Cutting it Fine - the challenge is on!

SandyShores

Logged into the mortgage account again today and the interest has been updated again, but not yet the payment I made on boxing day.  It doesn't itemise or date the payments or interest so out comes the calculator and I just need to check which payments have gone through and take off any payments not yet showing.    I'll log in again on New Years Eve and make sure its all rounded down, then I think I'll leave logging in again until the end of January.  The regular payment goes out on the 1st of the month, so I will start working on paying an additional £90 by the end of Jan, meaning that a full £1k comes off the capital and it should be down to £303k.  I really liked the idea of logging in and doing tilly tidies of a few pence/pounds here and there to round it down, but I think with interest being applied daily and payments not showing straight away it won't be very satisfying.  I'm going to keep this target of paying at least £90 off but will make any extra payments if I can.  I might change it as I go along but its good to have a plan!

I've also managed to get one of the items off my 'To Do' list.  Good to cross that off, but there are still another 16 on there.  Honestly, really disappointed with myself as once I've done that list I'm sure I will feel a lot more free to get on with improving other areas of my life.  I've set myself a goal to achieve them by 31 December, so I need to get myself 'unfrozen' and let it go, let it go

I've come to terms with having to repay the additional fuel amount I wasn't expecting and have decided to use the emergency fund.  I probably could pay by instalments but this company have been so bad at communicating, that it will be best to do it in one go.  Happy to let the 0% credit card payments go out over the year as I'm more in control there - bit of a control theme happening here.  I'm also really pleased that my Xmas 2021 Saver is doing really well - I aim to go over target next year as it was so helpful having a spending fund in December and for the first time ever I'm starting the month with plenty in the purse for January (well plenty for our frugal needs).  I now need to get on with the weight loss again.  I think that's connected with my to do list as well.  I was just watching a video on youtube about being frozen, anxiety and how part of the solution is to get moving physically - exercise and the like.  Its funny how everything is connected and all of these solutions are somehow the same.  Be kind to yourself, listen to yourself, get moving, connect.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0l25LNmYT8

savingholmes

I really like M@rie Forle0 too on utube - very uplifting.

SandyShores

Thanks savingholmes I'll take a look.  Always pleased when someone recommends something to me.  

Just looking at my MSE goals for 2021 - I will be so pleased to tick those off - they are very achievable and they're actually SMART goals (get me ).  Let's hope there aren't any curved balls on the horizon, but we aren't in a bad position if life brings them.  Every day we are moving forward one day/one step at a time.

Once the MSE goals are firmly on track,  I'll then be able to let them run along, and shift my focus more towards personal/career goals.  

EDIT - I was looking over my old diary entries last week about how we were hoping to become home owners again and now here we are.  Not only home owners but looking at pensions and SMART goals.  Only a few years ago I despaired at ever being out of debt - take heart all you MSE'rs out there.  Just keep going (and now I need to apply this to the next stage).

SandyShores

Plans for today:

• Tackle the 'To Do' list - no excuses !!
• Meal Plan
• Watch some youtube videos/read some articles
• Plan the new year weekend

twinklie

Lovely to catch up with your diary and learn more about your journey. 

I’m having a lazy morning mooching in bed with DS1 and 2. But I’m very much looking forward to getting out of bed and checking my end of year mortgage balance (payment went out today). I’ll round down to 00.00 and then use that as my end of year figure (my interest goes on daily too). Then I will have my start figure for all the 2021 challenges.

SandyShores

Thanks twinklie hope you had a lovely lazy morning recharging yourself.  DH had some money in from his SE so I paid most of it to the mortgage.  It should mean that my planned overpayments for January are all made.  I'll log in tomorrow to check but the payments don't seem to show up for a few days.  

I just had a realisation today that Monday isn't a bank holiday !!!   Oh well, I will have to make the most of my remaining few days on holiday.  I bought an actual paper and card diary today for work, in the hope of being more organised and keeping work separated from home life.  Its a page to a day and its more for note taking than planning, but it was nice to add my hols into it as well.  I'm all for digital usually so I will see how it goes and it was reduced so I thought it was worth a couple of quid to see if it helps.

SandyShores

Logged into the mortgage a/c again today and was pleased to see yesterday's op was showing.  I'm still working out which figure to take for my current balance - 31st of month or 1st month after payment made (but adding on projected interest for hte month).  It will become clear I'm sure and it will be good to see the daily interest rate come down.  I wish they would itemise daily interest as the only way I can find that figure is to log in two days in a row and compare balances.  We've overpaid a total of £406 so far, which feels really good.  Its amazing how those pounds here and there have added up.  If only I could go back and tell my younger self.

Yesterday's todo list was stuck again but I felt like I made progress.  Today I have a full day of planning for work on Monday but at least I'm lucky to have Friday off, so a nice long weekend to tackle some of that list.  

Fortune_Smiles

Happy New Year @SandyShores.  Wishing you health, wealth and happiness.

Fortune x

savingholmes

Happy New Year - may it be much better than the last

SandyShores

Thank you savingholmes.  Happy New Year to you too!!  Yes, I hope so too