Pay Off Before Lay Off!

Habibiboo

:wave:

Another gorgeous day ... dinner out in the garden two evenings running, a record so far this year!

What I did:
* Long lie in (well, 9 ish because I didn't sleep too well), working for a few hours, gardening and clearing up kitchen for a bit.

What I didn't:
* Any Fleabay listing ... will talk to my mum about doing a boot sale together.

MFW action:
1) NSD - but I want to claim this one twice! Not only did I not spend anything, I also talked Mr. Hbbb out of nipping to his favourite L*dl to buy ... a bag of ice. Instead I rooted out all the old ice trays from the old freezer and gave them a good wash. Made him a dedicated ice area in the new freezer (I know, I know) and made him four trays of ice, all of which have frozen, been decanted into old ice cream tub and more trays put on top! Given that he always spends at least £20 every time he "pops" to L*dl, this was a pretty good result all around.
2) Kind of touching on this, we had a little chat in the garden before dinner and have arranged that the last Saturday in the month we'll have a budget breakfast and look at what's what. This is major for us as we keep finances totally separate apart from the mortgage account which I run because (as he freely admits) I'm better with money. He also revealed a few more work-related concerns about what may come to pass and is more than willing to do as much as we can now to give us as many options as possible later. I could go into the reasons why we keep things so separate but that's a whole other story (to do with our previous marriages), the main thing is that taking a step closer to doing this whole thing jointly is significant for both of us.
Much of this conversation is part of my continued thinking about the future beyond MF, inspired by many of you other great MFWs, including SecretSavingSquirrel, Goldie, Tilly and Tootallulah ... we're going to be working towards having a better plan to be in place by the end of the year, baby steps building on all good works so far!

Grey clouds: Although I've been offered a grant for the summer course I want to do, I am going to turn the place down. I've researched the travel costs and it's just still to expensive and I'm afraid I'm too far into the whole MSE mindset to be able to justify it. Later on, maybe but for this year at least I'll have to let the moment pass.

Silver linings:
The above may be a grey cloud, but it's the right thing ... you know how you just know when it's the right thing to do?

Daily Declutter:
Little folding camping chair unused since our last camping expedition about 6 years ago has now been passed to my sister so she can tag along with her hubby and son when they go fishing - lucky girl! Total = 141 / 365.
Old freezer and few other bobbins are now successfully posted on Freegle.

Simple pleasures:
* H/m roast vegetable pizza and home-harvested lettuce al fresco for tea!
* Honesty and trust as part of a financial future which is secure in all senses (see above).

Weekly Will-do:
I've been doing so much thinking, honestly, it's exhausting! Going to try to off-set some of the anxiety about all of this malarkey (financial, health and work-life balance) by having a few weekly aims which I'll set out and revisit on Sundays. Monthly ones don't work for me as too much seems to happen from one month to the next. So, for the coming week:

1) 5 NSD
2) Do something for me on Weds p.m.
(OH always goes training Weds evenings so I can make the most of the sunshine with a few hours off in the pm, walking dogs or such, then do my work in the evening - deadlines and schedules permitting).
3) No work after 8 pm (apart from Wednesdays)
4) Revise and reset budget now that I have set up possibilities on YNAB, ready to trial a different way of doing things in June.
5) Phone local college and local language school to compare options for having students before this summer's over with!
6) Complete 1 knitting / craft project
Let's see shall we?

Hope everyone's OK, hugs all around if needed!

Goldiegirl

Regarding looking beyond MF - i really understand what you are saying.

Our endowment policies matured in 2006, paid off the mortgage that was outstanding at that time, although we did have a further advance for home improvements.

But for years, I couldn't see beyond 2006. Although we were making plans for the future, in my mind there was nothing beyond 2006. Everything was leading up to that point, and I couldn't see beyond it. Then all of a sudden it was 2007, and I could see a future again.

I have similar feelings now. In my mind, I can see up to 2016. We should stop work next year, we have a holiday planned for early 2016, and Mr Goldie will get his state pension in late 2016.

But, although we are planning for the future, i can't imagine beyond 2016.

It really is rather odd. I suppose I focus so hard on one thing, I can't see the bigger picture.

But I'm glad some of my plans are helping with your thinking.

That's one of the thingsI like about this part of the board, there's so many things that people are doing, that I've thought are brilliant ideas, and I'm working out how I can incorporate the ideas into my life.

tootallulah

I read about your meet up with school friends (obviously bitter sweet) with a smile. I spent this week-end with school friends we have kept in touch for over forty years and we think ourselves VERY lucky. One of the biggest laughs of the week-end is how much we have become our parents! We are grey haired, love gardening, two of us have taken early retirement, we know each other so well and can ignore each other as well as love being with each other. Good friends are beyond compare.

On the planning for "after" I plan all the time and then generally do something completely different! But having a plan is important to me.

I have repaid your time and read your diary - you are doing so well I will be back......

greent

re Fbook - you can lock down your profile much more now - meaning that only your friends can see your posts if you want. Possibly only your profile, too - or maybe just friends of friends for that. Also you can block specific people if you want to (I've done a few) so you don't get them stalking your page. Fbook is a pain in a way, but I love keeping up with some of my friends from school who live miles away - and it is a very handy too, for organising events - even with, say (for me) a night out with mums from school - rather than texting everyone or trying to catch up with them at the school gate we either start a conversation between us or create an event - over the course of a week usually everyone adds their response to it (I avoid going on there more than every other day if I can!)

x

Habibiboo

Goldiegirl wrote: »

It really is rather odd. I suppose I focus so hard on one thing, I can't see the bigger picture.

But I'm glad some of my plans are helping with your thinking.

That's one of the thingsI like about this part of the board, there's so many things that people are doing, that I've thought are brilliant ideas, and I'm working out how I can incorporate the ideas into my life.

:wave:

This is all exactly it Goldie.

In my professional life I have always been sought-after for my holistic view and long-term thinking ... I don't mean that in a big headed way, I mean that to illustrate why I can't even understand for myself why I seem to keep needing to remind myself about the need to plan for beyond MF. Even though of course as the title of my thread proves, I'm looking ahead enough to be wary of everything that may come to pass.

I think it's because it's all wrapped up in financials - MF seems easier to achieve in many ways than gaining anything extra on our pensions at this late stage - plus an emotional angle to do with past marriage etc. Still, we can only do what we're doing at the moment!

I do appreciate the support of these boards so much in all contexts, even more so as we noted previously between us, because anonymity is a factor, there's no expectation of a return favour like you get in real life sometimes, it just is as it is on here, which is great! x

Habibiboo

tootallulah wrote: »

I read about your meet up with school friends (obviously bitter sweet) with a smile. I spent this week-end with school friends we have kept in touch for over forty years and we think ourselves VERY lucky. One of the biggest laughs of the week-end is how much we have become our parents! We are grey haired, love gardening, two of us have taken early retirement, we know each other so well and can ignore each other as well as love being with each other. Good friends are beyond compare.

On the planning for "after" I plan all the time and then generally do something completely different! But having a plan is important to me.

I have repaid your time and read your diary - you are doing so well I will be back......

:wave:

Toots! It's lovely to see you, thanks for stopping by ... and reading the whole thing, wow! Not nearly as many exciting happenings on the mortgage front over here as on yours, but same end goals!

You're right about friends like that. I was looking around the table on Saturday and still seeing us in our school uniforms ... almost no one has changed except with as you say, with a grey halo and a roundness as oppose to our more angular youthful days!

I totally understand what you mean about a plan. Sometimes it's only by making plan A that you gain inspiration for plan B, which is often full of the complete opposites ... but you'd never have thought of doing it like that without that plan A originally. Personally, I love reading about your plotting and planning ... long may it continue! :T

Habibiboo

greent wrote: »

re Fbook - you can lock down your profile much more now - meaning that only your friends can see your posts if you want. Possibly only your profile, too - or maybe just friends of friends for that. Also you can block specific people if you want to (I've done a few) so you don't get them stalking your page. Fbook is a pain in a way, but I love keeping up with some of my friends from school who live miles away - and it is a very handy too, for organising events - even with, say (for me) a night out with mums from school - rather than texting everyone or trying to catch up with them at the school gate we either start a conversation between us or create an event - over the course of a week usually everyone adds their response to it (I avoid going on there more than every other day if I can!)

x

:wave:

Greent you've hit the nail right on the head ... the whole thing was arranged via FB and its only because my sister is part of the hub that I was told about it, I'd have been missed out of the loop completely otherwise.

Your update about how it works now is useful, thank you and I think a system of every so often rather than daily is best too ... I prefer to keep my focus here as it's more personally productive for other priorities. I guess every platform has its place and maybe I should give FB another chance to be my RL long-lost friend platform. I shall think on't! x

Habibiboo

:wave:

Another lovely day!

What I did:
Work

What I didn't:
Housework (apart from minimum in order to avoid being a complete slattern about the whole thing).

MFW actions:
NSD - 1st one of the week, needed as I will have to spend tomorrow.
Started ball rolling with language schools / college re: summer students. Another one to call back tomorrow. Working figures so far show we could gain about £1 K in 9 weeks if we have 2 students and feed them good home cooked fayre!

Grey clouds:
Coughing ... ridiculously so!

Silver lining:
Lots of work achieved, home made soup (leek, potato, onion and cabbage) made.

Daily declutter:
Old freezer now successfully Freecycled, collected this evening! 142 / 365. I am going to focus a bit of attention on toiletry use ups and count them in too, as I have an amazing amount, all courtesy of gifts etc but I tend to use the same-old. I've already regifted and sold some on Fleabay but will make conscious effort to use up and count out!

Simple pleasures:
* Eating al fresco for 3rd day running (going to see what our record is this summer ~ I think we've already beaten last years). Mind you, we only just finished before it started raining.
* Being organised in your mind about certain things, it's helping to pull a few ideas together.
* Freecycling - you meet some really nice people!

Weekly Will-do:
Update:

1) 5 NSD - 1 in the bag
2) Do something for me on Weds p.m. - Visiting American contingent of "buddies" may be calling in for a cuppa!
3) No work after 8 pm (apart from Wednesdays) - here I am, not working!
4) Revise and reset budget now that I have set up possibilities on YNAB, ready to trial a different way of doing things in June. Ongoing!
5) [STRIKE]Phone local college and local language school to compare options for having students before this summer's over with![/STRIKE] Done but will contact another one for additional comparison.
6) Complete 1 knitting / craft project Plan to snuggle with Mr Hbbb, watch Fargo on catch up and knit another herring!

Hope everyone else is Ok and has had a good Monday! x

Alchemilla

Snuggling sounds a good idea x

edinburgher

I'm finding Fargo very enjoyable, good to find something to watch on council telly these days