Move to Portugal

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Money and Goals
2009-04-07 09:11:00
photo credit: orienterare On my previous post about improving our finances I said that you don’t need millions in the bank to achieve your dream and escape the rat race. I believe this 100%. I believe that if you are consumer debt free, can keep your day to day living costs down to a minimum, live small ...
More About: Money , Goals

52 Simple Organising Projects: Pots and Pans
2009-04-05 09:24:00
Today we’re going to sort out your pots and pans. To start: Put all your saucepans, pans onto your kitchen table Wash and clean the drawer/cupboard/stand, whatever you use to store them in De-Clutter: Sort all the pans into like for like; frying/griddle/saucepan/steamer Throw out any broken items and dispose of safely Now assess what you need, remember the theme of this ...
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Reducing the Energy Bills
2009-04-03 16:36:00
We switched our gas and electricity supplier last April, which means we now know the total cost of all our energy usage for the last twelve months; £1.367.57. I know that the cost of gas and electric has gone up over the last year but this seems like a lot to me, approximately £114 a month! Anyway, as ...
More About: Energy , Bills

April Mini Goals
2009-04-01 11:39:00
My March mini goals were a bit of a wash, apart from the purging, so I’m not aiming for too much this month. Start a small herb garden Switch to a cheaper Gas and Electric provider Do a car boot sale Sell 5 things on eBay Take all purged items to Charity shop Open a 09/10 ISA What are your goals this ...
More About: April , Goals , Mini

Grocery Challenge Update
2009-03-31 07:47:00
A quick update on my £160 grocery challenge. I’m trying really hard, but after two weeks I’ve already spent £99.84, leaving  me only £60.16 for the next two weeks. I’m not sure I’m going to make the challenge as we’ve got two extra for dinner most nights now; my eldest daughter is home from University for Easter and ...
More About: Update , Challenge , Grocery

52 Simple Organising Projects: The Spending Diary
2009-03-29 10:36:00
photo credit: manuela hoffmann For this weeks project I thought I’d re-visit the best thing I’ve ever done to control our finances; keep a spending diary.  Using a spending diary, even if you only do it for a week, really opens your eyes to where your money is going; this is essential if you want to budget, pay off debt ...
More About: Diary , Projects , Spending , Simple

Next Step: Improving Our Finances
2009-03-26 09:01:00
Yesterday I discussed how visualising your goals can help you to achieve them, today it’s about educating yourself about money. I can’t emphasise enough just how much reading personal finance books has helped us so far. There are so many books, that you can borrow freely from a library, websites and blogs that can help you to ...
More About: Finances , Goals , Step

Steps We?ve Taken So Far
2009-03-25 18:42:00
I thought I’d share with you some of the steps we’ve taken so far to achieve our goal of moving to Portugal. The first step was to write down and visualise our goals. We brainstormed five things each, outside of family, that were important to us. We then made a picture board reflecting these things; Having  a ...
More About: Goals , Steps

In a New {Blog} Home
2009-03-25 16:45:00
You may have noticed, if you are a regular reader, a big change to this blog. I’ve finally, with the help of the lovely people at Blog Crafted, moved this site over to it’s own domain. The new website address is www.movetoportugal.org , so if you link to this site can I please ask that you update ...
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The Romantic Notion
2009-03-23 06:00:00
photo credits: 1st photo tim_d 2nd photo miek37 If you wanted to simplify the romantic notion behind this blog then it can be illustrated by the two photo’s; we are trying to move from the above to the below. There are several steps you need to put into place if you want to achieve this, and ...
More About: Romantic , Goals

Survey Sites
2008-06-08 22:20:00
I used to be a member of every survey site going, however it got too much to keep up with so now I'm just a member of YouGov. Their surveys are easy to complete and unlike some sites you never get half way through a survey to be told you don't meet the profile.If you like doing surveys then why not have your say and join YouGov. So far I've earned £50, the minimum payout, from them and I'm well on my way to the next £50.To join YouGov my referral link is here (thank you) or the non referral link to site here.
More About: Survey , Sites

Still waiting to complete new mortgage
2008-06-08 18:28:00
There was a little hold up in the mortgage change over due to the Building Insurance. It ran out in April and our solicitors still had the old schedule. The mortgage company needed a copy of the new insurance schedule and after several attempts to scan the document and then fax it, I've now sent a photocopy through the post. Apparently the other copies weren't clear enough.We had a letter from the Abbey with our new mortgage payment amount, £953.47, which would be due on 1st July if we were staying with them. This is nearly £150 more a month than the previous fixed rate deal and £100 more than our new deal, so its good that we're changing. I'll just be glad when its all sorted out.
More About: Mortgage , Complete , Waiting

The great mortgage payoff
2008-06-01 07:59:00
The June direct debit has left the bank account, however as we are in the middle of swapping mortgages, I have no idea where we are with the balance this month. It's got a little confusing as we've borrowed more than the balance outstanding. This is because we applied 3 months ago, so the figures were done on the balance then. It doesn't matter, as when the dust settles we'll just pay the extra off the new mortgage as it has unlimited over payments.I've placed the £600 overpayment money in the e-saver for now, so it's ready to go as and when.On a side note part of the bathroom window frame broke yesterday, which means we need a new one. This whole window has needed replacing ever since we moved in and I'm surprised its lasted for two years. The list of home improvements still needed gets bigger and bigger! So far I have:Hall tiles cleaned/restoredChimneys re stacked x 2 Insulation in the roofRemove conifer tress x 2Repair/replace all windows, some have wet rot!Gravel outside ...
More About: Property , Great , Mortgage , Renovation

A typical day chez Move To Portugal
2008-05-29 16:06:00
Lizzie and other bloggers have been posting their typical days so I thought I would follow suit. This is a typical work day for me.6am: Get up - Coffee and Internet together. I read all the posts in my Google reader, read the headlines in the NY Times and UK Times online and empty my email in box7am: Shower and get ready for work, make packed lunches, read work emails, plan my work route and switch on work mobile8am: Take children to school and then onto work, or if dh takes them, another hour blogging or clicking :)9am: Work6pm: Usually home although work mobile on until 10pm!! Sort dinner and put washing on.7pm: Do any work admin/planning I need to do, check my emails, check my eBay listings, Amazon listings, check kids homework.8pm: Blog, read, talk, relax.10pm: Watch TV, CSI, ER, Greys Anatomy, anything dh has recorded on the Sky+ for me. Our guilty pleasure. No adverts and quicker viewing :)11pm: BedI usually fit grocery shopping and errands into my work day as I'm mobile all ...
More About: Portugal , Move , Organisation

May Update
2008-05-23 21:40:00
Things have just been ticking along in our house lately, the re mortgage is currently going through and fingers crossed it should all be completed by the 3rd of June. We're not going to make our usual overpayment on the 1st due to the timing of the mortgage swap over, instead we are putting the money in the e-saver and then making the payment when the dust has settled.My new organising business is up and running and I already have a client who's a friend of a friend of a friend!I've also added some lovely new blogs to my sidebar this month, most of them have a 'simple living' theme as this is the direction I'm moving in. I think this is a natural progression from living a frugal and organised life.Small Notebook - Rachel who lives in Texas and has a lovely simple blogSimple Mom - Toblerone who's passionate about simplicity and balanced livingSimply Breakfast - I could look at these simple breakfast photo's all dayMiles Away in France - Escaping the Rat Race to life in a beau...
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Grocery Spending so far in May
2008-05-18 09:16:00
I've spent £124.68 so far this month, so with a budget of £200 I have £75.32 left.My menu plan for this week is:Roast Chicken and VegPizza and SaladSpaghetti and Tomato SauceShepherds Pie and VegChicken CurryLarge Tuna/Prawn Salad with New PotsFish, Chips and PeasAll these meals are simple and easy to get ready after work. The shepherds pie and the curry are made and in the freezer.
More About: Spending , Grocery

Can you learn to cook at 43?
2008-05-16 11:11:00
This post has nothing to do with paying off the mortgage, but is more a word of warning if you value your sleep!Do not discover the world of food blogs at 11pm at night, as it leads to staying up almost all of the night and your whole world changing. I now need to learn to cook and I mean really need to.Further Reading:Smitten Kitchen in NY
More About: Food , Blogs , Cook , Learn

Our Goals Board
2008-05-14 14:28:00
If you are a regular reader of this blog you will know that I'm pretty focused on achieving our goals, very focused, sometimes I think it borders on obsession. We have constant reminders of our aims and goals all around us, a laminated copy of them near the computer, a handwritten copy in our account book, Algarve reading by the bed, a mortgage overpayment piggy bank on the dresser, and the visual goals board above. Everywhere you go in our house you can't escape the fact that we want to pay off the mortgage and move to Portugal. Some may think this is too much, I think it keeps us motivated to achieve our dreams. When we first devised our plan dh and I both wrote down our five main priorities in life after family and our health. These are a given. These priorities could be anything, however silly they may seem. Mine were, in no particular order, to have financial freedom, to be in the sunshine, to travel (I love America), to lead a simple life and to read good books. If I achieve...
More About: Board , Goals

Renewal of passport - How much?
2008-05-14 12:52:00
There is no way to save money on this, unless you never want to travel, £72 to change the name on a passport, I thought it was £55 but it appears to have gone up!
More About: Spending , Renewal , Passport

Organising: Our housekeeping schedule
2008-05-10 08:36:00
Lizzie from Lizzies Homeworld gave me the idea for this week's organising post. Having seen the photos of my house she assumes that I clean a lot, lol, oh if only you new the truth Lizzie :)I don't clean a lot but I am very tidy. I'm very ruthless about clearing the clutter as soon as it hits the house. I spend about ten minutes in the morning before work, after the kids have finished their morning rituals, and then ten minutes before bed at night. The only cleaning I do mid week is a quick wipe down of the kitchen and bathroom. At the weekend, usually Sunday morning, dh and I both spend an hour cleaning the whole house, he will hoover and dust upstairs while I sweep and dust downstairs, dh will then clean the floors downstairs while I blitz the bathroom.Once every three months we 'spring clean', this means go behind cupboards and beds, hoover the blinds, clean the windows inside and out, clean out all the kitchen cupboards etc. This takes about 4 hours.To keep paperwork clutte...
More About: Schedule , Housekeeping , Organisation , Clutter

Project grocery bill
2008-05-07 09:49:00
Another post about grocery costs, meal planning and my constant frustration with it all!I need to get serious about the amount we are spending on food. I was allowing myself a budget of £200 a month for the five of us and this was proving impossible due to the rising food prices. I've overspent every month this year. Now that my eldest daughter is away until June I should be able to feed the four of us in May for £200, with a little planning.As well as lowering my spending I'm trying to provide healthier food, I've slipped back into oven chip mode, which is not good. One of my goals this year was to provide healthier food for my family and its got better, however there is still a long way to go.May goals:Go to the farmers market once a weekStick to the meal planBatch cook this SundayProvide one vegetarian meal a weekI'm going to post my grocery spending on this blog to make me accountable.Spent so far: £41.75
More About: Project , Bill , Grocery

Organising: My meal planner
2008-05-03 13:43:00
I'd love to do a post about how I use my meal planner without fail every week, always sticking to it, always following the meals, but I'd be lying. I probably stick to it about 60% of the time.When I do stick to it, it definitely saves me money, when I don't it sometimes saves money, sometimes costs money. Take last night, I went shopping only buying things on offer and have then done a quick menu plan for next week to fit around them.My meal plan folder contains the following:12 weeks of meals on a 4 week rotationRecipes, cut from magazines, MSE, anywhere reallyWeekly shopping list for every weekly planA monthly shopping list for basicsI also do the following:Stock up on BOGOF items (if I use them only)Shop at all supermarkets (Aldi for tins, eggs etc)Use coupons (which I keep in my handbag)Adapt the menu's for food on offerUse a price bookMy menu plan took about 3-4 hours to set up, however was time very well spent. If only I could stick to it 100% :)Further Reading:Living fru...
More About: Organisation , Planner , Meal

The great mortgage payoff
2008-05-02 09:45:00
The May direct debit payment has gone through and I've sent the overpayment check, so the new balance on our mortgage as of today is £129,438.The percentage figures now stand at:Abbey own 69.97% of the house. We own 30.03% of the house.We've now made £3,100 in over payments this year.The target date for owning 50% of the house is 31st December 2009
More About: Great , Mortgage

Retiring early? - No not me
2008-04-28 09:54:00
I've received an email from a reader asking if I'm looking to retire when I move to Portugal. The answer is no. I would go out of my mind with nothing to do all day apart from cook and sunbathe. That's not to say I want to work like I do now, I'm looking along the lines of part time, with my own small business. I just want a more simpler life. DH is going to be working full time, he's still quite young and isn't ready to quit the rat race yet, that's why he's learning the language so intently.There is a post on one of my favourite blogs, The Wastrel Show about retiring at fifty. Check out cinzea's post, it's certainly gives you something to think about.
More About: Goals , Early

The sun is shining - at last!
2008-04-26 14:24:00
I want one of these, not need, want!They do cost the same as one months mortgage overpayment, so I will have to go without.A towel on the grass is much cheaper :(
More About: Dreaming , Shining

The #149 Carnival of Personal Finance
2008-04-21 20:13:00
This week Frank at The Happy Rock presents the 149th Carnival of Personal Finance - Chasing Dreams Edition.My post Organising my Paperwork was included along with 85 other posts. Please visit the Carnival, there are some great blogs to discover.Thank you to Frank for running the Carnival, and for including my post.This post was also linked over at Brip Blap, one of my favourite blogs. Steve at Brip Blap covers personal finance, wealth building, self improvement and all sorts of other things.Other reading:The #140 Carnival of Personal Finance

Organising my paperwork
2008-04-19 08:56:00
This is the simple method I use to keep all our paperwork/bills organised and paid.When anything arrives in the post during the week it goes on top of the boxes under the pig, then once a week on a Sunday morning I pay it, file it or shred it.We have a file for each personal account, a file for the joint account, a box for insurance policies etc and a box for the children's finance stuff.There is also an A4 book that I use for keeping a written monthly budget, this also has our annual goals printed at the front.We have gone paperless on most bills but not all companies offer this service. I like to be organised, it saves time and it can save you money. Who wants to pay late payment charges to a bank or company?
More About: Organisation , Clutter

Health cover in Portugal
2008-04-17 21:03:00
I'm currently building up a picture of what our budget will look like when we are eventually living in Portugal . One of the things we need to budget for is health care cover. At the moment we are both covered by our company Private Health Plan which costs us next to nothing every month. I've put some quotes into the BUPA website tonight, and this has given me a variety of options and costs to think about.For the fully comprehensive cover the cost is £3,732 for the two of us per year. If you have an excess of £1000, this then reduces to £1,879 per year.The cost for basic cover, just hospital in and out patient care, is £2,021 a year. Obviously this would reduce if you had an excess amount on the policy.We would be looking for the fully comprehensive cover, as you never know what is around the corner, however would have the excess of £1000 and self insure ourselves for anything up to this amount.Dentist treatment is also expensive in Portugal and I read somewhere that its better to ...
More About: Healthcare , Cover , Budget

Holiday week update
2008-04-16 17:49:00
Things are progressing along nicely with a business idea I have. I'm sticking with what I know and that's how to organise things, I'll let you all know more when its up and running.The new washing machine is installed, with the plumbing all done by 'move to Portugal' plumbers, me! It wasn't as easy as it should of been as the outflow pipe didn't reach the under the sink bit (a good plumbing term) and so I had to connect an extra bit. So far no leaks.The garden is now ready for the summer, I know that it'll be here soon. We aren't buying any plants this year just living with what we already have. I would rather put any money towards the mortgage.My eldest daughter is off to Thailand in the morning for nine weeks and I have to drop her at the train station at 4am, so I need an early night tonight. I wish I was going, I know the weather is good there!
More About: Holidays , Holiday , Update , Week

April update
2008-04-12 21:45:00
We have a week off work next week which should provide some time to get the garden in order and get the garden furniture out for those long summer nights ahead of us here in England. I'm hopeful anyway!We will also be re doing the budget for the rest of 2008. Things keep changing and we want to know exactly where we are at. We're looking to overpay by £700 in May, an increase on the normal overpayment of £600, I would love to overpay by this much extra every month but I'm not sure if we can quite achieve this yet. We only have two more months with the Abbey and then we switch to our new mortgage. The monthly payment from July will be more than we are paying now, although it has reduced at the moment as the Bank of England base rate has dropped to 5% and the new fixed rate mortgage is linked to this.The switch from British Gas to Eon is now complete, we just need to pay the final bills for both the gas and the electric. I'm still waiting for the cash back of £30 from Moneysuperm...
More About: April , Update , Budget