Quest for (mortgage) freedom

SandyShores

Glad its helped, and definitely agree that keeping motivated is really important.  We don't have anything left in the bank accounts this month, but I've enough in hard cash to keep us in food until payday - which is great.  But, saying that, Mr Shores' sideline brought in a bit this month and we've been paying that into an account to help sort any business expenses and if he keeps going like he is, he will probably be able to pay for our new shed.  I'm definitely going to start counting NSDs.

Sweetie83

eat_that_frog said:

In solidarity with @caeler becoming mortgage free today, I've made an OP today of £1500.

That brings my total left down to £218k. I am so happy to have gone from the 220s into the 210s, it feels like a big milestone. And honestly 215k doesn't feel far away now either, which is so motivating.

So yesterday I was reading @SandyShores thread and I've pinched an idea, which is that I've drawn a picture of a house with a grid of 100 squares, which represents each overpayment I have left to pay until I'm mortgage free. Depending on the mortgage calculator I use online the exact figure changes, but it's around 100 overpayments anyway! I love the idea of tracking my progress visually. And I'm excited to shade off a square tonight!

That's amazing well done, edging ever closer to 100's. 

eat_that_frog

Well as it's nearly the end of the month I've added up my NSDs and have got to my target of 15! I know I won't be spending anything today or tomorrow either, so it'll be a grand total of 17 NSDs for April. I'm very happy with that. I think I'll set myself a May target of 16 NSDs and see if I can hit that.

We've been seeing family this week, which has involved a lot more driving than I've been used to these last 6 months or so. Not only has my petrol bill rocketed but I feel absolutely knackered. It's been just lovely to see people again though. I met up with some friends last week, and one of them said that what she learned through the Covid lockdown was who she really missed seeing and who she didn't, what she really missed doing and what she didn't, and therefore has a better understanding of her priorities - for her time, her money etc - going forwards.

I completely understood what she means by that. So being the sort of person I am, I looked through my account pre-Covid and during lockdown, looking at my spending. And realised I didn't miss spending money in these main areas at all:
1. takeaway nice coffees (now I really like the sachets of lattes you can get in supermarkets)
2. haircuts (I've just not been bothered by not being able to go)
3. Alcohol (was never a big drinker anyway but I don't miss it at all).

And what has been worthwhile and made a positive impact on my sense of well-being:
1. a streaming TV/film app (for something to do in the evenings, it's been super value),
2. a well known satellite sports package (husband and I love watching sports)
3. things for around the garden (I've found gardening such a grounding experience. Growing something successfully from seed has been a huge success for me).

@SandyShores I'm very similar, as a result of my OPs I run my current account down to the last £100 or so, for minor emergencies (and if god forbid I ever had a big emergency I've got an EF to help with that). That's why I find NSDs so great.

Thanks @Sweetie83 - I find it so motivating ticking down the numbers. 218k feels so close to 215k, and then once I hit that I will feel like I'm edging closer to the 210k mark. And on it goes!

rugbymadfamily

I definitely understand what she means by that as well! There's people I've really missed and others I thought I would miss but haven't, sounds weird lol.

I've missed going to the out for the social aspect and have missed the gym. Haven't missed takeaway lunches (which are never as good as I hope!). 

South_coast

Lovely to look at it in terms of what you've missed and what you haven't. Might have to do something similar myself....

eat_that_frog

@rugbymadfamily yeah I haven't missed lunches at work either. So much nicer sitting at my kitchen table too.

@South_coast yes and when I did tot it all up it is eye opening how much I was spending on commuting to work, a coffee in the morning, ad-hoc purchases I might have bought whilst out and about at work. It is a big incentive for me to stay working from home.

eat_that_frog

3 NSDs for me so far in May. I managed to avoid spending anything over the bank holiday, we spent a lovely Saturday and Sunday in the garden with visiting family, it was bliss. Weather was awful on Monday though so were shut indoors all day yesterday.

It's colder than I remember late April/early May being in previous years. But we've got lots of little projects keeping us occupied in the garden. We've been in our house for a couple of years now and I love my garden more and more each year.

eat_that_frog

Had my jab today. Felt quite moved by it all. It all feels so hopeful now the jabs are getting done and we can see people again.

It's an absolutely miserable day today so unfortunately no gardening for me. I was gifted some plants last week which was great. So I've got all my plants ready in place to be planted out and we're making steady progress landscaping the garden - we're doing it ourselves which just adds to the sense of pride in making it really ours. We've been in our house for 2 years now, and although we got the house decorated and feeling like ours within about 6 months, we're now turning our attention to the garden and making that really ours too.

5 NSDs for me so far this month. We did a big food shop last week to top up our cupboards and freezer for the next couple of months, so that was quite expensive but needed doing.

eat_that_frog

Not a no spend day for me, I got some money for my birthday last month. Usually I'd put it straight in my savings account but for once I decided to treat myself and buy some bits for the house! So I bought a rug and a new set of bed linen for our bedroom - we'd had the old bedlinen since our old house for about 10 years and was looking a bit threadbare, so it's nice to have a lovely new set!

Alongside my mortgage overpayment goal, and my monthly NSD targets, I've been meaning to start my weight loss journey for a while. I am still carrying about a stone of baby weight. I need to go into the office next month, so yesterday I tried on some of my formal work clothes to work out what I'll need to wash - I haven't worn them for over a year so they're a bit stale smelling from the wardrobe! Anyway I tried them on and realised I just don't fit into them, and it's not just a bit tight, I can't get the zip up on some of the dresses. That's given me a kick up the backside I needed to focus a bit more on what foods I'm putting into my body and also how inactive my days have become since working from home.

caeler

I'm totally with you on the clothes not fitting!  I need some healthy living and focus to sort myself out.