The mindful MFW: A healthy, happy journey to a mortgage free life!

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  • Kantankrus_Mare
    Kantankrus_Mare Posts: 6,098
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    Ooh, I hadn't thought of a 7 day fortnight. That might make a good compromise if work aren't too keen on the idea.

    Sounds like you have a full and rich life, and one you can finance even with a mortgage. Well done, that's a major achievement. :T

    Lifes too short for working full time!! Could never go back to five days a week. Eughh :eek:

    We are lucky in the fact that although neither of us are earning great wages, we live in a part of the UK that has some of the lowest property prices and this probably gives us a better standard of living than someone on a similar wage living elsewhere. We wouldnt even be able to exist in London!! :rotfl:

    I guess its all relative.
    Make £10 a Day Feb .....£75.... March... £65......April...£90.....May £20.....June £35.......July £60
  • museumworker
    museumworker Posts: 2,240
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    edited 26 July 2017 at 8:57PM
    Lifes too short for working full time!! Could never go back to five days a week. Eughh :eek:

    We are lucky in the fact that although neither of us are earning great wages, we live in a part of the UK that has some of the lowest property prices and this probably gives us a better standard of living than someone on a similar wage living elsewhere. We wouldnt even be able to exist in London!! :rotfl:

    I guess its all relative.

    Definitely all relative, London has lots of amazing things to do for cheap or free, but property prices are just disgusting. We're really fortunate we bought when we did otherwise lord knows where we would be. Probably paying £1800pm in rent or £4.5k a year each on rail fare. :(
    Mortgage [STRIKE]16/03/2011: £190K 01/01/2017: £107,729.65 [/STRIKE] 01/07/2017: £95,979.89
    OPs 2011-2016 = £45K 2017 OPs = £9250.20
  • museumworker
    museumworker Posts: 2,240
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    Just saw DD and exchange girl's concert for the first time, it was great! (And free - see what I mean KM! :rotfl:) Very proud mum tonight.

    Tomorrow taking girls to a big museum and using our free family pass for the first time :money: They then have another concert to perform at in the afternoon and a west end show in the evening (which I need to make a contribution of £12.50 towards). Hoping to use the pass once a month minimum, and if we do will consider buying it next year. I am also confirming free family tickets to a museum on Saturday which will give us a family day out - and save us £22.

    Went a bit crazy and spent £15 at a supermarket :eek:! I definitely need that grocery challenge board when we're back from holiday.

    75p TT to savings, 7 competitions entered, and feel like making progress on a work project. Returned H$BC paperwork and ch!ld benefit claim. It's a good day overall - and time for bed. Night all!
    Mortgage [STRIKE]16/03/2011: £190K 01/01/2017: £107,729.65 [/STRIKE] 01/07/2017: £95,979.89
    OPs 2011-2016 = £45K 2017 OPs = £9250.20
  • Kantankrus_Mare
    Kantankrus_Mare Posts: 6,098
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    Oh I know there are lots of free things to do in London. :D We have had weekends there when the kids were younger and as a couple on our own.

    Made use of all the free museums and parks, sightseeing etc.
    Even got cheap transport using the boris bikes.
    We love London. There is always something going on. Just couldnt afford to live there. :cool:
    Make £10 a Day Feb .....£75.... March... £65......April...£90.....May £20.....June £35.......July £60
  • museumworker
    museumworker Posts: 2,240
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    edited 28 July 2017 at 9:41PM
    Oh I know there are lots of free things to do in London. :D We have had weekends there when the kids were younger and as a couple on our own.

    Made use of all the free museums and parks, sightseeing etc.
    Even got cheap transport using the boris bikes.
    We love London. There is always something going on. Just couldnt afford to live there. :cool:

    Sounds like you've had some lovely times here, glad to hear it.

    Just back from end of exchange meal out - paid for by exchange organisation, and I stuck to my part of the budget per head :T.

    £16 spent on thank you gifts for the 6 staff, found out afterwards there had been a whip-round amongst the parents earlier that day but just glad I didn't go empty handed.

    Also had free lunch due to staff training :cool: good day food wise!

    £6 spent on food top ups, and a 35p TT to savings after checking the accounts.

    Have confirmed free tickets for museum tomorrow, just need to make packed lunches to keep costs down. Oh, and pay another £13 in parking to drop off the exchange girl. :mad: at airport parking.

    Good news is I coped with a full week of having an additional teen, and - my personal nemesis - making packed lunches every day <shudders>. DD1 now wants a packed lunch instead of school food which should save her 20 mins in queuing and me at least £1 a day in food costs. If I can also make a packed lunch for OH (and me, although I hate sandwiches daily) could save another few quid a day. Definitely a MFW challenge for September. :money:

    Time for bed now, night all!

    MW x
    Mortgage [STRIKE]16/03/2011: £190K 01/01/2017: £107,729.65 [/STRIKE] 01/07/2017: £95,979.89
    OPs 2011-2016 = £45K 2017 OPs = £9250.20
  • museumworker
    museumworker Posts: 2,240
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    edited 29 July 2017 at 9:53AM
    Morning

    Up bright and early to see off exchange girl. 15 mins of peace now before have to get DS up for swimming lesson. Our packed lunch for the whole family is already made so when we are back from swimming we'll go straight there. And the sun is shining, thank goodness after the outbursts we've had the last few days.

    Some MSE hopes for the weekend:
    * have cheap day out with free museum visit and packed lunch
    [STRIKE]* buy birthday present for party tomorrow online to hopefully save a few pound vs the shops[/STRIKE] bought online with remains of survey voucher so only cost £5.90 :T
    [STRIKE]* book new shower Rail on TCB to get a few pennies (old one has broken and glue just isn't doing the job)[/STRIKE] OH bought one on way home so at least it will be done this weekend
    * collect parcels
    * do top up shop at Lidl if possible
    * email house swap lady to ask for tips / ask if needs any advice
    * go through H$BC set up
    * go through BT set up
    * Apply for cash back credit card
    * run final figures on OH pension contributions ready to submit paperwork on Monday
    * give OH and DD1 lunch at home tomorrow before she goes to music camp for the week. That way they won't splurge on fast food like they normally do!
    * keep an eye on hot deals
    * today bedroom ready for houseswap half done, massive improvement!
    * tip run
    * get a few loads on and out on the line to make the most of the good weather.

    Busy but nice few days ahead. Hope you all have good weekends!
    Mortgage [STRIKE]16/03/2011: £190K 01/01/2017: £107,729.65 [/STRIKE] 01/07/2017: £95,979.89
    OPs 2011-2016 = £45K 2017 OPs = £9250.20
  • Kantankrus_Mare
    Kantankrus_Mare Posts: 6,098
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    That to do list makes me tired just looking at it.:eek:

    Im with you totally where sandwiches are concerned. I dont mind the odd one but knowing thats whats waiting for you for lunch , day in , day out is depressing.

    Im lucky that where I work provides food free of charge for our breaks but a couple of years ago, I worked in a place that didnt. My way of getting round the sandwich thing was to make a fair amount of couscous and then add anything and everything. Peppers. tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, dried apricots, sweetcorn and then top with diced feta and cubed beetroot. I made a batch big enough to last me three days and it would just be sat in fridge in individual cartions (saved curry takeaway cartons ;)) and just popped in bag as I left the house.;) Delish!!

    Whats this houseswap thing on your list?
    Make £10 a Day Feb .....£75.... March... £65......April...£90.....May £20.....June £35.......July £60
  • museumworker
    museumworker Posts: 2,240
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    That to do list makes me tired just looking at it.:eek:

    Im with you totally where sandwiches are concerned. I dont mind the odd one but knowing thats whats waiting for you for lunch , day in , day out is depressing.

    Im lucky that where I work provides food free of charge for our breaks but a couple of years ago, I worked in a place that didnt. My way of getting round the sandwich thing was to make a fair amount of couscous and then add anything and everything. Peppers. tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, dried apricots, sweetcorn and then top with diced feta and cubed beetroot. I made a batch big enough to last me three days and it would just be sat in fridge in individual cartions (saved curry takeaway cartons ;)) and just popped in bag as I left the house.;) Delish!!

    Whats this houseswap thing on your list?

    Feel knackered even attempting some of the list :rotfl:. Clearly quite a large gap between my ambition and ability :D.

    Couscous salad is a great idea, although we had one recipe we did to death a few years back and now I can't stand the stuff :rotfl:. I've been trying some (well one) of the recipes from a book called Salad Love, all about salad lunches you can make at work. Really enjoyed it and ambition is to continue this and try some new recipes when back from hols. And will give couscous a whirl again, just for you :D.

    I once volunteered somewhere with a free four course lunch, 'twas amazing! Couldn't work there though, I would be enormous! Must be such a time and money saver though not having to even think about lunch.

    House swap is our main method of taking holidays on the cheap. We've been doing it for a year now, and this will be our fourth swap, all overseas. This time we're off to Sweden for the first time, to a little three bed holiday home next to a national forest. Can't wait! Does mean we have to get the house ready for strangers to say by the end of the week though :eek:.

    Machine washed and hung two wool loads on the rack indoors. Then this evening DD1 brought down a wash load with mixed colours and new cheap items likely to leech colour, wanting them all ready to take away tomorrow! So have had to do FOUR 20 minute loads and use the dryer :eek:.

    Had a lovely day out at new museum, lots of free family activities so had face painting, story telling session, letter writing, dressing up, drama and a hands on museum experience all for free. We took packed lunches but small mugging in the gift shop by the kids and a coffee for the OH means a seven quid total spend for hours of entertainment.

    Checked the deals page and ended up buying Leg0 for DS Xmas presents. Tesc0 have a number of sets for really good prices, plus 500 extra points if you spend £30. Bought the city air show set for under £25, is £45-75 everywhere else that will be his main present. Also have a medium sized set as a reward for completing his chart the doctor set him and a small and medium set he will absolutely love for Xmas too, all for £65ish plus 1,000 points which we can boost into £40 of deals. Am hoping with a few smaller items (like books) that will be the bulk of his present. And we've decided to wrap as soon as we collect so he won't find it and beg for it, like he normally does with stashed gifts.

    BTW I HATE Xmas shopping so if I can get it done before December, rather than my usual panic buying during December, I will be delighted!
    Mortgage [STRIKE]16/03/2011: £190K 01/01/2017: £107,729.65 [/STRIKE] 01/07/2017: £95,979.89
    OPs 2011-2016 = £45K 2017 OPs = £9250.20
  • Kantankrus_Mare
    Kantankrus_Mare Posts: 6,098
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    The house swap thing sounds brilliant and a great way to see other parts of the world.
    Not sure anyone would want to swap with us even though we are only five mins from the coast. :rotfl:
    Well done on making a start on the christmas shopping. Not my favourite time of year now we have no young children in family.
    Make £10 a Day Feb .....£75.... March... £65......April...£90.....May £20.....June £35.......July £60
  • Hi Museum worker
    Well done on such a huge reduction in your mortgage! I'm looking into mindfulness myself as been struggling a bit the last few months with work stress and anxiety , mindfulness and more exercise both on the cards!!!

    Feel your pain on the pack lunchers....I can start the week with good intentions but five days a week here a bit much! Good luck with the flexible working plans and enjoy the house swap holiday! Had never thought of that as an option ..may have to do some research!

    Look forward to following your diary

    dSE X
    MF planning for the simple life :beer::j
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