My Mortgage Free Mountain - A 7 year expedition to climb to the top

craftingmad

Good morning

Did we enjoy the sunshine yesterday? It was a bit hot in the chippy but other than that the shift went ok. The boss was only funny once with me so maybe after me walking out the other day he is starting to learn his lesson. I'm back again today for two shifts so time will tell I suppose  

It is meant to be a lovely warm day here today but the sky is full of grey clouds so I don't think I'll be hanging my washing out today until they clear away. 

Both kids are at work today (with one doing a split shift) so I think if I am not working I will mainly be driving the kids too and from work so nothing exciting planned at all for me today  

Again I don't think I will have much to add into the pot until Sunday but I will keep trying to build up totals ready to cash out when I have enough.

So here's my little list for today:-

1. Play on Mistplay - DONE 102 points earned  
2. Make and post off 5 crosses in my pocket for Etsy order received yesterday - made now just need to post off DONE
3. Complete one microaction for business - DONE worked out my new overheads cost per item and depressed myself - with prices rising and sales slowing down its gone up by 55p per item I sell  
4. Design a new cardmaking sheet to upload on craftuprint
5. Enter competitions - DONE 21 comps entered  
6. Check free postcode lottery, Win a Dinner and Freemoji - DONE not a winner  
7. NSD - DONE no time to spend today and I also bought back a free portion of chips from work for my lunch today  
8. Comment on in search of posts in the hope I get some more orders  
9. Complete searches and surveys on Inbox Pounds - DONE 20p survey completed and 7p from searches  
10. Complete surveys on Prime Opinion - DONE one survey completed for 99 points and one survey for 10 points 
11. Complete a survey on Panelbase - timed out of two surveys and no more available
12. Complete a survey on Nectar Survey  - no new surveys for me still  
13. Action one point on my brainstorming list of ideas
14. Declutter 5 things from around the house
15. Chip Shop Shift lunchtime - DONE £21.60 earnt for next weeks pay packet    
16. Chip Shop Shift evening - DONE - I certainly earned my money tonight - it was a very busy shift!

craftingmad

Good morning.
The sun is shining on the Norfolk Broads today which is fabulous as I have to get my uniform dry ready for another shift tonight  
Last nights shift at the chippy was so busy and apparently the other two girls I was working with were amazing and helped carry me through according to my charming boss!!! Not sure how he works that one out as I've worked out that it took on average 37 seconds for me to take customers order. That's not bad going when you consider several of them had at least 15 items per order Plus they got to leave early and the majority of the cleaning was left to me which certainly is not fair!!! 
I really cannot wait for my shift tonight!!! (she says in a very sarcastic tone!!!)  

Both kids are in work today as well so I have to juggle my shift with taking and picking them up. I'm hoping our son might like to bike into work today instead of going in an hour early as this will save both petrol and a bit of my time - when he wakes up I will ask him  

I've nothing exciting planned for today. I was going to do a  big declutter but it's already so hot and I'm shattered from yesterday's shift so I'm just pottering around the house and being kind to myself instead.

I'll make a little list for today but have to be honest and say I'm not feeling like doing much so how much I actually cross off/action remains to be seen  

So here's my little list for today:-

1. Play on Mistplay - DONE 37 points earnt - would like to reach 50
2. Get two loads of washing dry outside - two loads are on the line and third load in the washing machine  
3. Complete one microaction for business
4. Submit barcodes and receipts to Shop and Scan - DONE  
5. Enter competitions - DONE 24 comps entered today  
6. Check free postcode lottery, Win a Dinner and Freemoji 
7. NSD - DONE  
8. Comment on in search of posts in the hope I get some more orders  - couldn't find any to comment on  
9. Complete searches and surveys on Inbox Pounds - DONE one survey completed for 75p and 7p from searches
10. Complete surveys on Prime Opinion - DONE one survey completed for 76 points and one for 50 points  
11. Complete a survey on Panelbase - got to 95% of survey and then got kicked out so no points credited and no new surveys to take  
12. Complete a survey on Nectar Survey - still no surveys for me to complete   
13. Action one point on my brainstorming list of ideas
14. Declutter 5 things from around the house   
15. Chip Shop Shift - DONE £43.20 to added to next weeks pay packet  
    

  

craftingmad

Morning all,

A quick post from me today as I have just got back from taking both kids to work and am going to be starting a 10 hour shift at the new chippy in about half an hour so trying to enjoy a little bit of peace while I can!!!

No real time for my usual list today but I am planning on doing a couple of small actions to help boost the OP savings pot.

So here's my very little list for today:-

1. Play on Mistplay - DONE 37 points earnt - would like to reach 50
2. NSD  - sadly I bought a salad from the Coop and an energy drink for boss so spent £2
3. Complete searches and surveys on Inbox Pounds - DONE tried one survey and timed me out near end but carried out searches for 7p and 2p won on spin to win  
4. Complete surveys on Prime Opinion 
5. Pay in original chip shop wages into post office and transfer into savings pot  - DONE  
6. 10 hour Chip Shop Shift - DONE

craftingmad

Morning all.

It's raining here today which is not helping my mood. I currently feel like hubby and I are just constantly working for very little reward and its made worse by a friend of mine who does not work and has no intention of working who "earns" way more than me by using the benefits system. She gets to go out for fun days almost every single day whilst I'm stuck working and has not a care in the world. (sorry for the rant but its starting to make my blood boil!!!).
Hopefully once all these BTL mortgages are paid off we can start living and enjoying life much more!! 
I'm just worried that if we both carry on the way we are we won't have any life left to live I suppose
Anyone else feel like this or have any tips about getting the work/life balance sorted? 

The shift at the new chippy was horrendous yesterday. The boss was a total a**e and really grumpy with me for no reason but fine with everyone else. I really wish that I had said that I wasn't available to do the extra shift!!! . Add to that the person I was working with until 4pm did absolutely nothing whilst I had a huge list from the boss to plough my way through and I only got 15 minutes for a break all day (and had to pop to the shop for said boss in that time) I am feeling more than a little tired today and still have to do another 10 hour shift again today - I can't wait especially as I have said person with me this evening so know all the clean up is going to fall to me!!!

OK time to get my positive mindset on

My lovely neighbours are taking our daughter into work this afternoon for 3pm so that saves hubby having to leave work earlier so he can squeeze in a couple more hours of overtime which will be shoved towards the mortgages next month. Our son has a few days off now as the pressure of work was getting to him as well (he has worked literally constantly since finishing his exams in May bless him and for a 16 year old that is too much) so he will be enjoying a few chilled days and I only have daughter to worry about picking/dropping off so hopefully that will also ease the pressure on me and give me a few more minutes in the day for myself too.

Very short list from me again today seeing as I have another long shift to get through:-

1. Play on Mistplay - DONE 67 points earned  
2. Make a lunch for me to eat in lunch break today - DONE  
3. NSD  - DONE
4. Complete searches and surveys on Inbox Pounds
5. Complete surveys on Prime Opinion 
6. Take 15 minutes just for me - DONE went a lovely little walk to enjoy the sunshine before my shift started  
7. 10 hour Chip Shop Shift - DONE I actually got to leave 2 hours early as the chippy was quiet so a little bonus for me Sadly won't be paid for those two hours though but I really enjoyed being back early so that more than makes up for the £20 lost in wages in my eyes   

Baileys_Babe

You and your husband both come across as working a lot of hours and I can fully understand your resentment towards your friend. It must be so frustrating. Does your friend own their own home? I suspect your friend is also building up debt to fund her life style.

I feel we are living life less than we should be at the moment and I wish I had solutions for the both of us 🤗

craftingmad

Baileys_Babe said:

You and your husband both come across as working a lot of hours and I can fully understand your resentment towards your friend. It must be so frustrating. Does your friend own their own home? I suspect your friend is also building up debt to fund her life style.

I feel we are living life less than we should be at the moment and I wish I had solutions for the both of us 🤗

Thanks Baileys Babe. So sorry you feel like this too. 
My friend was left her house when her mum and step dad sadly passed away within 6 weeks of each other so she has no mortgage, no children and chooses to have no car (she just expects everybody to take her to the shops, days out etc and usually expects whoever takes her out to buy lunch, dinner etc as well).

It's so frustrating seeing somebody who has never worked a day in their lives being able to do all the fun things I would love to do but never get a chance due to work committments 

Hopefully we will both find a solution soon and can start enjoying our lives a bit more.

I'm sending you a huge virtual hug x 
 

craftingmad

Another day at the new chippy for me again - luckily I've only got a 5 hour shift today so that's much better than the 10 hour shifts I've been getting!

Both kids are off work for the next two days so no juggling how to get them to work at the right time whilst working myself either so its going to be a good day.
I have promised our son that I will take him to the skatepark this morning though so when he wakes up I will drive there, enjoy a little but of fresh air and sunshine and hopefully work a little bit on my business whilst we are there.

Other than that not much planned at all - I might try and do a small supermarket shop as getting really low on essentials such as bread, milk, butter, bananas and chicken for the dog but I'll see how I'm feeling and how much time I have before my shift starts at 4.30pm.

On the plus side I'm feeling a lot more positive again today so hopefully I'll be able to add even a few more pounds to the OP savings pot today  

 So it's another very short list from me today as I try and find a little bit more work/life balance:-

1. Play on Mistplay - DONE 27 points earned - would like 50m but will have to see  
2. Work on order received from my website
3. Complete searches and surveys on Inbox Pounds
4. Complete surveys on Prime Opinion 
5. Work on business to try and make it better 
6. 5 hour Chip Shop Shift

Baileys_Babe

I think your friend will end up very lonely if they keep treating people like that.

craftingmad

A really quick check in from me today as I'm just about to leave to start a 9.5 hour shift in the new chippy again!!! 

I did not achieve hardly anything yesterday as I decided to just enjoy the sunshine and watch my son skateboarding. I treated us to a KFC for lunch which was lovely and it was really nice to actually eat something filling as I seem to just be snacking whilst I am working these long shifts as I don't have time for much else  


I also popped into Wilko and grabbed some of their bargain seed packs so hopefully these will grow when I sow them next year into beautiful plants which keep coming back again and again (although I am not known for my green fingers so won't hold my breath!!).

So here is my very little (but realistic) list for today:-

1. Play on Mistplay - DONE 2 points earnt which is better than nothing  
2. Food shopping - DONE used Lidl app so gained enough for a coupon for a free product next time I go  
3. Scan shopping for Shop and Scan - DONE  
4. 9.5 hour Chip Shop Shift - DONE  

craftingmad

Morning  

I actually managed to complete a list for the first time since this challenge The only problem is that if my lists are always that short, I don't think we will make much progress towards our mortgage free dream - if only it would be that simple!! 

I'm in the original chippy today for a lunchtime and evening shift so really looking forward to that - not!!! I've also got a few orders from Etsy and my own website I need to get made asap so will work on those before I start my first shift and then hopefully get a bit more made in between shifts (although I do have to pick up daughter from work at 3pm).

I'm hardly seeing hubby at the moment as he is working from 9am-12.30am which is utterly ridiculous but he loves working (more than us it seems) and I am clinging onto the fact that the OT will really help boost the pot whilst we can do it. Something has to give though as he cannot keep that pace up for long - he's getting old bless him!!!

Money is pretty tight this month as we have just hubby's basic salary and have had to pay out for a few big items so I'm getting more worried about what it will be like (and how it will stop our mortgage free dream) when he swaps to his new job in January but I'm trying to remain calm and not panic. For now I'm just going to concentrate on building up the OP fund as much as I can between now and the New Year.

As I've a busy day ahead I'm going to keep the list short again in the hope that these little steps will help a tiny, tiny bit to helping fill the pot. 

So here is my very little (but realistic) list for today:-

1. Play on Mistplay - DONE 2 points earnt which is better than nothing but really close to a few more points so will hopefully find time to gain some more:)
2. Make open when cards envelopes and bunny pocket hug for website order - made a start on both but neither finished
3. Reply to enquiry on Etsy - DONE fingers crossed it will get me another small £4 order  
4. Make plantable hearts for Etsy order
5. Make little bag of love for Etsy order
6. Lunchtime chippy shift - DONE
7. Evening chippy shift