Mortgage Free now aiming for FIRE

TallGirl

Morning really naughty start to the day no gym and had McD breakfast that is 0 gym's this week so so bad. Also DG brought home free scones and she bought our favorite chocolate orange cookie from Sainsbo. This needs to stop or I wont fit into anything. 

DG is going up to see some friends this Saturday but now they are not well however she has already booked to see some clients on the Monday. She will now go Sunday instead and stay in a cheap hotel. This will extend our Hotels.com streak so we are closer to the 1 free night and it does not expire. She can claim it back in tax and I get a nice time at home where I would like to do some sewing which is quite nice. We can also both chill Saturday as we have a guest coming Friday.

DG has now ordered her birth certificate (we hope they can find it as she was born abroad) and her parent marriage certificate. We cannot order her dad's birth certificate but his brother who is still alive should have the same details on his birth certificate which is what we need. Waiting for a cousin to send it to us as they are also applying for Irish passports. We also worked out that if DG gets desperate for English food and goodies we should be able to get them shipped from Ireland, she has relatives in Southern Ireland who would do this so the Walkers Cheese and Onion might be saved. 

It is looking unlikely we will be able to buy a house when we move to Denmark as you need to prove you have settled there before they allow you. It kind of makes sense or you could see investors swoop in and get all the cheap houses. I do not know how long it would take to prove this but we have time to work on it and it would not hurt to rent first as they do not have a housing shortage we should be fine. They also have lots of Summer houses they rent out in the Summer but in the Winter you can rent them long term and they do allow pets in most of them. 

Had a good meeting with my line manager and my colleague we are now a team. She is very helpful and very knowledgeable but I am not sure how strong she is about standing up to those above her. My previous one was better at this but the organisation is going to have to save a lot of money next year so there will be cuts. My team should be safe but it is not going to be fun. I will keep my head down and be glad I only need to stick around for the next 3 to 4 years. Thank goodness for mortgage freedom and the ability to upsize but release equity but moving countries. 

Right back to work

Mystery shop photos - DONE
Send Xmas card and present to friend in Cornwall - got the actual thing down from the loft
Book train tickets for 22nd - cost £66 so booked parking as same price and trains are such a pain anyway. DONE
Change filters in hottub - DONE
Send back charger - DONE paperwork just need to take it to local shop. done and refund issued
Buy sisters present 
Course - progressing
Work to do list - getting there
Write a review of the headphones, take photo. upload on Amazon - waiting for Amazon to approve it 

TallGirl

Morning all bright and sunny here and it is Friday. I managed to catch up with a lot of work yesterday and also my course I think I can get it done by Wednesday as I shall work on it Sunday.

We were due to see friends this Sat to Sun but I was never keen on going as it is such a long drive and it was only 1 night. I suggested DG saw some clients on the Monday so she could stay 2 night. Well as it happens one friend has got some sickness bug (they have loads of grandkids) so DG is not keen on seeing her as some of the clients are elderly. Plus we do not want to get it this close to Xmas. Apologies I think I have already written all of this but in effect means I get to stay home alone bliss. I do get to see both friends at New Year so that is all good. 

Got an email to say if I attended a presentation I would get a £5 Costa Coffee voucher which would be nice. It is an interesting topic (I have attended before) but they are the ones that charge those ridiculous fees to switching to them. Still what they had to say was interesting indeed. 

Still no news on DGs documents and her cousin has not been in touch. Told my colleague that it was all because of her as had she not said we would not have known she was entitled. She was chuffed. Her and I are so similar it is really crazy. I think I might be getting a friend out of this and she gets on well with DG plus her other half is nice and easy to talk to as well. 

Tonight is a new colleague of DGs coming over with her husband. It is not going to be mad drinking and I have just realised I need raisins for the Danish Glogg I am making. We did go to Lidls last night to get the last bits but I totally forgot. We did get a little decorated real Xmas tree for the porch as the old on died. It is really cute. Sadly we lost out on the 10% off it expired. I am not planning on drinking much she hardly knows them and it is a business relationship (the start up that has not been hacked) so not appropriate. 

 Right off to work to do list duly updated:

Send Xmas card and present to friend in Cornwall - got the actual thing down from the loft plus found the card
Buy sisters present done
Course - progressing got 10 sections left to do I can do this
Work to do list - getting there
Write a review of the headphones, take photo. upload on Amazon - waiting for Amazon to approve it DONE
Sort money for Niece and Nephew 
Presents for friend need to message her for list. 

TallGirl

Quick update DG won in the Facebook competition we usually enter at Christmas (we bought our hottub from there) it is a cover worth £69. I did not enter as I am waiting for a better prize. Today is not worth it either but will keep my eye out. Not many enter so it is a really good one. 

Also 2 of my 5 interviewee have now cancelled. There was 65 applications for the job and we selected 5 for interview so it is a bit of a blow. It is only for 3 months but it is quite good wages (£31K essentially admin). 

Premium Bonds 2023
On my Premium Bonds I have won as follows this year:
Jan £0
Feb £125
March £100
April £0
May £175
June £0
July £250
Aug £0
Sep £150
Oct £0
Nov £100
Dec £0

Total £900 I currently have £40,300 in the pot putting in £500 a month. Interesting that it is almost every second month exactly 6 wins out of 12. So if I carry on adding £500 that takes me to £46300 next year but with the potential for wins it could take it up to £47200 very close to being full. Will be interesting to come back this for 2024. 

savingholmes

Glad you are getting some returns on your PB.

Sorry about the disruption to your plans - hopefully it all works out today.

Good you are getting the measure of your new boss.

TallGirl

Thanks Savinghomes. 

It was ok in the end one interview rebooked for next week and the one we did so was super impressive. She will eat my ex line manager alive if we employ her as she’s so disorganised so this could be a good match. 

Dgs work mate was really nice. She brought a home made fresh wreath for the door. Super pretty and my style. Need a hook to hang it. We got the pool bar nice and warm and not too bad this morning. Our golf course is closed so no golf today. 

I want to get more stuff on Vinted it empties out the loft and earns me pennies. 

Still no access for dg but sounds like the start up is bending over backwards for her. It was clear from the lady last night they really like her. 

I need to post that Xmas card today. But a hook for the wreath and look at sorting my other friends presents out. Also need something for my dad. No idea what or if he’s even coming for Xmas. 

LadyWithAPlan

What is this course you are going ? Work related ? Sounds interesting 

love a Xmas win - I won day one on the advent I won Dec 25th 22 as well ! 

That future employee sounds great  

I can’t keep raisins in the house - I eat them all ! 

TallGirl

Hi LAPlan it’s this lady https://instagram.com/_laurencurrie_?igshid=MzMyNGUyNmU2YQ==

I’m on the charity bond course it’s been amazing learnt so much. Hoping to do a few more lesson tomorrow as access end Weds. it’s basically about women giving themselves and others confidence so yes work related but also personal. 

We only ever win once each in that comp so well done on getting two. 

Posted the Xmas card and got a few more presents ordered plus hung the wreath up. Need to lower it a bit. 

Both hungry while out but resisted eating out so just bought a loaf of bread and used some bacon up at home. Lovely bacon and egg sarnie. 

Got two dresses out of the loft for Vinted I’ll never fit in them again but there wasn’t actually not that much up there. 

savingholmes

Well done on the continued decluttering. Sounds like it's paying off.

TallGirl

Got my two items listed on Vinted. Now that DG has gone I am going to work on my course.

Sadly one of the present arrived (a £30 oil for your hair) without the actual protective cap on it so it could just be pressed and ooze out. It makes it look used so I want to send it back but it says you cannot. As it has not been delivered yet according to Amazon I cannot contact the seller either. Not really sure what to do now. Why couldn't just be simple.

Right best crack on with this course!

Send Xmas card and present to friend in Cornwall - DONE
Buy sisters present done
Course - progressing got 10 sections left to do I can do this
Work to do list - getting there DONE
Write a review of the headphones, take photo. upload on Amazon - waiting for Amazon to approve it DONE
Sort money for Niece and Nephew DONE my mum is doing it
Presents for friend need to message her for list. DONE but 1 needs to go back on Amazon 

TallGirl

Morning bright and sunny here and I am not at the gym as I could not fall asleep until 2am so tired this morning. I will go Tuesday instead as we have had a meeting cancelled and do Bodybalance nice and gentle instead of Attack which would have been this morning. 

DG had a complete meltdown in the car yesterday she could not find the hotel when she got there after 2 1/2 hours drive. I did help her in the end and she got there. It is definitely the anxiety but I myself can get quite upset if I cannot find somewhere and its dark and raining after a long drive. I actually think it is ok as it shows she is expressing emotion on other things than just IT and golf lol. 

No golf this weekend as the course was closed due to rain. 

Managed to sort out the return of the hair oil I just said it was damaged rather than missing a part and I am getting a refund and do not have to return it which is a fab result. I do now need present for my friend the joys!

My uncle is in a hospice and they thought it was the end on Thursday but he then liven up Friday (which I think is quite normal). He does not want a christian funeral (he is a Buddhist) but they might do something on this birthday at the end of Jan. I would go over as I was quite close to him and I even had him as my teacher at secondary school. I will miss him and is sad I do not get so see him again. He is 88 (89 in Jan) so not a bad life.

My mum is the youngest and she lost her middle brother about 5 years ago. I am not that close to my cousins but they are ok would be nice to see them and my cousins 3 grown up daughters. Handy I bought some more leave.

Course - progressing got 7 sections left to do I can do this
Write final review for headphones, 
Presents for friend I do have her list now
Pump water out of pool
Clean hot tub filters
Find a present for DG only have some really small things but do not want to buy just for the sake of it.