Make hay whilst the sun shines.

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  • mouche
    mouche Posts: 902
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    Energy bills going down by £11.00 per month. Spreadsheet updated and the difference of £8.00 is going to the America trip pot.

    Well done with getting energy bills down! And I love the fact that the £8 is going into another pot almost before it has arrived in hand - exactly what I would do!
    Mortgage (original/ current):193,000 (23/09/11)/ £102,500 (07/11/2019)
    2019 Challenges: Make £300 a month: £9.71/£300 (January)
  • MoneyMission
    MoneyMission Posts: 652
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    edited 10 March 2014 at 12:17PM
    Thanks Mouche. Glad to know I'm not bonkers on my own!

    Greenhouse all washed - its a lot lighter in there now. Ready for mini-cucumbers and tomatoes - yum. Going to try and reduce the number of plants I put in there this year. I always get over-optimistic and forget how big they grow then have to fight through a jungle to pick anything!

    Did a bit of an account review as some of my savings accounts are coming to the end of bonus periods etc. Got the FD 6% regular savers - £300 per month into there. Need to close an everyday esaver I have with FD. And a couple of Spanish Bank accounts aren't performing well at the mo. Need easy access so it limits the choice somewhat but I've found 1.25% over at Yorkshire BS and that'll do for the rest of my stash for now.

    Happy sunshine all.

    MM
    MFW Challenge 2019 - £2,420 / £2,420 - 100% :T
  • MoneyMission
    MoneyMission Posts: 652
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    Miserable Monday here. Just drizzle and damp all round. And I'm feeling very jaded. We had friends staying for the weekend and the late nights have taken their toll. I'm not able to cope with it like I did when we were younger. Was great to see them though.

    Money news:

    OP'ing and being repayment on the mortgage has brough the total down from £299k at beginning of the year to £295k already. On target to be under £290K by end of year.

    Actually spent some money on the house: plumber; new glasses; wardrobe for our room (old one gone in spare room); 2 x lampshades for lights that have been without for 3 years etc, etc. Also paid for root canal filling. Savings pot now at £5K and will remain at that level - not being added to and not being spent from.

    I had a discount voucher from Sainsbobs to get one of their annual delivery passes for £51. I can now order whenever I want with no delivery fee for a year and will save me spending my valuable day off each week traipsing round the supermarket. I can be at home doing other chores instead!!!! :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

    Nothing else much to report.

    MM
    MFW Challenge 2019 - £2,420 / £2,420 - 100% :T
  • MoneyMission
    MoneyMission Posts: 652
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    edited 25 June 2014 at 7:24PM
    Going quite well on op'ing small amounts at the moment. Little bits here and there but its all going well. Mortgage today starts with a £294! Fancy that. I know it will go up to £295k something by the end of the month with the daily interest being added but its generally on the downward trend. Might even squeak in under £290k by the end of the year as have op'd by about £1060 so far. Still an eye watering amount though!

    Am thinking of adding a regular OP of £50 to the mortgage in lieu of a pension. I have various pension pots from company pensions where I used to work. Current job doesn't offer one so this will help long term. Not quite decided on this yet but am thinking on it.

    America pot building nicely. We've started it off with a £4k lump sum and Tilly Tidies and little bits here and there have bumped it up to £4267 already. Don't intend on doing anything other than Tilly Tidy to this account as its a slow burn savings plan.

    Annual Expenses for next year well under way at 48% of target.

    This years annual expenses spent so far this year:

    £430 on car 1 (expensive CAM belt change and MoT)
    £180 car 1 tax
    £175 car 1 insurance
    £100 deposit on accommodation for May half term holiday

    Still managing the shopping budget. I gave us £100 per week and have promised that anything left over will go off the mortgage. So far I have managed to save between £0 and £15 per week towards that.

    I'm chilly sitting still now so am off to clean the house. Dull but essential and will warm me up.

    MM
    MFW Challenge 2019 - £2,420 / £2,420 - 100% :T
  • MoneyMission
    MoneyMission Posts: 652
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    Pay day shuffles done. Pots of money topped up.

    Some spends from the house fund pot: fixing up of old shed and some railway sleepers for the garden so we can terrace the end slope.

    Scores on the doors are:

    House fund pot: £777
    America: £4272
    Annual Expenses 2014: £3045
    Annual Expenses 2015: £2718

    Mortgage has gone up to over £295322 with daily added interest but will reduce forever under £295000 once payment has gone out on 1st June. Have managed to OP £105.40 this month which includes a payment in lieu of pension of £45.00.

    We're off away for a few days later today. Accommodation paid for by annual expenses as was budgeted for. Spends are a combination of left over groceries money (£77.00) and left over days out money (£60.00) from this month. We're self catering so should be able to keep within that budget. Boy MM is fully on board with the budget challenge just not so sure about girl MM and Mr MM! :cool:

    Energy bills gone down again by another £7.00! Its probably due to the fairly mild winter we had and maybe also because I'm not at home during the day as much as am working extra hours. Or, as family MM would say, its because I'm such a nag about it! :D:D:D

    Right. Best get off and pack. Will update mortgage figure when payment has gone out.

    MM
    MFW Challenge 2019 - £2,420 / £2,420 - 100% :T
  • mouche
    mouche Posts: 902
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    Good on you for getting the energy bills down especially with the prices going up. Enjoy your mini-break
    Mortgage (original/ current):193,000 (23/09/11)/ £102,500 (07/11/2019)
    2019 Challenges: Make £300 a month: £9.71/£300 (January)
  • MoneyMission
    MoneyMission Posts: 652
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    edited 5 June 2014 at 8:08PM
    Thanks Mouche.

    Mini break was great. Weather was kind to us and it didn't rain apart from at night. Budget stuck to. Actually came home with £5.40 spare which is great and we didn't skimp at all - plenty of cake eaten :o and lots of places seen and walked. The left over £5.40 has already been paid off mortgage as a mini OP which leaves the balance at £294057 and spare change. Next month will be in the £293K's permanently. :D

    Other MSE stuff:
    • Budget grocery month this month. Hoping to have £50 ish left over at the end.
    • All additional clothes for boy MM's outdoor activity residential school trip bought for under £24.00.
    • Free / budgeted weekend coming up with a day out planned using our Portsmouth Historic Dockyards ticket - am taking my Dad for his birthday and will take picnic.
    • Mini cucumbers are coming through. Will be able to put two in the kids packed lunches tomorrow :T
    MSE future plans:
    • trying to get Mr MM to agree to a 'pocket money free' month. Probably September as its back to school (inc. Mr MM as he works in a school) and we're usually too cream-crackered to do anything as we all adjust to the routine. Saved funds will be paid off mortgage.
    • Am going to angle for a pay rise towards end of year. Was due in March but company cash flow hasn't been great and it wasn't the time. Shall make sure I work extra hard to warrant it when I start angling!
    • Use green grocer more. He's much cheaper than supermarkets.
    That's all folks. Thanks for the continued inspiration. You are all stars.


    MM
    x
    MFW Challenge 2019 - £2,420 / £2,420 - 100% :T
  • MoneyMission
    MoneyMission Posts: 652
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    Oops. Online order of boy MM clothes for his trip hasn't arrived yet. Seriously hope it gets here tomorrow otherwise I'll be off to shops Saturday afternoon to make duplicate purchases. Naff.
    MFW Challenge 2019 - £2,420 / £2,420 - 100% :T
  • MoneyMission
    MoneyMission Posts: 652
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    :j:j:jYay. Boy has gone on residential school trip with the kit he needed. Bless the couriers - they came when I was out but when I called them they came straight back 20 minutes later and delivered. Have left them lovely feedback on y0del surveys. :D

    Quiet here without boy MM though :cool:

    Opened a TSB account so I can benefit from 5% interest on £2k of our savings. Have asked Mr MM to open one for himself too so that we can shove another £2k in there to earn 5%. Need to pay £500 per month into each as a money shuffle but I'll put that down in my 'rules book' so I don't forget.

    Errr. Thats about all.
    MFW Challenge 2019 - £2,420 / £2,420 - 100% :T
  • MoneyMission
    MoneyMission Posts: 652
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    Still here and tinkering away at the edges of the mortgage. TSB account all opened and full with my £2k. Mr MM still not done his. :cool:

    Working hard in the garden. We rebuilt the shed thereby saving £££'s and being very enviro friendly in the process 'cos we didn't need to buy much timber - used recycled bits. It looks so nice. :D

    We're creating an area under the huge old oak trees at the bottom of the garden where we can put a fire pit. I've wanted one for ages and have seen one in Scatts for £40.00. Will be present to myself for some as yet to be decided reason!

    Mini cucumbers coming through thick and fast in the greenhouse. Yum. Rhubarb and blackcurrants doing well. Courgettes still sulking a bit but I'm sure they'll pick up.

    Off on my annual girls weekend on Friday. All paid for and budgeted out of my funds a while ago so really a guilt free weekend with great friends. :T:T:T

    Holiday booked for next year already! :eek: I like being organised but this is advanced even for me. Still, the lady said that last year they'd booked up by July for this August so perhaps I'm not the only organised nutter out there. Was a tad over budget so had to adjust annual expenses funding. Will still fill the pot up by December which is the target. Just not as much off the mortgage as I wanted.

    Must knuckle down to it MoneyMission. Terribly bad form at the moment.

    MM
    MFW Challenge 2019 - £2,420 / £2,420 - 100% :T
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