On this day 28 years ago, my business with Ex Partner was finally concluded and all debts against the house were settled.
It had been a trying 2 years, and I’d chosen a useless solicitor to act for me whose delay in getting a court order forcing him to sell cost me thousands as property prices dived.
I was also ripped off as although I qualified for legal aid, it later came to light that she had not presented my application and charged me an exorbitant fee instead. When trying to trace her for reimbursement, she had disappeared. Great.
Never mind. It meant that Hubby and I could plan our wedding and begin married life with no debts hanging over us. I still remember getting the letter from the bank giving me 10 days to repay £30,000! Partner had not paid a penny against the mortgage or home improvement loan since the day I left, but at least I had been sensible to advise the bank of everything that was going on and honouring the personal loans I had taken out. My copy of the foreclosure letter was a matter of course as the house was in joint names, but it still loosened my bowels and made me feel sick.
I swore there and then that I would never get in that position again, and with a substantial cheque in my hand, cleared everything I owed personally and cut up my credit cards.
We got change out of £500 for our wedding and a four day trip to Amsterdam for our honeymoon. Our wedding night was a riot as we had an inside cabin with bunk beds on the overnight ferry to The Hague.
Debt scares both of us, which is why we are careful not to overspend and budget for everything we do. Our first house put us in negative equity when the property market crashed in 1990/91 so we were stuck in a house worth less than the mortgage against it.
It became the norm to count the pennies and squirrel excess away. It was never much, but we did OK and when that cheque came through, I paid a lump sum off our mortgage and as interest rates started to fall, we kept to the higher payments.
When we came to move in 1996, we were able to cover the shortfall, our deposit on the new property and all our legal fees without having to borrow more than required for our new mortgage.
As things have turned out, we are still living frugally, but don’t go without, eat well, are warm and on top of our bills. If we want something and can’t afford it, the budget fairy goes into overdrive, hence our ability to revamp our kitchen. The worktops, sink and tap plus the necessary trimmings set us back just under £330, so we were well pleased.
pensitivity101 
Yeah, great that.
it is lovely! Both George and I are wary about getting anything on credit. We paid off our house in a little less than five years, so that bill is now gone. We save for cars, furniture or whatever else we may think we want. it just makes life so much easier!
I used my redundancy money to halve our mortgage in 2001 then when Hubby lost his job, we cashed in our endowment policy and used our savings to pay off the rest. It left us with about £200 but it was the best move we ever did and at least we don’t have to worry about that kind of outlay now.
You’ve had some really bad luck. It’s great that you have been able to rebound and live comfortably without worries.
Living to a budget became second nature, so moving onto the boat wasn’t as much of a life change or hardship as some people may have experienced.
Hubby thinks along the same lines as me regarding money, and neither of us drink (or smoke anymore) so there’s no problem there. Things may be a little tight sometimes, but we’re doing OK and if something major comes up. like an unexpected vet bill, I’ve got it covered. Our life is good.
You have always done right by Maggie! Lucky pup!
thanks Kate.
In many ways, your life has mirrored my own, and I can see that we are both older an wiser now and life is more comfortable. Sometimes I wish my past had been less harsh, but maybe it has made me a better person. Like you, I never made those early mistakes again!
I was able to rebuild my life all those years ago. I learned a lot, and feel I am a better person for it.
If your life was anything like mine, it must have been one hell of a learning curve!
Almost a circle lol!
A perfect example of good planning. I really get inspired by your immaculate planning.
Thanks Sadje. Most of it started out of necessity and then it just became the norm.
My pleasure. I have great respect for your skills. It must be giving you great pleasure to do what you are doing.
Thanks. I’m glad I’m good at figures and budgets!
You’re! And you put it to good use. I have seen people with that gift who turn stingy. But you maintain a balance.
I must admit it is nice to see a DVD or something else we fancy and be in a position to buy it. I like it best when it’s something for Hubby like tools which he needed for the kitchen work.
A bit of leeway is good.
🙂
👍
My sympathy is with you but it’s amazing what we learn from life’s lessons…harsh though they can be. Here’s wishing you a continued, peaceful, stress-free, future! Cheers x
thank you, I appreciate it but all is good here .
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