Mortgage freedom/FIRE diary

shangaijimmy

I agree. People seem more willing to spend hundreds on renting cars than paying down debt, I know its a balance but to me most people have the scales set the wrong way.l

Poppycat1

When I got my mortgage back in January I set myself a target that I didn't really think I would achieve. But I like to aim high. My target was set at £12,449.90 (10%) by 4th Feb 2019 (end of first year).

When I got closer to the end of the year I had decided to try and reach the round figure of owing £108,000. When I logged on to the mortgage account yesterday it seems that the 10% finishes on 31st Dec. 2018. So I didn't get chance to make the last overpayment.

I have overpaid £11,249.90 which is £1,200 short of my original target.

I am so pleased to have paid so much off during the first year of my new mortgage.

pinknsparkly

That's a pretty incredible overpayment total PoppyCat - congratulations!!! I notice that, as well as being a MFW 2019er, you're also a Save £12,000 in 2019er - I'm in both too so you may get sick of the sight of me by the end of the year (hopefully, that is based on the assumption that we'll both be checking in there regularly in addition to this board!!)

And best wishes for 2019 - hope it's full of love, laughter and the creation of lots of wonderful memories for you

Poppycat1

Me and the bf collected my boys from the airport today. They have been with their Dad in New York for a couple of weeks. They have had a great time and have come back with some useful gifts, coats, clothes gloves, books and water bottles. I have worked a lot whilst they have been away and will receive the money this Friday.

My mortgage payment is £629.23 with £450.00 ish (depending on how many days in the month) coming of the the capital. I will aim to pay off the extra so that £500 is coming off each month. This should leave an extra £2,000 to pay off by the end of the year.

The other targets have been set out before. Save a total of £12,000 (£5,000 to investments, £2,000 ish to mortgage, the rest in various savings accounts), make £2,019 extra.

I am also going to try and lose a bit of weight and have a target to walk 1,000 (boots on) miles. No target for weight loss. 11.14 miles so far.

Poppycat1

Thank you Pink, I hope 2019 is all that you wish for and more. I noticed you are doing the 1,000 miles in 2019 as well. Is there a MSE forum thread for it? I joined the FB group the middle of last year but couldn't motivate myself in the heat of the summer we had.

House is a tip I have half empty bags all over the place and need to find homes for all the boys gifts.

Poppycat1

£500/£5,000 - Invested
£107,900/£108,460.35 - Mortgage reduced
£50/£12,000 - Saved

I have made my first investment in my SS ISA today :j £500 invested in Vanguard 80/20. I have paid around £50 extra off the mortgage as well as the normal payment. I have paid £500 ish for a 5 day break at Easter on the Norfolk coast. Home (paid for) and car (outstanding) insurance due this month so no other investments or mortgage payments to be made, maybe there will be a bit left over to save near the end of the month.

At long last I got around to sending some paperwork off for a change of name to an old civil service pension. This should mean that in the next few weeks I'll know how much I can expect to get. I am led to believe that it's quite a good pension and it starts when I'm 60 . I was there 13 years so should be ok.

Frugal living continues, I haven't spent much at all.

Got my home insurance through the company that provides 2-4-1 cinema and restaurants meals. So coupled with the bf's codes we can take the kids to see a film as well.

I had a job interview yesterday, I thought I would need to go and buy some black trousers but found some old ones that were ok if a bit tight:o. I should find out by the end of the week if I got it. It's still with the NHS but an admin. job. Same pay but guaranteed hours/pay.

I bought some clothing before Christmas and half of it didn't fit. I hadn't got round to parcelling it up and found out a couple of days ago it was past the 30 days refund period. I contacted the company today and they said it would still be fine to send them back for a full refund. Nearly didn't bother asking, so glad I did. £40 should be back in my account once they receive it.

Any one else struggling with January? All I want to do is sit on the sofa with a cuppa and go online to read diaries.

greent

Poppycat1 wrote: »

Any one else struggling with January? All I want to do is sit on the sofa with a cuppa and go online to read diaries.

Yes!! - and eat cake/ biscuits too!

Fingers crossed about the job xx

the_cross_rabbit

drink gin
CRx

Poppycat1

I have been really good and not bought or made any biscuits and cake this year. Don't like gin but I did treat myself to some lovely M and S vegan Baileys type drink, half price, yummy.

I went to Ald! and Sainsbugs yesterday and spent rather too much. My ds11 single quilt cover is rather threadbare (given to me by my Mum several years ago) so I got him a new one for £4.80. He loves it. When he came home from school he put it on his bed and tidied all his side of his room, including vacuuming. It's spotless. He has always been tidy but as he gets older he has started to get more untidy so it was nice to see.

Not heard about the job yet.

Now I know it's early, but ........ my little £500 invested on Wednesday didn't go though until yesterday, made £5.36 overnight. I know I'm not supposed to keep checking and I really need to forget about it for at least 10 years but I couldn't help it. It will probably go down next week.

pinknsparkly

Exciting stuff on the S&S ISA - I've also bought my first ever S&S this month: £100 into a lifetime ISA. I'm avoiding checking it completely though as despite knowing that it may go down as well as up, I'm not 100% sure how I'll deal with seeing it go down.... My plan is to check it once a month or so when I top it up (and avoid the temptation to check it on a daily basis!!).

And sorry I missed your question about the 1000 miles (which I'm doing the same way as you - it's 1000 intentional miles out walking or running, as opposed to total steps). I'm doing it as part of the 2019 keep moving challenge (https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5941664/2019-keep-moving-challenge) - everyone has set themselves different challenges though there do seem to be a few 1000 milers on there!