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Has MSE helped you to save or reclaim money this year? Share your 2025 MoneySaving success stories!
Follow the Yellow Brick Road 2023
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Sorted out the spare room and made a good start on the garage. Popped to Morrisons for a quick shop and picked up the 1000 promotion points.
I've added almonds, prunes and a cod liver oil capsule to my daily diet now. All very good for bone heath apparently."Think of many things, do one"
Mortgage 30Jan'26 est. £204,330 £309,749 2020 (ends 2038 - aiming for 2031)
Seven Goals; target lose 4lbs by Feb'26; walk/run/exercising/weights/yoga2 -
Swapped my craft table for a smaller one and rejigged the office furniture - it looks and feels so much tidier - I thought how depressing it was feeling last week. This is a huge improvement. When I was at Ikea getting the new table, I thought I might as well bite the bullet and buy the 'dressing table' I've wanted for a while, its much smaller than the desk I've been using. So I then had a mini bedroom sort out, and everything is in its place and feels so much tidier/more spacious. Still need a good declutter but at least its all (mostly) hidden now. I'd like a basket to put the hair dryer/straighteners in but while I was sorting the office I found an old cream coloured box that will do for now. Then I found another larger box that will slide under the bedroom chair and hold my weights etc in. it. I had to 'blue peter' it to shorten to the perfect size and I might even cover it in fabric (one day).
After doing the office, I decided one of the monitor risers from Ikea would be perfect, so I've ordered that and swallowed the £5 delivery. Then decided on the mirror I wanted for above the dressing table - so that's probably going to be another £5 delivery charge but it will save petrol and a couple of hours driving.
No excuses not to get selling and sorting the rest of the stuff now. Thought about the Swedish Death cleaning show, and I definitely don't want anyone to have to start sorting through piles of my clutter."Think of many things, do one"
Mortgage 30Jan'26 est. £204,330 £309,749 2020 (ends 2038 - aiming for 2031)
Seven Goals; target lose 4lbs by Feb'26; walk/run/exercising/weights/yoga5 -
Monitor riser/shelf arrived and was assembled. Its starting to look very tidy in the office/craft room now and has a totally different feel. Selling and sorting was next on the list so that I could focus on decorating. There's definitely a lot less clutter, but there is a lot to deal with, and also noticed that the clutter is gradually re-appearing. Iits funny how one bit of clutter seems to attract another, and another..... spotted a hairdryer brush in Asda for £10, and now that's joined the hairdryer and straighteners - so a larger box/basket now needed. Brilliant value for a tennerr though - especially with my bad shoulder.
I managed a bit of decorating over the weekend - amazing how a bit of fresh paint can freshen things up. The whole house needs doing so I have to plan that. The garden needs a good tidy up too, but when its nice I seem to have been doing other things and now its very rainy again."Think of many things, do one"
Mortgage 30Jan'26 est. £204,330 £309,749 2020 (ends 2038 - aiming for 2031)
Seven Goals; target lose 4lbs by Feb'26; walk/run/exercising/weights/yoga2 -
Enjoy your decorating. Sounds like you are getting things organised and making things more beautiful and liveable.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in case I don't catch you again before. I am soooooooo behind on diaries.Achieve FIRE/Mortgage Neutrality in 2030
1) MFW Nov 21 £202K now £171.3K Equity 36.55%
2) £2.6K Net savings after CCs 10/10/25
3) Mortgage neutral by 06/30 (AVC £30.9K + Lump Sums DB £4.6K + (25% of SIPP 1.25K) = 35.5/£127.5K target 27.8% 14/11/25
(If took bigger lump sum = 62K or 48.6%)
4) FI Age 60 income target £17.1/30K 57% (if mortgage and debts repaid - need more otherwise) (If bigger lump sum £15.8/30K 52.67%)
5) SIPP £5.1K updated 14/11/251 -
Thanks savingholmes I have definitely turned a very big corner. There are pockets of clutter I need to keep on top of - which is the same for everyone - but the decorating part is gradually taking shape nicely.
I managed to get the garden organised over the weekend. Not easy as it was so wet underfoot, but at least it didn't rain.
We are having a chill year this year, thank goodness.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all MSErs

"Think of many things, do one"
Mortgage 30Jan'26 est. £204,330 £309,749 2020 (ends 2038 - aiming for 2031)
Seven Goals; target lose 4lbs by Feb'26; walk/run/exercising/weights/yoga0 -
Merry Christmas!DFW (08/08) £64,346.53 Gone (02/19)
MFW (08/08) £118k Gone (09/23)1 -
Had a very chill two days, really relaxing for a change - normally we get home late on Christmas Day exhausted and then spend the next day recovering. Though I've also spent quite a bit of money on a piece of furniture and on some new blinds that I've been meaning to order for the past month. Its planned stuff - I've just not had time until now to sit down and ponder choices and make my mind up. Excited for them to be delivered in the new year - it feels like my plan is coming together
"Think of many things, do one"
Mortgage 30Jan'26 est. £204,330 £309,749 2020 (ends 2038 - aiming for 2031)
Seven Goals; target lose 4lbs by Feb'26; walk/run/exercising/weights/yoga2 -
Feeling inspired to start a new thread.
2014 - started the debt-free journey properly (after previously selling the house/paying off debts and then racking them up again, and getting ourselves into employment hell - don't ask).
2019 - finally became debt-free - I love writing this, it was a hard five years but very proud of the achievement.
2020 - got back on the property ladder (with a £300k+ mortgage) and in the five years since got good jobs and made some OPs, but need to speed it up as SPA is fast approaching.
2026 - I'm going to use the next couple of days to firm up some goals for the. new year"Think of many things, do one"
Mortgage 30Jan'26 est. £204,330 £309,749 2020 (ends 2038 - aiming for 2031)
Seven Goals; target lose 4lbs by Feb'26; walk/run/exercising/weights/yoga2
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