Buying a little piece of Middle England; Manifesting my way to mortgage free.

debtfreewannabe321

I've moved some money across today to pay down that loan I am working towards. If for nothing else it is to give me a motivational boost that I'm getting somewhere. So that has been reduced from £1500 to £936.30 today. I'd love to see that below £500 going into the new year. I've also moved it to pay the loan because I think DP is seeing lots of money in pots and thinking it can be used elsewhere....so I am paying it as it comes now. 

We had some glazing quotes. We wanted to do the first floor initially as fourth bedroom (DP office) you actually cannot see out of. It's blown but also it looks as if someone has scratched the hell out of it? You can't see anything through it so that's a priority. But we are working on the kids rooms first as DD requested it for her Xmas present. But also I think they need the least amount of work now we've had the electrics checked. So that's potentially three quickish rooms to do (bed 2&3 and office) the quote we had back for new units is around £1700 for three. Can't remember the exact figure but around that. Definitely less than 2k. And DD and DS have quite large windows (office not so much) so I think that's a good price. We know the guy he's come to do three houses for us now, we like his work and trust him, so we will go with him. I've said to DP to check how long his purchase interest free card is for and if long enough we will order now as we know it will take a while because of Xmas to order them in. And once the carpet loan is paid we will move money across to pay for that every month instead. 
DP also said he's getting a small bonus due around march even though he wasn't in the business last financial year - much like my bonus wasn't really for any work I personally did. But that could clear the windows debt then which frees up my snowball money for something else. I changed £100 of L2S voucher into big orange DIY store vouchers so we will use that to buy bits to do DD room.

This morning I've spent time moving lots of plants out of my lounge area into the conservatory. It's too dark in here much of the day so I've moved them all before I lose any. Lots are looking very sad and many have dropped leaves.
It's looking bare without plants now. I was in the middle of cleaning up but I'm taking a break 🤣 then I need to do my meal plan/ shopping list. I will go to Mr L first and get everything I can there and then Mr T for fresh organics and my bread and anything else I can't get at L. I may tweak the meal plan and see what I can change for cheaper meals. Kids should be off to their dad's house next Friday or Saturday so then it is just me and DP to feed until new year (ish - DD will probably want to be home before then). 

DP is up a ladder cleaning the conservatory and hoping to make it watertight as we now have the fridge &freezer, TD, a Xmas tree with lights, and all my plants out there so I'd like to know all those electrics are safe from water.

Right best crack on with jobs. So much for a day off eh. 

beanielou

You never stop!!! 

HotDog2020

beanielou said:

You never stop!!! 

I agree with Beanie...You have a lot of drive.

debtfreewannabe321

🤣 thank you. I wish I felt like I had a lot of energy to do this but I don't really I just know it all needs to be done and I know I'm more productive early on.

I've finished cleaning and I have been to L and T for shopping. I was very frugal and only picked up what was on my list. Well aside from three presents I needed but hadn't thought about until I saw some pretty family gifts (just tins of biscuits etc) and also some nice smelly reed diffusers with Christmas scents. Still even with those bits I spent £93 (approx) across both shops. I did forget to pick up one thing.... because it wasn't on my list 🤣 I was so laser guided today I forgot about it. Had I done my usual thing of wandering up every aisle I would have remembered it. However I probably would have spent another fifty quid too on other stuff. So anyway I'll try and make another meal instead of that one I had planned. Or I'll pop to the shops for that one thing mid week. 

I've bought some very cheap cola to throw in my toilet upstairs. It wasn't used very much being up in the loft (and loft room was never used by last owner except for storage) so basically it is covered in limescale. We won't be doing that ensuite for a while yet so wanted to try and tackle the limescale as cheap as possible and traditional limescale remover has not worked yet).

DS is in town. DD at her friends house so it's nice and peaceful here at the mo. Time for a cuppa and five minutes break I think.

debtfreewannabe321

I have spent the morning booking things in for our mini trip away before xmas. I didn't want to get there and not know what to do and be in all of a dither like I usually would, so have tried to find what is open and when (because it is very close to xmas so lots is shut already by the time we get there) and have booked tickets. I read reviews and avoided over-priced places that seemed to fall short and we have ended up with a 2.5 day itinerary which has all turned out to be free. So all we are paying for is diesel, parking, hotel (already paid for) and food. We also found one restaurant that accepts a discount card we have for 20% off the bill. The other is a not a chain so full price but considering we have saved on any entry fees to anywhere we don't mind. Glad we had the foresight to book restaurants though as we got the last slot on one of them for that day. We will be driving home on the 24th so may pick up a takeaway for then too, it is tradition in my household to have a pizza takeout (usually because mummy is so over frazzled by that point she needs a break ) so DP & I will probably get something ordered in. 

My friend is not coming over any more today. I have to drive and meet DDIL to give her the pressies I have for her and DS1. DD had fun at the concert, I will see if she wants collecting on the way there or back. And my friend wanted to stay all afternoon I think as her hubby is going to see family up the road (and she doesn't want to go ). So we will have to do it another day.

Hopefully a NSD today.

I have made a tonne of mince pies because the pastry needed using from the freezer. I will also make some protein balls too so that is snacks sorted cheaply for the week. 

I have my xmas food shop booked for next Friday so I had best put together a meal plan for xmas week. If I find we don't need that much I may cancel the slot and let someone who really needs it have it for a proper shop. DP & I won't be here for 2 nights of that week and then it is just us. I will see what we need though and what DP thinks before I do anything. I am worried about it arriving and lots being substituted, I am thinking it might be best to go into store and choose the substitutions myself for a small shop. Hmm...

3 more days at work for me before xmas hols, 3.5 more days for the kids. 

I have the money put aside for the phone now, just need December/ January's pay to take the £100 from that before paying it. DP has had a look at my phone and decided he wants one too now, so we may order him one after we have paid for mine. His is also 5+ years old and although it works it isn't holding battery charge like a new one. I think we will save for it first though and then order. 

We got some gardening done yesterday, started pruning back the apple tree, and may try and finish it today. It is super cold out there though so we didn't get very much done.

I want to have a look at my year's roundup financially and all else, I feel like I need the motivational boost and reminder of how far I have come. I also want to set a few goals/targets for next year. 
We have so much we want to do and so little time and resources...

Right suppose I better get on with my day. 

debtfreewannabe321

Feeling tired as we edge closer to Christmas break. Work is winding down too and was a pretty easy day today aside from someone needing first aid. 

Not much to report elsewhere. Have done some surveys and have £22 in my pending on one of them. That will go towards my phone and also a new bra that I've just bought. I've ordered it on klarn@ my new favourite way to pay for everything 🙈 and have made a small payment today of £13.50 and have two more payments due. Thank goodness I just ordered the one bra....I took the second one out my basket 🙈🤣 I desperately needed one though and couldn't wait until the new year (the straps on both have stretched so much I'm constantly pulling them up and they're driving me mad).

I met DDIL yesterday and we had a mini catch up and I gave her the basket I'd made for her and DS1 (filled with mini presents). She confided that DS is a bit down ...not surprised really. He doesn't particularly love his job and he's all the way out in West Wales with all his family over on the east side of England (down south and up in the Midlands) and most of his friends were posted out a couple of months ago. I can't wait for his move i think it might cheer him up a bit, and he's thinking of going to uni to do engineering....I've asked him about it and he's not responded perhaps DDIL wasn't supposed to mention it 🙉🙈

Hopefully a NSD tomorrow I am trying to rack them up between now and our get away and Xmas because I know they will be thin on the ground then. 

I'll leave it at that.... 

debtfreewannabe321

I'm trying to catch up with my budgeting as I've let it slide a little and I've moved £70 about three times between accounts because I can't figure out what I'd put it aside for 🤣 #budgetingfail my YNAB will be going lala crazy over this now and it will totally mess things up. I *think* I put it aside for my mobile but got confused and put it in to my spare account for the kids Xmas present from their brother. Anyway I've moved it again and hopefully this time it's right.
I need around £20 for my mobile now without even needing £100 from next months pay like I originally thought I'd need. 👏🏼 Which is brilliant as it means that £100 I can use for my EF instead.

I'm trying to set some goals. 
Realistic goals.

So I've come up with:- 

Goals for the next six months:- 
- Planning permission for extension and pricing for doing it

- DD room decorated

- Pay off the carpet loan

- EF to reach £3k

- One mini break with the kids (or without if they don't want to go)

- OP mortgage by £600 

- Replace 2 windows in the house.

Goals for six months to one year:-
- Another mini breaks with kids

- Greenhouse 

- DS room decorated

- Raised beds for garden 

- Total OP on mortgage for one year to exceed £1200. 

- Replace 2 more windows.

- EF to reach £3.5k

Longer term goals:-
- Working out how we can fund an extension 

This incorporates some breaks for us (small breaks rather than big expensive holidays which we can't afford without sacrifice everywhere else). As well as making a start on the renovation works. And savings as well as OPs. 

This year we've managed to save over £10k used to OP on mortgage and start an EF as well as pay for things as we need them and pay for solicitors and estate agents fees and start off lots of pots. Our income is more this year coming BUT we have more outgoings because we now have a car which we have to personally fund. Also the mortgage is more as is the bills for the house. But overall I think we should be able to do most of what I am planning above if not more. 
I may do a proper year end round up but I've been so busy I'm not sure if I will have time or not so if I don't that's a good enough round up for now 🤷🏻‍♀️😆

LadyWithAPlan

Sounds like you are winning.  

HotDog2020

Go team Debtfreewannabe321!

debtfreewannabe321

Morning all,
So I've already done the food shop for the weekend - I decided to keep the slot but go easy on fresh stuff as it arrives on Saturday, then we are away on Sunday - Tuesday afternoon. And Wednesday is Christmas 🎄 so I've got us enough to get through Saturday night and we can either pick up bits on the way home or wait until boxing day and pop to the shops. I've ordered veg as that will be fine but the fruit I've not ordered much at all. I took the expensive toothbrush out the basket 🎁😆

We have booked tickets for a nice cinema close to us (well about a forty minute drive) on Friday as we are all off work and school and the kids want to do Christmas early. So they're not going to their dad's house now until Saturday (it was going to be Thursday but he's changed his mind- he probably has a date lined up). So that works well. Cinema in the afternoon and home for a pizza as that's always our Xmas eve tradition before opening presents. We haven't got them much anyway as they are doing the big Christmas at their dads. 

We leave early Sunday and won't be back until Christmas eve afternoon/ evening. 

I'm quite excited now and I'm glad I made some sort of arrangements and plans. It will be nice to do something different.

We've got someone coming to look at something we've up for sale (not sure what DP arranged it, I think may be the hoover) and if that sells we have £100 cash to go towards the Xmas break.

My hours at work were worked out for a permanent timetable and they're wrong. I've been working an extra hour every week as I thought I had. So they said they will sort that in the new year. I don't mind doing the extra hour as it makes sense with what I've got but I want to be paid....but I think they probably don't have enough funding to go round to pay extra so we will see. 

Last day tomorrow....But back to today, we have an appointment with an architect to talk about planning permission for what we'd like to do with the house to get the ball rolling. Once we have some plans we can go back to the builder and ask for some quotes. I'm sure I'll be back moaning about how much planning permission costs in a bit 😆 but anyway a few jobs ticked off already which I'm happy about!