Our first month of non-employment has come to an end and we have achieved heaps.

We did take something out of our house each day, a major step towards packing up our home. We passed as much forward as we could – books to local school for library – music to local youth music trust – bike, electronic keyboard, to a colleagues daughter – paperbacks passed on to friends – storage boxes, puppets, hula hoop, music stick to children’s nursery – badminton racquets, paper, craft supplies to Girls Brigade group – postcards to a school in USA for their geography wall – our daughter has adopted a sheepskin rug and a vase.

A mix of odds and ends have gone to various charity shops – books, games, cushion covers, table cloths, bags, coasters, candles, photo frame and albums, a few more bags, money boxes, costume jewelry, ornaments.

We have thrown out too, recycled where possible – old things that have worn out, clothes, shoes, travel books from the 1980’s that must be out of date, spare electrical items, iron, hairdryer.

It is a balanced decision of what to keep versus the practicality and cost of storage. We have been ruthless. Just as we manage to fill whatever time is available, we also seem to fill whatever space we have.

The other main goal for September was to eat less, move more. We certainly achieved the moving, the exercising, making good use of a gym and swimming pool. Our fitness and stamina has improved. We need to work harder on the eating less aspect though. Birthday weekends, entertaining friends, socializing and being a “lady who lunches” did not help.

To do list for October….
~ continue with packing up and taking something out of the house each day
~ continue to move more, eat less
~ finalise some of the admin required to wind up a UK life and move overseas – financial – tax – insurance –
medical – paperwork – computer admin and backups.