Future Proofing my life: Deposit saving then MFW journey in under 13 years

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  • Hoping everyone is keeping warm.... beautiful and crisp but v cold - so staying n today as I was out yesterday day and then evening  - my free Xmas tree with the £6 Mr T lights looks lovely .
    I am keeping my eye on my elec meter usage - largely as I know I am waiting to be paid so. I can just put cash on My cc but am choosing to only spend cash I have  - however I refuse to be cold.. so snuggling under my heated throw and then switching the  heating on/off.

    Voluntary Spending so far  - so easy using ynab to see these exact figures ;) £112.80 (w the £40 from friend taken off)

    Train to see friend £21
    Ubers  £89 *firend paid £40 towards) I am challenging the £17 odd still
    Drinks £17.50
    Junk food - I am tracking sweets and crisps £1 - crisps  - we ate 3 packs but only paid for one..
    '
    Minimalism - on day 2 I did 4 things  so 6 things and I have yet to do my Dec 3 3 things.
    I did add my first par of unworn shoes onto vinted - v easy

    MSE wins
    My subscription i saved £5 for applying for student version £4.99 instead of £9.99  £5 saved ;)
    Lets see if I get this £17 + off - at least I challenged it and have contacted bank as uber say they dont know what it is but it in my cc account clearly stating uber


    Sunday food 
    Slightly hungover  I made stock in my pressure cooker from my FR chicken carcass and then made beetroot soup. So yummy and good for you especially on a day I am not going outside. I will freeze one portion of stock or maybe soup... I get bored of too much but in this weather I may be eating it all donw v 
    Only couple slices of GF bread left - I will make some - need some more eggs as I made GF pancakes as a sweet treat last couple nights 
    Had some red pepper crudites with houmous 
    I will also do the turkey mince chermoula rice  later - not difficult.

    NSD - yes today is a NSD!  1/13 
    I do have to get some more gifts etc but want to enjoy nsd after yesterday

    YNAB thoughts
    I am really liking it so far and I like the easy categorisation. I also like the fact it is making me v aware  of having to move money from pots which have cash in eg grocery into the uber fun pot! So it is giving me the clarity and visibility of my spending. Lets see how it changes my spending..
    I am also finally refusing to out anything on the cc until I get paid and can cover it from new income rather than my hse deposit savings .. I will not be going cold and hungry but I want to really love on my current level of income.
    I will definitely be looking to spend down my vouchers on groceries rather than give people cash...
    I have a fabulous large purchase to make - a London flat 

    Per month  - Dec 23 SPEND/SAVE
    Track my Grocery spending  0/£200    grocery +   £24.29/£100bulk 
    Track what I save in my hse deposit  Dec £20.69/£980.69
    Cashflow EF  £0/£2000   - now 0 as drained it  so -£100 - I will add it when I get paid next week
    Track extra income from ebay/free money/refunds etc    £15.86 (due dec 6th)
    December Voluntary Spending   £112.80

    My Dec streaks to track
    Track Minimalist game  (Nov 310)   Dec  6 items (up to Dec 2nd) 
    Gym streak  
    YNAB Age of money :: Target 13 days - I day old ;)
    Track my NSD's - Target 13 days/month  1/13
    DON'T BUY STUFF (from Frugalwoods)
    No seriously, just don’t buy things. 99% of our success with our savings rate is attributed to the fact that we don’t buy things... You can and should take advantage of discounts.... But at the end of the day, the only way to truly save money is to not buy stuff.    Money doesn’t walk out of your wallet on its own accord.
    https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6289577/future-proofing-my-life-deposit-saving-then-mfw-journey-in-under-13-years#latest
  • That is so dodgy of Uber, fair enough if there are waiting charges if people are taking ages getting out to the cab, but how can they not know if there's a 'toll'?! And just whacking money out of your account with no explanation is literally stealing! Thanks for the heads up, will make sure we don't use Uber until they can clarify if the cost is actually the cost
  • beanielou
    beanielou Posts: 94,923 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Academoney Grad Mortgage-free Glee!
    How on earth are they allowed to do that!! 
    That’s extortion. 
    I am a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on Mortgage Free Wannabe & Local Money Saving Scotland & Disability Money Matters. If you need any help on those boards, do let me know.Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any post you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button , or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. All views are my own & not the official line of Money Saving Expert.

    Lou~ Debt free Wanabe No 55 DF 03/14.**Credit card debt free 30/06/10~** MFW. Finally mortgage free O2/ 2021****
    "A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of" Jane Austen in Mansfield Park.

    ***Fall down seven times,stand up eight*** ~~Japanese proverb.
    ***Keep plodding*** Out of debt, out of danger. ***Be the difference.***
    One debt remaining. Home improvement loan.
  • skint_spice
    skint_spice Posts: 13,294 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    That’s crazy, I can see Uber losing a lot of custom if they think they are being reasonable.
    Mortgage End Date: Apr 36/Aiming for Apr 28/Current Jan 33

    Mortgage OP 2025 £4850/7000
    Mortgage OP 2024 £7700/7000

    Mortgage balance: £38,328
    2029 Holiday fund £356/7000

    ”Do what others won’t early in life so you can do what others can’t later in life” (stolen from Gally Girl)
  • savingholmes
    savingholmes Posts: 28,893 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    LWAP - I managed to get an ISA at 5.2 fairly easily - is it worth looking for one for you too? You can put in up to £20K in a year. There are some with limited withdrawals so definitely look at the rules
    Achieve FIRE/Mortgage Neutrality in 2030
    1) MFW Nov 21 £202K now £175.8K Equity 32.38%
    2) £4.3K Net savings after CCs 13/5/25
    3) Mortgage neutral by 06/30 (AVC £20.6K + Lump Sums DB £4.6K + (25% of SIPP 1.1K) = 26.3/£127.5K target 20.63% updated 16/5
    4) FI Age 60 income target £16.5/30K 55.1%
    5) SIPP £4.4K updated 16/5
  • LadyWithAPlan
    LadyWithAPlan Posts: 3,671 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Third Anniversary Photogenic Name Dropper
    edited 4 December 2023 at 1:28AM
    LWAP - I managed to get an ISA at 5.2 fairly easily - is it worth looking for one for you too? You can put in up to £20K in a year. There are some with limited withdrawals so definitely look at the rules

    Tx but I can only have one cash isa a year (til april 24) and i am just finishing my help to buy isa - max £200 monthly but get 25% up to £12k , I will hit 12k in March ,.. I started with the max £1200 in Dec 2019 on the last day you could open it ! and £200 a month since faithfully
    So if I buy under £450k then I will get an extra free £3k on my 12k ...
    So annoying they finally change the rules  (to be able to have more than one cash isa) - just when I dont need it!
    I will  get a cash isa 6th April - but as planning to buy by then  I will need one that allows 2-3 withdrawals  

    Oh by the way YNAB now has some decent forecasting tools - they have a google extension called Toolkit and some great charts in there ... I know you dont need to use it anyway but either way YNAB saved me £8 at least today on the uber thing....

    DON'T BUY STUFF (from Frugalwoods)
    No seriously, just don’t buy things. 99% of our success with our savings rate is attributed to the fact that we don’t buy things... You can and should take advantage of discounts.... But at the end of the day, the only way to truly save money is to not buy stuff.    Money doesn’t walk out of your wallet on its own accord.
    https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6289577/future-proofing-my-life-deposit-saving-then-mfw-journey-in-under-13-years#latest
  • Humdinger1
    Humdinger1 Posts: 2,222 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Thanks @LadyWithAPlan; I am now debating YNAB.  You are doing brilliantly on your house-buying journey love Humdinger xx 
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