Countdown to Freedom

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  • Morning Squirrel, your comments about education and employment opportunities prompted some good discussion this morning.

    The junior Tilly brigade think being qualified for your career is a good thing - tick. However, they think companies should 'give people a go' and see how they fit in, rather than everything being interview based.

    I do think interviews are difficult for people and I know from Mr T, that interviews don't show him in the best light. Give him a client about to jump ship and he'll take the sting out and pour oil where required. Does that mean he is not a capable leader - not at all, simply that interviews aren't for him.

    I love interviews and look on them as a competition really - does that make me the right fit for a company? Not at all, it just shows I find the challenge of an interview fun.

    I was interested to read about KPMG (I think it was them) and the changes to their recruitment process. Grad recruitment will be condensed and performed over a day, rather than days - with outcome available within 2 days. Far better use of time for both candidate and company. However, they will still miss good candidates if interviews are not for them.

    We fail in the UK in helping kids become more confident. I may go off on one now :(

    When DS was at infant school, each child won a rosette for a race. How are we helping them by doing that? There will always be kids who are leaders, followers etc but the underlying requirement is confidence in one's own abilities. In this complicated society how do we scrap the education system and start again? Many parents need confidence, not just the kids.

    I watched Greg Wallace late last night on his BBC programme about cutting food £. People in their late 30s/early 40s unable to see the benefits of having everyone eating the same thing at the table, or in fact eating together. The benefit of buying whole carrots, or a block of cheese, or whole mushrooms - I truly think the world has gone mad.

    Those times in the evening, when you sit talking about your day are important. Does it always come naturally? Not at all and communicating like this is often learned behaviour. However, I genuinely believe this is how a family is built. How understanding other people and the challenges they face become visible.

    I may have lost my train of thought through my waffle and I may p people off wth my comments but having a job, regardless of level, earning your salary and using that in the best way for your family brings a confidence that is life changing.

    I believe the benefit system needs to change and benefits become what they used to be, a lifeline, not an alternative income - thus forcing companies to increase salaries to a realistic level. The Government are basically subsidising companies by bridging the £ gap and that does not help esteem/confidence etc. Zero hours contracts - this is no different to waiting to see if the 'Gaffa' picks you out of the crowd to work for the day. Surely in 2016 we need to be more sophisticated - I'm thinking back now to some excellent Peter Sellers films. I'm all right Jack springs to mind.

    Fundamentally being able to house and feed your loved ones is paramount and doing it under your own steam is empowering. Various governments are at fault (Tory and Labour) - I'm not a fan of Theresa May but I am hopeful that she may tackle some difficult situations head on. Zero contracts should be banned. As a bare minimum, a company can commit to a number of hours and fund them. This would ensure their resource planning was more effective as they would take the £ hit.

    Right, apologies for my rant and waffle :)

    Tilly xx
    2004 £387k 29 years - MF March 2033:eek:
    2011 £309k 10 years - MF March 2021.
    Achieved Goal: 28/08/15 :j
  • Karmacat
    Karmacat Posts: 39,460
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    Tilly, you're spot on! Didn't expect to find **such** a thoughtful post when I came on, but you're dead right. The lifeline became the alternative lifestyle, absolutely, and all along the south coast of England, are communities of hundreds, sometimes thousands of people, who make a point of using the benefits system for things it was never meant to do. I'm putting it that way on purpose, because its not about people who'd have been recipients under any compassionate system - its about people who fund drug habits and squatting from benefits, and I used to know quite a few of them, from my work :(

    I haven't got my hopes up for any politician for many years now, but Theresa May, in delaying Hinckley (and hopefully turning it down soon) has me hoping, just a teeny little bit ... we'll see.

    More power to your elbow :):):)
    2023: the year I get to buy a car
  • Do not let me near eb@y; do not let me near eb@y; do not .......... You get the drift!


    I may have bought another armchair :eek: plus a freezer - plus a smaller freezer is being watched :rotfl:

    Mr T, DD and DS and I may have been in hysterics at 9.45pm - anyway, larger freezer is to replace my 24 year old one. Same make Liebhe"r - off for a drive to south Londonium this morning to collect. Lovely way to spend a Friday.

    As a final catch up on DD, we all decided not to buy a property for her Uni period. She and DS will be buying something together in just over a year - Mr T and I will keep our £ intact.

    DD has booked an intensive driving course - fingers crossed it pays off as my remaining car can move with her :)

    Mr T is working from home more and more with his new clients - not good. He is having a think about whether to move or push for other clients - I'm keeping out of the way.

    Our in built fridge has a small freezer which has broken. Need to investigate what can be done.

    We have some large trees that need a good haircut this Autumn. Probably more of a cut than normal - more preparation for moving abroad.

    HM pizza this evening and project freezer use up is going well so far. Miminum purchases apart from fruit and milk. Veggies have been from the garden. BTW fruit trees are doing very poorly this year :(

    Best wishes Tilly xx
    2004 £387k 29 years - MF March 2033:eek:
    2011 £309k 10 years - MF March 2021.
    Achieved Goal: 28/08/15 :j
  • Karmacat
    Karmacat Posts: 39,460
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    All those steps are important along the way, aren't they!

    I know what you mean about the fruit trees - there's a wild plum tree on my rec. ground, 3 minutes from my house, and I got 50 small plums from it last year. This year? Two :(
    2023: the year I get to buy a car
  • apple_muncher
    apple_muncher Posts: 14,661
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    Did you buy the armchair so that you could sit in it when watching the 2nd freezer?
    NST March lion #8; NSD ; MFW9/3/23 Whoop Whoop!!!
  • Did you buy the armchair so that you could sit in it when watching the 2nd freezer?

    Have you been spying on me, in my garage :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:


    Ok. We now have two Liebh"rr freezers in the garage plus a small one. 1 will go to Portugal other two will be used in the UK :)

    Don't you just love eb@y sometimes :p

    I am off to a darkened room again now.

    Tilly xx
    2004 £387k 29 years - MF March 2033:eek:
    2011 £309k 10 years - MF March 2021.
    Achieved Goal: 28/08/15 :j
  • gallygirl
    gallygirl Posts: 17,228
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    I am off to a darkened room again now.
    Should have bought fridges instead, then you could have opened the doors for some light :rotfl:. Or of course the good old :happyhear tumble drier with internal light :happyhear
    A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort
    :) Mortgage Balance = £0 :)
    "Do what others won't early in life so you can do what others can't later in life"
  • greent
    greent Posts: 10,668
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    My fruit trees are fruiting poorly this year too :(

    I think that the system of charging interest from day 1 on student loans is diabolical - charge it from the day they finish their course/ exams/ graduate - but not from the very start of their studies :(

    Lovely update, btw :)

    x
    I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul
    Repaid mtge early (orig 11/25) 01/09 £124616 01/11 £89873 01/13 £52546 01/15 £12133 07/15 £NIL
    Net sales 2024: £20
  • Morning, sun shine is pouring in through the front windows - b£gger, I really need to clean them :rotfl:

    Ironing first thing, then house tidy up - estate agents are coming round this afternoon to talk through rental options. They have a relationship with two HQs which are within a short bike ride or walk from the house. A corporate let would be perfect. Mr T is wondering if this means we could leave the UK this year - sadly no, our DS will need us to be at least available for the next year or so. By available, I mean *mum* may want to visit him on the occasional weekend :)

    I took DD to M@rrissons at 3.30pm yesterday - the reductions were incredible. She now has tons of stuff packed up and frozen ready for the new semester. (Big school as my mum calls it). May have to consider popping in at that time again.

    We are junior Tilly free today and tomorrow. DS comes home late on Tuesday after a weekend climbing a hillock up north. Mr T and I are walking the hounds once he finishes work and I'm preparing dinner to chuck in the oven before we go.

    Menu planning is going well and the freezer should be empty come late September.

    HM hummus yesterday. I think we have finally cracked it. Far less salt than commercial ones but more than I thought we would need. Seems to be able to bear quite a lot of garlic etc (I used smoked paprika, garlic and cumin) and it was a good consistency. Will definitely be making HM, from now on.

    Money - we are definitely feeling skint - payday is just under 2 weeks away and it can't come quickly enough.

    Finally, we bought (I :rotfl:) a lovely barley rope leg table for DD. £10 and ideal for a small room. It is now in its new home with chairs. DD. Is looking forward to regular Sunday lunches with her chums. Being practical they are all students - if they club together £2.50/£3 each - that would cover the cost of veg, meat and electricity.

    Definitely need to get a wriggle on.

    Tilly
    2004 £387k 29 years - MF March 2033:eek:
    2011 £309k 10 years - MF March 2021.
    Achieved Goal: 28/08/15 :j
  • Karmacat
    Karmacat Posts: 39,460
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    Ooh, Tilly, since you've cracked the HM hummus, would you please post your final version of the recipe on here? Smoked herbs and all sound wonderful :)
    2023: the year I get to buy a car
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