Cutting it Fine - the challenge is on!

SandyShores

Thanks savingholmes and debtfreeoneday.  I've turned a corner with positivity this year - I'm not relying on things or other people to make me happy these days, and I recognise how surrounding yourself with positive people (and avoiding the negative nellies and neils) is at the heart of that.  So thank you all you positive posters.

I'm really looking forward to doing the stockings this year - already building a list of practical small items.  I'm thinking about buying the makeup advent calendars for me and DD - Boots and M&S.  I know they are around £40 each, but I think they would be a fun thing for us both to do (or would they?).  Decision day is tomorrow for those.  Gosh, but do they do a men's one?

Thanks debtfreeoneday, I am going to keep positive about the mortgage.  And I remember how I felt when I became debt-free - I was almost lost as it was something that was my focus for so so long.  I'm going to enjoy the MFW journey and the little milestones more now.  I have a good feeling

Edit - forgot to say I have just made the November OP early so we are very closed to £1k for the year.  I've reduced the target for OPs down from £4k to £1k - it was a nice thought but we have spent a lot this year on the house.  Next year there won't be any huge spends, although I want to start on getting the interior just right, but will be able to start on serious OPs and seeing that mortgage come down.

Chiglepig

SandyShores said:

I'm really looking forward to doing the stockings this year - already building a list of practical small items.  I'm thinking about buying the makeup advent calendars for me and DD - Boots and M&S.  I know they are around £40 each, but I think they would be a fun thing for us both to do (or would they?).  Decision day is tomorrow for those.  Gosh, but do they do a men's one?

The first year we were together, Mr C bought a very lovely reusable wooden advent calender and put something small but lovely in each box - including jewelery! 15 years later, I've persuaded him to scale back the cost, but I still use it every year and look forward to  Hotel Chocolat contents! You could still have the fun of advent calendars, but be certain DD would use every single thing - and you'll have the calendar for next year. I bet you could do it for a similar price.

Mine's a bit like this:

LadyWithAPlan

That advent calendar is a gorgeous  idea - well done Mr C!

savingholmes

I suppose the question is how much do you spend on your DD for xmas? For me that would be most of DD's present for Xmas as I've halved my normal present budget... (Previously the target was around £100 although I often went over). The items would be nice in a hamper - or you could even give it on xmas day. It's nice opening the individual items...

SandyShores

That's beautiful Chiglepig, agree with LadywithaPlan - a fantastic idea.  I'm persuaded thank you, and savingholmes.  I was almost carried away with the xmas glitz, but now I'm back on the MSE route.  Thank you all.

SandyShores

I calculated the interest applied yesterday and its currently £11.53.  Its a bit of a pain that the app doesn't show it, so I log into two days in a row and calculate the difference.  I did notice that they have running totals for each year, so I calculated the number of days and came up with average interest for the years:  2020 £12.23, and so far for 2021 its come down to £11.80.  That will be about £150 less interest this year, plus we will have made overpayments of over £1250 (£1k of that will be this year).  The mortgage is currently set to end when I'm 75 so the target is to reduce that to state pension age, while living a reasonably comfortable life.  

Its funny how looking at the end of the mortgage seems to bring being 75 closer, but we've got another 17.5 years of mortgage to run.  That's actually a long time, if you were given a sentence of 17.5 years/had to stay in a mind-numbing job for 17.5 years/etc. it wouldn't seem so short.  

savingholmes

Hi Sandy - sympathise on the mortgage. Mine is due to take until 73 and 7 months. Obviously I don't want it hanging around that long! On my 22 year mortgage - if I 'just' overpay by £20 pcm it will knock 6 months off the mortgage - so I plan to start at that kind of level and work up. Although I may use saving into a SIPP for bigger amounts in the hope of using a lump sum at some point - but also creating extra future income.

SandyShores

Hi savingholmes, thank you.  I'm sure we'll be saying bye bye to those mortgages much earlier than our 70s.  Just imagining us here with our bus passes and saggy tights, still posting

I bought myself a ToDo list book yesterday, and I now have 25 things on my list todo.  There's a few things that can be crossed off easily, so I'll tackle those.  The difficult ones are where I have to make a decision - i.e. which options to go to for my specs (a choice of two), and whether to switch my HSBC account to Nationwide and get a £100+ switching reward.  I'll start with the easy things tomorrow and then make a decision at the weekend about those two.  

I'm so pleased I didn't get carried away with the xmas advent calendars.  I was looking at the M&S one earlier and actually there was very little either DD or myself would use - it would just be more little bottles of junk lying around.  As soon as the weather clears (isn't it raining so much!) I will be trawling around town and the charity shops looking for xmas stocking items.  

savingholmes

That sounds like a much more MSE plan.

LadyWithAPlan

SandyShores said:

Hi savingholmes, thank you.  I'm sure we'll be saying bye bye to those mortgages much earlier than our 70s.  Just imagining us here with our bus passes and saggy tights, still posting

I love my saggy tights (great for avoiding the heating being on - though it is tonight) and personally I look forward to my free bus pass especially with London travel prices

Well done on getting back to MSE - I also looked at the Boots no 7 advent for my sister as a present - it may still happen but .... I wont be buying myself one..

Maybe I should see if I can find a similar wooden advent calendar for my younger relatives and give filled up on Xmas day and then their mum can fill up next year
Or I could try to make one - like this - its pockets of fabric and it means one could home embroider  names on .... 
https://www.housebeautiful.com/uk/lifestyle/shopping/g29457990/best-wooden-advent-calendar/?slide=3
or there is one where there are little numbered date sacks hanging off a frame 
https://www.housebeautiful.com/uk/lifestyle/shopping/g29457990/best-wooden-advent-calendar/?slide=12

Even my teenage niece would love it as I could add bits of makeup in etc