Hurrah, my MFW quest has started

abouttimetoo

Oh my goodness, nearly a month since I've updated, I've not even had time to amend my signature for my Dec OP's!!!!!!

This is just a quick hello to all and hopefully I will get time over the next few days to do an update as it's been a busy old month

Tilly, thank you so much for stopping by, wow, I can't believe you read my whole diary and stayed awake The big news is I got my tax refund back last week :j:j:j:j:j

Hope you are all well and Christmas planning is on track

abouttimetoo

Just update my signature for the last time this year. I made an OP of £577.62, I know this seems an odd amount but it will take the IO balance to £71,999 by the year end and I wanted to tip it under the £72k mark

I didn't add to the £250 OP last month in the end as there was so much going on financially that I thought it would be prudent to not over extend myself


key things that I've done since the last update though I'm bound to forget a few

• Renewed house insurance
• Paid extra £100 to 0% credit card, balance now £3612.50
• Re-paid £500 of £1000 borrowed from parents
• Monthly payments to parents of £300 continue in respect of initial amount borrowed to repay tax man, balance now stands at £2600
• All Christmas presents bought and paid for - paid for on credit card for cashback but I've now cleared the balance
• £250 cheque banked from share option that work took in error
• approx £150 owed to me from family whereby I've picked up Christmas pressies on their behalf, this should be re-paid to me by mid-Jan

Other things to note

• Daily interest payments to IO part of the mortgage has now dropped below a pound to 99p :j
• Total mortgage balance reduction this year of £10,534.95

abouttimetoo

I need to sit down and spend some time with my spreadsheets and work out plans for next year. Now that the tax situation is sorted it will be good to get January's salary first before I make these plans as this months salary included tax refund so still hard to see what my exact salary should be!

Key things to focus on next year

• Jan - repay parents remaining £500 of the £1000 I borrowed
• By Jan will owe parents £2300 of the £3948 I borowed in August. Continue to make £300 pm repayments which should see this cleared by August next year or sooner if I can increase the payments here and there
• 0% credit card will need re-jigging at the end of March, current balance is £3612.50. I'd like to get this as close to £3000 as I can by the time I come to re-schedule
• Increased focus on repaying this CC balance, I've let the fact that it is 0% lull me into a false sense of security!
• Get to grips with disposable amount of income as I'm still not making anywhere near the amount of OP's that I can really afford

abouttimetoo

Hi all and a very happy new year to you all

Well, January is definately going to be another tight month for me as I need to do a few things that I hadn't planned for

The first is that I need to have treatments by a chiropracter and masseus this week which will be £70 in total! I have also booked an eye test for this week. With regard to the latter I have not been organised enough to do this via work (never ever have!) I must look into it and see if it is something that can be claimed retrospectively? I also suspect I will end up coming out with new glasses, the ones I have are nearly five years old and getting a bit battered to say the least as well as the fact that I'm half expecting a change of prescription. All in all I think I can expect to be a few hundred pounds lighter when I leave the optician. If it comes to that I will see if they have any 0% finace deals on though TBH a monthly committment is not what I need right now. Worst case scenario is that I will put it on a 0% card.

Can't wait for January pay day

• Eye test - not sure how much this will be

katsu

Eye tests are free at Tesco - no need to get the glasses there tho.

abouttimetoo

Hi Katsu, thank for that, I didn't know that was the case. Unfortunately, I caught your update too late so have spent £25 today on the eye test; I must check next week to see if this is something I can claim retrospectively.

Just got back from the osteo so that was another £29 and think I'll need a return trip next week

On the plus side I'd got the date of a standing order wrong and thought my monthly SO to parents was due out the 1st of the month (so today because of bank hols) but I'd forgotten that I'd changed it to the 27th monthly to ensure it is in their account by the 1st, this means I've alredy paid it in December :j

TallGirl

Sounds like you are doing well lets hope the taxman does'nt bother you in 2012. I have just paid £21 doe an eye test did not know about Tesco typical.

abouttimetoo

Thanks TG, re Tesco, yes, it's typical isn't it... If I've read the offer right if you have a child that needs an eye test they will also do a free test for a parent too so I must let my sis know as she was complaining about her eyes last week, she's a bit miffed as at 38 has always had perfect eye sight so not happy that is changing lol.

I had a look at various glasses while I was there and although there was loads of choice I didn't like any of them so will need to have a look elsewhere. Fortunately it's not urgent now as my eyes have changed to such a minuscule level that it's hardly worth bothering, they also did some repairs (free) while I was there so that has made a difference too.

Called at Mr S yesterday for a few bits and spent £19 and got plenty in house so don't anticipate a return trip for a couple of weeks.

I also went to B&Q for some replacement bulbs as I've just used the last one of that type. Cost £7 for 4 and that was the value range!

PS, TG, I hope your typo doesn't prove to be prophetic, you said 'let's hope the tax man does bother you in 2012' :rotfl:

abouttimetoo

Well I've had my hair done today, it should have been £27 but I had £45 worth of vouchers that I'd acquired via birthday and Christmas gifts so was able to use the vouchers and plenty left over to spare. I normally only have my hair cut about three times a year so will be a while until the next time.

I'm also owed £122 by family for Christmas presents. I should have it back in by the end of the month though some of it may slip into next month as I wouldn't want them to struggle giving it to me as I know they are a bit strapped.

abouttimetoo

Confession time...

I ordered lots of clothes in the M&S Christmas sale, to be fair everything was ordered in two sizes (the ladies here will get that) and some of it was a punt as I 'might' like it and the price was good! Everything arrived today and I've just had the trying on session. In the end I've kept two dresses and one cardigan totalling £86 and I'm still mulling over one other cardi. All items are good quality and in the main are for work. This means refund of £350 to my credit card which will take it to just about zero balance for this month.