Mortgage Free now aiming for FIRE

TallGirl

Trip has not been very MSE so far DG forgot her wallet with the lounge passes so she had to pay again. I almost missed the flight buying last minute beers in Duty free. Trains were then messed up so we ended up with a £10 Uber as we could not face anymore trains. We did have a lovely evening at our friends so that was good. Lovely dog company too. 

Now in our way to Sunday lunch with two more sets of friends. Staying with them tonight then mobile home. 

DGs friends are joining us at the mobile home so we don’t have to travel to Herts. They want to come Friday so will be three nights on the trot out by then plus also Saturday. They will go back Sunday so Mob to Weds is just chill time. My clothes has been delivered to Lidl near where we are tomorrow do all good. I’ll buy a suitcase when we travel to DGs work. It’s very annoying to have 5 bags currently. 

I’ve had my Greggs fix already and Sunday lunch will be another that the Danes cannot match. 

It’s all go to finish work tomorrow and Tuesday and we also get the car now so no more trains for a while. Together rail card will be paid off on this trip alone. 

TallGirl

About time I did an update since we got back. It was a really good trip and we did get to totally chill as we did not go and see DGs friends in Herts thank goodness. 

We paid £400 to have the mobile home for 8 nights 3 of which we were not there but it was great to have a base the whole time. We made plenty of use of the train so the 2 for 1 was great for that. We only did the lounge one way so wasted £50 buy paying and obviously did not use the 4 we get each year. DG has now put the card in her passport so should not happen again.

We ended up with far more luggage than we could fit so DG also had to buy a new suitcase. I was going to anyway but DG was not. She has now got a huge one and we ended up 7 kilos over but Norwegian did not charge us. When DG goes back in Feb she can take the other one back so that will mean only paying one way and she can bring stuff back. The chap at Norwegian said EasyJet give their staff £1 per customer they fine for being over the limit or bags too big so he said he could make at least £10 a flight. Norwegian does not have that incentive which I have always found anyway as I have never been charged. 

I have now started Christmas shopping could not bring much back from the UK it was mainly bedding and curtains to be honest for the main bedroom. We do love the look though William Morris Blackthorn and then Strawberry print for the curtains. It looks so much better now with the darker colours but we still need to paint. The lights also fits now so I am really happy with it. I will post photo when it more has been done. 

Our airfryer has died which is a disaster it says it cannot close the door so had to get a new one as putting the oven on is just not an option. We like it has a 6l capacity and most of the double ones are 4L which is just too small. We have gone with a larger 10L that divides into two 5L which should be about right. We have often missed having two draws so this should now fix that. It was £200 but we found this cyber deal with free delivery straight from Ninja with £70 off so we can live with it being white. I really hope the rest can last now for a little while.

I have also registered the cats and we have been to the vets. One needs to loose a bit of weight the other a lot which we kind of knew. Ginger behaved badly at the vets (he is the fat one) but we now have flea treatment for 3 months but need to check when the injections are due that was not noted the last time we took them in but I think it is now. DG needs to check her emails. 

I have tidied up my emails they were such a mess and I have more to do. I lost all my financials when I lost access to my work stuff but I have recreated it so all is good. DG has been up working since 4.30am she is as per usual stressed about work. I am taking today off as my last day before going selfemployed then Monday we pick up cases and start the selfemployed side full including the marketing. 

This weekend
Fit cupboard door to freezer 
Give flea treatment to cats
Fit blind in Pool bar 
Go to the tip DONE
Order Xmas presents DONE quite a few just need more for my sister and not got anything for nephew and girlfriend


To do
Hem the lounge curtains 
Find bedspread in the UK and curtains for main bedroom DONE and we love it
Make a cushioned seat cover for the toy box 
Book flu jab UK DONE
List my stuff on Vinted. 
Apply to get 25% of works pension out. 
Check when injections are due for cats. 

Garden jobs:
I do not think there are any!!!

TallGirl

Quick check in for the weekend DG is still ill and really struggling I kind of wish she had got antibiotics in the UK before we left but she didn't so if this continues we need to work out how to get them in Denmark. The weekend list is not going very well but I can get things done before we go out at 2pm today.

Sorting out my visit to my dad next week I am doing the shopping tomorrow and I have a list so that is all good. My nephew and his girlfriend is coming too so it will be a bit more full on but should also be nice. 

We did go into town yesterday and got a few bits mainly for me and one for my mum. Still need something for my sister from DG. Anyone else has to go your OH presents to your own family? I wish I did not have to but she does not have access to the GoWish app so its a pain really. 

Our local town is so Christmassy and pretty without the need for a massive overpriced Christmas market if that makes sense. It has cobbled streets and different coloured houses so cute the town centre. Today we have the English Christmas lunch which will be our 4th in 2 weeks. 

I need a shower and then I might wrap a few presents before we have to leave. It is a real novelty to not have to wrap everything on the 23rd as we could never travel with them in suitcases wrapped. 

daisy_1571

Sorry can't help.  Our presents would always be joint, Mr d and I to my mum, his mum, my dad, his dad etc.  We only give an individual gift to each other i think.  No, I put just my name on a present for a pal.  But the card gets both our names 

Dxx

TallGirl

Morning sorry for being missing for a while I came down with the flu Monday really lovely to have had the injection and then not get any benefit from it. Still I started to feel normal yesterday but that was a week of Christmas prep time wiped out so it is what it is now. Main regret is though I did not make it to my dad for the 2 nights as planned plus see my mum and I am gutted about that. My sister and mum had to do it all and my nephew and girlfriend came too. My sister is staying here tomorrow night so I can find out how it really went but at least his girlfriend had stayed away so that is now 2 weeks which means my dad gets proper care in his own home which is a relief.

Lets switch to some MSE content instead of all the other waffle. I spoke to my Danish bank Monday and they can set me up with a mix of shares/funds and bonds for medium risk profile (30/70% split) that will cost £1700 a year for £280K invested which does seem a bit high to me but that includes all costs and it is passive funds. I am going to speak to my old bank as well before I commit and speak to my nephew and BIL over Christmas and see what they think. There is always the option of just doing Vanguard Lifestyle (if you can get it here) and that will be a lot cheaper). So more research to do in the new year but he did say for me to check if you Danish tax man would tax the 25% tax free lump sum he thought they would not. He would leave it in and I am thinking I will not have time to take it out now anyway so kind of thinking lets just leave it and then deal with it when the time comes. So a really useful meeting and something I definitely must address in January especially as the interest rates have come down again. In Denmark you do not get anything so investing is the only option so at the moment all is find as the money is in the UK. 

I also finally got onto webchat about Virgin Media. Guess what they can send an urgent request for the cheque for the £600 to be raised again and then I only have to wait 45 working days before we will know if it has been sent or not. Obviously it could by then be lost in the post who knows.  God I was just so angry with them but not a lot I could do but agree. I then but my advice background hat on and started searching for the ombudsman. It said after Dec they are not taking any cases on for Virgin. So I called them, I was first in line, spoke to a lovely lady called Lisa and she has done my whole complaint I just have to upload all the emails and evidence now on their portal. They then give 2 weeks for Virgin to respond and I then have to wait 4 weeks for a decision. If Virgin tries to settle with me they will be able to still stay on the case if they do not pay up. So happy days at least something is in progress and I still wait for my money. 

DG is feeling better too and have settled one of the complicated long cases which is such a relief and a great result for the client too. She took me out for lunch at the lovely steak house from my youth. The chain has been taken over but to my joy the cheap pre 4pm lunch time steak was still on the menu and it was great. It is a lovely setting (for a shopping centre) as you sit in a model conservatory with really lovely mood lighting with loads of xmas decs. Not what you expect from a £12 steak and chip but OMG please stay around lovely steak house. 

We then went shopping but actually only got stuff for DG and our own house. DG got a sweet charm for her mum Pandora bracelet. Pandora is Danish but hard to find rose gold but there was a tiny Christmas bell and it was 1/2 price too would have been right up her mums street. It was the anniversary of her mums death on the 18th but I forgot (to be fair was ill) and she kind of thought it was yesterday which obviously it was not. She is still deeply affected by her mums death in 2018 and I know I will be the same when the day comes. She always says you wont know until it happens to you and I know she is right. 

We then went to Ikea and got the frames we needed. Sadly they did not have the little dishes we wanted to use as coasters but we found something else. We also returned the wrong sized blind and I got a new cafetiere as my family only drink black coffee which my fancy Sage cannot make properly. 

Right now I need to wrap the presents and make sure we have everything. DG is going to draw a pictures of my sister dog who was put down in the summer as her present to her which I think is a lovely idea. Really personal and I know she will love it. Hopefully she will have time to do it before Christmas. 

The house is lovely and clean me and robo did it yesterday. I still lovely him and my ginger cat does not. Tough he is staying.  

This weekend
Fit cupboard door to freezer 
Order Xmas presents DONE quite a few just need more for my sister and not got anything for nephew and girlfriend
Wrap presents 
Order click and collect for the 23rd if we can get a slot. 


To do
Fit blind in Pool bar 
Hem the lounge curtains 
Make a cushioned seat cover for the toy box 
List my stuff on Vinted. 
Apply to get 25% of works pension out. Check with DK tax man first
Book cats in for injection in January. 
Upload paperwork for Communications Ombudsman

Garden jobs:
I do not think there are any!!! 

daisy_1571

I recently came across emdr therapy.  I wonder if that would help dg ?  7 years seems a long time to have not moved on to still missing the person but memories being happy rather than still so bad.  (Might be a good sign she forgot which day was the anniversary, perhaps means she wasn't checking the calendar each day on a countdown? )

Dxx

TallGirl

Thanks Daisy yes she has taken a long long time she was in weekly counselling for over 1 year but does usually celebrate her birthday rather than the date of her death. I agree it was a good sign she actually forgot the actual date although someone did send her a text so she did remember on the day. 

We had a nice time at the neighbours house yesterday we also got to meet more people in the near by street plus the couple who is building next door which was nice.  The hosts are the ones with the two young cats who keeps coming over here and then ours do not take kindly to. She had made the most amazing cookies and home made chocolate that looked like out of a professional shop. I also met the women who looks after the evening classes and activities and the new neighbour and I are both into sewing and knitting so that could be a nice link there. Their house will be ready in early May. She is worried about their dog who does not like cats but they will have a big fence so fingers crossed. 

My sister then popped in to stay overnight which was lovely. Only had a quick chat with her about her trip to my dads and also about my mum definitely slowing down. She had got herself totally confused about Christmas presents. Next year we will take her shopping so she can buy what we would each like  (done by the other sister) so it is still a surprise. 

I made pavlova and it was a disaster so lucky I tried it before I am going to make it for the 25th. I did not have enough sugar and I did not give it long enough in the oven or the oven was too hot. I lost my MIL recipe which was on a small card. I think this new one I have found is very close and it is just me that has forgotten how to make it. I need to make a new one Tuesday evening ready for the 25th so fingers crossed. 

Over here they do drop prices really low at Christmas like the UK but it it for dairy products. Butter has been 70p for Lurpak and cream also 60p so we have now stocked up as it all freezes well plus we needed some. 

I did do the click and collect for tomorrow with a small list of stuff to get in the actual shop. I did not want to risk getting the roast so will chose that myself. I could kick myself that I did not get horseradish in the UK but they have it fresh here and it looks easy to make yourself. 

I need to carry on uploading the documents to Virgin and take a look at the to do list. Otherwise I could hem the curtains in the pool bar as I pinned them yesterday. Just feeling a bit lazy right now I must admit. 

This weekend
Fit cupboard door to freezer IT HAS BEEN DONE WASNT EVEN THAT HARD
Order Xmas presents DONE quite a few just need more for my sister and not got anything for nephew and girlfriend
Wrap presents DONE
Order click and collect for the 23rd if we can get a slot. DONE

To do
Fit blind in Pool bar 
Hem the lounge curtains 
Make a cushioned seat cover for the toy box 
List my stuff on Vinted. 
Apply to get 25% of works pension out. Check with DK tax man first SENT question
Book cats in for injection in January. 
Upload paperwork for Communications Ombudsman DONE
Hem pool bar curtains
Fix loft hatch in pool bar - we did try but could not do it. 
Tell new Council I have moved in
Tell UK i have left. 

Garden jobs:
I do not think there are any!!! 

TallGirl

Morning its Christmas well at least it is for us Danes. We had a great night pretending the 22nd was the 23rd so that worked well. I got my shopping collected and made a second pavlova which looks a lot better than the first one. 

DG is still working but we are going to my sister at lunchtime as this is the evening we celebrate and my mum is there and her back is better. I just need to wrap two more presents then I am done and can pack the car. We are staying at theirs tonight then everyone is back to ours for Christmas day and staying over but all is sorted for food for this plus breakfast. 

I tried to change my address on the Danish council site but I could not to rang them and they would like to see all new residents in person who comes from abroad so I am going to see them on the 5/1 then that can all be set up. 

I can then change all the addresses in the UK and work out how you leave the UK officially. That should be fun but has to be done. I must also change doctors as mine kindly did ring me regarding my heavy periods which was come back after they took my coil out. So annoying as I really thought I was done with that. I need a blood test but I can't obviously as I am here so need to get it sorted here instead. 

I hope you all have a lovely Christmas and take some time out to relax and reflect. I plan to get my January reflections out as a lot has happened this year and it will be interesting to see what I predicted at the beginning of the year. 

To do
Fit blind in Pool bar 
Hem the lounge curtains 
Make a cushioned seat cover for the toy box 
List my stuff on Vinted. 
Apply to get 25% of works pension out. Check with DK tax man first SENT question
Book cats in for injection in January. 
Hem pool bar curtains
Fix loft hatch in pool bar - we did try but could not do it. 
Tell new Council I have moved in DONE
Tell UK i have left. 

Garden jobs:
I do not think there are any!!! 

TallGirl

Here they are:

Reflections of 2024 and plans for 2025

I got inspired by others on here to look through my diary and see what I had achieved in 2024 and what had been going on in my head. 

I seem to have been on a diet the whole year but did actually manage to do gym and golf for most of it. It did help that the posh gym at the club opened and DG went on the skinny jab in October. I did go up during the year (Remember all those MCD breakfasts) but I am actually 3 kilos lighter even after putting on a kilo for Christmas so that is not too bad. With DG on track and no drinking in Jan it will fly now I recon. 

I set out to do more creative stuff and I have learnt to knit, done two online sewing courses and started attending sewing club locally. All free or £5 per session so not massive spends either. I do need a new knitting project. 

DG got her Irish Passport and with our friend dying in May we decided to move Aug 2025 instead of waiting another 3 years. I can work with DG so work is sorted and the final hurdle of me loving my job and not being able to work abroad was kind of overcome by my work needed a massive restructure. I might not go but if I do I will get 6 months pay plus chance of consultancy work so all is fine good to have a plan. We put the house on the market and got an offer. They did sell theirs but then it went quiet. We found a lovely town with some cheap houses in Denmark so all is on track there we will relist in spring 25. 

We got engaged and then booked a Civil Ceremony only to move it to Feb 25. It will still be small but now we do actually need to sort out the final details. 

I got into stoozing with my 20 month interest free CC from Feb 24. I also increased my pension to 20% from April and 25% from Dec 24. I got into selling on Vinted and need to do more. I started uncluttering the loft but more to do. 

I lost my small new suitcase and got reunited with it so that was so so lucky. We had lots of lovely Lidl freebies (did not help the weight) and lots of lovely meals at the club sitting outside in the sunshine. Really enjoyed the gym and club now that it is complete I will miss that but new club also looks lovely and it was open when we went in December for play. 

Lots of lovely holidays this year more than normal as I paid for 2 extra weeks. This year will be a few but one is a weekend break MS so that will not cost much and the main holiday will be Turkey in May (I must pay the deposit for that one). I do not think there will be a main Summer one this year as we are moving so no point really going then but we shall see. My niece is 18 and my sister 50. We want to pay for my sister to do Turkey and Tinsel in Nov with us that would be so fun. 

I spent a lot of time researching taxes and pensions in DK. I am glad I did and not pay out loads for advice. I did put £20K into my pension and decided I did not need an international pension. I joined a Danish !!!!!! which was helpful and I will get more advice from them. We know our budget for the Danish house and how much for any renovations which will leave us with money from this house. We are optimistic this house will sell and not fussed if we have to lower the price £20K or more in Spring. I will try not to be too quick on the Danish house side as I really do not want a big renovation project due to the unknowns and cost. 

I am going down to see how DG is and see what the plans are for the rest of the evening. I will continue to update the list but it has been good to look back and see what I have done and my thoughts for the year. 

2025
Continue sewing club and start knitting project. 
Civil Ceremony 
Sell on Vinted
Declutter house and loft ready for move. 
Continue to lose weight
Gym min twice a week and golf min 1 a week (with or without DG)
Think before agreeing to holidays and socials 
Continue to look into pensions and taxes.