I have a confession. I am a Mortgage-Free Wannabe and a spreadsheet addict.
Well there are worse things one could be addicted to.
A while back, I took a bold step of taking Voluntary Redundancy, walking away from a 19-year career with a large multi-national corporation to go into contracting/train to be a journalist.
One thing became abundantly clear - single and with a three bedroom house-sized mortgage to pay, I had to have some kind of clear plan in mind as to how to chip away at those bricks.
The first thing was to trim down all non-essentials - goodbye Sky HD and channels I never ever watched. Farewell takeaways. And definitely forget those comfortable overpayments I was making in a secure job.
My intention had been to go into IT contracting, so while still gainfully employed, I set up a limited company and registered with recruiters.
I was a little overwhelmed when I managed to land a permanent role a month to day of leaving my old job.
Hello again, Sky HD and channels I tend not to watch. I just had a takeaway. And it's time to tackle those overpayments.
I drew a lot of ideas from an excellent thread in Martin Lewis' Money Saving Expert website and the forums, including those dedicated to Mortgage Free Wannabes'.
Now, I would be the first to confess - I don't do macros. I tried to understand them once, with the help of a colleague who could write them in his sleep. I just slept.
But I can knock up a simple enough sheets for budgets and for broadly tracking overpayments.
I'm not sure I should be admitting this, but I even have a little house in a spreadsheet and shade in the "bricks" as I hit milestones.
A former colleague who was forced into early retirement has often complained of her frustration that mortgage payers who have over-stretched themselves are penalising those who now have no mortgage but see their savings underperforming.
I see her point, but in fairness, I made sure that I didn't over-stretch myself.
I know I am extremely fortunate in being able to currently throw at least a couple of months extra at the mortgage - but not without some sacrifice.
In fact, ironically the fact that I want to train to be a journalist and leave a well paid career in IT to probably earn far less means I HAVE to plan ahead.
Getting that financial albatross as low as I possibly can, while I can, seems a sensible measure.
Opinions on this can also polarise my peers - something that fascinates and discombobulates me in equal measure.
For every zealous Mortgage-Free Wannabe on the forum, there are people that want to slap you upside the head and scream to you to save, save, save!
It is possible to do both, and indeed advisable. The general consensus was to have about six months net income squirreled away for emergencies.
I put a significant chunk of Voluntary Redundancy cash towards the mortgage before starting my Mortgage-Free journey and splashed out with the course fees for the Part-Time Journalism Diploma.
Going into 2012, I am gearing up for payday and the finances and bill-paying for next month.
I have my spreadsheets on the go, and I have a rough idea of the hit my over-paying targets will take over Christmas.
I am in awe of some of the measures people make to overpay and I wish I could be that thrifty.
I could cut out everything to throw the maximum I can at the mortgage.
However, I like my technological toys - I am a self-confessed geekette to my very core, with gadgets a-plenty.
I will enjoy the odd Starbucks, and resign myself to the fact that if I want to get a good 30-45 minutes of shorthand practice, I need to leave the premises and sit in Pret with a soup and my reporters' notepad.
I want to get that mortgage down and have already managed to colour in a few bricks on my Excel house.
I want to pass my exams and look for opportunities to be a sports journalist.
But above all, I want to be able to enjoy my potential new life and not feel financially overwhelmed in the house I have put a lot of heart, soul and money into, to modernise and bring into the 21st Century.
(Mentioned sites: www.moneysavingexpert.com )