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misstara's mortgage free diary
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Just catching up - well done on logging your spending, you’re really keeping track of things and that’s half the battle. Hope you have a lovely ChristmasDebt = £8017/£8017 (100% paid - cleared 26th August 2020) Boiler Fund = £2500/£2500 (100% saved - 26th August 2021)Emergency fund = £5000/£5000 (100% saved - 5th Jan 2025) | MFW Goal 2025: £6429/£3000 | Mortgage = £111,564/£132,469 (15% paid)Goal for 2026:1) MFW £0/£36001
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Thanks INOD and seventh88

Friday ended up being a NSD as couldn't be bothered going into town so just had a relaxing afternoon at home.
Yesterday we headed into town early to get a few more Christmas presents. We went a wander round the Christmas market and got takeaway drinks to wander round with (£6.55 spent, went to a local cafe to buy the drinks rather than get from a market stall so probably saved at least £3-4, it was so expensive). Bought a few Christmas presents from the market and then popped into the shopping centre, £34 spent altogether. Almost there with my Christmas shopping thankfully. Had a check and I still have paper and tags from last year but will need to buy some sellotape.
Last night was my Christmas works night out which was very fun. Had budgeted £50 and went slightly over budget so £56.70 spent.
Today I've spent £13.70 on some food shopping and £6.80 on stamps. I don't send many Christmas cards, just really to the older extended family so they are now all sent off.
£5.50 added to the roof savings (£5 from surveys and 50p from cashback).
Back to work tomorrow so better get off to bed.Mortgage 26.4.25 - £108,500 1.10.25 - £104,960.46
Mortgage overpayments so far - £876.94
Debt 16.11.25 - £5160 27.11.25 - £5060 (1.9% paid)3 -
Oops haven't posted all week as have been really busy with work and organising Christmas things. We met up with family yesterday to exchange presents and have a wee pre-Christmas get together. It was lovely but a bit of a drive to get there and the kids were super excitable so feeling tired today. Today I've popped into work briefly to sort something out and am currently out on a wee walk to clear my head. Then we're going to pop round to my gran's for lunch and drop off presents from us and family.
Need to do a sort out of receipts and enter everything into YNAB so that is a job for this afternoon. I'm fairly confident that I am under budget for Christmas so hope I don't get a nasty surprise when I input in the receipts
Mortgage 26.4.25 - £108,500 1.10.25 - £104,960.46
Mortgage overpayments so far - £876.94
Debt 16.11.25 - £5160 27.11.25 - £5060 (1.9% paid)4 -
Ooh I hope you managed to stay under budget! That would be amazing considering all the prices of absolutely everything going up 🤞🏻🤞🏻Emergency Fund- £717.77
New Diary- https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6647063/investing-in-us-holidays-health-and-the-road-to-150k#latest1 -
Thanks dfw321 - all receipts entered into ynab and still have £115.25 left in the Christmas fund
very happy with this. I'm going to put £50 towards the roof savings/debt, £15.25 into the general presents fund as there's a few birthdays coming up in January and keep £50 for my annual leave in January - can treat OH to a meal out somewhere 
Had a lovely time seeing my gran, stayed for a few hours and then left her to a nap as she does tire quickly these days. We popped to get a few food bits on the way home so £15 spent.
Still need to do the Christmas food shop but I'm thinking I'll do it first thing Christmas eve, not really what I want to do but hopefully will be less busy then than going after work tomorrow or Tuesday.
Now just need to make sure everything is sorted at work for Christmas
Mortgage 26.4.25 - £108,500 1.10.25 - £104,960.46
Mortgage overpayments so far - £876.94
Debt 16.11.25 - £5160 27.11.25 - £5060 (1.9% paid)2 -
So impressed with your Christmas budgetingMortgage at 01.01.14 £119,481.83:eek: today £0 Emergency fund £5.5/5.5k & £200/200 cash.:jWeight 24/02/19 14st 7lb now 11st 12lb determined to stop defining myself by my mistakes. Progress not perfection.:T100%through my 1% mortgage challenge. 100% through my pb challenge. I’m not perfect but I’m good enough for now.1
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Like others, I am very impressed with the Christmas Budget having a surplus :-)
Have a lovely first Christmas in your new home :-)1 -
Thanks INOD and Boodedoo
was fairly confident of being under budget but I was certainly surprised by how much! Mortgage 26.4.25 - £108,500 1.10.25 - £104,960.46
Mortgage overpayments so far - £876.94
Debt 16.11.25 - £5160 27.11.25 - £5060 (1.9% paid)0 -
NSD today, debating on whether to get the Christmas food shop over and done with tomorrow so that we can just relax on Christmas eve but will see how I feel tomorrow after work.Mortgage 26.4.25 - £108,500 1.10.25 - £104,960.46
Mortgage overpayments so far - £876.94
Debt 16.11.25 - £5160 27.11.25 - £5060 (1.9% paid)0 -
£76.23 spent on the food shop today, wasn't as busy as I thought it would be thankfully.
Finished up work for a few days so looking forward to relaxing
Mortgage 26.4.25 - £108,500 1.10.25 - £104,960.46
Mortgage overpayments so far - £876.94
Debt 16.11.25 - £5160 27.11.25 - £5060 (1.9% paid)1
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