Excited to try and be mortgage free

chumpy45 · 15 May 2019 at 10:24AM

Quick update as have been MIA. Mortgage with interest added is
£18, 509.63. Interest paid was £34.98 giving daily interest of £1.12. My Santander reg saver matures this month so currently researching where best to invest that sum (AVC or Vanguard - currently thinking add to Vanguard pot as have been reading some negative reviews of th eTeachers Prudential AVC). Am currently investigating going full time in September. I don't really want to but some ongoing relationship issues are worrying me and mean I am trying to plan ahead to look out for myself. Not sure where this will go really. On a brighter note, I won £10 on the postcode lottery - just needed a few more zeros on that one. The sun is shining and I don't go to work until 4 p.m. so am off to the local market to buy some plants for the hanging baskets (budgeted for of course !). Have a good day everyone.

chumpy45 · 19 May 2019 at 6:22PM

Well plants are looking good in their baskets, although they were nearly washed away in the torrential downpour we had last night ! The dog helped (?) with the gardening. He had a lovely time shredding plastic plant plots as I planted each new plant and scattering it around the garden lol. Went out for a family meal last night as DS2 is about to travel to far away lands for a year. It will be so hard to say goodbye tomorrow, knowing I potentially may not see him again until May 2020. I know he will have an absolutely fantastic experience, but it's so hard to say goodbye. Thank heavens for Skype ! Need to reconcile the account tomorrow and see where we are. Hoping I can make another OP to get closer to the 17s but things are a little tight atm. If not this month, we will definitely hit them next month. TBH I am probably more tempted to add to the Vanguard than OP atm. Never thought I would say that but The Escape Artist and many other diaries on here have converted me. Sunday evening again already, where did that weekend go? Hope you've all had a good one. I will be probably be a crying, snivelling wreck next time I check in after waving off DS2 !

LeighofMar · 20 May 2019 at 12:48AM

Congrats on being in the 18ks. I don't think I'll be able to sleep once we get below 20k. Well done.

PurpleFairy26 · 21 May 2019 at 6:39AM

Wow, number looking fab. Just looked up escape artist and bookmarked. Looks like a good read.

chumpy45 · 22 May 2019 at 10:01AM

Thanks LeighofMar and Purple Fairy for your lovely comments. It does feel in touching distance now

Well as predicted, I am a snivelling wreck. As much as I know DS2 will have a fabulous adventure, it is sooooo painful when they leave. After a mammoth 14 hour flight he arrived safely and I am now counting down the days until he returns. Only 364 to go :rotfl: I received an interim letter re. my potential pension transfer, just to say they had received the request and were looking into it. Wow they take their time. The Santander reg saver will roll straight over and start again. Am pondering whether to start again or just put the equivalent straight into the Vanguard each month. I'm such an agoniser and very risk averse. Will mull this over for a couple more days as I still have time to make a decision. My boss is off sick atm so haven't been able to explore options re working full time. Hopefully that can be sorted next week. Teaching is almost finished now, just exams and more exams and dissertations to mark. However, as we approach the May half-term I can almost sense the summer holiday approaching. Wishing my life away, moi? :rotfl: Actually sunny as I type this, so have a good day everyone.

greent · 24 May 2019 at 9:55PM

Wow - am sure DS2 will have an amazing time - and can only guess how hard it must be for you.. as you say - thank heavens for Skype! x

chumpy45 · 8 June 2019 at 4:24PM

Thanks GreenT, he is settling in nicely and seems to be enjoying life with a lovely crowd of people, which is making me feel a lot better. Skype and Whatsapp has been invaluable. Well with our last monthly payment we have hit the £17s :T getting ever closer. To help boost my retirement fund, I transferred my Santander reg saver to Vanguard. I have to admit to being a little obsessed with Vanguard. Their website is so easy to follow and I like checking in each morning to see if the balance has gone up or down. I know, I need to get out more :rotfl: I have rolled over the reg saver but split the £200/month into £100 - reg saver and £100 Vanguard. With my AVC in addition, I feel a little more confident that I am boosting things a little for my retirement. Probably about another 10 yrs to go if I work until full retirement age (:eek::eek:) so hopefully there will something extra in the pot in addition to state pension. I have spoken to my boss about increasing my hours to full time but am still awaiting a decision. A bit crazy really, most people my age are reducing their hours (DH included) but I am increasing! Will see what the final decision is. Just waiting for it to stop raining and then I am off around the park with the pooch. Then back for another stack of marking. I know how to rock a Saturday. Have a good weekend everyone.

chumpy45 · 18 June 2019 at 9:36PM

Scary couple of days as I transferred some money to Vanguard and it disappeared! My bank had authorised it and sent it but for some reason Vanguard thought it had been declined. After some time in a black hole it has now reappeared and invested as per instructed- phew. It takes long enough to earn the money, I can't have it disappearing on me. Marking is almost complete, just a few stray students to drag kicking and screaming through overdue assessments (and I teach adults lol). Bank account looking very unhealthy atm. It needs to be paid back from various virtual savings pots in another account, but I haven't had time to do it yet ! GCSEs were finally finished for DS4 on Friday. What a relief for him (and me) lol. At times, I am not sure who was more stressed. He now has a Grade 7 MT exam to prep for. There's no rest for the wicked. 3 more weeks at work then a weekend at CentreParcs to enjoy with the family. I can't wait.

[Deleted User] · 19 June 2019 at 4:10PM

It's so inspiring to see how close you are to being MFW and how well you have done. I've a long way to go on my journey but it's the thought of being in your position that is keeping me going.:T

chumpy45 · 23 June 2019 at 2:28PM

Thank you for your kind words Makethedayscount. Lovely to see you reading along. This is definitely a marathon and not a sprint, but we are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Everyone on MFW is so supportive and that's what helps to keep us all going.

Inspired by other diaries I have signed up and been accepted for ShopandScan in the hope of building a pot of Amazon vouchers. I'm not sure how quickly they mount up, but anything saved from the Christmas savings (I know, I'm sorry to mention the "C**mas" word this early in the year) can be OPd :T It was very exciting checking it all out this morning although I had a hitch uploading the till receipt as it didn't recognise my login. Hopefully a message to the help desk will sort it out.

Seem to have had lots of spends this month. Definitely more month than money! Have had to help DS3 out who had to pay the last month's rent on his current uni premises, and the deposit and first month's rent on the new uni house for next academic year. Although he is working during his summer break, there was a bit of a cash flow issue :rotfl: which the bank of mum and dad had to temporarily sort out. Still that money will be returned in due course.

Had a lovely time in the sunshine yesterday. Finally, a lovely sunny day in the garden. Lots of weeding, snipping and digging accomplished aided by my little furry pooch. Although I use the word "aided" loosely :rotfl: He likes to steal the weeds from the basket and strew them around the garden. As fast as I filled the basket he emptied it.

Still no work from manager about full time hours. It's not looking good. Vanguard (touch wood) continues to progress well (I'm only a little bit obsessed about checking the balance :rotfl:). AVC and premium bonds growing nicely. Still beating myself up about the wasted years before MFW, but I guess better (very) late than never. Have a good week everyone.

Excited to try and be mortgage free

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