Knocking years off the mortgage…that’s the goal!

Sammie_1985

March is here 🙂 and the sun has appeared too!
Mortgage payment came out today so need to check updated balance. We went to a friends 40th birthday on Saturday, had a great evening but spent far too much money 🙈 which then resulted in a hangover yesterday which meant takeaway food and a day on the sofa! I don’t even want to think how much we spent over the weekend but if I had to guess I’d say around £300! We did enjoy ourselves and it’s not something we do often so not going to dwell on the money spent.
I just need to be more cautious this week and try to keep spends to essentials.
Today will be spent catching up on housework I neglected yesterday.

Sammie_1985

So mortgage balance is now - £186,294.82 which includes the £100 direct debit overpayment. I’m going to hold back on making any further overpayments this week as we have lots of birthdays this month so need to sort those out first.

[Deleted User]

Good luck Sammie with this weeks goals, I am glad you had a good time at the weekend, always worth the moneyXX

Sammie_1985

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81905833#Comment_81905833

thank you. ☺️

Sammie_1985

I need to go food shopping today, tomorrow one of my cats is having her annual vaccinations then next Monday our other cat is having hers 💷💷💷💷💷

Forgot about that when I said I wanted a low spend week! 🙄

Oh well, the sun is shining again so that’s a positive. Won’t be long until we can get in the garden and make it summer ready.
trying to look for the positives 🙈

[Deleted User]

Sammie there are so many positves if you look at what you have accomplished in the last 6 months with all your over payments, keep it up XX

Sammie_1985

thank you @[Deleted User] i find some months just feel overwhelming when there’s a lot to pay out for 😣 I’ll keep plodding on.

Food shop done, spent £86.59. Tomorrow will be a spend day (vets) then Thursday and Friday I have no plans…..and I’m keeping it that way! 🤞🏼 need to do a deep clean and ironing so will spend those days doing that and reading my book, I feel like I haven’t had a chance to read for ages and when I do read in bed at night I fall asleep within 10 mins!

[Deleted User]

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81907970#Comment_81907970

I have an idea it may make things more real for you, have you tried piggy banking, it is where you have different pots which you save for over the year, this means your disposable income becomes real as everything else is accounted for. This will keep things real, plus you wouldn't have to fork out extra money each month if you have saved over the year try googling piggy banking to get inspired maybe or maybe you know about it. either way, when you have disposable income you would have accounted for all those spends and it would be all your money to do with and every month too, I hope that makes sense. I think if I ever get employed again or have money again I may do it too. XX

Sammie_1985

thanks @[Deleted User] i did try the plum app at the beginning of the year and had different ‘pots’ but I didn’t feel it worked for me. I found I much prefer the simple way of all my money in my bank account!
To be honest, hubby would either give me his card or transfer me the money for vets/birthdays etc if I needed it, I think it’s just I know I have a lot of different things to ‘sort’ this month and my brain doesn’t work well like that 🤣

[Deleted User]

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81908093#Comment_81908093

Thanks Sammie, I hear you, I think I felt the same way, and I think it was because I don't have as much money to put into those pots as I would have liked or there was very little disposable. What do you do for a job? Could you think of a side hustle or do a Saturday job?