Climbing the Mortgage Mountain step by step

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi All

I can't believe we are a week away from Christmas Eve, I don't feel at all festive.  All Christmas presents brought, most wrapped, just need to do my colleagues gifts.  Haven't written any cards yet, so need to get that done.  Groceries are being delivered on Sunday.

Early Payday this Friday, we've had our payslips already.  I'll update my signature over the next few days.  I've also had a bit of good luck and won the monthly staff raffle, £50 voucher for the well know rainforest website!  And a small sale on V!nted.

We've started packing for our holiday, DH has done all of the ironing.  I've checked and we have plenty of suntan lotion so don't need to buy any.  I need to sort out toiletries and underwear and then I'm done.

We've got someone else coming to look at the shower room today, fingers crossed they will be more positive as we still haven't heard back from the previous chap.  I really wish now that we had held out for the insurance company to do the work in February but hindsight is a wonderful things and we thought it would all have been completed by now.

As DD is now home for Christmas, I had promised her a Lamb roast on Sunday, it was lovely and we had enough left for another roast yesterday.  There is still some meat and a little veg leftover so I may make a pie or curry with that.

Have a great day

MvTMM

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi All

Well the other tiler was much more positive about the shower room, didn't even laugh at my ridiculously small budget and said he may be able to get the tiles we like a little cheaper through his supplier.  Still looking at February before he can do the work but I'm kind of resigned to that anyway.

I made a lovely Massaman curry with the remaining lamb and we had that Tuesday night, huge hit with both DD and DH so will use that spice paste again, I got it from L!dl.

Manic day yesterday, none stop problems at work and then had to cancel my counselling session to pick up DS from hospital, he had had an accident at work, thankfully nothing broken but could have been very nasty.

Food shopping tonight, I can then finalise my Christmas delivery on Sunday as it sounds like DS and his family will now be joining us, so 9 for Christmas Dinner   the last of my colleagues presents arrive today, along with a little something each for Mum and Dad (I am paying both of their phone contracts as their actual presents).

I will update my signature tomorrow once I have been paid.

Have a great day all

MvTMM

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi All

Happy Christmas Eve!

Got our food delivery on Sunday Night, booked it for 18.00 - 19.00, finally arrived at 22.36!  Got the delivery fee refunded plus £5 of points as a good will gesture.  

I ended up doing late shift yesterday and same again today, looking like I'll have to work tomorrow too!  Having nightmares with staff at the moment!

I've been given my £50 voucher so will keep that for a little treat at some point.

A bit of MSE good news, just had our gas/electricity quarterly bill, this time last year the bill was £763 and we owed £392 this year £536 and we are still £62 in credit plus the direct debit has decreased from £290 at the start of the year to £222 now.

Just going to update my signature will then be logging off until after our holiday.

Have a fabulous Christmas one and all and here's to a happy, healthy and MSE New Year!!

MvTMM

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi All

Just thought I'd pop in.

Back in the office again today. I only had yesterday off and even then I had to make a journey to handover the Duty phone!  Got back home cooked dinner for 9 people (although Dad had a hissy fit so didn't actually come over, his loss!).  The kids had a lovely day and it was great seeing their faces as they opened their presents, even DS and DDIL were surprised by theirs!  I was physically and mentally exhausted after the last few weeks and was in bed asleep by 8.30!!

Lots to do tonight as we haven't finished packing yet plus I have all the leftover food to sort out as there is no way DD is going to use it all!  Bubble and squeak tonight with cold meats and pickles and I'll freeze the rest of the turkey (unless DD wants me to make her a curry).  Might drop some of the cakes etc off to DS and his family.

DH is working tomorrow morning and then we are off to the airport, twilight check in and a night in the Hilton and then an early flight to the sun!! 

Happy New Year to you all 

MvTMM

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi All

I can't believe I haven't logged in for a month, it's been a really busy time.

DH and I had a fabulous holiday, so relaxing and we didn't want to return.  I actually got really emotional as we flew in to Tenerife and I saw the mountain, it felt like coming home.  We had some lovely meals, lots of local wine and many cocktails and both put on far too much weight!!

Since getting back work has continued to be manic, I've basically been doing two jobs for the last six months, there is no let up.

We have done a few things socially during January, seen a couple of films, taken part in a couple of pub quizzes (we actually won one!) and had a night away to see a well known tv and film comedian which was brilliant.

Payday this week so I will update my signature over the next couple of days.

No Council Tax this month or next so that will be allocated as my spending money for my next holiday.

Car Insurance renewal came through, actually a lot cheaper than last year and can't be beaten so I have stuck with the same company which is unusual for me.

I have been looking at my pension pots and assessing my options, neither are huge sums of money but certainly enough to make a difference and help our plans of retiring to the sun.  DH is going to look at his this weekend.  He has also started the process of getting his Irish passport which means we won't be restricted to the 3 month stays in the EU.

DH is now working Saturdays mornings and being paid pretty well for it, this is going into the savings and a loan running off at the end of the year should free up approx £400pm which will also go into the savings pot or be paid off the mortgage.  He also got a £100 voucher as a Christmas bonus, it's also for the Rainforest website so we have added it to mine and now have £150 to use as and when we need to replace anything.

All in all a pretty positive start to the New Year.

Have a great day all

MvTMM

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi All

I updated my signature yesterday, generally looking ok but I really want to get the mortgage down below £100k before the fixed rate runs off.

We spent a lot of time sorting through DH's pensions on Sunday, managed to set up online access for most of them and awaiting new activation codes for a couple.  Have requested transfers for some of the smaller ones into one pot to make things easier when we do come to retire, hopefully in about 5 years time.  Once the Government launch their pension tracking service we will both log in to that to ensure we haven't missed any.

DH now has all of the documents he needs to apply for his passport so that is the next job.

Nothing else money saving/planning wise to note.

Made a big pot of chilli last night, all from stocks, we had it with wholegrain rice and there is enough for another 2 meals which we will pop in the freezer.  Need to sort through our freezers and prioritise what needs eating up, might try and do that tonight as we are doing the shopping tomorrow and have the pub quiz on Thursday so would be good to have quick easy things planned for both of those nights.

Have a great day all

MvTMM

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi All

We did the grocery shop last night, only spent £56 which I was pleased with, we just shop once a week, no top ups and seem to have got the balance of what we buy about right, DH takes packed lunches to work so we factor all of that in too.  We did buy a fresh pizza for last night, we always used to get fish n chips on the way home from doing the shop so a nice pizza is a lot more money saving, and as we have the pub quiz tonight we bought some frozen fish with a stilton topping and some chips for a quick easy dinner before we go out, cheaper than buying pub grub when we are there!  This weekend I'm working late on Friday so will get Hubby to  do a chicken in a bag meal, Saturday I might do a noodle dish as I notice we have some that need using and Sunday might be the Wellington style pork dish that I do as we have a pork loin and some pate in the freezer.

I tried to get the LIdl Beauty Box that launched at 10am but they sold out in seconds!!  

Wish us luck for the quiz tonight, lets see if we can win again

Have a great day

MvTMM

LadyWithAPlan

Great you both so focused on the pension and getting that mortgage to below £100k 

Sounds like your Tenerife trip has really inspired you

Me_v_The_Mortgage_Mountain

Hi @LadyWithAPlan

We absolutely love it over there, we feel so at home and the climate really helps my asthma.

We are both so determined to make this work, we don't have huge pensions pots but the house should release enough equity to fund a 1 bed place over here and a 2 bed over there with some money left in the bank as a cushion.  That's why we are trying to pay off as much of the mortgage as possible, it all adds to the eventual pension fund.  Both employers are even open to us doing some work for them on a 'Bank staff' basis when we are over here so that could boost the coffers a bit more and we have also thought that we could rent out the property over there during the summer to help pay any maintenance fees etc.

I think another 5 years and we could be in a position to make this dream a reality

MvTMM

LadyWithAPlan

Such a fabulous plan in progress, no wonder you are both so focused!