We will get this debt down & the savings up

Makingabobor2

foxgloves said:

That would be great, @Makingabobor2. Thank-you. I have osteoarthritis diagnosed only in my hands, but I am starting to think it may be starting in my left shoulder. I just feel as though all my limbs need a damn good stretch! I keep saying to Mr F, there's not much point saving up to relocate to be by the sea when he retires if we are too creaky to enjoy all those tide-line walks! And he's a good few years younger than me! I've got a few dancing around/aerobics-type DVDs, it's daily stretching sessions I need.
F x

Ooh you sound just like me. We want to retire to the seaside, and DH is quite a bit younger than me as well. I will message you later when I have 10 mins. x

Sun_Addict

I also have a ‘toy boy’ 🤣 5 years younger in my case, doesn’t matter at all now but when he was 18 and I was 23 it set a few tongues wagging 😆 My cousin is 25 years older than her hubby so my 5 years pales into insignificance. 

Makingabobor2

Sun_Addict said:

I also have a ‘toy boy’ 🤣 5 years younger in my case, doesn’t matter at all now but when he was 18 and I was 23 it set a few tongues wagging 😆 My cousin is 25 years older than her hubby so my 5 years pales into insignificance. 

Ha ha.....5 years is nothing....mine is 12 years.    But like you say, when you're younger it makes a bigger difference. DH is not my first husband and I didn't meet him until I was almost 40, but even then my mum thought it was terrible that he was so young, but she soon grew to like him.  I do worry now that as we get older it might become a problem. We have so many plans for retirement, but if DH works until state pension age (67 in his case), I would be almost 80 by then!  So the plan is very much now to pay off debt/mortgage and save so he can retire earlier. He does have a decent work pension to come, so hopefully we will work something out.  I don't feel old and am trying to keep myself fit, so hoping it will all work out. 

Makingabobor2

Just a quick update as not much happening really.
Things are plodding along but, don't know if anyone else has found it, but for me, surveys seems to have really slowed down. I mean we're 10 days into the month and I've only made £34 so far, that is way below what I'd done the last couple of months.  CC's seems a complete waste of time at the moment, P/fc has gone very slow and when I do get one, it seems to be very low paid, C/lgy has just about dried up completely, and even Qm/e is driving me mad with so many screening me out right at the end.  I do SB, but the actual surveys on there are rubbish these days, so it seems to be a case of just getting points from some of the other things on there....games and cash back etc, which makes it a very slow earner. 
Does anyone else use Op/on Ot/pst?  You have to get 2500 points on there to get £25, I was plodding along quite happily there and suddenly every survey I do has a bit tagged on the end asking me to complete my profile.....and its so much stuff and half the questions don't apply to me anyway, all about different jobs etc and there's no way to click N/A or anything like that.  It seems that if you don't fill it in properly, they don't count the survey and you don't get the points.  I reported it and all they said was they realise how frustrating it is, but they need people to complete their profile......I said yes, but not countless times over and over again. 

I did sign up to a couple of mystery shopping sites, but so far, nothing in my area. I'm wondering if I'm too far from a city centre for it to be worthwhile. We are about 12 miles from our nearest big city and most of the ones coming up in my post code area are there, but I never go into the city and not travelling 12 miles and pay to park just for a a mystery shop. Was hoping for some in some of the more local towns....Hey ho, fingers crossed.  

So that's about it really. I'm doing ok on the NSD so far this month, so that's a blessing.  Tomorrow I am planning a trip to A/di to stock up on the essentials that we like from there. The plan is not to have to go so often, so to go once a month or 6 weekly & stock up on the basics, then top up with my Mr S deliveries once every couple of weeks.   Neither DH or me have normal milk and the Almond milk in A*** is so much cheaper than anywhere else, as is their porridge, nann breads, crisps, tea cakes and bread. Have to get there at 8am when they open though, as it is too busy later and I can't stand all that queueing, not to mention people shoving and pushing with no regard to others....ok rant over, I'll get off my soap box now.  

Hope you're all having a good day. 

Makingabobor2

Good afternoon followers, and welcome to the "almost" weekend. So last night I thought I felt like I was starting something....cold, bad throat, etc, so had an early night with a glass of honey in warm water. Woke up this morning with a bit of a cough and throat felt pretty rough, but after I'd been up and hour or so, it didn't feel so bad. So I went out for a walk...it was very windy, but ok in the sun, put a scarf round my mouth so I didn't keep coughing in the cold wind. Felt so much better when I got back and have just done a fitness class with the FB lady I follow as well. So can't decide if something is brewing or not. You know that feeling when your nose feels snuffly, but it doesn't seem to develop into anything and your throat feels bad but not quite.....lol.  So we'll wait and see. I'm in favour of being healthy TBH, so not going to think about it. Maybe its a sinus thing, caused by too much chocolate...which I am desperately trying to give up. 

Anyway, on the MSE front, yesterday was a good day with surveys, over £12 cashed out, today just £5 so far. But its all better than nothing.  Been thinking about how I'm saving for different things and wondering if I should concentrate on one thing at a time instead of trying to spread my savings over too many pots. Need to have a look at it and decide.  Still not paid any mortgage overpayments this month as still trying to work out if the best way is to make them at the end of the month just before the interest is applied. I was told this was the case, but not sure if its correct or not. Anybody know?  So at the moment the overpayment money is sitting in a savings pot. 

Has a letter from C/bot, one of the creditors who have bought a couple of our debts. They want to do a review to make sure we can still afford the £1 a month....mmmm now let's see.....lol.  Roll on July when I know we will be able to get rid of these debts a lot quicker. 

Anyway, lots to think about over the weekend. I still don't feel like I'm properly organised for 2023, despite my multi coloured pens and planner....lol.  Might win the lottery tomorrow and then all this will just be a dream....  

Sun_Addict

I know what you mean about spreading savings over different pots, it’s hard to decide what’s best. Most people on here seem to have lots of different pots which is all very well if you have a fair bit to play around with but if you don’t then they build up very slowly. On the other hand it’s better to chip away with small amounts than nothing at all. Do you have a savings goal in mind that’s more important than the other things? 

I also think I’m not properly organised yet despite a planner and coloured pens. I wrote in it on Sunday and haven’t touched it since 😆

Makingabobor2

There are several savings goals that are important & hard to prioritise really...new bedroom carpet, new sofa, getting the kitchen radiator moved to make more space & make it warmer....and many more. 

I am writing in my planner @Sun_Addict, but there are so many different pages, I forget where/what I've written...I'm sure it'll all come together soon. 

enthusiasticsaver

Hope you are not developing a cold.  Lots of them around though at the moment. I am with you on giving up chocolate although I am being unsuccessful at the moment given we still have some around left over from Christmas.  I will be plying my granddaughters with them tomorrow

Most mortgage lenders work out interest on a daily basis so if you intend overpaying you are best doing it when able to and it will not make a difference if you make an overpayment just before the interest goes on to the mortgage. 

I hear you on the savings pots.  Lots of people put their savings in different pots.  I have savings spaces in our starling accounts which helps me keep track of the various challenges going on throughout the year but we only have 2 decent paying internet saver accounts and keep a list of priorities we are saving for. Ongoing savings for things like car services, christmas and so on are held in savings spaces rather than saving accounts.  No right or wrong way though. 

joedenise

We have lots of pots with most of it stored in one account and I keep track using YNAB (I'm still using the old YNAB which I bought outright.  If it packs up I'll just track on a spreadsheet as I've no intention of paying a monthly or annual fee to use it!). I have a separate savings account for our holidays though as always pay those off in one go when due but save for them throughout the year.

Makingabobor2

enthusiasticsaver said:

Hope you are not developing a cold.  Lots of them around though at the moment. I am with you on giving up chocolate although I am being unsuccessful at the moment given we still have some around left over from Christmas.  I will be plying my granddaughters with them tomorrow

Most mortgage lenders work out interest on a daily basis so if you intend overpaying you are best doing it when able to and it will not make a difference if you make an overpayment just before the interest goes on to the mortgage. 

I hear you on the savings pots.  Lots of people put their savings in different pots.  I have savings spaces in our starling accounts which helps me keep track of the various challenges going on throughout the year but we only have 2 decent paying internet saver accounts and keep a list of priorities we are saving for. Ongoing savings for things like car services, christmas and so on are held in savings spaces rather than saving accounts.  No right or wrong way though. 

Yes, it looks as though y dodgy throat is starting to become a full blown cough & cold. Throat hurts a lot today and sinuses are very bunged up with it, which isn't helping as infected sinuses always makes my eye get puffy again...its a vicious circle....lol.  Hey ho, more time to sit and read and do jigsaw puzzles