The mindful MFW: A healthy, happy journey to a mortgage free life!

museumworker · 3 August 2017 at 2:24PM

Secret_Saving_Squirrel wrote: »

Well done on making the decision to reduce your hours while the children are young. You never get that time back again, and while being mf whilst still young is lovely, the children will be teenagers by then and that will be that!

Thanks SSS, I definitely want more time for them whilst they are still young, DD1 is so independent now it is hard to get time with her. I did ask to reduce my hours when I was offered the job but got a firm no

, so decided to just try and make it work full time. The wheels finally came off so to speak so I've realised I can't work that hard and I want more time with the kids. Am hoping the 1 extra day for them, and 1 day for myself will mean 3 quality days with a happier, less stressed mummy who can focus on them properly.

Being MF is only one part of a much larger life plan, and thinking when the mortgage is paid off we can do x - well, why not see if we can do x (and y, and z) now AND pay off the mortgage?

Just need to convince work of the brilliance of my plan :rotfl:. I'll leave that til after holiday!

greent · 3 August 2017 at 5:24PM

Yes - I so agree with this! I had a physical and mental exhaustion crash from trying to do everything when my teens were small (retraining on weekends whilst being made redundant from a fairly pressurised job and closing 3 sites in the country and starting a new one - and doing normal everyday work and running the team - and being a wife and mummy) something had to give - and it was my mental and physical health. I never want to be in that position again - I would rather have less money but keep 'me'

Really hope you get agreement to your reduced week

xx

museumworker · 3 August 2017 at 6:28PM

greent wrote: »

Yes - I so agree with this! I had a physical and mental exhaustion crash from trying to do everything when my teens were small (retraining on weekends whilst being made redundant from a fairly pressurised job and closing 3 sites in the country and starting a new one - and doing normal everyday work and running the team - and being a wife and mummy) something had to give - and it was my mental and physical health. I never want to be in that position again - I would rather have less money but keep 'me'

Really hope you get agreement to your reduced week
xx

Gosh that sounds crazy, no wonder you got ill! Glad that's long in the past and you found a way to keep 'you'. Fingers crossed, I'll put in my application the week I get back so should know by October at the latest.

Bit of a win on the travel insurance - they've listed all our health conditions, some are excluded but no extra charge for those accepted :T. My cheapest online quote was £115 and this was a renewal at £58 odd so a major saving there :j.

DS's medical excess of £100 came out today, and made a hefty 86p TT to savings :rotfl:.

Have picked up DS meds, DD1 prescription and put in for collection tomorrow, cleared office, two bags of stuff taken to charity, spare keys left with neighbour, three washloads today, first dried and folded, second on line and third in the machine. NO DRYER! :rotfl:

Pretty tired, the meds I'm on are definitely tiring me out and I can't do as much as I have in the past without feeling wiped out afterwards. Probably a good thing as I'll have to learn to do less - a lot less!

Sausages defrosted from freezer for a sausage carbonara this evening once kids in bed.

And the cleaner has offered to come on Sunday instead of tomorrow which is BRILLIANT as she can Hoover up after we've left for hols, rather than us obliterate all of her good work as soon as we get in :rotfl:.

pinkypig · 3 August 2017 at 10:37PM

Hi MW, we've had a great stay and the weather has been generally good (certainly better than we are used to

). The one wet day was no problem as we did a museum visit and then had theatre tickets so it didn't matter a jot.

Good luck with your application for reduced hours, I'm sure they'll see the sense and the benefits of your proposal.

Enjoy your holiday. I've often wondered about house swap so I may pick your brains at some point if that's ok

Take care

PP x

museumworker · 4 August 2017 at 9:53AM

Hi PP, so pleased you've had a good stay in London, feel free to ask away about house swapping! I completely recommend it.

Just nipping on to record a £50 JL giftcard win :j! Lovely email to wake up to

. We are thinking of making changes to the living room which this will go towards. We also have £65 remaining on a giftcard I won last year and £35 in vouchers from our JL CC so have £150 of our £1000 target :j!

Anyway too much to finish up before out of office goes on. Catch up later.

MW x

wishingthemortgaheaway · 4 August 2017 at 11:20AM

Oooh congratulations on the win... care to share how you won such a treat?

We've bought a book for London, something like 365 things to do for cheap or free in London (for kids) the chapters are months (I think) so street festivals and one off events are in the correct month, then the winter months have indoor activities, and the summer months more outdoor things.
Pickle is still a bit small for most of the activities, but I'm reading the book and clocking the things we'd like to take him to when he's older. I'm Particularly looking forward to taking him to the Sunday afternoon storytelling sessions at the national gallery- I think I'd enjoy them just as much (if not more) as him.

Downshifterella · 4 August 2017 at 10:13PM

Well done on the sums, gift card win and getting the application in!
Work life balance is so, so important well done for going and grabbing it. It's inspired me to think more about my options too so thank you! ps have done 3days on the Headspace challenge! X

museumworker · 5 August 2017 at 9:49AM

Having a bit of a wobble today. My order to get £2.50 cashback was returned as I missed the collection deadline, and I think I've missed the switching deadline for H$BC too, which would have been a £200 reward. I stayed up til 1am last night working on my blog so definitely not healthy or feeling too happy as a result.

Also talk of DS getting excluded from holiday club due to behaviour issues which would leave us without holiday childcare. He's having problems at school too and exclusion has been mentioned a few times there too which terrifies me as I would probably have to leave my job.

Need to get back to basics and start a bit slower, making sure I finish each task before starting a new one.

Going to walk to collect DD1 meds for holiday, and listen to a podcast, hopefully that will help clear the mind. We have her concert this afternoon 1.5 drive away so hopefully I can catch up on a bit of rest in the car.

MW x

wishingthemortgaheaway · 5 August 2017 at 4:53PM

Oh no mw what a day.

I hope little one is able to continue at holiday club and school.

im sure things will seem brighter once you've caught up on sleep.

if I can help in any way with the holiday club/school difficulties, please ask any questions you have, I was a teacher for 13 years in tough schools, and was an assistant head for 6 years.

museumworker · 5 August 2017 at 11:47PM

wishingthemortgaheaway wrote: »

Oh no mw what a day.

I hope little one is able to continue at holiday club and school.

im sure things will seem brighter once you've caught up on sleep.

if I can help in any way with the holiday club/school difficulties, please ask any questions you have, I was a teacher for 13 years in tough schools, and was an assistant head for 6 years.

Thanks wish, I didn't get to catch up on rest unfortunately - there was a mix up at the pharmacist with DD1s medications and queues at H$BC so feel have been pretty much go go go all day!

Great to know about your experience, I may well be asking your advice at some point. DS has some difficulties which are being investigated but we have a 9 month wait to get further testing done. He is very challenging at times, we think we are making progress and then we have another episode. Having one just before we go on holiday isn't ideal but at least he has a few weeks to relax, so hopefully we will see better behaviour after as I think he is exhausted!

DD1 concert was brilliant as ever (third year she's been and they are always amazing), the littlies were quite difficult though as it was quite long but OH took them out so I could concentrate and they wouldn't embarrass DD1 too much!

By the time it was finished the kids were complaining of hunger - having eaten all of the packed lunch we made them, and snacks! So we stopped at McDs and did the receipt survey trick so OH and I both got the £1.99 deal, means we all ate for less than a tenner as DD1 wasn't hungry.

I also have a book I bought myself as a treat to take on holiday (£2.30 second hand, have wanted it for ages), and 7 gorgeous peaches from the market for £1.

Downstairs is all tidied ready to receive house swap guests, our bedroom less so, house manual updated, emailed and printed off, four people packed (I'm not :eek::eek:) Have pulled together some little toys and party bag type items to do a busy bag type thing for DD2 and DS. We have a lot to shove under the loft tomorrow morning before we go, but at least it will look presentable and we had a good clear out under there a few weeks ago so we know it will fit :rotfl:.

Better get some shut eye.

Night all

MW x

The mindful MFW: A healthy, happy journey to a mortgage free life!

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