Mortgage Free now aiming for FIRE

TallGirl

My mum is home so happy. 

Spending today but also some real bargains. Got 4 tops for holiday, 1 pair of long trousers and a pair of shorts in Matalan sale. Not been since I went in Oman but omg amazingly cheap and perfect for holidays. £36.50 for all of that and the shorts were full price £12.50. That is what I pay for a to
 from long tall sally lol. 

Also got a sewing kit of Lidl £4 and 3 boxes of needles are more than that. 

Pool man is here fixing the pool box it's going to be so much better this year as we don't have to battle with the controls and the hose. 

Went to Lidl got essentials for holiday crackers and tea plus dinner tonight hot chicken roll. Also got an almond croissant and a McD breakfast diet not going well.  

Here's the clothes haul minus the shorts 

Moneyfordreams

Glad to read you mum is home 
great bargains from Matalan. How long away is your holiday ?

TallGirl

So last full week before the Gambian sunshine awaits. We fly out Tuesday but have a hotel in Gatwick the night before. Cannot wait honestly. 

Sunday was nice golf in the sunshine with a lovely lady player and then home to sort the clubs out so they are clean and packed in the carry bag ready for Spain.

Threw some more clothes out I do have too much and I need to let go on the stuff that I do not wear or do not fit me properly. Actually now have room for everything especially when we get some new hangers. DG bought the wrong size and one has already broken so she agreed to send it back £10 credit which is something. We will need to get some new ones though.

More Amazon spending £3.99 one some sealable bags to keep all our bits together for the trip things like suntan lotion, insect spray etc. Also £31.99 of my own Xmas money spent on 4 compression cubes which I think will really help packing for my 3 trips and getting myself so much more organised especially for Denmark where I shall be living out of a suitcase. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0895PDNXV?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

I spent ages researching them we shall see if they are any good. I do like the colour though. 

Only 1 meeting today but one of my projects are in real trouble so best get on with it. 

TallGirl

Listening to a webinar about menopause I feel so lucky I plucked up the courage and went to my GP and got onto HRT. So many women suffer for so long and we do not talk about it. 

Lovely sunny day today and really warm as the sun is warming the house up. I have so many meeting today and one from 6pm to 8pm so do need a break before that. I do like my job but right now I need a break and someone else might have to support some of my projects while I am away. 

Gosh forgot to post this and I am still working but should be done hopefully in 1/2 hour.

A decision did not go my way for a project so some tough decisions coming up tomorrow night at another meeting. Roll on for holidays. 

LadyWithAPlan

OOH  a trip how fun

I am just on HRT and pleased - though  first lot of ostreogen I felt awful and bloated with 9 lbs water!  but I switched brands and now its great, sleeping well, feel good, much less bloated and no hot flushes etc

Great your mum is back home, you must be so relieved

TallGirl

Glad you got something that suited you LWAP I think i was lucky I got mine right first time. I learnt yesterday that you can just stop if you need to or change it does not matter unlike other medications such as antidepressants. On the call yesterday were at least two people who had suffered with all the symptoms but didn't want to bother that doctor. Hopefully they will now go and all women of a certain age will get to feel amazing.

Work is still difficult my manager is really stressed as we have 1 person long term off 1 with a terminal dad and me about to go on holiday for ages as we know. Last ditch attempt to save something which would then solve a lot of issues and calm things down. 

In spends I bought a pair of sliders yesterday for £10 so I do not wreck my leather sandals on the beech. They are super expensive and I can wear them in the water. I just hope they fit. 

Need to post a letter for DG she is in London meeting a client at least it gets me out of the house. Hungry though so might have some breakfast first. Gym tonight really need that pilates on my shoulder. 

TallGirl

Morning been to the gym felt good as I did not go last night but also quite hard. 

Work is still manic but not incl today only 2 days to go now. Starting to stress a little due to the amount of work but hopefully get it all done in time. 

Need to go and get my prescription for my patches and then gym again later just doing one class. Right best crack on with work

TallGirl

OMG OMG just had to come on here and say I have found my lost necklace. I bought it with my dad in Denmark for some Christmas money he gave me.https://blicherfuglsang.dk/smykkeshop/smykker/sortperle-vedhaeng-fairytales.htm I then lost it for several years so in the end bought a smaller one but very similar some from the same artist. This one as you can see looks more like a questions mark but it was ok however not as nice as the one I lost. Fast forward I then found it when I packed up my house after my ex died. I was so so happy and wore it all the time. Last year I lost it again and it has been lost for nearly a year. I was convinced I had had it in Ireland and left it at the hotel but never got around to asking for it again. Then today packing for Gambia I looked in small bag we used out there and would you believe it there it was. 

Cannot describe how lovely it is to have it back again where it belongs. I am not taking it anywhere outside the house now but might take the smaller on to Gambia. Happy happy dance for me this afternoon. 

TallGirl

Afternoon some actual money saving stuff to report on.

Got my pension statement from my SIPP.
Increased with 2.8% which is not bad. Did notice that I am paying True Potential a nice ongoing fee of £1240.45 so will have to remember to add that into my total fee when I finally get that statement in March. 

So I need to practise and have a look at what is around if I am to put my S&S ISA into another platform. Spotted on the savings forum a whole thread about CIIIC Invest app. You basically invest min £50 in a GIA or ISA (that cost £10 a month) and they give another £50 within 6 days and it looks like you can then get your bonus out. I thought this might suit me to monitor how the funds are doing thinking the passive low fee ones such as Vanguard, BlackRock etc. So away to test things out at little risk. Did the Wealthify one last year that was a similar deal and that should pay out next month. So far that has only lost 76 pence. 

Final money saving bit has just been to Tesco to spend my £2.50 voucher that expires end of the month. We have £43 and we usually just spend them in Tesco. Really wanted Gardeners World again so that was £20 in vouchers as it cost £60 per year. Looking around you can get a £26 deal for 6 months where you get some free tools but I think 1 year at £20 is a better deal for me. I love having the magazine and the seeds and watching the show. 

DG is working this weekend so I am packing and obviously off to open that new account. I will let you know how it goes. 

UPDATE:
Magazine subscription will start mid March which is perfect and also opened a General Investment Account and put £50 into it. Should get the bonus in 6 days. Now to look what to invest obviously. 

badmemory

Watch those magazines via Tesco cc.  I used to get prima (I think it was) anyway if bought in a shop it came with patterns, if bought through the deal you had to order the patterns separately which cost extra.  So just check you will get the seeds.