All the single ladies vs 145k

Hello diary,

I have been terrible at updating this. Still chipping away at saving and overpaying. Had a meeting with a mortgage advisor and had my house valued by a few agents. I think I'd been extremely pessimistic and irrational about the situation. I'm not trapped here by any means and can move if I want to. It's a popular area and my place is estimated to have gone up 15-25k, I imagine that is an inflated figure but I'm not in negative equity like I'd convinced myself.

Gradually over the past six months my feelings have started to change. During the valuation I realised I'm becoming attached to my lovely little home, my pretty, quiet and safe street, my wonderful neighbours. I've been decorating the house to make it easier to sell and in the process started to nest. After all the fuss I made! All those wasted hours feeling sorry for myself. What was I thinking??! I remember why I bought here. I think I will move eventually to my top location but I'm not ready to do it yet and it's my choice.

Sadly I didn't get the scholarship. Gutted but am dusting myself down and moving on. I'm applying for a horribly, horribly expensive course at a top uni instead. If I get in I will invest in my education and use it to work towards a career change. I think the 12-18 hour days I'm putting in at work aren't something I want to do long term. They're making me so tired I don't want to travel 30-40 mins to social activities after. That's the problem, not the area. So I have a plan.

I'm thinking of upping my OPs by an extra 200/month, I can make serious, serious inroads on the mortgage if I do that. Plus if I'm studying in my spare time I will be too busy to spend. As I'm going to be here over winter I need to make sure I'm not cold. It was freezing downstairs last year. I'm going to see how much a wood burner and shutters would be...

Hello Diary,

As usual it has been a long time. An important milestone has passed in my MFW project; I have paid off the first 10k on my mortgage. I've been here for 18 months now, I know it has taken me a long time compared to a lot of people but it's still the first bit of progress I've made. I calculate that at the current rate of OPing in another 12 months the next 10k will be gone. I'll feel a lot better then.

I'm about to part with most of my savings for uni fees and feel very scared. When you grow up poor I think it gives you a risk adverse mindset and I keep worrying that it's a terrible way of investing my money. What it I don't manage my planned career change and I pay £12k for the privilege. I know I'm very lucky to have the option of doing this but I feel so scared I might back out of it.


Feeling a bit down and lonely again. Just forcing myself to go through the motions as you have to sometimes. I feel so envious of people with good families. I'd give anything for a sympathetic parent I could call for TLC. Utterly pathetic at my age I know.

It's almost a year since I started my diary. I haven't achieved everything I was aiming for and it's been a mixed year but I'm in a better position now.

Still going with the £546/month OPs. I have spent most of my emergency fund on tuition fees and a wood burner. My house is actually warm now so I'm glad I took the plunge eventually. Focussing on rebuilding the savings next year and then I will think about increasing the OPs again. Have another 4k of course fees to pay for too.

Overall I have been sensible with my money this year, the course is painfully expensive but it could eventually lead to a higher paying job so fingers crossed one day it will pay off. I had hoped to be making higher OPs by now but ended up spending it on education.

I'm in the middle of applying for a new job, it's a long process so won't know the outcome for ages. Recently failed to get another job I desperately wanted. I was gutted when I didn't make the final interview. I am trying to just keep looking for new opportunities...it's tough outside of London.

I stuck with the running and somehow managed a slow half marathon. Really proud of myself for that. Love my running friends. Keeping this up but really struggling to breathe at the moment which is frustrating.

Still wish I wasn't in this area but I'll just wait it out a bit longer and see what happens with work and house prices.

Need to set myself some targets for 2019 now

selloptape wrote: »

I have serious wood burner envy, am feeling the cold! Well done on progress this year and good luck with the job application

Thanks, crossing my fingers and toes.....
Sorry you are cold, I was miserable last winter and the log burner has made such a difference. Not cheap but definitely worth the investment.