Money-shuffling towards mortgage freedom

Drawingaline

My mum has B12 injections, she always says she really struggles the few days before they are due, the difference after having them is huge. Hopefully it will help you.

MeandO

Thank you both, it will be interesting to see what difference they make as I've been feeling like this for some time now.

MeandO

I've made £10 from a FB sale this morning. It was something I was sad to see go as it was from DS's childhood, but it's being given to a little girl for Christmas this year as it was to DS a few years back so it's nice to think it gets 'another chance' at making a child happy at Christmas.
Someone has asked to collect another item today which will bring in £5, but they've not replied yet so that may or may not happen.

I need to pack and return some boots today I ordered that weren't suitable which, once refunded, will take the credit card balance back down to £0 again after I sent £60+ to it this morning.

I was paid yesterday and have YNAB'd everything this morning. The extra hours brought in around £350 more than normal but it will be less next month as I am not able to work as many hours as I have the Christmas period off. I've set up a pot for our short break spending money and have set myself a plan for saving enough into that before we go - hopefully. I've also sent £150 to both the car and gifts pot and £100 to a third savings account. £100 will be going to the premium bonds by SO in a week or so and £25 to DS's ISA. £25 has gone into a pot which I created recently to save for DS's music lessons, maths tuitions and clothing.

I don't need to spend a penny more in shops today and the Christmas period should be a low spend time for me, so am hoping to save some £'s and make the budgets stretch until January's payday. 

Merry Christmas everyone xx

savingholmes

Sounds like you are doing a great job.

Happy Christmas ⛄☃️⛄

Mrs_Money_Penny

Happy Christmas to you MeandO . You sound so organised xx

Honeysucklelou2

Just catching up on your diary. Exciting news that your business idea could come to fruition. Hope you have had as good a Christmas day as possible with your OH and you are now enjoying the company of your parents and family.
You do so well and have been an inspiration to me over the years. It’s amazing how motivated and disciplined you are with the overpayments and even in the last few weeks you’ve chipped away at the balance. Amazing.

MeandO

Thank you savingholmes, Mrs_Money_Penny and HSL2, and Happy New Year to everyone.

I'm glad Christmas is over., mine was horrible for various reasons and has made me dread the next one even more. Even time spent with my parents and family wasn't great due to DS being ill the whole time from the night we got there amongst other factors. The mood was low amongst all and I was glad to see the back of Christmas. I already feel anxious when I think about the next one. I took the decorations down on the 31st, I was determined not to have any up for the new year. DS had previously removed the few decorations from the doors upstairs and had left them on my bed so I took my cue from him.

New Year's Day brought me two leaks through my kitchen roof and the service light to come on in my car. I'm feeling pretty worn out and beaten up by things already to be honest. I cleared all the rubbish and recycling out yesterday, tackled the laundry basket full of washing and put the decorations back up in the loft. It felt a bit better to have cleared up a bit.

I tried to have a conversation with OH about making sure we're not both feeling like we do now this time next year. Things need to change and he needs to be more pro active about sorting things out and making decisions rather than burying his head in the sand all the time. I don't know whether any of it sank in, I really hope so. There seems very little hope of anything changing in the future, he is happy to just continue as we are now. We looked at some new houses yesterday as he is fed up with the maintenance costs of his current house which needs a lot of urgent work doing to it - urgent because it's been left for years... We viewed a stunning house which we could afford quite easily together. Most couples would be excited to think of the idea of having a place together after so many years but he seems so uninterested in that idea and I know it won't happen for us, if it did I'm not sure how we'd fare. I felt really sad about it all yesterday. 

Money-wise things are tight but OK at the moment although the savings will now take a hit covering all repairs that need doing to both car and house.
I was kindly given some vouchers for Christmas which will help with groceries so I've taken £25 out of that pot in YNAB and sent it to the mortgage as a little OP. I also OP'd £17.20 yesterday to round the mortgage down to £73,900. It's now at £73,875. I know funds may be better sent to savings right now but I need to send small amounts to the mortgage when I can to feel like I'm actually achieving something in life at the moment.

I talked myself out of buying a duvet cover in a sale this morning so saved £18. I accidentally broke something of DS's a couple of days ago though so have ordered a replacement costing me £13.99 and £5 on two shelves to put up in his room to get these 'delicate' things out of the way. I've ordered some calendars and coasters in a sale which came to around £11 but other than that have spent very little. I just need to continue with that for the rest of the month now.

badmemory

I'll be blunt, I usually am so please don't take it the wrong way.  A man who isn't taking any care of his current property isn't going to take any care of a future one or in fact of a future partner, it is just their mindset.  It isn't something they can help & would probably drive you mad after a while.  Disappointing yes but as they say it is what it is.  When they say it's not you it's me - that is true even though they say it in a way to imply the opposite.

MeandO

Thanks for your comment badmemory. It is not the property as a whole that is the issue as he has done work over the past few years, it's more two major issues that needed looking at that are now urgent. It is his issue at the end of the day as it's his property and money, but it is frustrating when these things are left and left. He is very loving and does take care of me as best as a couple who don't live together can take care of each other so I can't criticise him there. I just would love it if he was more switched on to sorting issues as they arise and not needing a boot up the backside from me to do it!

MeandO

I really dislike clutter (not that we have a lot) and want to streamline every cupboard and area of the house this year so I can make the most of the smaller space we have. I had some new PJs for Christmas so have just been through my old pairs and got rid of 4 or 5 pairs that were old and now ill fitting. A pair of walking boots have been earmarked for DS to try on when he gets home now his feet have grown. If he doesn't want them, they'll be going too. I've advertised a couple of bits on a free to collector FB group and have also been around the books and completed a sale of several for around £15 which is better than nothing, just need to find a box to pack them in. I've filled a black bag full for the charity shop but am sure I can fill another one before taking it to the shop. Some of the lower value tops I had advertised on Vinted have gone in there as they haven't sold and are just taking up wardrobe space, will see what else I can find that we no longer need / want.