Countdown to Freedom

hoppy83

Hi,

This is my first post on any of the forums so I hope this quick reply box is the right way to do it! I have been lurking on the forum for a while getting inspiration from lots of the boards but I especially like reading the diaries as I think they make one realise that while becoming debt free or paying off a mortgage takes a while it can be done!

I usually dip in and out of different diaries but I have so enjoyed reading yours (I am on page 5) that I have subscribed (if that is ok? - I wasn't sure of the ettiquette surrounding subscribing). I wish you well on your journey and please keep up the inspiring writing. I do not have a mortgage as yet but I hope that when I do all the knowledge gained on MSE will be a big help.

Sorry for the long post.

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Hi Hoppy, I wish I had had MSE when I first had a mortgage - reading this forum, with so many diaries is a mine of information.

You are very welcome to read the Tilly ramblings, and stop by with questions, suggestions or just to say Hi. Best wishes Tilly x

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Good morning, what is going on with the weather - early this morning it was blue sky, then it was pouring, now it is bitterly cold and dark grey sky. We had a full English breakfast this morning and I feel mightily uncomfortable. No toast, grilled bacon/sausage, toms, beans, scrambled egg and I CAN'T MOVE.

Definitely need to go for a big walk but can't face a run. I am going to get some ironing done now, go to church, bake a cake late afternoon and most importantly tell Mr T how much I love him. Work has been so completely mad recently, I could not have coped without his wise words, support and love. That's the girlie stuff over :eek:

Yesterday was ok spend wise, good to meet up with friends and have dinner. It was an early night though as it was the end of a heavy week of work. We did fit in a Tesc@ run for some essentials and a turkey crown jumped into my trolley. I am doing the Nigella Xmas turkey to have cold mmmmmmmmm.

I am popping to Lid& tomorrow morning to buy their lamb shanks although I am not sure how they will fit into the freezer. Maybe I have to stop shopping at all for a while

Have a good day Tilly x

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

YAY ironing finished. We have decided to combine a dog walk and a £shop shop. Sadly it is slightly up hill and down dale but that may walk off a slice of bacon or a sausage perhaps!

I hadn't realised it was a free eBay listing weekend, so we are going to pop a few items on later today.

Whilst typing this, I have the window and can hear the birds chirping - sounds superb.

Best wishes Tiliy x

abouttimetoo

Hi Tilly

When you get a mo would you be able to pop across to Anna Glypta's thread please? https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/52312253#Comment_52312253 as I think you might be able to help with her thought process. As you will see she is having similiar thoughts like you and Mr T regarding what to do with the mortgage protection policy now that she has reduced the mortgage balance so much. At the minute she is asking advice about shopping around but it may be that she needs to think wider than that e.g. rather than 'can I get it cheaper' but 'do we need it at all taking everything into account'

Regards
ATT x

abouttimetoo

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS wrote: »

Hiya ATT, I need to respond to you fully using my lap top not iPad so this will be short.

Skirt swivels now. Mr T is describing it as my new party trick.

I am actually just over 24lbs now but it is stabilising. I feel good and I hope people understand this, I feel in a great place at the moment. Whilst work is manic I still love what I do. DH and I are exercising regularly together and losing weight has made me feel lighter - its not just the Lbs but the £ also. Getting everything sorted, facing stuff head on and no prevarication means things run smoothly and I feel lighter. The cleaner will also improve things.

I will get back to you later
Tilly x

Wow, 24lbs, that is fantastic! I think we can all see that you love what you do and i must admit to feeling a little envious of that as if I'm very honest with myself it feels far too long since I've really enjoyed what I do, don't get me wrong, I do like it but I just don't seem to get the same sense of achievement that I used to...

Re the feeling lighter in every way; I attended a work conference last year that included some guest speakers, one of them was a buddist woman who touched me in ways I still can't quite articulate. As an aside from the main part of her session she said that each year she chooses a word that she wished to live her life by for the following year. Last year the word she had chosen was 'light' and she had meant this to reflect how she lived her life (she mentioned many things) but she had also found herself losing 50lbs!

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS wrote: »

Morning Peonie, I have dropped two dress sizes :T:j:T:j

I feel quite happy where I am now. I never thought I had much to lose but I was wrong. Have to keep an eye on how many choc eggs I have Best wishes Tilly x

Again, that's amazing Tilly I know that you have made it happen, go Tilly :j BTW, I appreciate this isn't quite normal but I don't even like chocolate so those eggs you mention just pass me by :rotfl:

abouttimetoo

PS, what a lovely lazy day I am now having. Got a few jobs done in the house this morning such as hoovering, washing and filing and sorting some charity stuff out for a stall I'm helping with later in the year.

But... for the last two hours I've done nothing but loiter on here :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Hi ATT, the speaker sounds a very interesting person and choosing a word for the year ahead sounds like a good concept. I promise you, if I had sat down in December and said, right, I am going to lose 24lbs, it would not have happened. All I did was give up alcohol, although I had maybe 4 evenings in the whole of Lent, when I did end up having wine. It went straight to my head though:rotfl: plus to make sure I got more exercise.

What I have found is that the exercise has helped my mind. My job is ridiculous at some points in terms of both workload and timeframes. Looking back over the last month or so, I don't think I would have coped without the exercise. That's a massive change in mindset for me.

Finally I have learnt that to balance my work and health, I need to do something physical. On the much brighter note, it means a loss in weight without particularly trying. I have reduced portion size, but I am certain it is just down to moving more.

Sounds like you have been having a mega busy time of it as well and it was good to see that you slept so long. Being that weary is tough and I felt just like you.

Bear with me, as I am typing on my iPad so find the whole quote thing impossible. I will save, go back and read your posts, then edit.

I think a skiing holiday sitting in the sun would be great. I have no confidence in slipping down a hill to actually have a go, but I am glad DD wants to go. We have now bought the basic pieces, on line sale at just under 60% discount. She has layer type stuff already so will use that. We bought her boots to wear in the resort as well.

Did you have a relaxing time wearing out the garden furniture? I feel a tinge of sadness as my Mum is quite elderly, having had me very late in life, our relationship, whilst close, is limited. Her time is nearly up she keeps telling me - rubbish I respond, you have too many things to do yet. These relationships are so very important and I find it sad that some of DDs school friends don't have the same open communication which we do. I always wanted to ensure I had instilled both a work and social ethic into our children, with a focus on honesty and gaining satisfaction from a job well done. Whether that is homework, or sport, or chores. We certainly aren't perfect parents and there are times when we all drive each other up the wall, but both children look out for each other and have a real bond. I am extremely proud of them both and am enjoying the change as they grow up. Sorry ATT not sure where all that came from. I start typing and words just trip out.

Enjoy your Easter break and have a glass of wine instead of a choccie egg

Best wishes and sorry for the long post, Tilly x

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Good morning, about to get up to my ears in cooking as we have friends over for lunch and need to finish the preparation before church.

Weather is dodgy to say the least - I know we need the rain but does it have to be in school/BH periods? Oh to be able to turn the rain on at night and off in the morning.

I read a diary this morning about having a week off spending anything. I think that sounds like a good idea and given how much stock I have, I intend giving it a go. I did have a worry about fresh milk and fruit but I could always buy that out of the loose change pot - hopefully that won't count as real spending. Although our food spending is quite low ish, I know our stocks of food could be used to better effect. Need to think about this a little more and probably Easter Sunday is not the time:).

Have a lovely Easter Sunday everyone.

Best wishes Tilly x

abouttimetoo

Morning Tilly, I hope your cookfest went well this morning and that you have agreat day with family and friends

Absolutely no need to apologise for the length of your post; it's takes you by suprise sometimes doesn't it the way your thoughts take you and then sharing them on here. While I've always loved anything of a techno/gadgety nature I'm really the last person you would expect to be posting on a site like this and it was a big thing for me when I started it and whilst I'm always careful what I share I have shared things I never thought I would with 'strangers'. That said it's also amazing the way you can build relationships on here and help each other out

I don't know if it will help any but I'll pm you something that a member of my family told me recently about the time we have available with our loved ones. It's nothing revolutionary but the words keep coming back to me for some reason, actually, I say for some reason but I know fine well what it is, it's the fact that we need to make the most of the time we have with our loved ones and not let the petty things make us bitter

I had a lovely time availing myself of the garden furniture I read some papers, borrowed the laptop (wireless so could be used in the garden) and just listened to the lovely sounds of a sunny day such as the birdsong. I even removed some clothes at one point to catch a bit of sun :eek: :rotfl:

Your DD will have a great time and it's another one of those steps isn't it towards her learning about the world and building up her independence. I had originally thought that £1500 was a heck of an amount but having thought about it I'm assuming thats 3 meals a day and her lift pass included too?

BTW, i forgot to give you the link to the ski place I mentioned so here it is http://www.skiwear4less.com/index.html

Regards
ATT