Moving forward and upwards

MovingForwards

savingwannabe wrote: »

I pay £750 a month for my mortgage. It's half my income (just my paid salary) I think we are supposed to spend less as a % of income but it is impossible where I live. lol.

A 20% deposit is fantastic. This is a brilliant achievement not many single people can do this (as your brother has said) so make sure you celebrate.

I hope your Christmas party goes well and well done on doing your hair. lol.

That's nearly the rent I pay on this flat and potentially about £250 more than I will be paying when I get a mortgage.

I know I've done well to raise the deposit I have done so far, be happier when I've got another £2300 in the bank and comfortably got my 20% for the £75k lowest value I can have. My potential lender is just a bit funny about ex-council flats and they are assessed on an individual basis, I'm at risk of offering on something they would never lend on I've yet to find out what ex-council properties are a definite no, so that might be a question I should put to my broker!

My hair needs doing again! Damn thing grows too quickly :rotfl:

I'm meeting up with my friend in the week, the one who offered to sort out the rest of my deposit but the lender wouldn't accept it, have a few drinks and will celebrate then. It's great when I meet her as we don't get to see eachother that often as she's normally somewhere else in the world!

MovingForwards

Friday update.

Booked today off and I'm so glad I did as I overdid it yesterday when I met my mate. We had a walk round the markets, had haggis etc for tea, followed by a shopping trip and another pub :beer: (spent under £13 on ONE round and remembered why I don't go out drinking, my mate paid for most of the night).

Supposed to be having a belated year older BBQ on the beach today, waiting for my meds to kick in and see how mobile I am :rotfl:

Been spending so much time on the internet looking at areas, Google maps, satellite maps, properties, homebuyers reports I've gotten a little fatigued! I have also started to look into insurance as I may buy a tenement; they don't always have factors (managing agents) and I'm now a lot more clued up on sharing repair costs with the other owners.

I have my DIP and it's up to £83k I can potentially borrow :cool: at least I know my ultimate limit now; just have to start viewings :shocked: :shhh:

I also took a stance that I'm not prepared to save 20% deposit, I'm happy saving 15% which is realistically achievable on my salary. Another reason is my associated fees / costs are over £3600.

The challenge has been finding non-ex-council properties :eek: :eek: however, due to opening up my areas to back over the water there are a lot more potential properties which are not ex-council, in my budget and within 30 minutes train commute :dance: but I've found quite a few and ruled out several of them.

Not sure if I said, but I've had quotes from three different solicitors, only one are on my lenders panel, so that's another thing ticked off.

Got an extra £100 in my MSA's due to birthday and Christmas present money from my mom, and birthday money from my brother. That's bumped my savings up nicely!

Due to sticking to a 15% deposit my steps don't need to change

Step I'm currently standing on:

Step 2

and within kissing distance of the next one.

MovingForwards

I'm doing the final deposit and associated fees push over the next few months, therefore my family are happy for me not to do gifts for them this year.

I will buy my OH something small, as a token of my appreciation for all his wonderfulness this year.

My friends will have the pleasure of my company at a party, as they know what it's like at this stage.

Somehow I am going to try and find £850, this month and again next month, to save.

Having had a look in the cupboards and freezer, I'm still doing well for food, just need bananas, milk, oats, crackers, cheese, bag of apples and cat food over the next two months. I'm allowing myself £10 PW for food, or if I save that and the change, I can just use all my supermarket points and survey points instead.

I'm off for two weeks over Christmas, so that saves me on petrol, I also don't tend to eat breakfast when I'm off and most days skip lunch too or just have an apple (don't you just love being in active when not working!).

No chippy night, no hair dye, no eyebrow threading treats etc.

I've looked at my spending spreadsheet and I can just about do it.

Time to tighten that belt and push hard!

savingwannabe

Well done on being so frugal over Christmas. It's admirable. I think its good you decided not to overstress yourself with a 20% deposit. Stay positive and have some relaxation. You are so on track.

MovingForwards

Find a penny, pick it up, sure as fluff, it will bring you luck..... (I know, I have changed one word )

Well, it's the weekend and so far I have found a grand total of 8p on the floor this week. I've added it to my change pot as it all helps.

I've been paid for this month, I have already put £550 away, another £200 will get tucked away in January into my H2B ISA. Throughout the remainder of January I will be tucking a bit away each week that I don't buy food, until I reach payday again :eek:

My 2 year fixed rate bond matured today, that's now tucked away earning 1.50% apr and making friends with the rest of my money.

I'm still due to receive a bit of Christmas present money, which will get tucked away too.

I cannot believe it's Christmas next week and I've still got to get my OH something

Doing the Christmas shop tomorrow, so not looking forward to that; if I wasn't getting a bottle of wine I would be there at 6am :rotfl:

Step I'm currently standing on:

Step 3

Merry Christmas everyone, when it comes :snow_grin

MovingForwards

Christmas Eve update.

I'm off work for a few weeks, packed and ready to go away. Hopefully I will have some lovely photography opportunities while I'm further up Scotland.

Just need to risk life and limb squeezing my cat into her travel box, if that doesn't work then it's body brace and a seat belt; if you don't ever hear from me again I've bled to death...

Picked my OH a few token gifts up, I feel so mean spending under £25 on him (taking into account the gifts he found :mad: ) but he understands I'm a woman on a mission to buy my future security :T

I was given a bottle of wine by a colleague, saved me buying one

My brother has given me double the amount he normally does for Christmas :shocked: and so that is now tucked away towards my deposit.

Got given money by my OHs relative, so that will get banked when I'm back.

It feels weird having money in my account, waiting to be moved to savings, but the H2B account only allows £200pcm.

As I have spent a little bit for Christmas, I can only put £750 away out of this pay, but it's still great for this time of year.

I did have a look at available properties, still ex-authority for my budget and a huge amount of regular properties over the water; I have made up my mind to move over when the time comes, it will be a lot easier to find a non-ex-council property, the commute is only short and quicker than where I am renting over this side to work! (I have no objections to ex-council properties, it's just the 20% deposit on them that I can't / won't stretch to)

Step I'm currently standing on:

Step 3

Im so close to moving up to my next one.

MovingForwards

Post Christmas blues (nah, not really) update.

I got back home yesterday and the drive left me shattered. I'm supposed to be going to a party later, but can't move from the sofa. For 27 years now Ive been running around over Christmas, visiting everyone and not actually relaxing and enjoying the time.

I've already said I'm not doing it next year, I'm having Christmas at home, it's getting too much for me and takes me too long to recover, wiping out the rest of the time I have off.

Anyhow, it was good to get away from the neighbours, the smell of dope and the noise from them, I also got to spend a bit of time at the beach Christmas day, watching the sunrise and taking photos. I definitely want to be near water when I buy!

Sad part is my cat is so stressed, since getting back she has hidden under my bed; I can't subject her to travel and other people's homes. I'm also very concerned about moving with her, based on how she is now she is back home.

I did quite well for gifts, just have to get it in the bank next week. My OH gave me a gorgeous necklace and bracelet, which made me feel so guilty about what I gave him, but he understands I'm still on a mission to buy in 2020.

Get to move money to my H2B on Wednesday

I haven't used any of my survey points or supermarket vouchers yet, but will look to use them January and February so I can spend as little cash as possible, allowing me to boost my savings a bit.

Spending plans for January:

Got no plans for January.

Given up planning to get my haircut.

Step I'm currently standing on:

Step 3

Edging ever closer to the next one!

savingwannabe

Well done on getting away for a bit. Poor cat will be ok soon I hope. Well done on saving more money. I think it is nice that OH bought you something nice it shows he cares.

I do love being at home over Christmas but because of my depression that isn't always good. All my friends are brilliant though and always sort me out over Christmas. They are so good. I hope you get a perfect one next year. All being well you will have moved.

MovingForwards

2020 update.

My cat has now settled down, back to her spoilt ways

I've barely moved between the sofa and bed since getting back, but it gives me plenty of time to plot and plan ideas!

A further copy of the student vegetarian cookbook has been ordered (never got my last copy back off someone I worked with before they left, my brother lost the copy I lent him), it cost me £1.73 but has so many nice / cheap biscuit, cake and main meal recipes.

I have £35 for food shopping money until payday and £20 for petrol.

Don't panic, I have an upright freezer full of food, but have also decided to trim my luxury (cheap steak) meals back, will be making things like chicken and rice, chicken noodle soup, pork and bean soup/stew, lentil curry / soup etc.

I made a pork roast on Sunday, then made a spicy bean, passata, onion, pepper, carrot, potato and pork stew with the left over pork; got five meals out of a pork joint (originally cut from a large joint, made three joints out of the big one ).

I just need to pick up cheese, milk, bananas, bag of apples and veg throughout the month. When I'm at work I have a smoothie for breakfast, cheese and crackers for lunch, apple for snacks.

As it's now the start of the new month, I moved £200 into my H2B ISA.

Step I'm currently standing on:

Step 4

savingwannabe

Oooh well done on being MSE with the food and on the savings to your ISA. I hope payday is close by and am glad you have extras in your freezer. Here's to a good month.