Attacking & Tracking the Mortgage

Mr Mel and I have a printout of the floorplan of our house, on graph paper, stuck on the front of our fridge (magnets not glue!).  Each week I send him a summary of where we're at with the mortgage, and overall finances, being a bit Excel obsessed, I have quite a few spreadsheets tracking everything!

A graphed floorplan was only natural progression, wasn't it?  :)

So I thought I should have one on my blog too, tracking where we're at.

We bought our home in July 2009, so closing in on 2 years, and have just passed the 60% equity mark, which we are very excited about, if we can keep on keeping on we are hoping to have our mortgage paid off in the next 3-4 years, but that all depends on what happens on the kidlet front!

Mr Mel does laugh at my obsession with our mortgage, but it's paying off so he's laughing in a good way! Does anyone else have the same obsession?  :)

Till next time,

Can We Do It Update - Apr 2011

Whoops, it's 3rd May, so I'm a couple of days past the end of April when I meant to do the update, but better late than never!

Wedding - Everything is on track for our Surprise Wedding in July.  The invitations went in the mail 2 weeks ago, and the RSVP's are starting to arrive, yay!  We are meeting with our celebrant this week, then with the florist & decorator (friends of friends doing it on the cheap for us) next week.  I have my dress (yay) and this weekend Mr Mel and I are going suit shopping (for a hire option), and hopefully picking out and bringing home our wedding rings.

Mortgage - We bought our home in July 2009, We're aiming to have our mortgage paid off in 7 years from starting out, which would make it July 2016.

Update - We're on month 22 of our mortgage, and we're on track, we've got 60.19% equity in our home. Doing our budget for the next few months, wee may reduce our repayments as the bills start coming in for July!

Other debt - Total non mortgage debt includes a car loan (in mortgage package, same $ rate over 5 years), VISA since closed, HSBC card for lounge (interest free, finishes Aug 2011, keeping $ in offset). Our aim is to have everything paid off by mid 2015, and have our only debt being our Mortgage.

Update - We're on month 22 of our mortgage, and we're on track, we have 60.19% equity in our home. Doing our budget for the next few months, wee may reduce our repayments as the bills start coming in for July!

Weight - As per other updates, my weight covers a few areas, getting healthy & fit, getting my body in the right place to conceive (and fit in a near 'normal' wedding dress!!). 

Update - I joined Curves in March, and Mr Mel and I started on the 'Great Australian Diet', in April. So far I'm down just on 5kg, Mr Mel 7kg.  It's happening, yay!

Business - In Feb 2010 Mr Mel gave up his job in Sydney to have a go at turning his hobby into a business. We also launched a new blog/site Hunter Valley Grapevine, which we're hoping we can slowly grow.

Update - The Hunter Valley Grapevine site has been up for a couple of months now, we've had some great feedback from businesses we've blogged about, and the visitors are picking up.  Will ramp things up significantly after July, happy to potter along till then.

Can We Do It Update - Mar 2011

31st March, huh?  How is it 31 March already?  New Years seems like a couple of weeks ago!

So now that a quarter of 2011 has gone, a time to assess where we're at with our goals perhaps.

Wedding - Everything is getting on track for our Surprise Wedding in July.  Since last update we picked up our engagement ring (yay), booked a venue, celebrant, caterer, lady to help with decorations.  Even my DIY invitations debacle has been fixed with the help of a friend of Mr Mels, who kindly offered to print what I'd designed, for free! There's still a heap to do but getting there.  

Mortgage - We bought our home in July 2009, We're aiming to have our mortgage paid off in 7 years from starting out, which would make it July 2016.

Update - We're on month 21 of our mortgage, and we're on track, we've got 59.24% equity in our home. We may reduce our repayments as the bills start coming in for July!

Other debt - Our total non mortgage debt includes a car loan (as part of mortgage package, at same interest rate), and a VISA we've since closed. Our aim is to have all of this debt paid off by mid 2015.

Update - Compared to when we started back in July 2009, we're sitting at approx 64% non mortgage debt gone, which is great. We have paid off the VISA, and are still happy with having our money in the offset against the mortgage, not sitting in the car, however are always reviewing. Looking like we'll have it paid off well before aim of mid 2015.

Weight - As per other updates, my weight covers a few areas, getting healthy & fit, getting my body in the right place to conceive (and fit in a near 'normal' wedding dress!!). 

Update - I joined Curves a few weeks ago, and Mr Mel and I started on the 'Great Australian Diet', this week. So far I'm down just on 3kg, Mr Mel 2kg.  It's happening, yay!

Business - In Feb 2010 Mr Mel gave up his job in Sydney to have a go at turning his hobby into a business. We also launched a new blog/site Hunter Valley Grapevine, which we're hoping we can slowly grow.

Update - We have the Hunter Valley Grapevine blog/site up and running, need to dedicate a bit of time to it, to get more posts/info going, but at least it's operating!  And we're getting a few visitors yay.  Will ramp that up significantly after July, happy to potter along till then.

Till next time,

2011 - bring it!

So it's already Jan 10, and I'm only now getting around to putting 'pen to paper' re my 2011 goals.  I have put a bit of thought to it over the past weeks, some goals more than others.

So let's see, forgive the typing dribble, but I'll just blurt it all out then try and make sense later, perhaps!  I think I'll go for 6 month goals at this stage.

Health - a major goal is to get healthy, it effects so many aspects of life, it's something that I have overlooked, well more accurately, accidentally on purpose, ignored!  With not great results.  I'm now 37, and not very healthy, I need to lose a fair lot of kgs, and I need to build my fitness up, I work with horses, and over the past year have been doing alot more physical work with them, and my lack of fitness has been glaringly obvious (see my previous post on herding cattle!).  I need to lose weight and get healthy to give my 37 year old ovaries the best chance of producing viable eggs in the next 12 months, with Mr Mel & I wanting to start a family (hopefully!).  Plus I want to lose weight for vanity reasons too, I'm sick of frumpy granny clothes! So let's put a number on it, you read everywhere that you have to define your goals, so here goes, by 30 June (end of fatty year not financial heehee), my goal is to lose 20kgs. After 30 June I'll look at a Xmas goal!

Finances - Mr Mel have been going well, paying almost triple our minimum payment on our mortgage, after 18 months of owning our home we have just over 57% equity. We have made paying our mortgage down, a high priority, we're both in our late 30s and if we want to have kids it has to be asap, and we want a buffer financially, and our thinking is if we can build a buffer in our mortgage, if we happen to fall pregnant and lose 1 or 2 jobs, we'll still have a good 6-8 months of breathing room before things got desperate. So my goal is to be at 60% equity by 30 June.

Business - Mr Mel and I set up our own P/L business last year, he works as a sub-contractor/consultant, and we have invested in broodmares (my speciality), under the business banner.  This year our plan is to expand the business to include a new blog, I can't give too many thoughts away until we get everything registered etc. Our goal is to have our new blog up & running, with 50 followers, and 1 advertiser by 30 June!

Investments - Mr Mel and I have a small share portfolio, we have been quite lucky/fortunate, depending on how you look at it, Mr Mel invested a chunk of cash when the market crashed, and he has managed to double the investment, we took the profit and left the original investment in the market.  This has helped us get to our current 57% equity in our home.  I invested $5k in a speculative share (on the advice of a client in the business) and that share has gone from 0.335 to 0.810 in the past 3 months. Our long term goal is to buy some land, say 10 acres, and build our dream home & farm, so there's no real goal at this stage.  Well actually there is, our goal is to keep on planning for our dream home, it will happen!

Work - While I love my job (most of the time!) I'm getting more and more drawn to working for myself, in my industry I don't know if it's a realistic goal, but I do more than a passing interest in another industry that I could end up working for myself in.  I need to decide if my 'passing interest' is worth pursuing, I need to research and meet with an expert in the field to investigate further. My goal is to by 30 June have a meeting with a local expert and get more info re my possible career change.

Personal - I want to get married, there it is, Mr Mel knows it, he wants to also, but he just seems to get distracted, and forgets to do the whole proposal thing!  Our plan (yes we're planning but not proposing!!!!) is to have a surprise wedding, we will invite loved ones to an engagement party and then get married at the party, it might be a bit risky given most of my family will be coming from interstate, but we've been working on ways to get them here without giving away the surprise.  Our goal is to get bleeping well engaged asap, not by June 30, now damn it!!  :)  Then hopefully preggers will follow!! :)

Home - After having rented my way through 16 years, 14 houses and 2 states, I still have to pinch myself when I look round our home and realise yes it's mine/ours!  The major downside to being a renter for so long, is that I lived those 16 years in a continual state of packing/unpacking, so I never really settled anywhere.  I've found it hard since we moved into our home in July 2009 to try and put down roots, I still think I shouldn't nail a picture hook into the wall, etc.  The end result is our home is a bit of a schmozzle, will no real identity, it's homey enough, but I still as usual have a spare bedroom full of boxes. So my goal is to have no removalist boxes in the house/garage/anywhere by 30 June.  Time to get nesting :)

So there they are, my goals for 2011, well for part of 2011 for now, I'm sure I will edit/add over the coming months!

Till next time,

Can We Do It Update - final of 2010

Ok so I've gotten a tad sidetracked off my 'Can We Do It' Goals & Updates, but the fact they're still out there in blogland, gives me the push I need to get back to it.

So 2011 will be the year of converting goals into achievements, I'll be back in early 2011 to set it out properly, but until then, my last Can We Do It Update for 2010:

Mortgage - We bought our home in July 2009, We're aiming to have our mortgage paid off in 7 years from starting out, which would make it July 2016.

Update - We're on month 19 of our mortgage, and we're going quite well, we've got 56.33% equity . 

Other debt - Our total non mortgage debt includes a car loan (as part of mortgage package, at same interest rate), and a VISA we've since closed. Our aim is to have all of this debt paid off by mid 2015.

Update - Compared to when we started back in July 2009, we're sitting at approx 48.65% non mortgage debt gone, which is good, we've got the bulk of our money against the mortgage, not sitting in the car, so we're happy with that situ.

Weight - As per other updates, my weight covers a few areas, getting healthy & fit, getting my body in the right place to conceive (and fit in a near 'normal' wedding dress!!). 

Update - Let's just say I totally lost my mojo, will review in 2011!

Business - In Feb 2010 Mr Mel gave up his job in Sydney to have a go at turning his hobby into a business. 

Update - Mr Mel's business is growing steadily, he's working hard at it and the results are coming in, he's probably at about 75% of his Sydney wage so far, yay!  Combined with my bloodstock investments/business, we're chugging along ok.  Looking at another part to the business in early 2011, but will update later on that.

I promise I'll be back in 2011 to redo the goals :)

Till next time,

Can We Do It - Update 5

Another month down and it's mid September, unbelievable, this year is flying.  This is update 5 on my 'Can We Do It Goals', some movement forward, and a fair bit of treading water unfortunately, but it is what it is!

Mortgage

We bought our home in July 2009, We're aiming to have our mortgage paid off in 7 years from starting out, which would make it July 2016.

We're on month 14 of our mortgage, and we're going quite well, we've got approx 54% equity . 

According to my obsessive excel calculations, if we continue on the same path we'll have the mortgage paid off by mid 2016, even allowing for a couple of years at minimum payments (fingers crossed that becomes reality soon!! read below)

Other debt

Our total non mortgage debt includes a car loan (as part of mortgage package, at same interest rate), and a VISA we've since closed.

We're sitting at approx 25% non mortgage debt gone, which is good, we've got the bulk of our money against the mortgage, not sitting in the car, so we're happy with that situ.

Our aim is to have all of this debt paid off by mid 2015, so we're on track there too.

Weight

As per other updates, my weight covers a few areas, getting healthy & fit, getting my body in the right place to conceive (and fit in a near 'normal' wedding dress!!). I am easily distracted from weightloss, so hoping this blog can keep me on the straight & narrow!! We've been talking wedding options over the past few months (even though Mr Mel hasn't proposed yet!!!! don't get me started!), so have to keep on keeping on!!

A new goal is Xmas, Mr Mel & I are venturing to my old hometown for the first time since I 

moved to Melbourne (1992) and I want to move some pudge before heading home.  So the timeframe is set!!

My goal is:

Lose 15kg by 20th December, that gives me 18 weeks, that SHOULD be do-able, the only thing stopping me, is me!!  C'mon me!

Since this new goal was set on 16 Aug, I've lost the miserly amount of 1.4kg, which is pathetic, but the good part is I was pathetic, little to no extra exercise, and too much naughty food, so at least I still lost while being very naughty.

So on that goal of 15kg, I'm 9% there, it's better than 0%, so that's a start!

The good news is we fixed the treadmill, so this week I've been on the treadmill every morning, after walking the pug.  Results should follow!

Business

Mr Mel's work (majority of our business) continues to grow, he gets frustrated that he's not 'bringing home all the bacon he should' but we'll get there, as long as he's happy in what he's doing that's the main thing, the rest will follow

Our bloodstock side of the business (my part) had it's first profit a few weeks back, so it was nice to make a deposit from the horses, instead of constant outgoings.

I think that's about it for the month.....

Till next time,

Can We Do It - Update 4

Time sure is flying, I can't believe it's mid August, that's just crazy!  This is the fourth of my monthly updates on our 'Can We Do It' goals/challenges:

Mortgage

We bought our home in July 2009, We're aiming to have our mortgage paid off in 7 years from starting out, which would make it July 2016.

With our 1st year of mortgage done, we are allowed 1 'renegotiation' of our mortgage (allowed every year), so we locked away the redraw, and transferred a lump sum from our savings/offset, to get our minimum payment recalculated. It's gone from $310 p/week to $244 p/week.  

This has a couple of benefits, each week we're paying an extra $66 off the principal, plus our minimum is now alot lower, if we needed to we could more easily manage the minimum repayment off one wage (fingers crossed for next 12 months this happens!).

Start of mortgage - 13 July 2009

As at today (16 August 2010) - mortgage reduced by $112,682
% of home owned - 53.13%

We're making good progress on our aim of being mortgage free in under 7 years, let's hope we can keep on keeping on!

Other debt

Our total non mortgage debt includes a car loan (as part of mortgage package, at same interest rate), and a VISA we've since closed.

Start of car loan - 10 May 2010

As at today (16 Aug 2010) - reduced by $932.54
% of car owned - 5.61%

Start of VISA - 1 Dec 2009

As at today (16 Aug 2010) - reduced by $3,983
% of VISA paid - 80.95%

Total non mortgage debt (May 2010) - $15,633
As at today (16 Aug 2010) - reduced by $4,915.54
% of debt paid - 31.44%

Weight

My weight covers a few areas, getting healthy & fit, getting my body in the right place to conceive (and fit in a near 'normal' wedding dress!!). I am easily distracted from weightloss, so hoping this blog can keep me on the straight & narrow!! We've been talking wedding options over the past few weeks (even though Mr Mel hasn't proposed yet!!!! don't get me started!), so have to keep on keeping on!!

Not much change, up and down month, laziness, work & a bit of stress to blame, but mostly laziness! Slack slack slack.

A new goal is Xmas, Mr Mel & I are venturing to my old hometown for the first time since I 

moved to Melbourne (1992) and I want to move some pudge before heading home.  So the timeframe is set!!

My goal is:

Lose 15kg by 20th December, that gives me 18 weeks, that SHOULD be do-able, the only thing stopping me, is me!!  C'mon me!

Business

Things have picked up over the past 6 weeks, Mr Mel's contacts are handballing more and more work to him, which is great, probably creeping up to .7 of a 'normal' wage now. All good, main thing Mr Mel is happy doing it :)

Till next time,

Can We Do It - Update 2

I'm aiming to do a monthly update on our 'can we do it' goals, so here goes:

Mortgage

We bought our home in July 2009, settlement was 13 July, so we're closing in on 12 months. We're aiming to have our mortgage paid off in 7 years from starting out, which would make it July 2016.

Start of mortgage - 13 July 2009

As at today (30 June 2010) - mortgage reduced by $93,233
% of home owned - 47.42%

If we can continue on the track we're on with the mortgage, even allowing for a year or 2 of 1/2 wage for me (hopefully with kiddies), we should meet or beat our 7 year deadline.

Other debt

Our total non mortgage debt includes a car loan (as part of mortgage package, at same interest rate), and a VISA we've since closed.

Start of car loan - 10 May 2010

As at today (30 June 2010) - reduced by $457.97
% of car owned - 3.05%

Start of VISA - 1 Dec 2009

As at today (30 June 2010) - reduced by $3,829
% of VISA paid - 77.8%

Total non mortgage debt (May 2010) - $15,633
As at today (30 June 2010) - reduced by $4,286.97
% of debt paid - 27.42%

Weight

My weight covers a few areas, getting healthy & fit, getting my body in the right place to conceive (and fit in a near 'normal' wedding dress!!). I am easily distracted from weightloss, so hoping this blog can keep me on the straight & narrow!! C'mon me, you can do it!!

Weight loss as at 1st March 2010 - 0kg 

Weight as at 30 June 2010 - 6.7kg 
% of goal weight loss achieved - 13.4%

Business

At end of financial year, our business is actually going better than expected, equates to about .6 of Mr Mel's previous wage, which we're happy with after our first year, when Mr Mel only started working on it full time from mid Feb this year. We have some plans and ideas, so looking forward to implementing and/or researching further in the 2010/11 FY.

Till next time,

Can we do it update

Have just realised I haven't posted anything on our 'can we do it' goals, so hear goes:

Mortgage
Our mortgage when we bought in July 2009 was $272,000, it currently sits at $182,229, we held back $60,000 from our deposit to get us into a higher discount on interest rates, so paid that $60k off the mortgage straight away.  We have a 100% offset account, and keep every $ as long as we can in there, we pay for nearly everything on VISA then pay that off in full from offset each month.


We're hoping to have our mortgage paid off in 7 years from starting out, which would make it July 2016.


Start of mortgage (July 2009) - $272,000
As at today (May 2010) - $182,229 (reduced by $89,771)


Other debt
Our total non mortgage debt is $16,050, which includes a car loan (as part of mortgage package, at same interest rate, and a VISA we've since closed).


Start of car loan (May 2010) - $15,000
As at today (May 2010) - $14,794.90 (reduced by $205.10)


Start of VISA (Dec 2009) - $4,920
As at today (May 2010) - $1,255 (reduced by $3,665)


Total non mortgage debt (May 2010) - $16,050


Weight
My weight covers a few areas, getting healthy & fit, getting my body in the right place to conceive (and fit in a near 'normal' wedding dress!!). I am easily distracted from weightloss, so hoping this blog can keep me on the straight & narrow!! C'mon me, you can do it!!


Weight as at 1st March 2010 - 136.6kg
Weight as at 26 May 2010 - 133.2kg (lost 3.4kg)


Business
Our business is chugging along ok, currently equating to around .6 of a 'normal' wage, we're hoping to grow the business in the next few months, plans are afoot!!


Till next time,