Eagerlearners journey to Terminate the mortgage

EagerLearner

Hi everyone, hope you are having a great day. I started the day with a lovely cuppa in bed was so nice, and we have been to get trainers swapped for school early, before the crowds hit, used some of the free cash from yesterday towards slightly more pricey trainers.

Thanks Wishing, yes it'll be worth it, I think we still have a little more to do next weekend and then it's done and we can move to the fun bit - decorating!

I have been able to check mortgage interest for Aug - £120.84, which is 5p less per day than July which was £122.43. £3.89 now per day, compared to £6.21 in Aug last year, crazy and amazing what the new fixed mortgage rate is doing.

Mortgage now sits at £89,004.52, I can't believe we are so close to the £88's and I can't over pay that tiny amount.... :rotfl:

I was paid by a client today so £92.50 put forward into Oct and CB hit, so £72.52 of this into offset pot.

Did a 500 point survey on CP which will hit my 10,000 point limit this week which is fab and that will be an Argoose voucher towards Christmas.

On our travels we stopped at a charity shop and got 3 x clothing items fro MiniEL which he loves for £0.50p in total, I was super pleased.

We went to the park as it's so lovely and then a lovely walk to see some horses and he's enjoying some playtime and an ice cream in the garden with a friend.

Had a lovely MH soup for lunch just now and the remainder will be for MiniEL for dinner. Have used the quiet time to soak some beans and read Jack Monroe book, a few ideas there. Have removed masking tape, cleaned up brushes and swept up plus put a washload on.

Dinner will be a roast chicken with potatoes & veg, and my remaining list for the rest of today is:

- Put washload out as sunny - DONE
- Start and hopefully finish newsletter for a client - DONE
- research boiler service costs
- Call dentist
- Prepare card & gift for a friend - DONE


Have been pondering selling our tumble dryer as in Winter we use it maybe once a week, twice at most. Does anyone know if a heater dryer rack saves money compared to a tumble dryer?
I could then replace the TD unit with another freezer, which would hopefully save us even more on food most of the year.

Will pop in later if I can

EagerLearner

Have tallied up all figures and £539.91 is the overpayment to offset today. Very pleased with this and doubt that between now and Christmas we will be able to do a similar monthly amount. £350 of this amount is technically what I used to pay to the pension, so still reasonable overall. I know it's short term just to beef things up and that I will increase pension in a few months.

Aside from minor screaming incidents, slime slippages and sword battles, MiniEL is intact and exhausted, bath night for sure. I am so grateful we live somewhere he can play safely with others.

In a while I will get chicken on and enjoy the rest of our day off, it's been so relaxing.

pinkypig

Your enthusiasm and focus is very motivating - I'm going to get of my a**e and get on with my to do list :rotfl:

Have a lovely Sunday:)

EagerLearner

Thank you pinky, I have nearly finished your diary ;-) You have inspired me re food and also a nighttime tea, though I am worried about needing the loo ha. Will have to look for some nice options in Sains or MrT as not sure L*dl has anything too inspiring

I have been thinking about what you said in your diary that we really do appreciate the smaller but most important things in this low spend lifestyle. I appreciate a good cuppa or coffee and reading more than many other things, a nice bath, a treat in the weekly shop (or 2 ), but not 'treating yo'self' is the mentality that changes everything. I believe that this is the key to changing spending now and in early retirement, there is so much available to us in this country and so many opportunities to not spend frivolously. Especially when we do not know the future right now and the 'state pension' that will exist when we get to that age...

In today's update:

All school items ironed & ready, the PE t shirt may be a little short but I will replace soon if needs be. he will look so smart and grown up in proper button shirts Packed lunch is made and need to get used to making this 4 times a week instead of 1 so grocery bill may change a bit - better than the £8.40 I would have paid though and I am sure he will eat better.

Dinner prepped- stretchy chicken from last nights' roast which will be used in tortillas (we had chicken with garlic and herb roasted potatoes and honeyed carrots with courgette strips last night - Tesco had an amazing deal on courgettes and I love 'em.)

Tomorrow's lunch is hm soup and is defrosting ready for tomorrow. Must get back into the habit of making us all overnight oats as this used to be a huge time saver in the morning.

We went to see a dear friend and her new bubba, MiniEL was great with the older sibling, giving new mum some time to chill and catch up. Took hm lunch & snacks. She loved her voucher & card and I am pleased she will treat herself to something nice, every mum needs that whereas baby hadn't a clue of the hundreds of pressies received :rotfl:

Received new blind, very excited to install that as it will change the look of the living room. It's the first thing we have replaced in around 4 years (last thing was the rug, which is in dire need of replacement too).

We have sold another item today so got £10 there which I will use towards a birthday gift which I must post tomorrow.

Reached 10,000 points finally on CP so cashed out £10 for an Argoose voucher :T

NSD and hoping that tomorrow will be too - this will make it *feel* as if September only started on the 6th as to my petty cash allowance being broken into :T

A monthly project finished & invoiced, plus they paid instantly so this will go to October.

£3 received from Hally which is going to offset plus £4.67 TillyTidied = £7.67 in the offset category today, very happy with that.


Back to work tomorrow and I think my head will be back into gear as I haven't done half the things on my list today, we wanted it to be relaxed so I have achieved some things but at a good pace.

Have updated Netflix with millions of things I want to watch, no way will it happen but at least we have options for Autumn/Winter. I loved Happy Valley and The Bridge, The Killing too and Prime Suspect from the beginning, Hinterland looks like a good next contender or Wallander. Anyone have any recommendations?

EagerLearner

My new todo list to keep me accountable is:

- research boiler service costs & book best price
- Call dentist
- Call opticians
- Change roadside insurance
- Wrap birthday gift & card

Have been pondering selling our tumble dryer as in Winter we use it maybe once a week, twice at most. Does anyone know if a heater dryer rack saves money compared to a tumble dryer?
I could then replace the TD unit with another freezer, which would hopefully save us even more on food most of the year.

pinkypig

Great month end figures:). Try Unforgotten, Safe, line of duty , Luther and Paranoid on Netflix if you like that sort of thing (which I do )

EagerLearner

Thanks Pinky I'll look those up, we've watched Unforgotten on and off, and watched all of Safe a few weeks back (we loved Michael C Hall in Dexter, so Safe was really interesting to watch his British accent). I do love a gripping crime drama... The Fall was great, I think you've seen that one though. The Killing was fab too, we watched the USA version though...

wishingthemortgaheaway

My friend is in safe (minor part but still...)

VDOT47

EL - sounds like you have similar viewing habits to us! Other things we have watched and enjoyed on Netflix recently are Peaky Blinders, Mindhunter (this is excellent), Ozark (need to start season 2 which has just been released as soon as I watch the last 2 episodes of Mindhunter) and Seven Seconds (more of a slow burn, but good none the less).


We are enjoying Bodyguard on BBC1 at the moment so far too.


We also have Hinterland and Safe on our 'to watch' list.

beanielou

Loving The Bodyguard