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Learning to walk before I run
Comments
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I would live in North Berwick if I had the money. As I don’t I will stay here.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.
One debt remaining. Home improvement loan. 21 months left.5 -
One of the competitors on Glad1at0rs tonight was from Galston - which I've looked to see, and as you'll know - is north of Ayr. If I was in that neck of the woods, I would love a bag of chips at the beach, and an ice-cream on the way home! 😁 The lass didn't win, but she did Scottish Farmers proud 😁👍
Greying XGrocery spend March 2026 £0/£195
Non-food spend March 2026 £0/£80
Bulk Fund 2026 Month 3/12 - £0/£114.50 (reducing balance - start £120 pa)
""Mother Nature don't draw straight lines
The broken moulds in a grand design
We look a mess but we're doing fine
We're card carrying lifelong members
Of the union of different kinds..."
"Union of the Different kinds" - R Christie & T Gilbert, Fisherman's Friends4 -
I do live in that neck of the woods. Not a fan of chips or ice cream but we do have many lovely coffee shops, restaurants and even a cat cafe if that’s your thing.
Biased because my eldest did very well but I think the schools are good.
I have a 5 bed detached house. Decor is still dated but I wouldn’t have anything like this in other parts of the country.
On the coast, lots of greenery. What’s not to love?2017 - mortgage of £140,000 and interest rate of £10 a day
Feb 2021 mortgage of £103000
July 2021 mortgage of £97000
November 2021 mortgage of £93000
December 2022 mortgage of £79000
December 2023 mortgage of £73000
March 2024 mortgage of £70000
May 2024 mortgage of £68000
October 2024 mortgage of £65000
February 2025 mortgage of £63000
March 2025 mortgage of £45000 and interest of £6.07 per day
November 2025 mortgage of £41000 and interest of £5.62 per day7 -
And less than 20 miles from the lovely Dumfries House, so you can apply for a free parking permit. Those of us visiting have to pay £5.Save £12k in 2026 #2 I have banked £865.15 in January against a £10k target The 2026 Save £12k in 2026 thread is here
OS Grocery Challenge in 2026 I am sticking with a £3000 annual budget for 2026 - currently £138.39 for January and a bigger target of £300 for February, with lots to stock up on
I also Reverse Meal Plan on that thread and grow much of our own premium price fruit and veg, joining in on the grow your own in 2026 discussion thread
My keep within our budget diary is here5 -
Dumfries House is amazing. A sadly no longer with us friend held a post there and was prominent in the programme about it. Lots of tears.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.
One debt remaining. Home improvement loan. 21 months left.4 -
beanielou said:
Until the charge came in, we went every day to walk our dog while staying at my Mum's. Now we need to walk in from her town and our wee dog can't do it every day, it's too far for him, and the pleasure was in walking the grounds. Now it is more there and back again. We need to explore Boswell Estate and the area around the cave and castle, I thinkDumfries House is amazing. A sadly no longer with us friend held a post there and was prominent in the programme about it. Lots of tears.
Save £12k in 2026 #2 I have banked £865.15 in January against a £10k target The 2026 Save £12k in 2026 thread is here
OS Grocery Challenge in 2026 I am sticking with a £3000 annual budget for 2026 - currently £138.39 for January and a bigger target of £300 for February, with lots to stock up on
I also Reverse Meal Plan on that thread and grow much of our own premium price fruit and veg, joining in on the grow your own in 2026 discussion thread
My keep within our budget diary is here5 -
I love living by the sea 🩷 If you get somewhere where you can walk to the places you want to be, it doesn't matter so much when it's "hoaching" in the summer, as you're not a part of the traffic and hunts for parkingMortgage start: £65,495 (March 2016)
Cleared 🧚♀️🧚♀️🧚♀️!!! In 5 years, 1 month and 29 days
Total amount repaid: £72,307.03. £1.10 repaid for every £1.00 borrowed
Finally earning interest instead of paying it!!!4 -
Meeting a friend there next weekend with my free parking.Suffolk_lass said:And less than 20 miles from the lovely Dumfries House, so you can apply for a free parking permit. Those of us visiting have to pay £5.
Boswell House and the surrounding walks are good too.
My favourite is Culzean but as part of our cost cutting measures we will probably give up our National Trust membership soon.
We’re going to the beach today for a run. One of the many benefits of living by the coast.2017 - mortgage of £140,000 and interest rate of £10 a day
Feb 2021 mortgage of £103000
July 2021 mortgage of £97000
November 2021 mortgage of £93000
December 2022 mortgage of £79000
December 2023 mortgage of £73000
March 2024 mortgage of £70000
May 2024 mortgage of £68000
October 2024 mortgage of £65000
February 2025 mortgage of £63000
March 2025 mortgage of £45000 and interest of £6.07 per day
November 2025 mortgage of £41000 and interest of £5.62 per day6 -
I’m sorry to hear that. The work that has happened at Dumfries House is phenomenal. I hope your friend was proud of their contribution.beanielou said:Dumfries House is amazing. A sadly no longer with us friend held a post there and was prominent in the programme about it. Lots of tears.2017 - mortgage of £140,000 and interest rate of £10 a day
Feb 2021 mortgage of £103000
July 2021 mortgage of £97000
November 2021 mortgage of £93000
December 2022 mortgage of £79000
December 2023 mortgage of £73000
March 2024 mortgage of £70000
May 2024 mortgage of £68000
October 2024 mortgage of £65000
February 2025 mortgage of £63000
March 2025 mortgage of £45000 and interest of £6.07 per day
November 2025 mortgage of £41000 and interest of £5.62 per day5 -
Mrs E is gently ribbing me for wanting to move anywhere we have an enjoyable holiday or day out. It's probably fair criticism but I like my combination of dreamer with solid planning skills
The weather is pretty foul here, I've been up since 06:52 with DD2. Current plan is perhaps a cooked breakfast and then bundle myself up for a brisk walk. I've started listening to an interesting podcast about Iran on The Rest is History. If I finish episode 1 and then listen to the second, that's about 1:10 of walking. We have haggis, carrots (don't really like neeps) and tatties, so could do a bit of a Burns Night later on. Our only whisky is American but I won't tell if you don't
Also usual Sunday stuff including a bit of housework and DD1 swimming lesson.
Thank goodness it's the last week of January!- £11.09 to Extension
- £2.29 to EF
- 15p to personal cash savings yes, I know, it's 15p
8
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