My Ultimate Challenge

TheHappySnapper

Hello,

I'm new to the forums after being a lurker for a number of years! Have decided I need to take control of my financial life, and my life in general. My life in brief is, married, 2 children, 1 dog, 1 (huge to me) mortgage, recurring depressive episodes and a relatively new business. I don't seem to do things by halves!

Have always liked the idea of being debt free, but getting there has always been difficult, so now in my mid thirties, I feel like its time to get a hold of reality and make life financially comfortable.

Last year, I started this "Make a Million Pounds from 1p in 28 steps", just to see how far I could get, and partly because I needed a distraction from reality at the time. If you've not heard of it, you take a penny, and double it - that step 1. You then take your 2p, and double that... step 2. And in 28 steps you will have a cool million. There were rules and do's and don'ts to the thing I read, but I'm doing my own variation of it, and am at step 15, £80 to £160 (currently sitting at £90).


While I might be slightly dubious about getting to step 28, I would LOVE if this even contributed to cutting our mortgage by the time I'm 40. So, I thought I'd start a diary on here to sort of keep me on track and have somewhere to write to. I think my husband thinks I'm crazy a lot of the time, but he also loves the idea of cutting the term of the mortgage.

If anyone is interested, I'll post my first 14 in the thread below later. Feel free to share any words of encouragement, or feel free to read my ramblings as a lurker, just like I used to do on here!


THS

redlaces

Hey!

I'm really intrigued by this, I would love it if you shared how you got to your current position

Thanks

TheHappySnapper

Hi Redlaces! I've posted below the steps and how I've got there, bit of rooting around in bags and pockets to begin with, and that's taken since last March, but I'm hoping I can now focus on it a bit more as my circumstances have changed a bit. I think once I get to £160 I will try and do matched betting for steps 16-18, but you're not supposed to think too far ahead, you're supposed to concentrate on the step you are on, otherwise it becomes overwhelming and you'd give up!


Step 1 Find a penny lying on the ground, or be given it without asking for it. Found one in the carpark at my old place of work, so started!
Step 2 1p-2p Asked my hubby to swap me the 1p for a 2p
Step 3 2p-4p Explained these 28 steps, and hubby donated another few pence!
Step 4 4p-8p
Step 5 8p-16p
Step 6 16p-32p
Step 7 32p-64p found some change in a coat pocket, which too me to 49p
Step 8 64p-£1.28 more change from hubby taking me to 72p
Step 9 £1.28-£2.56
Step 10 £2.56-£5.12 (Call it £5 to make it easier.) £3 that was in a purse took me to £3.72
Step 11 £5-£10 Found a £10 note while out walking the dog
Step 12 £10-£20 Bought a second hand pine unit for £10, and managed to sell it for £20 without painting it or anything!
Step 13 £20-£40 Sold a heated towel rail from decorating the bathroom for £20 so now at £40
Step 14 £40-£80 Made £10 from a collection of books I sold, plus £10 from a box of odd playmobile I sold. Sold a laptop bag for £30, so over my £80 required for step 14.
Step 15 £80-£160 Sold a part for a camera for £20 so now at £110.
Step 16 £160-£320
Step 17 £320-£640
Step 18 £640-£1,280
Step 19 £1,280-£2,560
Step 20 £2,560-£5,120 (Call it £5,000 to make it easier.)
Step 21 £5,000-£10,000
Step 22 £10,000-£20,000
Step 23 £20,000-£40,000
Step 24 £40,000-£80,000
Step 25 £80.000-£160,000
Step 26 £160,000-£320,000
Step 27 £320,000-£640,000
Step 28 £640,000-£1,280,000

redlaces

Thank you! It sounds like you've had a profitable few months!

I'd love to hear how you get on with the rest of the journey and practising flexing those entrepreneurial muscles!

All the best, redlaces

TheHappySnapper

Have sold a dress on ebay for £13, so that will go towards this too.

That will take me to £123 of £160, so only need another £37. Have a few bits I have my eye on to ebay, so may go and do that today, and see how they go.

Excited to be almost complete another step!

SavingAFuture

This is an amazing challenge! I am subscribing so I can follow your journey and may well go out and look for my first penny too...

It does sound incredibly daunting when you think ahead but I imagine your confidence grows with each step you complete?

Wishing you all the luck

angelicious

Hey happy

Your challenge sounds amazing!! I'd like to joint in if I may??

patman99

Interesting challenge. Have subscribed just to see how you get on.


I have thi 1p that the change sorter keeps rejecting so that will be my starting point.

A_Random_Man

This looks like a great little challenge, good luck on you're journey