I just noticed a couple of pages back you mentioned me. You said 'he' I am in fact a 'she' LOL

Oops. Sorry - I'll make a mental note to not do that again. Apologies.

FB.

financialbliss

Blue Monday.

No, not New Order:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Monday_(New_Order_song)

But today - 19th January - the day in January when we’re apparently the most gloomiest:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7836941.stm

“It is worked out with a formula taking into account six factors: weather, debt, time since Christmas, time since failing our New Year's resolutions, low motivational levels and the feeling of a need to take action.”


So, how am I feeling today, or at least what’s left of it…?

Quite happy.:j We got our annual paper mortgage statement from Nationwide today. Gives us a chance to see for real what we’ve only been able to view electronically for the last 12 months.

I’d pondered over the idea of scanning and uploading the mortgage statement, but editing or otherwise hiding the personal details such as mortgage account number, our joint names and address details. In the end, I decided not to bother this time around – perhaps my 2012 year end statement.

Anyway, mortgage shows:

Opening balance as at 1st January 2008: £69,653.22

Plus total interest: £3,057.87

Less payments received: £13,211.09

Closing balance as at 31st December 2008: £59,500.00

These tally to the penny with the independent totals I’ve been keeping except I have a monthly breakdown for interest charged, which Nationwide don’t show.

Additionally, as of 31st December, we have £18,662.07 mortgage overpayment reserve and Nationwide advise that they expect me to complete the mortgage in September 2015.

I happened to point out that I’d made a final year end payment of £1.09 to bring the closing balance to a round figure and Mrs Bliss called me “sad”, but in slightly more colourful terms, which I’ll not repeat here…

So, if you have your mortgage with Nationwide, then I guess you’re likely to see your annual statement in the next few days.

Financial Bliss.

uzubairu

financialbliss wrote: »

So, if you have your mortgage with Nationwide, then I guess you’re likely to see your annual statement in the next few days.

Financial Bliss.

Mine arrived on Monday too, and the figures matched mine.

It's just nice to see it on official headed paper.