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

~FlowerPot~

also feeling a bit bleugh today, been out to work this morning but now sat on the sofa and not wanting to get up and do anything!!

I love you list though!

I do love a good list, it does tend to make me much more productive

Flowers x

craftingmad

~FlowerPot~ said:

also feeling a bit bleugh today, been out to work this morning but now sat on the sofa and not wanting to get up and do anything!!

I love you list though!

I do love a good list, it does tend to make me much more productive

Flowers x

So sorry to hear you are feeling like it too. 
I agree - a list always makes me more productive - it helps me keep my focus I think

Hope you feel a bit better today x 

craftingmad

I don't feel like I am getting very far at the moment but I will keep going and hope that I will be pleasantly surprised at the end of the month about the progress made.

Here's my list for today:-

1. Double check application for booking clerk and then submit it
2. NSD - Transferred £5 into OP savings pot in readiness for completion
3. Wait in for lady who is supposed to be collecting three things from FB Marketplace today at around 10am (£23 in total so I hope she turns up as it will also mean more clutter out of my house) - DONE £23 transferred into OP savings pot
4. Check National Insurance record to see if I need to top up my state pension - DONE records still updating but looks like I need another 5 years of payments to get the full state pension so will have to pay for these (but will wait until I check they are needed after updates have been done
5. Play on Mistplay - so close to a £5 voucher (as long as they do not change the goal posts again!!) - DONE - still not quite there but getting closer 
   
6. Empty email inbox as run out of storage and really do not want to have to pay monthly for more (bought myself some time with a free trial for 30 days) - DONE but no matter how much I delete the storage used does not seem to be coming down. Thinking this may be an expense I am just going to have to swallow  
7. Complete a Nectar survey or two - DONE completed one survey for 40 points and got kicked out of two so should get another 4 points for these
8. Post in 3 FB groups promoting my business with a hope I will get some more orders as I really need some - DONE my fingers are tightly crossed for some sales - I have never known it so quiet  
9. Comment on In search of posts on FB in the hope I get some orders as again really needed - DONE only found 3 but fingers crossed they might pick me and order - can you sense the desperation yet?
10. List an item on FB marketplace 
11. Check free postcode lottery in the hope I might have won - DONE sadly not a winner again  
12. Minimal heating on - DONE gone 5pm and still not on - wearing my blanket instead and will hold off until son and hubby say they are cold  
13. Find a small way to save electric - DONE unplugged husbands phone charger he had left plugged in!
14. Earn some points on swagbucks (hoping to reach daily target) - DONE 64 swagbucks earned and reached my first daily target  
15. Enter 3 competitions - DONE
16. Open High interest savings account or ISA 
17. Join two new survey sites
18. Play on Playspot to earn more points (3/4 of way to £20 voucher) - DONE earnt the grand total of 3 points
19. Set up new mobile as current one getting really bad and this should help me be able to earn quicker by having more apps - DONE just on charge before seeing if I can watch some videos to help get Playspot points quicker  
20. Check credit file using £1.50 free offer on Quidco 
21. Sort spare room and find more things to declutter/sell
22. Raise claim with Royal Mail for item lost in post - DONE now got to wait 90 days and hope they pay out
23. Check forum boards and articles on MSE to see if I can save or come up with new ways of earning some extra pennies
24. Update SEO on website to hopefully get it seen more and bring in more orders - Ongoing but added descriptions to all my images which has increased my visability score by 2% - will keep trying but a little progress made
25. Scan small shop husband made on way home from work - DONE - only another two weeks before I can cash out another voucher with this 

craftingmad

I'm still feeling like I'm not making much progress but at least I have managed to transfer even a small sum into the OP savings pot each day so I suppose I am getting somewhere - it just doesn't look like it as this amount cannot be paid off the mortgages until they are up for renewal. I have to admit to being quite excited to see the balance on the OP pot at the start of April. 

So here's my list for today:-

1. Double check application for booking clerk and then submit it - DONE
2. NSD - DONE £5 transferred
3. Play on Mistplay - obviously not as close to the £5 voucher as I thought as still not earned it yet! - DONE the new phone helped me gain over 300 points really quickly so £5 Amazon voucher has been cashed out and amount added to my OP savings pot
4. Make up and post off order received on Etsy (once the binding wires arrive) - Printed and punched - just waiting for the binding wires still
5. Complete a Nectar survey or two - DONE one completed for 60 Nectar points and logged out of one 2 points should be added for that one
6. Post in 3 FB groups promoting my business with a hope I will get some more orders as I really need some - DONE I really, really, really need some more orders - I have never known my business as quiet as this since I started on Etsy in 2016
7. Comment on In search of posts on FB in the hope I get some orders as again really needed - DONE commented on 5 ISO posts so I am really hoping they will pick me
8. List 3 items on FB marketplace 
9. Check free postcode lottery in the hope I might have won - DONE not a winner
10. Minimal heating on - DONE nice and mild tonight so no sign of heating being turned on yet  
11. Find a small way to save electric
12. Earn some points on swagbucks (hoping to reach daily target) 
13. Enter 3 competitions - DONE entered 5 craft competition in an online magazine so fingers crossed I might be a winner
14. Open High interest savings account or ISA 
15. Join two new survey sites
16. Play on Playspot to earn more points (3/4 of way to £20 voucher) - DONE the grand total of one point gained
17. Load apps onto new mobile as this should help me be able to earn quicker on Mistplay and Playspot  - DONE and mistplay points earnt quickly in order to cash out £5 reward
18. Check credit file using £1.50 free offer on Quidco 
19. Sort spare room and find more things to declutter/sell - made a start but not much progress really
20. Check boost your income forum board on MSE to see if I can save or come up with new ways of earning some extra pennies - DONE list of additional  things to try now made
21. Update SEO on website to hopefully get it seen more and bring in more orders - Small progress made again today and the SEO score is raising a couple of percent each time

~FlowerPot~

good morning, im sure just those steady chipping away amount will all add up nicely!

Im going to start a little daily list and see how I go!!

craftingmad

~FlowerPot~ said:

good morning, im sure just those steady chipping away amount will all add up nicely!

Im going to start a little daily list and see how I go!!

I'd love to see your list

there is nothing more satisfying than crossing things off a list - good luck x

~FlowerPot~

craftingmad said:

~FlowerPot~ said:

good morning, im sure just those steady chipping away amount will all add up nicely!

Im going to start a little daily list and see how I go!!

I'd love to see your list

there is nothing more satisfying than crossing things off a list - good luck x

My list had 4 things on it, i did 2, started the third and then went out for the rest of the day

lol!!!

The funniest part is that i purposely made it small in the hopes of managing to do it!!

SO at least 2 of 4, will do better tomorrow!!

craftingmad

~FlowerPot~ said:

craftingmad said:

~FlowerPot~ said:

good morning, im sure just those steady chipping away amount will all add up nicely!

Im going to start a little daily list and see how I go!!

I'd love to see your list

there is nothing more satisfying than crossing things off a list - good luck x

My list had 4 things on it, i did 2, started the third and then went out for the rest of the day

lol!!!

The funniest part is that i purposely made it small in the hopes of managing to do it!!

SO at least 2 of 4, will do better tomorrow!!

Sounds like the sort of thing I do too Nevermind as you say that is still two things done and you need to have some fun too
Wishing you luck for today's list

craftingmad

Well I feel like I made a bit of progress yesterday so hoping to carry that momentum on today. 
I'm really hoping that I get the job of booking clerk I applied for as things are so slow in my little business it's starting to make me feel depressed. I'm trying not to get my hopes up though as the village where I live is a strange place and because I was not born here (we moved here over 16 years ago), I am classed as an outsider so "locals" will always take priority

I cannot believe tomorrow is the start of a new month and I'm hoping that when I complete my spreadsheet that I will be pleasantly surprised by the progress we have made so far. 

And on the plus side it is payday for hubby today so should be able to transfer a nice large chunk of cash to the OP savings post

Here's today's list which I'm hoping to tackle:-

1. Phone Mortgage Company and make £100 OP for March and then change back extra £100 per month overpayment from April as interest rate changed and everything resets - DONE and after checking bank balance made a £200 overpayment with the DD being set up from April for £100 per month overpayments
2. NSD - Transferred £5 in readiness  
3. Play on Mistplay - aiming for 100 points a day now I can earn them quicker with my new phone - DONE
4. Make up and post off the two orders received on Etsy - DONE
5. Complete a Nectar survey or two - DONE two completed for 80 points in total
6. Post in 3 FB groups promoting my business with a hope I will get some more orders as I really need some  - DONE
7. Comment on In search of posts on FB in the hope I get some orders as again really needed - Commented on 4 so far today and hoping to find lots more cos I really need those orders
8. List 3 items on FB marketplace - two items listed (£14 in total if sell) and now trying to take photos of thomas train set but its gone really dark so the photos are not great
9. Check free postcode lottery in the hope I might have won - DONE not a winner
10. Minimal heating on - DONE luckily quite mild today so not planning to turn it on at all if I can help it  
11. Find a small way to save electric - DONE two extension leads unplugged only to be turned on when needed
12. Earn some points on swagbucks (hoping to reach daily target) - DONE earnt 132 swagbucks and reached 1st and 2nd targets
13. Enter 3 competitions - DONE entered 8 competitions on Cosmopolitan website
14. Open High interest savings account or ISA - checked the MSE website for highest earning ones and will quickly look at banks websites tomorrow to see if they offer special deals for existing customers and also check Quidco and Topcashback for any cashback offers before signing up tomorrow
15. Join two new survey sites
16. Try and get old Playspot account on new phone and Play on Playspot to earn more points (3/4 of way to £20 voucher)
17. Check credit file using £1.50 free offer on Quidco 
18. Sort spare room and find more things to declutter/sell (got to get a wriggle on as get daughter from Uni on Monday and she prefers the double bed in their to the one in her now smaller room (son stole her old and larger, bedroom when she went last year) - made a start again and found quite a few things ready to sell - hoping to list some of them today
19. Action some things on my list from the boost your income forums
20. Update SEO on website to hopefully get it seen more and bring in more orders
21. Fish out £2 coin from car parking fund in car and add to £2 savers pot - DONE found 6 for £12 added to my £2 savers challenge money box
22. Transfer £1000 from wages to OP savings pot for OT carried out by hubby - DONE actually transferred £1200 - happy days

craftingmad

I'm up early as it's spreadsheet day - I'm  little excited to see our progress and also realising that maybe I need to get a life too!!!

Here we go:-

YEARLY UPDATE

Overpayments Made = £3179

Amount Added to Savings Pot = £8289.61

Quarterly balance update :-

 Our Own Mortgage £2338.07 - Now £481.40  rate 4.1% no cap on overpayment

 BTL Mortgage 1 £51,089.10 - Now £47,296.06 rate 1.94% until 1st July 2025 10% overpayment allowed

 BTL Mortgage 2 £81,504.52 - Now £81504.52 rate 2.09% until 28th Feb 2026 10% overpayment allowed

 BTL Mortgage 3 £77,497.02 - Now £77,497.02 rate 1.97% until 30th June 2027 10% overpayment allowed

TOTAL AMOUNT OWED:-  £212,428.71 - Now £206,779.00

I'm pretty happy with the progress we have made so far - that's £11k in three months - but there is always room for improvement so lets see how much we can increase it by in April