Mortgage Free now aiming for FIRE

TallGirl

Well that was a disaster DG had a meltdown and then it started raining so we only played 2 holes got mud everywhere and just went home. I did play ok though. She now wants to quit (again) and not come to Portugal for the trip. I do despair so I have left her watching telly for an hour or so. 

I do want to do some reflections and planning for the new year. so will start a new post as this is just a moan about DG.

TallGirl

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. 

TallGirl

2025 Goals (continued) 

Had a lovely quiet evening last night lots of couple time and nice steak from Lidls. The 35 day mature 10oz rump did us both and it was so so nice. DG is fussy so ends up cutting most of it off normally but not this one so glad a got a second one. 

Today we got up late, had a slimfast and now DG is watching her Criminal Minds and I have sorted my clothes out. Huge pile for recycle and all in order now plus Summer clothes put away and some clothes that no longer fit me but could do once I lose weight in a separate pile ready to try on in Summer. It includes 3 pairs of brand new size 14 Long Tall Sally trousers I got just before they closed down but it was pre covid so now I cannot fit into them. Hopefully I can once I lose this weight. 

I do like doing an edit on clothes and I had a lot more than I thought. One really nice top I have never worn I got in Summer will definitely have to come back out this year. I do tend to wear jogging bottoms, a t-shirt and a hoodie so I can go straight to gym. On non gym days same type of bottoms but maybe a smarter top. I do think I should vary it more for this year. I do also need to sort my underwear out might do that in a bit. 

Heard back from reclaim and got 1/2 the money back so that is a nice win at least we did not have to fork out for a taxi this time. Next trip to London is a dinner in a couple of weeks I have booked tickets for £46 for both of us return. We are not drinking so can drive to nearby station and get back the same evening. Dinner is at 17.30 so it is quite doable. 

There are a lot of socials going on in Jan but one is a round of golf, the other a Captains Drive in which I wont play in so it is just to get up there and say hello. The next is the dinner with the Danish Association and then it is MS the last weekend. That is more than enough but then nothing until our Civil Ceremony which is very good. We could do another two golf events in Jan in the evening but we need to cut down. 

It is actually really nice to have a clear head 1st of Jan and I want to see how the weightloss will go with no drinking and more gym. Should hopefully make a difference. 

I do not need anymore clothes so I would have some no spend rules for 2025 I do need to be accountable on here as you know what I am like. I did buy a lot at the end of last year but it was needed plus I am wearing it all the time and the stuff I threw out was so so worn. 

I do need to buy a new knitting project as I miss it and it stops me mindlessly playing on my phone. 

2025 savings goal:
Save £12K by monthly savings:
£300 main bank regular saver (7%)
£500 (£100 p/w plus round ups) in Cash ISA (4.91%)
£25 Premium Bonds
£50 S&S Isa Monzo
£125 need to be founds but I have increased my pension to 25% so need to see how that goes. 
 
2025 intentions
Continue sewing club and start knitting project. 
Civil Ceremony with close friends
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. 
Develop the marketing side of DGs business

By the end of 2025 I want to:
Be living in Denmark by the sea with £100K in the bank plus £100K for renovations if needed
Working part time on the new venture with DG (if I can keep my old job or do both then I will do FT) 
Be less stressed and less snappy slow down and not rush everything. 

Watty1

Some really big goals there!  Look forward to seeing how the year goes.

TallGirl

Thanks Watty there are quite a few but I intent to break them down and do them in 12 weeks chunks.

I did order a knitting kit yesterday it was £20 off but still £54 so need to make sure I can actually wear the cardigan when it is done. It is pale pink so hopefully nice when it gets here.

DG did mention about the survey for the Danish house yesterday after we went to bed. She said I should have reminded her. At least she can now read the surveys so I do not have to be the only one with the information and having to translate. I did also respond to the two estate agent we saw in Denmark to say no thanks and give feedback. In order to achieve my goals for the end of the year the house can be up to £280K or 2.5million kroner or £350K (3.1million kr) if no work at all. A full reno is likely to cost £166K as a starting point which is 1.5million so ideally I want to find something that does not require so much work hence the £100K target for that. 

Anyway back in the UK and my real life the sun is out, the bins have been emptied and the cleaner is on her way. Yesterdays diet was really good so hopefully carry on today. DG is staying on the 7.5ml jabs they are very effective but she has spoken about feeling tired. I think it is just the socialising and the travelling but lets see. 

Oh and the money from my mum has arrived I am going to move it into a higher rate savings account for now before deciding what to do with it. 

Spin tonight and only 1 meeting which is more of a catch up so all good for the first day back. 

TallGirl

Spin was hard at least it was only 30 min which was just as well as we were the only two people in the class so I was grateful that DG did go. 

I have moved my S&S from Monzo to MoneyBox as I prefer to have it all together and it had not done very well. MoneyBox were also offering £20 if you opened a S&S ISA with £500 in it and the Monzo on had just over £500 in it. I transferred the money my mum gave me to my MoneyBox account it is now earning 4.5%. It has been combined with the money for the 0% credit card but I might spilt it out and move that to a 95 day notice account that pays 5.4%. 

No wins on the premium bonds I am glad I am not putting more in there that is no wins since October (3 months). That is £750 earned on the £30,000ish I had in there I think that is 2.5% not great at all. It is tax free and easy access but glad I stopped paying so much in. 

Spoke to someone I met on a course yesterday via work we try and keep ourselves accountable. We both needs to make a plan for the year and my one will be all of the things associated with moving to Denmark and selling the house. It will also have the plan for me joining DG in the business.

Cancelled golf this Sunday (it may snow lol) and decided to do a joint golf lesson with DG it has been year since we last did one. She doesn't want to go to Portugal and play so I am hoping a lesson with the golf guru is just what she needs. 

I have got quite a bit of new work that has landed so best crack on with that. 

TallGirl

Oh dear that was an expensive trip to the vets. One cat on painkillers only £19 and one cat needs to have teeth removed (broken canine too) so that could be £500 to upwards of £700+ but we do get a discount for being part of their healthy pet club which is handy. Got their injections and also recommended a company that can do the pet passports when the time comes so that is a step closer for that one too. 

Also got some frogs out of the way with work so should be ok next week even if busy. 

savingholmes

Sorry about the cat bills - hope it's now okay. 

Disappointing for you on leaving the golf early. 

Lovely to have some new £ warming your accounts.

LadyWithAPlan

Ouch to those vet bills.
Really interesting reading your yearly review ' I seemed to have spent much of 2024 on a diet' Very Jane Austen!

Good you have some full on goals, I am doing a Vision board or 2 this weekend to get my year ahead in focus,
Good you are feeling focused, happy and have got fitter last year - you always seemed to be going to the gym..

TallGirl

Thanks Savingholmes and LWAP always appreciated anyone commenting. Cats are both fine but yes annoying with the costs. 

Did have a couple of wins today turns out Monzo was doing 2% cash back on Tui so when I paid the next instalment I got £10 back plus there was £7 in there already nice little cash out. 

Also got my free bakery item at Lidl plus won £10 off on the free spin. Got to go back now and get the free veg too. 

DG is trying some golf shoes for a big company she’s struggling already with them and won’t get to keep them. Anyway we shall see. 

Joint funds paid me back so I’ve cleared the CC and I’m going to try not to put anymore joint stuff on it. I need to pay final payment for the Turkey holiday and the Portugal one but it’s in savings. Then all hols are paid for. We need to use the hotel.com voucher for the Brighton hotel before it expires in Feb. Hopefully you can go after that date. 

Done a load of bulk cooking today pulled bbq chicken and butter chicken from scratch. The latter was super hot and had too much sauce so I’m going to slow cook the excess with some more chicken and tomato. Nice to have the freezer full again. Managed to cancel Oddbox actually forgot I still had it. Next one in a month. 

Right I’m going to sleep now.