34 months countdown - MF before 40!

MFdreamer

caeler said:

Well done! I hope you get some interest!

Thank you! Listed 27 items and 4 already have bids with watchers on a few others. Currently sitting at £7 plus P&P so fingers crossed. Will be really happy if I can get up to £50 plus P&P!

Next job is to bag up my coin pot for banking. Quite smug as this has been building up for years and ex forgot about splitting it when he left. I did remind him yesterday as I felt guilty as I suspect there is a decent amount in it but he said I can have it 😁😁. 

I can see OPs becoming seriously addictive so I’m glad I’ve kept decent pots of fun money In my budget so that I can spend guilt free too. Albeit we’re in tier 3 so not much opportunity to spend anyway!

caeler

I bagged up my coins before lockdown! And I banked some proceeds from marketplace, I was so pleased! I think watching the penny’s is just as important as the bigger numbers. 

bellevie

I'm sorry for what you've been through mfdreamer, I don't doubt if he hasn't already your ex will one day have regrets its his loss. 

I went through a horrific break up when pregnant with dd. I stayed single until I met DH when she was 8. I loved the time I had with DD for all those years. You'll make so many memories together ❤️

It'll be a great achievement to be mortgage free so young and even more amazing you'll have done it on your own, I'll be following your journey! 

MFdreamer

bellevie said:

I'm sorry for what you've been through mfdreamer, I don't doubt if he hasn't already your ex will one day have regrets its his loss. 

I went through a horrific break up when pregnant with dd. I stayed single until I met DH when she was 8. I loved the time I had with DD for all those years. You'll make so many memories together ❤️

It'll be a great achievement to be mortgage free so young and even more amazing you'll have done it on your own, I'll be following your journey! 

Thank you! ☺️ I’m totally loving my life right now and you’re right. The time I get alone with my DD is so special and I also enjoy my childfree time too. My ex may have been a terrible husband (compulsive liar and cheat) but deep down he is a good person and he’s without a doubt the best dad I know (other than my own of course 😉). I know that he feels a lot of guilt for how he treated me but we actually have a really good friendship now. 

It’s just been hard to adjust to accepting my life is going to be different than I imagined and I was certainly broken hearted for a good couple of years after I found out about the initial cheating (6 years ago!!).

bellevie

Things have work out well then, you have a great balance 🙂

How are your ebay listings doing? I haven't ebayed for absolute years, I did a lot then it seemed to get a little harder for a while...or maybe I got lazy who knows! 

MFdreamer

bellevie said:

Things have work out well then, you have a great balance 🙂

How are your ebay listings doing? I haven't ebayed for absolute years, I did a lot then it seemed to get a little harder for a while...or maybe I got lazy who knows! 

Yeah I used to be the same with eBay. Did loads back in the day but then decided it was too much like hard work!

Actually it has been really easy this time! Listed everything via the app (piece of cake!). Paid for postage online, printed at home and then popped in a parcel postbox near my house! 

I’ve made about £80 profit so far with listings still to go! Definitely feels like it was worth it!

MFdreamer

Well payday arrived on Christmas Eve which means I’m now into my January budget and it’s time to reflect on how I did against my budget in December! Overall I’m really pleased with myself and can see how my YNAB app really helped me to be more mindful/conscious of my spending and stick within preallocated budgets 😁 

December Actuals

• Mortgage overpayment - £1,607 / £1,150 ✅
• Regular mortgage payment - £600 / £600 ✅
• Childcare - £415 / £440 ✅
• TV license - £41 / £15 🟥
• Council tax - £123 / £123 ✅
• Electric and gas - £110 / £110 ✅
• Water - £18 / £50 ✅
• Sky, Netflix (TV and internet) - £83 / £90 ✅
• Groceries - £284 / £400 ✅
• Christmas alcohol - £72 / £100 ✅
• Mobile phone - £20 / £20 ✅
• Insurances (car, home, pets) - £85 / £95 ✅
• Sofa payment (interest free credit) - £59 / £60 ✅
• Car payment (not interest free credit) - £345 / £345 ✅
• Clothing (my weakness) - £0 / £100 ✅
• Gifts (most of my Christmas shopping is done) - £116 / £100 🟥
• Charitable donations - £349 / £400 ✅
• Random Amazon purchases - £46 / £100 ✅
• Holiday payment - £59 / £60 ✅
• Ad hoc items needed for daughter - £136 / £100 🟥
• Daughter pocket money - £20 / £20 ✅
• Music subscription -  £8 / £13 ✅
• Fun money - £189 / £300 ✅
• Items I've forgotten to budget for -  £165 / £159 🟥
• TOTAL - £4,950

My daughters scooter broke (she uses it to go to school) and annoyingly couldn’t be fixed so I ended up over budget due to having to buy a replacement. I used YNAB to move some of my fun money pot into hers which is a really useful function on the app and keeps me motivated to stick to budget even when something unexpected happens!

I was surprised at how many things cropped up that I had forgotten to budget for though! Window cleaner and my Christmas tree being key ones.

Just need to prepare my January budget now and am looking forward to making my first overpayments of 2021 next weekend 😄

savingholmes

You did really well over all. Here's to a happy new year!

MFdreamer

savingholmes said:

You did really well over all. Here's to a happy new year!

Thank you! Happy New Year to you too 🥳

caeler

Happy new year @MFdreamer
Isn’t unexpected spend frustrating, I’ve had a couple of those recently but so far I’ve managed to recover and keep it in budget.