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

Baileys_Babe

Congratulations on not spending on the crafting channel for a whole year, that is an impressive achievement 🎉🎉

Could you ring fence some regular time to use your existing stash whether for pleasure/money saving/money making?

craftingmad

selloptape said:

The last few years have been tough for students! Congrats to your DS for getting through it with fab results

They certainly have poor things. 
We are all so relieved that he has passed everything and got good grades - it feels like one weight has been lifted  

Thank you x

craftingmad

Good morning,

Only two shifts to complete before I have a whole day off (not that I'm counting at all - obviously 

I wasn't very good at completing my list yesterday but at least I achieved something and a bit of time for me to rest and relax was much called for I think so I'm trying not to beat myself up over it. I'm also trying to convince myself that any progress is progress but it appears I'm impatient and want these mortgages all cleared yesterday!!!! 
I'm still really proud of how much we have saved already to throw at the first BTL mortgage when the fixed rate comes to an end in just under 2 years time though. We have nearly reached half of the first mortgage at the same time as clearing the last few thousand from our own.  

Hubby has a day off today and I'm not in work until 4pm (although I have to pop to Tesco for the boss first to pick up some supplies which seems to becoming a bit of a regular thing) so will need to leave a bit earlier. We were planning on doing something but hubby is currently fast asleep on the sofa and as he's been working really hard this week too I've decided to leave him be and I'm catching up on some washing instead. I'm using the quick wash cycle at the moment a couple of times which takes 40 mins as apposed to the normal wash cycle which is 2 hours and 43 minutes and the clothes still seem to come out clean and fresh so I'm sure my electricity bill will thank me later. Most of the clothes are the kids anyway as they appear to change their outfit at least three times a day so they hardly dirty. A couple of things I know they wore for less than an hour so I have hung them on the line outside and they can be washed after they next deem to wear them! I'm sure they will not even notice as they passed the sniff test and still smelt of the fabric conditioner from the last wash

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

1. Play on Mistplay - DONE 67 points earnt and cashed out a £10 Amazon voucher  
2. Submit Shop and Scan barcodes and receipts as I forgot yesterday - DONE  
3. Get washing clean and dry using quick washes and line dried - DONE three loads all on washing line - now just to hope no rain comes for the next few hours  
4. Make two black cat tokens for an Etsy order - DONE
5. Reply to further enquiry about stickers - DONE Just invoiced for £12.50 - every little helps
6. Reply to enquiry about flyers - DONE will be a £54 order if she goes ahead so fingers crossed  
7. Renew FB Marketplace listings - DONE
8. Pay wages into bank and transfer to savings account
9. Return stain remover pen to Amazon - DONE £11.21 refunded to card and I don't have to return - winner winner chicken dinner
10. Use Tesco clubcard for work purchases - DONE - every little counts  
11. Claim back money for yorkshires and bread rolls purchased for work (will be around £16 I think) - DONE £15 claimed back and paid  
12. Complete survey and searches on Inbox Pounds
13. Check for Nectar surveys  
14. Complete survey on Panelbase
15. Complete survey on Prime Opinions 
16. Take some time for me - DONE I made some cards using craft stash    
17. Evening chippy shift - DONE shift from hell as two people did not turn up and it was so busy 6.5 hours added to my wages though  
18. NSD - DONE  

 Lets see if I can do a little bit better than yesterday  

craftingmad

Baileys_Babe said:

Congratulations on not spending on the crafting channel for a whole year, that is an impressive achievement 🎉🎉

Could you ring fence some regular time to use your existing stash whether for pleasure/money saving/money making?

Thank you - I love this idea. I will start this from September for sure x 

craftingmad

Good morning.

I had a nightmare shift at work yesterday as two people did not turn up so I ended up doing three peoples jobs!!!! If I was feeling tired before I'm feeling even worse today - only one more shift until a whole day off tomorrow. I've got Sunday off too so will try and use them wisely. I'm hoping to go and visit my mum and dad on Sunday as have not seen them in what feels like ages.

I'm going to make sure that I have scheduled at least one day off each week into the next few weeks schedules - I am going to spend it creating things like Baileys suggested  

I'm planning on not doing much today apart from the bare minimum - I think I deserve that seeing as hubby spent his whole day off yesterday sleeping and I'm not sure which part of my body is hurting most

So here's my very little list for this Bank Holiday Monday:-

1. Play on Mistplay - 2 points so far - hoping for more
2. Get last load of washing clean and dry using quick washes and line dried - in washing machine   
3. Set up custom listing for flyers (£54) as she wants to go ahead - DONE now just waiting for her to click the buy button
4. Pay wages into bank and transfer to savings account - DONE £221.40 paid into savings account  
5. Transfer money from shopping done for work which has now been paid
6. Complete survey and searches on Inbox Pounds  
7. Complete survey on Panelbase
8. Complete survey on Prime Opinions 
9. Take some time for me - DONE I made some more cards  
10. Evening chippy shift - DONE 5 hours to add to my wages  
11. NSD - failed my son and I went to the local fete and has a sausage roll, cake and a drink and I bought a cook book for cakes. Only spent £11 in total though so a cheap afternoon out   

craftingmad

Morning everyone.

Its my first day off for what feels like an absolute age (21 days to be precise) and I feel so much more energised just knowing I don't have to go into any chippy today  

Our son has his college enrolment today and induction so its getting very real about him starting next week. He is so excited about it though so that's really great. It's lovely to see him so happy again. I'll drop him off and I might have a little mooch around town whilst I'm waiting for him, although the bank account is down to a teeny tiny balance until pay day as we have just had to pay £200 for a hotel room for our daughter for when she goes to see Taylor Swift next year. I hope she is not expecting anything for Christmas!!!! 

It's also due to be my first payday from the new chippy so I'm eagerly waiting for the money to hit my account so I can then transfer it into the savings. We are so close to reaching half of our first BTL mortgage that I'm a little bit more than excited as I think the amount should take me just over the halfway point.

Other than that I'm going to try and have a bit of a quiet day (although I do have to get some orders made for my little business) so I'm going to keep my list quite short again:-

1. Play on Mistplay - DONE 62 points earned  
2. Check bank account for new chip shop wages and transfer to savings account - still no sign of wages 
3. Post off black cat tokens for Etsy - DONE  
4. Make business cards for Etsy order
5. Design stickers for FB order
6. Design flyer for Etsy order
7. Complete survey and searches on Inbox Pounds  
8. Complete survey on Panelbase
9. Complete survey on Prime Opinions 
10. Take some time for me and enjoy my day off - DONE had a lovely walk around the park and then sat in the car whilst waiting for son to finish at college induction day   
11. Scan small food shop for Shop and Scan - DONE  

craftingmad

Good morning.

My chippy pay has finally been credited into my bank account so I have transferred over into the OP savings pot a massive £887.42. This means we have now saved just over half of the outstanding mortgage balance as of today's date which makes me feel so happy      I'm more than a little proud of ourselves and how much we have achieved in 8 months. 

It sort of makes all the hassle from both chippy bosses worth it  

Cannot wait for hubby to be paid tomorrow as he too is owed a bumper payout this month after his works mucking up his money last month.

I failed miserably with my list yesterday, instead choosing to spend time with our son playing crazy golf. We had a great afternoon and it was lovely seeing him so happy and excited about starting college. The game itself was not cheap (£9 each) but I did save money on car parking (£7) by parking further down the seafront and enjoying a 25 minute walk in each direction which was actually really lovely and gave us both the chance to have a chat which we have not done for what feels like ages.  I would not change a thing though - I think my time was spent much better - some things are more important than money. I feel so relaxed today - until my shift starts at 4pm I reckon!!!  

I've got a little load in the washing machine which is enjoying a quick wash and I'm hoping it will be dry before 3.30pm as it contains my uniform. Everyone please send sunny, washing drying weather thoughts my way  

Other than working on orders for my business and my chippy shift this afternoon/evening, I don't really have many plans but I am going to try and do something nice with son again as I cannot believe he starts college on Monday!

So here's my little list for today:- 

1. Play on Mistplay - 2 points so far  
2. Cash in Mistplay reward
3. Get washing dry outside - outside on line so fingers crossed it will dry in time - DONE and got in just before the heavens opened  
4. Make business cards for Etsy order - DONE  
5. Design stickers for FB order - DONE now just to wait for customer approval  
6. Design flyer for Etsy order - DONE now waiting to see if customer is happy for me to go ahead and print  
7. Complete survey and searches on Inbox Pounds  
8. Complete survey on Panelbase
9. Complete survey on Prime Opinions 
10. Take some time for me and enjoy some time with son - DONE forgot son was going into City with his friemds today so I took the dog on a nice long walk instead  
11. 5.5 hour chippy shift - DONE  

Baileys_Babe

Over half of the balance saved, congratulations That is an amazing achievement 🎉

craftingmad

Baileys_Babe said:

Over half of the balance saved, congratulations That is an amazing achievement 🎉

Thank you - I am pretty chuffed with what we have achieved so far but also daunted by the amount of the other two mortgages still to clear!

Baileys_Babe

crafting mad said:

Baileys_Babe said:

Over half of the balance saved, congratulations That is an amazing achievement 🎉

Thank you - I am pretty chuffed with what we have achieved so far but also daunted by the amount of the other two mortgages still to clear!

What are your plans once you have paid off your mortgage and BTL1? Are you planning on rolling your current standard monthly payment between the other 2 BTLs?