Statement of intent

StuartGMC

Ev
I knew that the few pence would hit one or two here, but hadn't put in you the OCD group

SMF2, thanks, but if you weren't also a MFW then could have taken umbridge at the idea it was all down to luck, but this idea is no doubt something I'll face though in future!

TPA, I'll try to avoid spending too much, which will be easier in March when I'm away on business for two weeks in USA when company can pick up the costs :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

setmefree2

StuartGMC wrote: »

SMF2, thanks, but if you weren't also a MFW then could have taken umbridge at the idea it was all down to luck, but this idea is no doubt something I'll face though in future!

"Well done on what you've achieved through your hard work and planning"

Better? :rotfl:

gallygirl

StuartGMC wrote: »

TPA, I'll try to avoid spending too much, which will be easier in March when I'm away on business for two weeks in USA when company can pick up the costs :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

_pale_ you will have free internet access won't you _pale_

george_jetson

StuartGMC wrote: »

So mortgage stands at £18000.43 :j:j:j
(Interest mid-month will add a few pounds and pence hence the 43p doesn't bug me, but our savings account must remain in whole pounds!)

Thought that was just me! When I was building up my offset pot, it had to always remain a round number!

SmileyG_2

Stuart

Having read your thread and your posts elsewhere, I have to ask....

:question:Will you still post when you are mortgage free or will you abandon us to muddle through without the benefit of your sagacious advice :question:

I need to know!

SmileyG

StuartGMC

gallygirl wrote: »

_pale_ you will have free internet access won't you _pale_

Well there will be access, not necessarily free; but I'll be working quite long days i.e. online to UK around 0400 to check on things, meetings through the day then more work in the evening in the first week, second week will have evening events too.

So, I may not be able to keep up with you all, so I hope I don't miss anything major!

StuartGMC

SmileyG wrote: »

Stuart

Having read your thread and your posts elsewhere, I have to ask....

:question:Will you still post when you are mortgage free or will you abandon us to muddle through without the benefit of your sagacious advice :question:

I need to know!

SmileyG

SmileyG
What can I say, but thanks! I did check out I correctly understood "sagacious"; have to admit working in a technical / scientific discipline "ruined" my vocabulary many years ago! However http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?s=sagacious&gwp=13 confirmed the definitions succinctly.

I have some way to go and have myself wondered what I'll do once my thread becomes "off limits" to me; where will I post my musings and such?

Like George_Jetson and other MFs, I would expect to be here for a while afterwards popping by. It would be nice to see a board for "Mortgage-free - what happening next?" where such diaries would be welcome as the investments area doesn't seem to have such a theme?

StuartGMC

Not posted since 4 March, I must be slipping!

I've mentioned before that I leave home relatively early at 0600 to be in work for 0630 and that this has advantages with returning for evening family meal etc. One of my colleagues moved here end of last year but recently raised the question of car sharing and that he was willing to be out the door for 0600 to do so. We've agreed to give it a try for two days a week as we are both managers and it's not always easy to be away at a fixed time. Obviously there will be weeks we don't share due to business trips etc, but it will each save us 55miles round trip per week or 20% of our weekly commute. For me I think the major benefit will be one of pushing back the time for the car service which is about 10months at the moment.

In addition, I'll soon save 500 miles commuting by heading off on a business trip for a couple of weeks.

Money-wise, we are just still net positive by a couple of hundred, but it will dip negative before OH pay arrives in the account on Friday. Savings are not growing as they should, but OH has overtime from January and also February to come, so I hope these can go straight to the savings upon receipt.

Funds are still bouncing along at low values and seemingly ongoing loss, but, I have had a "rational" thought about this and continuing to make the investment each month. In addition to the logic of getting the best value now, the amount we are putting in over 12months will be equivalent to the savings in total we'll have every 2months once MF. So, that doesn't seem like such a bad risk position in reflection.

I just bought the Money Observer March issue which has information on ISAs and I'm thinking seriously of subscribing, but, that's an extra £40 a year being spent

RosieTiger

Stuart - you truly are the spreadsheet meister !

Just when I was feeling good about my OP sheet, I looked at yours briefly today and wow - thats what i call well organised !

Need to work out how much of it I can use :T

Smithills

Hi Stuart
I thought I'd give you my experience of car sharing- so far, so good! A colleague lives about 1.5 miles up the road, so we share the round 40 mile trip. We did this occasionally- but really got more dedicated when fuel costs went ballistic last summer. We are much more organised now. We check our diaries on a day to day basis- we both are line managers, and timetables are never static. Effectively we only plan a day ahead. Can you share electronic diaries (Outlook perhaps) to see when you can both be in? A bit of give and take is useful- for example today my lift dropped me off at the garage where my car was being repaired. I've dropped him off or stopped off somewhere on the way home to help him out.

Inconvenience- well, it prevents you from "Just nipping to XXX on the way home"- so if you tend to nip places to pick up something, that's limited. You might notice yourself doing an extra job at the weekend. And of course you have to respect each others needs to leave at a specific time- our rule is that the driver's usually in charge. Though if one of us is having a bad day at work, we will bail out! That's about it really. We talk a bit about work (and actually that's had some effective results), our weekends, or nothing- there's no obligation to chat. Make sure you have each others mobile and home numbers. And enjoy the savings- the best bit is not having to go and fill the car as often;)