Gallygirl's "A journey of 121,226.67 pounds begins with a single penny" diary

A question about : Gallygirl's "A journey of 121,226.67 pounds begins with a single penny" diary

Best I could come up with for a title . For those who haven't come across me before, HERE is my old diary. Hopefully I will keep this one to 2016 when I will be totally mortgage free

2011 challenges.

Mortgage #1
Ј19,546.15 Currently
0 Target

Mortgages 2 & 3
Ј101,668.64 Currently
Ј94,803.11 Projected end of 2011
Ј90,000 Target (mortgages - savings)

BTL Mortgage on Late Mum's House
Ј27,056 Currently
Ј25,489.36 Projected end of 2011
Ј23,000 Target

In addition to that I have set myself some other goals. Some easy to measure, others a bit more subjective:
1 June I will decorate the living room and buy new sofas
2 August I will reach my target weight (the 'real' one, not the official one. I will get below 11 stone) and stay there
3 August I will have no mortgage on my house
4 August I will be fabulous at 50!!!!!
5 October I will have a garden I am proud of
6 December I will read 12 books off the BBC list
7 Ongoing I will continue sell all possible things on ebay
8 Ongoing I will start entering competitions again (& flog everything I win)
9 Ongoing I will exercise for 30 mins at least once a week
10 Ongoing I will meet up with friends at least once a month
11 Ongoing I will continue loving life & thanking the Universe for all its' gifts

Here goes folks!

gg x

Best answers:

• 2012 Challenges
  Mortgage #1
  Ј35,627 Currently
  Ј28,808 Target - based on normal mortgage payments (which is quite a bit higher than needed) + regular OP of Ј200 into offset.
  Mortgage #2
  Ј59,236 Currently
  Ј54,549 Target (normal payments only)
  Mortgage #3
  Ј37,022 Currently
  Ј35,226 Target (normal payments only)
  BTL Mortgage on Late Mum's House
  Ј17,872 Currently
  Ј0 Target
  Overall Mortgages
  Ј149,757 Currently
  Ј118,583 Target
  Ј31,174 Reduction
  In addition to that I have set myself some other goals. Some easy to measure, others a bit more subjective:
  1. No more accidental house purchases
  2. By Easter - paint bathroom
  3. August I will reach my target weight (the 'real' one, not the official one. I will get below 11 stone) and stay there. This was last year's and I have failed miserably, but have seen a few photos recently and not happy - am still 3 stone lighter than I was but want to lose more
  4. October I will have a garden I am proud of. Another carried forward .
  5. June - bottom corner of garden to have tiny seating area and new bit of fence.
  6 December I will read 12 books off the BBC list. Another carried forward . Santa is bringing me a Kindle so have a load on there already, now all I need to do is read them .
  7 Ongoing I will continue sell all possible things on ebay. Another carried forward, but achieved in 2011.
  8 Ongoing I will start entering competitions again (& flog everything I win). Another carried forward .
  9 Ongoing I will exercise for 30 mins at least once a week Another carried forward , did it for a little while.
  10 Ongoing I will meet up with friends at least once a month. Another carried forward, but achieved in 2011.
  11 Ongoing I will continue loving life & thanking the Universe for all its' gifts. Another carried forward, but mainly achieved in 2011.
  12. Decided I would like to meet some MSEers in 2012 .
• 2013 Challenges
  1. Reduce debt to Mr GG:
  Start - Ј57,032
  Target - Ј38,176
  Reduction - Ј18,856
  This should be doable.
  2. Reduce overall mortgage debt:
  Start - Ј118,936
  Target - Ј86,908
  Reduction - Ј32,028
  This is harder. Basically, the mortgages will reduce by around 13k anyway and the rest comes from me, paying off Mr GG debt. The problem here is that not all the money I pay off the debt to Mr GG is physical money - e.g. I paid for Xmas pressies for friends children so credit the debt total (or is it debit it??????) with 1/2 the cost which Mr GG should have paid. So the debt will reduce without savings necessarily increasing each time IYSWIM.
  3. Weight. Really need to tackle this - again . Starting off with no alcohol for 3 weeks till hol, then again when I get back till Easter hols (unless something big on). Realistically need to lose 1.5 stone . Would like to lose more though .
  4. Exercise. Linked to 3 obviously. Started well, according to myfitnesspal I have already done my cardiovascular exercise for the week . Just another 51 to go then . Think I am entitled to sit on sofa for a whole and watch Obese: 1 year to save my life .
  5. Eating/cooking/shopping. Again, linked to 3. Not done too bad in past year, need to continue to meal plan, batch cook etc.
  6. Spending. Took a while to convince me the separate bank account with lots of pots worked but now I like it . Need to cut down on all spends that don't fit in the categories . Will keep it going till end of March, as that's when I started it, and replan budget then for next year.
  7. Garden. Sort out as cheaply as possible. Stones and retaining bit of treated wood for bottom of garden won't cost much. Need Want Need Want would like 2 steamer chairs and low table. May compromise on THIS . Seriously, once stones are down I will move the bench from the front and put down there. If I do use the corner the way I envisage I will look to get something. No good leaving bench there as it's not v comfy .
  Think I'll stop at Lucky 7 .
  ETA:
  8. Learn to swim PROPERLY, i.e. without head sticking out of water . Swimming is the only exercise I really enjoy, apart from walking, but it gives me headaches as it puts strain on my neck. Have just sent email about 1 2 1 lessons. Won't be cheap .
• 2014 Challenges
  1. Reduce debt to Mr GG:
  Target Reduction of 20k.
  This should be doable.
  2. Reduce overall mortgage debt:
  Planning on selling one btl and buying another, cheaper so don't really know what overall picture will be.
  3. Weight:
  Get to target weight - and stay there this time . Race you Helen .
  4. Exercise:
  To be honest, I'm basically too lazy . But will be doing a lot of walking and some swimming.
  5. Eating/cooking/shopping:
  Yup, will definitely be eating . Will be planning etc all the way, using Aldi, especially Super Six, and coupons.
  6. Spending:
  Continue with separate pots. Remind myself it is 'real money' .
  7. Garden:
  Will set a target of NOT buying steamer chairs .
  The soil is heavy clay and would need thousands to correct - large drainage channels, remove clay, replace with topsoil. That's not going to happen. But I have enjoyed eating salad leaves (had some on Xmas Eve ) and tomatoes, will continue with this and strawbs and see what else I can do .
  8. Learn to swim PROPERLY:
  See how much I can remember and practice. A few times at least before the summer.
  9. Make time for friends and family, don't sweat the small stuff, keep house clean & tidy (including Room of Doom ).
  10. Work hard and keep job . As that is needed for all the above to happen.
  There, that should keep me off the streets for a while.
• 10 Retirement Steps:
  1. Sell BTL 1.
  2. Buy new BTL (1a) around 20k cheaper and easier to maintain.
  3. Pay difference between 1 and 1a off the mortgage of BTL 2 to clear altogether, will leave savings untouched. (Much cogitation needed as would lose the tax relief. However, as the mortgage balance is around 20k and mortgage rate is 2.5% we'd only be gaining around Ј220 tax relief anyway. Is it worth losing that for the psychological boost of paying mortgage off? Or should we pay off own mortgage, but that's only 1.5%. We can get more than that in savings. Better to not pay off either and keep savings. But I want to pay off the mortgage. Repeat. And repeat. And repeat. Then pay the mortgage on BTL 2 off
  4. Recarpet upstairs in our house. They were decent but already down when we moved in so are now around 17 years old, thin and stretching (which I guess means the underlay has disintegrated). We'd need to recarpet before we could let so I'd like to have a period of nice carpets in the meantime. (Oops, did I forget to mention that Mr GG )
  5. Possibly pay large lump sum off own house. That would only leave around 12k on part 1 of that mortgage . Obviously we would need to repeat argument at no.3 a good few times first.
  6. Clear (or fully offset, see 3 above ) the remaining 12k.
  7. Increase rent on BTL 3. Loathe to do as she's an excellent tenant and has done a lot of improvements, but need to do it.
  8. Clear (or fully offset, see 3 above ) remaining mortgage on our house. By the time I get to step 8 it will be around 50k and I want it gone in 16 months from now
  8. Get decent market rent for BTL 4, i.e. the house Mr GG's brother is in.
  9. Empty own house and rent out, henceforth it will be known as BTL 5
  10. Naff off to Spain
• 2015 Challenges
  1. Successfully move to Middle East with minimum amount of stress and maximum amount of lists
  2. 100% offset remaining mortgage (17.7k )
  3. Succeed in Operation Get a Grip which will be continued overseas
  4. Make a new life overseas which will involve:
• Find and make a new home and be the ideal Stepford Wife
• Going out and meeting new people
• Exercising - with a lot of walking/exploring before it gets too hot
• Find lots of exciting things to do at weekends with Mr GG, some of which will involve spending money
• Live a reasonably frugal life but enjoy being surrounded by a different culture and take opportunities that present themselves to explore it
• Middle Eastern food - learn all about it and cook it (have bought myself a cracking cookbook for starters but want to learn the differences by country), also intend to eat out a lot (whilst keeping to Operation Get a Grip ) in local places, not posh ones. Using the criterion that if I'm prepared to use the loo there then I'm prepared to eat there . Obviously street food won't have a loo so that will all be ok .

5. Fend off Welcome all the visitors
6. Have a bloody good rest
7. Then find a job
That'll do for a year I think .

• Happy new diary xx
• Happy new diary gg sound like great goals... Inspired by you I am also off to start meself a new 2011 diary
  hope the decluttering chocolates is going well- I am still making a stellar effort - the people that wrote those decluttering books on amazon would, Im sure, be so proud....
• Happy new diary and new year, onwards and upwards.
• Congrats on the firm goals and the excellent start to your 'erm'....decluttering 2011.
• Happy new diary and new year!
• Hi folks - this is not GG (but she will leave her lappie on). She goes on at me for daring to let the water run when l brush my teeth!!!
  As you can probably work out I am her far better looking other half who has to put up with her eternal mutterings about things like - "I want to start a new diary blah blah blah" only to be encouraged by these responses. Don't do it - tell her to go back to the 92 months left diary.
  Anyway I have been nursing her all day while she has played on this - and now off to cook dinner - as she is "poorly sick" and doing her best to share that particular burden.
  Have a good New Year all ........ I could populate quite a few of the years above. Suspect that would be fun but am going to skulk off now before I get caught.
  Happy New Year GG. Can't find any of those smilies you are so obsessed with - but you know the one I'd put
• That made me laugh soooooooo much. Bless you both - very cute. x
• Cute???????? Don't make me laugh! Mr GG may be many things but cute he ain't
• Lovely new diary!
• Happy new year and new diary.
• Well, still feeling pooey and beginning to wonder if I'll be up to going back to work . I wanted to do a little bit today but couldn't concentrate so gave up .
  I have managed to achieve some things:
  - tree down and away, living room hoovered & tidy and Yankee candle burning nicely
  - went to Lidl and bought 3 packs of 1/2 price dishwasher tablets
  - currently using Finish Quantamatic device thingy - Ј10 reduced to Ј5, had a Ј5 off voucher so free . Lasts 10 washes. What a palaver to get it out of packaging & you can't use with a rinse so need to take it out. Won't be buying refills (unless on a similar free offer!)
  - as I had used the Ј5 voucher I've made a Ј5 payment to BTL mortgage - 1st OP of the year
  - had an email with my power bill from npower yesterday - ho, ho ho, Happy New Year . Actually, I was quite happy as I'm getting a Ј141 refund. The gas had been underestimated but am still in credit . So that will be another BTL OP in a week or so
  - also an email to say quidco payment of Ј16 on the way, so that will be another OP
  - defrosted freezer after Mr GG left it slightly open - all the food was solid but iced up. Emptied other freezer and reorganised them both so can meal plan better
  - made some chicken curry and leek & potato soup. Em, made soup in pressure cooker and it sort of erupted a bit . Probably lost a portion
  Hoping to feel better tomorrow so I can have a good tidy up. Still need to paint the doors in the bedroom - hopefully will be able to do at weekend, but there is a lot of 'stuff' lying about which needs a home. Just finishing off the last of the wine before tomorrow (thanks a lot Michelle......) then will have an early night - leccy blanket is on
• Way a new diary, Happy New Year GallyGirl