Countdown to Freedom

macgirl

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS wrote: »

Freezer has been emptied, re-sorted, along with garage larder and baking cupboard. Menu plans re-jigged through to end of February. Plus some of the recipes for March are ready and waiting - it gives me great joy to cook and feed the family and friends etc. I really feel in my element in the kitchen.

On the weight loss front, I have lost 9lbs since the New Year which was a surprise. Thanks MacG for the support in keeping me focussed I really appreciate it.

:T:T:T Well done, that's great news! Nothing to thank me for - you did it all yourself

You have kept me focused on the meal planning and batch cooking- so thank you for that!

Have a good day x

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

What a glorious day. We have all had a long old dog walk in the snow and DH and the kids sledged down every hill we passed.

Lovely to see so many families out as the morning went on, loads of little ones and our dog had such a fab time playing in the snow. Really good fun. We didn't volunteer as the roads were too bad to drive, so have cleared all the snow off the drive. Kids have built a HUGE snowman and she is sporting an old strawhat, old scarf and an old pair of my glasses. As the kids would say 'awesome'.

I did my ironing early this mornng, whilst DH was looking things up on Which, I took out the deal to get the JL vouchers, but who knows whether that bit will work, but it has proved useful. Only job outstanding is my bathroom cupboard. Its where I keep stocks of toiletries, toothpaste etc, but I have no idea what's in there anymore. I thought it may help motivate me to start the loft - or perhaps not.

Have a good day all - best wishes Tilly x

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Yay, bathroom cupboard emptied, cleaned and restocked. I definitely don't need to buy toothpaste, deodorant, shower gel for months.

The bathroom is clean from top to bottom, even polished the wall tiles! I'm not sure where all this energy has come from as I had expected to just chill, but I have been reading the flylady threat, and I think it has motivated me a bit.

I really think that's it now, so I am settled down with iPad, coffee and my feet up. I hope everyone is coping OK with the snow. I haven't checked the forecast yet, but it does seem to be getting colder again now.

Have a lovely afternoon, Tilly x

katsu

Congrats on the cleaning front Tilly,

I've just done my ceramic hob - I'm ashamed to say it had got a bit dingy with some burnt on marks, so I've just had a good scrape and then cleaned it back to a shine

PS - I love the "flylady threat" - what will flylady do to you? :rotfl:

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Hi Katsu, whoops! Maybe make me stay with the Spanish bank perhaps :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Well done on the hob. I love it when it all looks lovely and clean, and then the blinking kids, cats, dog, me, mess everything up again. Oh well, keeps us all busy.

Have a good afternoon, Tilly x

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Morning, no fresh snow this morning although it was forecast. Lodger 1 money has arrived so that's switched into the OP pot. In terms of spends this week, I think they should be low. We just have the normal work and kids activities until Saturday. I already know that I didn't buy enough fruit over the weekend, so that does mean a quick (small) shop required.

Plans for this week - update LinkedIn details, check receipts and 3 x shred it.

Have a good week all and I hope this one goes slower than last week.

Best wishes Tilly x

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Good morning -4 here today, so very glad to be working from home. I have a couple of weeks to go until our last Spanish bank mortgage payment and the service from FD really has been superb. As ATT has said, last month we will be a new provider and after the hassle, aggravation, complaints of the Spanish bank, I can't wait.

Anyway, moving on, I have been invited to a market research evening this week, on clothes purchasing and trends, £50 for 2 hours, so that should be both fun and worthwhile. No guesses where the cash is heading....

The updated menu plan is working well and its making life really easy when getting home from work. It's fab to know the freezer has so many home cooked meals, however, I have to find a way of using the sprouts up - I almost have to bribe the kids to eat them. I am trying smoked bacon, pumpkin oil and pine nuts with the sprouts next week so fingers crossed.

DH has agreed that we can cancel the mortgage protection insurance once we have the equivalent amount of cash saved up in the new offset, so from March, that will become the first mini goal. I think that will take us until October to achieve, as I want to keep up the OPs as well, but I will think about the logic of this once we have switched.

On the ISA front, we will definitely have sufficient cash saved to fill them both up by the middle of April so I am starting to look at interest rates etc. I have never moved an ISA before, so need to look into the process.

I think that's all the updates. I find the lulls between being paid, and lodgers funds coming in quite slow. I appreciate that it is going to take time to reach freedom but having achieved so little since 2004, I feel the need to make a big in-road when we move, purely to make me feel we are making a difference - I hope that makes sense. I am not moaning just need to see the numbers tumble. An OP target of £30k plus our normal payments for this year is to help achieve just that.

Have a good day all.

Best wishes Tilly x

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Yay, I have secured two free tickets to see Marigold Hotel from Natwest Films. Delighted

Tilly x

lulabelle1

Tilly, I understand what you mean.....

In the world of MFW, it's kind of like you live from one pay day and money shuffle to the next...... Which is why I guess it seems to just go on forever.

On the bright side, we're all on this together and we can try and keep each other company along the way!

L x

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Morning LB, yep I think we do need that motivation from others. I know I get a lot of satisfaction hearing that others have cleared x£ from the mortgage etc, and that pushes me to keep focussed.

By the way I have signed up to a Groupon equivalent for spa type treatments, so I am going to book a treat for Mr and Mrs Tilly. Who knows what or when, but it's on my list....

Have a good day and hope you are enjoying being at home.

Beat wishes Tilly x