bitbybit's road to freedom

bit_by_bit · 6 November 2019 at 5:15PM

I am sure I have written something here since August.
So looking back: I kept forgetting my spending diary. I haven't been eating out so much as health issues has slowed me down. i have however been partaking of too many McD's on the way to here there and everywhere.

Taking leftovers to work most days. Still having the odd day when i buy at work but trying to buy sensibly so I make whatever it is last two days e.g. salads or bread rolls and ham. Not buying sandwiches as I always eat the whole lot then feel sleepy.

Still at the CS and taking one or two bags most weeks form the hoard.

We have done a lot of clearing. So much so that I could move my daughter (who is at uni) into the Room of Doom and redecorated her room. That including laying wooden flooring. It is furnished with all the craft stuff stored properly etc. My sewing machine is all set up and everything has a place, just about.

The Room of Doom still needs some work bit there is a lot of space now.

We have had solar panels fitted now so on good days we are not paying for electricity. I suppose we will take a while to get our spending it back but it is satisfying allt he same.

We have also just bought me a hybrid car. it does a lot more miles to the gallon but doesn't need plugging in.

Despite all this spending I overpaid £506 this week which means I have now dipped to below £23,000.
this is good news.

bit_by_bit · 29 January 2020 at 5:04PM

First report of 2020 but with 2 over-payments totaling £153.38. I have 14 months to clear the mortgage now so my efforts are going to have to ramp up.

This year I have a lot on which listed looks like this:
1. Finish sorting my sister's estate.
2. Finish decorating house from top to bottom. That is lounge/diner, hall stairs and landing, box room and room of doom (to be a guest room by April)
3. Pay off the mortgage
4. Declutter the whole house, garage and shed.
5. Refresh the garden from and back.
Make the allotment a lot more productive.

We also plan to go on holiday to Canada as a family plus I have several weekends away.

We are working at saving on food money, reuse and recycle where possible, moving bak accounts, surveys and selling on ebay etc to raise the money.

This year I really have to tend to my health as I am in a poor state and will not do any of the above if totally wiped out and exhausted.

Will update a bit more regularly.

bit_by_bit · 10 February 2020 at 7:59PM

So the box bedroom refurbishment is underway, It will be a cheap job as we already have the paint but have had to pay an electrician and a plasterer to do the bits we were not so sure about. Luckily DH is skilled with wood and so he has reduced the 'box' in there so we can get a single bed in easily. Luckily we don't need to replace the laminate floor.
We now have to decorate. DD is taking that room over as she has very little stuff (unlike her mother). I know I moved her last year so I could steal her room for a craft room but she doesn't seem to mind. This was her bedroom when she was a baby and toddler. We hope to get this all done by the end of the weekend and then I will return to clearing the Room of Doom, which is slowly, magically refilling itself. That needs completely redecorating by the end of March.
In other news; I forgot to mention in my last post that I have requested reduced hours at work, halving them in fact. I haven't had written confirmation but I know that the boss is going through the process of putting my hours out for secondment.
Also didn't mention that I I have started working on the allotment in preparation for the coming year. I was very pleased the other day when my new neighbours there put up a fence. I was going to do this but they have save me a lot of effort, must get them to come and do my digging too, lol.
It was in my plan so I could grow peas and beans aroung the edges and use the space they take up for other crops. So all good.

bit_by_bit · 18 February 2020 at 11:45PM

Another week has gone by and I am in a very good mood. I just turned 54 at the weekend which means I have exactly a year to go before I can retire but also one more year to pay off the mortgage. Oh the freedom....

I am saving into some regular savers which when mature will pay a chunk off but as I am reducing my hours in the next month I will have less to save. I am aiming to still save sweep ups and pay them off the mortgage each month, bigger payments as other things happen.
As for my list: I have moved forward with my sister's estate. I am selling her car this weekend.
The box room has been painted, got more painting to do but will be finished byt he weekend then I can set it up for when she is home at easter.
No decluttering done as such but next week, once I can get into the Room of Doom again, sorting will begin in earnest. That room has to be done for Easter and it is a lot bigger.

bit_by_bit · 5 April 2020 at 10:08PM

Reporting in but no overpayment this month. All my cash has been diverted to help my brother out. He is officially emplyed and the person he has worked for the last 15 years has just shut up shop, fair enough, but no pretection at all. I expect he doesn't even have a paper contract. Anyway. He will have nothing for some time so I am supporting him.
Savings have also been eaten into to pay off a few bills and credit cards as I have just gone part time. i wanted a clear sheet. Mt brotehr will pay his money back when he can so I know I will get it back and the interest reates are so rubbish on savings I may as well give it him.
On a positive note my mortgage payment went down by £44.80 thanks to those low levels of interest. It is a better saver for me. I am going to hang on to the difference until the virus crisis is over and then rehash my finances.
Keep well everyone.

bit_by_bit · 3 May 2020 at 11:36AM

#80 reporting in:
This month I had my first time part time wage and it was a bit of a downer. Its a good chunk of money. I have reduced my hours for reasons of health and stress reduction and this is the financial price I will pay. To be fair, I knew it would be like this and agreed with myself that this is the price I am willing to pay for my health. I will get over it.
Still supporting my brother with his finances but closed a regular saver to do so.
This week I had my second reduced mortgage payment. I have managed to OVERPAY as well:£51.56 despite being a bit strapped. These are all those little bits tidying up my accounts over the last few months.
Mortgage total end of April £21218.02 MINUS the £51.56 and regular payment of £246.39 will leave me at £20920.07.
This is such good news

bit_by_bit · 1 June 2020 at 6:14PM

No overpayments will occur for June. I am down to the last of my easily available money, luckily DB will be going back to work soon. I can sub him for two more weeks and that is, hopefully, all he will need.
So really the plan is to build up my emergency fund. I have bits of money all over the place that I don't really want to touch but equal to about £750. My first target is £1500 pounds and I think if I am frugal I will manage that in a few months. When I retire I will get a lump sum so I view my emergency fund as an overpayment fund which will be used in March or April next year after I retire. Just now it can stay in my hands.
I have sold some items on The Bay lst month and to ziffit. More to go next month and probably for a whole year. You should see the piles of stuff.
I love posting stuff off and have learnt a few lessons along the way. A weight off my mind every time. Altho Zffit don't always pay the price I would like for some items I don't spend hours listing, taking pics and posting so, if I can get them to accept my books and discs, off they will go.
Loving part time working. Been either on the allotment or in the garden. I am not missing evenings out and I am sleeping better. I also feel better overall. Less tired.
In May I was signed off by my oncologist. I am very happy about this. She said that fatigue is normal and I may never get back to full fitness. I thought this might be the case but it has take me a while to come to that conclusion.
Keep well everyone, until next month.

LeighofMar · 1 June 2020 at 8:56PM

You're making such great progress on your mortgage and so glad your health was signed off on. I hope you are enjoying decorating the rooms, doing your garden and allotment, and your upcoming retirement. That is so exciting to know that soon all your hard work will have paid off.

bit_by_bit · 3 June 2020 at 10:46AM

Thankyou LeighofMar. I have been loving being part time and enjoying the weather. Today is a damp one so I am going to concentrate on the house. I am decluttering the spare room, known as the room of Doom. It was stacked high. A hoard most definitely, but I had trouble letting things go. I am slowly overcoming that and shifting it out. The level has dropped from nearly ceiling height to knee height now. So getting there. Thank goodness for the garage. It is all labelled and ready to go to various places for when the lockdown allows us a return to 'normal' life.
It is indeed gratifying to be able to think of retirement as a clean sheet. I am glad I started planning for it when I did but wish I had thought about it before. Anyway. The knowledge is not wasted as I pass it on to all the younger folk at work, some who think they HAVE to work until they drop.
Keep well LeighofMar. I will pop over and read your diary.

bit_by_bit · 29 June 2020 at 12:06PM

A LOT happening over in bit_by_bit's bothy over the last month. The room of Doom has been cleared and most things found a home. A few left over boxes have been moved to the craft room which is now the next RoD. The Charity shop is open again so I can start taking donations in, a few bags at a time.

As the room became clear a free double bed became available. This was great news as I was wondering where I was going to get the money from. It pushed me to do the final bits and now we have a finely appointed guest room with a single and a double bed. It means for the first time in years I can have family to stay.

More good news on the money front: My brother is now working again so I don't have to support him financiially anymore. Good job. I was out of easily accessible money.
Finally, despite my best effort not to; I managed a small overpayment of £33.36 making my total for the year £301.23. This payment nicely in the sub £20,000 category which makes me very very happy. Adding up all the payments until March next year plus planned savings, selling etc. I should be paying that mortgage off on 31st March 2021, the day I plan to retire.
I have done a new financial plan as things have changed to make sure I am not missing any tricks. I am up to:
£1050/£1500 for the emergency fund
£608/£1000 holiday fund to croatian in September (if not cancelled) This was already part paid for so not much I can do about it as with friends.
£150/£1500 Car and house fund.
£247/£897 I borrowed a while ago off my DS3.
So all good here despite the smaller wage due to going part time. Having more time is releaw=sing my creative side.

bitbybit's road to freedom

Comments

Categories

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free