Climbing the Mortgage Mountain step by step

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi All

Positivity and gratitude for what has been and what will be.

New Years Eve is upon us again, I'm not making resolutions as I never keep them!  However I have updated my signature to start the New year on a positive note, all credit cards are cleared, it's just my loan to attack now and then increase the overpayments to the mortgage. 

I have added in my longer term savings, not included my various 'pots' or our wedding fund (which is very small as we are eloping) and aim to be debt neutral by June 22 with the aim of repaying my loan in full by the end of 2023 at the latest, this will give me 2 years before my fixed rate runs off on the mortgage to really make some bigger overpayments.  I know I could use some of the savings to clear a chunk of the loan now but I prefer to have the cash available, I never had the security of an emergency fund until I had to 'go it alone' and I don't want to give it up now, once I have saved enough to clear the loan AND keep a few months emergency money by then I will clear the outstanding amount.  My loan interest rate is fairly low and I'm happy with this plan.  I have created a spreadsheet to monitor my savings each month and ensure they are heading in the right direction.

My various 'pots' will provide little pockets of joy and fun money through the year, I have the 1p each day challenge which will provide £667 by the end of November, just in time for Christmas, my £2 coin and £1 toiletry pots will be used as spending money for any holidays we take.  I will continue Tilly Tidying to my ISA as I am keen to see how much this builds up over the year.

I have been looking back over 2021 and whilst the Pandemic has certainly curtailed some areas of life we have still had an extremely happy, fulfilling year.  We have all kept fairly healthy; had lots of fun times with family and friends and date nights at home; whilst we didn't manage a holiday as such we did have a few weekends away including our engagement weekend; we celebrated Dad's 80th birthday; we have built a new deck in the garden and a shingled Mediterranean courtyard style area complete with pizza oven and upgraded the hot tub which we have spent many relaxed evenings in; the house has been externally cleaned from the roof down and the walls repainted, not bad for a year where life 'stopped'!

2022 is shaping up to being a great year, our wedding; lots of milestone family birthdays and anniversaries; DD heading to Uni; first foreign holiday in over 2 years (fingers crossed) and some concerts all scheduled in.

Happy New Year, I hope it brings joy and kindness to you all

MvTMM

Fortune_Smiles

Oooh - lots accomplished and lots to look forward to MvTMM.  Good luck with all your plans.

Fortune x

savingholmes

Lots of exciting plans.

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi All

Happy New Year to all, I hope it has been kind so far.

I've been MIA as took a week's Annual Leave.  I've had a lovely time, family visited for NYE and it was also my birthday last week, apart from that I have pottered around sorting out various drawers and cupboards but mainly resting and trying to finally knock this chest infection on the head, which I think I have although still get the occasional coughing fit!

Because of the visitors and various celebrations we have had a few meals out, grocery shopping has been minimal as I'm trying to use up the Christmas leftovers but I need to get a meal plan together for this week to ensure nothing goes to waste and get back into MSE mode.

We have been going through our plans for the wedding, everything is booked and deposits etc paid, just approx £1500 left to pay which we have covered.  OH has asked if I would like my ring made of his mum's and grandmother's wedding rings, which I think is a really lovely idea, we took them to our local jewellers, they are 22ct gold and the new ring will be hallmarked by the Assay Office in London, this will only cost about £60 in total.

DDs Macbook has arrived and she is extremely pleased with it.  As she bought the laptop herself, OH and I have paid for the 3 years Applecare on it in case of any issues.

My savings pots are coming on nicely and I have already Tilly Tidied £38.88 into my ISA, have completed my savings spreadsheet for the 1st January and will do this each month to ensure my savings are gradually creeping upwards.  I often think I am not saving enough but I forget that each month I am over paying the mortgage by £750 which isn't to be sniffed at!

Have a great day 

MvTMM

savingholmes

You're doing really well. The rings idea sounds very honouring. 

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi All

Sorry I haven't posted since Monday, been an absolutely manic week.

@savingholmes, glad you like the idea re the ring, I was so touched when he suggested it, especially as I never met his mum and nan, they had both passed before I met OH.

I have managed to put together some sort of meal plan, we had shepherd's pie Monday and Tuesday, pasta Puttanesca on Wednesday and baked Gnocchi with sausage and Mediterranean veg yesterday, tonight I'll do salmon topped with pesto and served with jacket potatoes and mixed veg; these meals have all come from stock.

Savings all going well, 365 x 1p etc all up to date, however I have had to pay £280 for my flights etc as going to my friend's timeshare in March for a girlie holiday, my first girlie holiday in about 30 years!!

We've got a quiet weekend planned, minimal grocery shopping etc, I may well sort out a few cupboards and hopefully get the dog out for a couple of good walks.

Have a great weekend all

MvTMM

savingholmes

Holiday anywhere sounds amazing. You are doing well

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi All

Well we had a fairly quiet weekend.  DS and his family unexpectedly popped in on Friday night and, as I was late finishing work, we all had fish n chip supper as a treat and a couple glasses of wine.  We pottered around the rest of the weekend, did a small grocery shop and decluttered some areas of the house, mainly kitchen and utility.  We had pulled pork wraps on Saturday night and I did a good roast on Sunday using a turkey joint from the freezer, the leftovers went in a pie last night with reheated roasties and fresh cauliflower and green beans which fed us and 2 of DDs friends.  Tonight I might do a tuna pasta bake, we have a lot of odd bits of cheese to use up which will add flavour.

I'm very excited, had a call yesterday to say my ring is ready so we will go and try that on at the weekend and last night we sorted out our paperwork ready for our appointment at the Registry office, wedding plans are go go go!

DD had an interview for her first choice Uni on Saturday and yesterday received an offer, just needs to get her predicted grades which she is very happy with.  She is trying to get her dad to commit to support her through Uni by paying the maintenance direct to her, however in true form he is playing mind games and trying to control her, one way or another we will get her through it.

I can't believe it is another 2 weeks until payday, I am struggling now, think I may have over egged the savings especially with all of the birthdays, visitors etc!  However, February is a relatively short month and no Council Tax for February or March which is always a welcome bonus, I know we pay the same for it over the year but it still feels like a bit of a windfall!  We have plenty of food in the cupboards so can keep grocery shopping to a minimum and all bills are paid so we can just coast for the next 2 weeks and start afresh in February.

Have a great day all

MvTMM

savingholmes

Hope you make it to payday ok. I get paid early mod month.  

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi All

Thanks @savingholmes, we should be ok, we do have money, its just in savings pots, and we have plenty of food etc. I don't think it's helped that it will have been 6 weeks between paydays, even though I didn't touch my pay until the end of December I think somewhere in my subconscious its made me think payday should be coming sooner than it is!!

I made spaghetti bolognaise last night, bulked out the mince with grated carrot and some frozen cauliflower rice, so we have enough for two good meals.  We bought the Lidl deal of 48 cans of tuna for £15 at the weekend so I feel tuna could feature heavily over the next few weeks, although the BBE date is 31/12/2024 so we have plenty of time to get through it, we all love tuna and OH will quite often pop a tin in his salad for work.

I have always wanted a white kitchen, have never had one, every single house has had wooden kitchen units of varying styles.  Our current kitchen units are really good quality and although fairly old are quite a contemporary style so I thought I'd get a quote to get them resprayed as there is a local company that does this, we don't have a large kitchen, 8 base units, a set of 4 drawers, 4 wall units and a full height unit, the quote was for £1750 and that's if they don't replace the handles etc.  Ideally I was going to ask them to remove the wall tiles as well (every wall covered in what I consider to be bathroom tiles) but I just can't justify that amount of money at present, that's over 2 months overpayments on the mortgage!  My friend has used a film product to cover her doors but I am wary of this, I know how bad I am at putting screen covers on my phone, let alone trying to cover a kitchen cabinet!!   I'll see how the savings etc pan out over the year, get DD settled in college and have another think then.

Have a great day

MvTMM