The march to financial freedom

Ali-OK

First job this morning was bringing together 4 different lists into 1 - I'd been making 'to do' notes since last week and leaving them in hand bag, coat pocket, kitchen windowsill and dining table. Today I do feel organised, at long last and have been able to cross a few things off as the morning has progressed. Split by work and home, then split again by 'do at desk' and 'Out and About'

Phoned D@ligas - the DD was the new monthly payment (down £8 on last year's DDs) - though it is 12 months spread over 10 payments, so would have been even less. A combination of less gas use and much cheaper prices :T They say I'll get my annual bill today, I live in hope!

Phoned Dentist - new appointments for early July check ups now in the diary

Financials:
- Bank account checked - Interest credited at £13.36 :j

Just renewed Mum's annual subscription to the magazine she has for 12 months (part of her birthday present) so not the NS day I'd have liked. Keeping things normal, even though she's pretty poorly.

Having a lunchtime bite and break, then shall be cracking on with more from the To Do list, hoping I can get caught up

Sun is trying to poke through :j let's hope it does. Been a wet, windy and quite chilly day so far.

Hope better weather where you are.

stepuptothepl8

beanielou wrote: »

Me too.
I don't know how you do it Ali.

Me three! Your lists are inspirational

Sorry to hear your mum is pretty poorly.. Hugs xx

Ali-OK

Lists organise my life for sure :rotfl:

Surgery got my blood tests results back last Friday - a 24hr turnaround - fantastic :T:T and the letter arrived with me today.

Relieved to know just one isn't quite right - blood sugar a little high, so I'm to do a fasting one (only water after 10pm, test the next morning). I have a sneaking suspicion a triple chocolate chunk muffin, a banana and apple might be to blame .

Apparently stress can be a cause too - am seeing the stress connections all over the place, but how do you combat stress that isn't seen or felt?

Right, back to work stuff and an early finish if I crack on now :j

liltdiddylilt

Ali-OK wrote: »

Apparently stress can be a cause too - am seeing the stress connections all over the place, but how do you combat stress that isn't seen or felt?

You take care to remind yourself on a daily basis that you are under a lot of pressure.

You have a teenager
You are responsible through self-employment for almost every penny of income you have, soon to be every penny with the maintenance tailing off for DS
Your garden is in a state of upheaval and is costing you money which is something you don't like doing
You've had to drop the mortgage OP's which again has played on your mind a bit
You're fathoming out a whole new world of pensions, ISA's and retirement income with no background in them
You've myriad health issues, unseen and unforeseen and are struggling against various angles trying to right them, which is putting pressure on you taking time off from work, not being able to drive the way you would wish to, constantly waiting on results and appointments (great news on the test btw! Am liking your style with muffin et al hope the next ones come back ok, mine are always ridiculously low and cause concern that way!)
Your mum is in poor health, with a condition you have known will eventually take her life for years... this is probably the one taking up the most of your stress...

So.. next time you think there isn't that much to be stressed about, remember the above... and sit and take a breather. Concentrate on relaxing, eating healthily and exercising at a level you are happy with to release some good hormones into your system. Nothing too taxing. It isn't a race

You are fantastic the way you juggle everything, a brilliant mum, dog owner, home provider, daughter & everything else. Give yourself a break now and again, practice some mindfulness and remember just how fabulous you are xxx

beanielou

Could not have put it better than litdiddylilt.

Ali-OK

Can't disagree with any of that Lilt and wouldn't try to argue with you anyway :rotfl:. A good run down for me to remind myself what's on the plate, just I feel there are so many people in a much worse/harder position than me and really, I have little to worry about in comparison. But being a born worrier doesn't help and losing the hormones at a rate of knots is probably exacerbating it all too.

I was also stressing trying to pack as quickly as the checkout lady put my food shop through at Ald! on Saturday - normally I can do it, which is fast - I gave up this time and just shoved it in the trolley and packed at the bar...as you're meant to anyway

I know I have this issue that I never feel I have enough time to do something, then when I do it it takes probably less than half...so stupid but has gotten worse in recent years - trying to fit personal stuff in around work stuff. The 'popping out', the 'doing en route', but if I didn't I'd never sit down at night until late after dinner, DS and dogs or just never get stuff done on time.

Anyhow, made more progress this afternoon and month end accounts are all tied up and filed away. Going to sort the 2 birthday vouchers online (Am@zon) and print in a moment, so that'll be the rest of June birthdays completed.

What's left then:
- A trip to town - watch battery (man in van will be there tomorrow as it's market day), house number plaque (the one I put up has never been straight or secure including the sticky number on it :rotfl:), nail brush (dirty job helping in the garden!) and a purchase for the office of a desk fan before it gets hot and everywhere sells out.

Work stuff tomorrow afternoon and then off to a friends tomorrow night for a catch up and a cuppa. My kind of evening

And relax

liltdiddylilt

Don't compare yourself to anyone else. When it comes down to it, the only things that matter in your world are those directly connected to you. Everything else just washes by, and trying to pit yourself against someone who is in a 'worse' situation is futile. Everyone has stuff going on, and to them it feels like their stuff isn't as bad as someone elses. Just remember you are just as important as every other living being on this planet, and although it is nice to sit back and take stock of the advantages you feel you have, it is also worth noting that you have built 90% of that yourself. Pat on the back time.

Well done on all of your progress and as for feeling like you have no time... well I can sympathise because I feel the same, but it is funny that since I started actually making time to do certain things, taking a bath a few times a week, going for a walk.. the time has miraculously stretched to include these things. I had a friend once (ran his own company..) who used to schedule EVERYTHING. And I mean sleep and the lot on a calendar he had synced to every gadget available to him. He put in regular gym time, time with his kids etc, and stuck to it. When I asked him about it he said if he didn't manage his time effectively all of the really important stuff, time for himself, the kids etc fell by the wayside. I know how you like being organised... maybe you could just schedule in certain things, even if it was just a cup of strawberry and honey tea at 10am, whilst looking out of the office window..

Big hugs. Catch up with friend sounds brill!! xx

AlexLK

Ali, find some time to enjoy yourself. Think about the things you most enjoy doing and make time to do them. Forget about time every now and then.

Think about why it matters to you that you didn't pack your bags at the supermarket checkout within the time the member of staff could process the items? My wife leaves all the items to go through, pays and then looks at me. Between us, we usually end up carrying whatever we've bought and putting the items individually in the car. No doubt the super efficient types think we are a pair of complete imbeciles but frankly, there are bigger things in life than being an efficient customer at a supermarket checkout.

Ali-OK

Thanks guys - definitely food for thought and more importantly, taking action.

Alex - packing at the checkout was about being efficient and rushing to get back - always the same on an evening food shop, gotta get home and put it away (by which time it's 9ish) and then sort DS's stuff for school/lunch. Saturday was getting back for the DIYers.

All about slowing down and realising that it's only a few minutes of time. I don't know why being fast at doing everything is so important to me overall though - probably goes back to the not being good enough, must be one of the few hangovers left.

Dinner is on - pork steaks, mash and a pile of veggies. Going to do the nothing after 10pm tonight and fasting blood test 8am tomorrow.

This morning I did some work bits when DS left for school at 7.30am and then hit town...oops, rather spendy.

Car parking - £1.10
Fan for office (business expense) - £20
Nail brush - 50p (that's more like it :rotfl:)
House number plaque - a very nice slate one now ordered - £42 :eek: No excuse
Watch battery and fitting from man in his van - £3.95

Back in the office by 10.30am and the rest was a good work day. June is busy as expected and I am working on Saturday. Good news for the finances, not so good for feeding the garden DIYers at lunchtime, but I can prepare those before I go.

Ton of emails in that resulted in actioning:
- TT home phone/broadband bill - paid for the 10% speedy discount
- No D@ligas annual bill still :mad: Phoned, promised by close of play - nope, not here and they shut at 5pm :mad:
- Chasing change of work mobile phone provider for copy of paper bill that didn't arrive and what looks like double charges for May - sorted and on it's way
- Personal/DS mobile phones bill in and 25p more than budget - now updated
- Qu!dco email with cashback ready to be paid of £2.17
- Another P!necone preliminary survey to do

Financials:
- Bank account checked this morning - monthly use and pay off CC bill payment set up for full amount later in the month
- freepostcodelottery checked
- Inbox Pounds - £13.46
- Qmee - had a few odd pence and pot is up at 38p

Lovely warmer day here, sunshine on and off, looks like a nice evening for heading to see local friend.

Hump Day over - this week is flying by.

Off to check dinner

liltdiddylilt

Think Daligas might have bitten off more than they can chew at the minute. Mums had terrible service for my nan and they billed her a £75 connection charge not mentioned ANYWHERE.

Methinks there is something you are following, since everything you do is done so meticulously... You are the living embodiment of 'less haste more speed' - not a bad thing, but stop competing against time all the time. There is only one winner xxx