Project Mortgage Neutral Begins

SuperSecretSquirrel

I'm glad you posted that ajmoney, and to read that you've already been discussing at work to try resolving. Sounds truly awful. I can't imagine such long stretches away from home, not to mention the pressure and long hours on top. I guess in some roles it's unavoidable, but very little is truly unavoidable in life, maybe a change of roles is needed? For the sake of your mental health it might be worth serious consideration.

Why are there 12 months until you get back to your normal job, and why aren't you working the normal job you love at the moment? Is there any flexibility to be found here?

I hope things improve for you soon

Watty1

Yay you posted. I found writing helped. Just writing it all down and out. hang in there. Talk with the doctor. Maybe ask about counselling? I had some on line counselling via the GPs which was really good. I was sceptical but I logged on to the site from wherever and had the sessions. Helped.

ajmoney

Thanks for your comments and support.

I saw the doctor again yesterday, he is not worried about my black out or as he calls it an abscence. I have had a full body MOT and all the results are very good so I am grateful that the stresses have not taken a toll on my health, I truly believe that was my body giving me a chance to change. The doctor is getting a second opinion to check I don't need any different tests, he didn't say too much about my stress/panic at the moment. He is treating the abscence and then I guess we can move on to that.

SSS in my job we often get moved around every couple of years for experience, this is my stint doing something different for a bit of career progression. I don't hate what I am doing, I am training musicians and running and band but I don't get to play very often and being involved in music and playing is what I truly enjoy. In normal circumstances I could ask to more early for my sanity but I am the last to be in this role due to funding that is being removed so the position will be removed from September next year and I am in that post until then.

We had a good performance in town today, the stress was huge again beforehand but it was very well received.

I am going to try and set up a committee within the band to try and ease the pressure I am feeling. I will still be heading it up and overseeing everything but I will hopefully have some regular assistance and it should set up some longevity for when I leave the post next year. This may also take a while to help ease things but at least I am trying to make changes for my benefit.

ajmoney

Exciting times, our smaller mortgage is now below £30k and our overall total is getting close to being under £120k :j I think our savings are still on target to match our larger mortgage by November so I will be looking to get some advice on whether we should pay it off or continue to save towards paying it all off in one go.

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Brilliant news :T:T

Hope you've had a good few weeks, Tilly xxxx

ajmoney

I think we are about £5k away from our savings equalling the large mortgage. I am not really sure how we should approach this when the time comes, these are the options I see:
1. keep saving as we are about £37k away from being able to pay it all off
2. pay off the large mortgage (clearing all our savings) and begin rebuilding our savings and OPing the smaller mortgage
3. op a large amount off the large mortgage which will likely reduce the mortgage term/interest, keep some savings and carry on with OP schedule as it is
4. op the small mortgage and keep saving towards the large mortgage.

My focus has always been the larger mortgage, while it is the lower interest rate at 1.49% until Aug 2018 we currently have a much larger balance as £90090.78 whereas the smaller mortgage is 2.68% for life with a balance of £29922.14. I guess the sensible this would be to get some advice, I don't think either of us wants to be without our savings.

I want to be mortgage free in 5 years (by 03/09/2022) which I think is achievable with each of the above options but would also like a substantial savings buffer.

ajmoney

Non money related post!

I am slowly trying to regain control of stress and panic and to get back to the exercise bunny I was a year ago because that definitely helped.

I have found a local jog$cotland group and have messaged them about going along and our gym at work are starting pilates and yoga classes two lunchtimes a week which I am going to try. I wouldn't normally do these as all three are over mealtimes and this is an important part of the day for me from a social point of view, however it will get me more active and meeting other people so I am going to give it a try for a couple of weeks.

I am starting a charity swimming challenge on Monday for 12 weeks with quite an ambitious goal so I will need to be disciplined with going to the pool, I have already made time as appointments in my work calendar with reminders to give me enough time to get to the pool so there really is no excuse.

I hope by the end of the 12 weeks exercise has become a normal part of my life again, I can't really believe that a year ago I was on a train to my mum's to take part in the great north run!

I haven't been too good at setting at making work better but I am getting there and I am certainly not setting myself unachievable lists at the beginning of the week anymore. I am going to try a couple of different approaches to my lists with a traffic light system/action grid to stop me trying to do everything at once but it will be a slow learning curve. It definitely feels like 2 steps forward and 1 step back. The doctor commented this morning how good my physical health is and I want to make sure it stays that way.

I am at work tonight as I am duty so I am trying to plan my snacks and food for around my planned exercise as I know the amount of swimming I will be doing will make me very hungry!

ajmoney

A year ago today I ran the Great North Run, this morning I am watching it from the comfort of my sofa. I turned it on this morning to listen to them talking about ordinary people doing extraordinary things, it has taken until today to realise what I achieved and feel proud about it. I have had an email from the charity today with a good deal for an early bird place for next year, I am not sure if I would do that event again but I am considering a half marathon somewhere next year.

This morning I have entered a 5k for January to give me a reason to train until it becomes second nature again. I feel a small amount of excitement at the prospect and hope that with the small changes I am trying to make I will be able to change how I am feeling. I have 18 weeks until my event, so today begins the journey of trying to put myself and my family first and not my work.

ajmoney

Day 1 of putting myself first is going well. I went to Pilates at lunchtime and really felt the benefits, physically my hips felt more mobile and my muscles relaxed and mentally I felt so happy and free. I haven't been to any lunchtime classes at work as I wanted the social aspects of lunch, instead I saw 4 women that I already know from the office round the corridor and meant many other people

I have just got back from swimming mile 1 of 44 for the charity challenge I am doing.

Money stuff...it was all free :j

Downshifterella

Fab well done on the putting you and your family first, it can be so easy to get things totally out of balance otherwise...been there... (Still a bit there! But good reading others ideas of trying to re balance!)

Well done on signing up for the runs and on finishing the great North run! Love a run for clearing my head...and having a focus!

Well done!:j:j