10 years to go .... maybe, with a fair wind

Lauraebrad

Another week into another month already.  I'm thankful to be safe, but pretty much over lockdown/working at home/homeschooling at this point.
However, fewer shops open = less opportunities to spend so .... managed £185 over payments last month.  That was my standard £50 plus various prolific surveys, random extra child tax credit payment and general budgeting.  Feeling fairly pleased with that.  I might divert some more savings to the holiday fund this month though - even though holidays are looking pretty unlikely, I'd like to be in a good position if that does change.

Here's to another month of frugality.

savingholmes

Well done on the OPs and side hustles. They all add up!

Sistergold

Hey there @Lauraebrad
Another single mom here! Have been catching up with your diary! You are doing great and a good inspiration indeed. Keep it up and you will be mortgage free soon! 

Xx

longway2go

Well done, sounds like you are making good progress. You gov and qmee are also OK for surveys. 

Lauraebrad

Already the 7th July.  Crazy times as June passed so quick despite not much happening!  Got a Quidco bonus through from opening a TSB account way back when so that bumped up this month's over payment.  Pretty happy that I've already passed this year's £1,200 overpayment target (3 months mortgage payments extra).  I don't know how much more I'll manage, as both holidays seem to be back on, after thinking for so long that everything would be cancelled ... so need to divert funds to that pot for now.  However, working from home is really helping the Prolific surveys money to mount up he he!!

Grogged

Great progress on the OP front!
3 months is great, so don't get disheartened.
Hopefully you can start to look forward to the holidays.

Lauraebrad

So holiday season is over, and we managed to get through with no major overspends (mostly due to not eating out much as everywhere was booked up due to Eat out to Help out!!). That means I can get back to the mortgage OPs.  Whilst I'm working at home (now with the small boy back in school hurrah) I can have pr0lific open on my second screen to catch surveys popping up.  Just transferred another £7.69 out of there this morning.  
Also, had my pay rise confirmed at 2.75% which should be around £30 extra per month.  I think I'll direct £20 to the mortgage and the other £10 ish to next year's holiday pot for a bit of balance. 

Lauraebrad

I've just managed to squeeze in another £50 over payment as September ends.  Mostly made up of money that I've managed not to spend in September and a couple of Pr0lific payouts.  I was just looking at my building society's website after I'd paid, as my remortgage will be up in January-ish.  As it stands at the moment, I could fix for 2 or 5 years at a rate marginally below what I'm on now (although only makes a few pounds difference per month 'every little helps').  I'm just trying to decide whether to book on to one of those now (I'm in the period where I can 'reserve' a product) or hang on and wait to see if rates get any lower towards Christmas. 
I'm really hoping that I might be able to almost double my over payment goal for this year, as I've changed energy supplier and am due a refund, as well as fingers crossed some back pay for a pay rise from work.  I was also able to utilise the 'Help to Save' scheme and am expecting my first bonus to be paid in November.  This might be a bumper year and I expect next year will be much, much tighter.  
Having said that I keep spotting some quite worrying cracks in my house so it's quite possible that I might need to put all this on hold and make some big spends on building work in the not too distant future.  Hopefully not, but owning pre 1900's terraced houses is always going to come with that sort of risk!  I've been here over 13 years and not done much to the house in that time, so I guess my luck was bound to run out at some point.
Anyway, onwards with my work day - must go and get some fresh air, which is so easy to forget when working from home .... 

Grogged

What a great achievement savings wise!
If you reserve it doesn't stop you taking a better product, but it does protect you if rates were to rise.
If the cracks need repairs you may be able to claim on your building insurance.
Do your surrounding properties suffer from cracking?
ATB G.

Grogged

Hope everything's going ok with you?
Did you make a decision on the mortgage?
So many questions, I'm such a nosey person today!
Stay safe, G.