Life and money decisions - 35 years old

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  • moomin82
    moomin82 Posts: 227
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    Oh, and I echo the above - very well done on your debt reduction. I am nearly there too having come from a place a few multiples higher than where you started. It's an amazing feeling hey.

    Thank you and well done to you too :D:beer:
    Achievements:
    9 Aug 2021: Achieved a perfect credit score on Experian (999/999 points - Excellent)
    Debt free date: 23 July 2021.
    Next goals: Save deposit as a first time buyer.
    Find ways to increase income
    Further reduce budget/ sell old stuff

    Goals for October 2018: Eliminate unneccessary spending
  • EssexHebridean
    EssexHebridean Posts: 21,058
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    edited 24 May 2017 at 3:03PM
    Question. Do you WANT a career, or is that something you feel you OUGHT to do?

    Once you separate the two things, it can shed some quite interesting light on best ways forwards - it may well be that a "job" rather than a career is fine for you, particularly if you'd like to travel etc. Work > save > Leave Job > Travel > return > work...and repeat? As long as you are saving something for the future as well, then all good?

    (If it helps, I'm 44 and I definitely don't have a career - I have a job. It pays enough and I mostly quite enjoy it. Made the decision to let go of the greasy pole some years back and was almost instantly much happier.)
    🎉 MORTGAGE FREE (First time!) 30/09/2016 🎉 And now we go again…New mortgage taken 01/09/23 🏡
    Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00
    Balance as at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
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  • Fireflyaway
    Fireflyaway Posts: 2,766
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    First off love your user name! I'm 37 and don't like my job (I've been posting on here about that!)either and what makes it worse is not having a career goal. I think if you are able to go and travel / work abroad then do it. You don't want to live with regrets and if you are bored why not?! It would be amazing. I don't think you are too old at all! Do some English teaching or there are some great charity jobs ( paid ones) in various places. Check out oxfam or world vision etc.
    You have done amazing to pay off all that debt. Shows you are committed so I don't see why you wouldn't travel then get a mortgage after that. Many mortgage companies have removed the age restrictions so that need not be a hurdle. Good luck!
  • ReadingTim
    ReadingTim Posts: 3,970
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    • Some people live to work. Others work to live.
    • Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life. Chose a job you hate, and it'll seem like a life sentence.
    • Time, energy, money. Throughout your life you'll only ever have 2 of these things at any one time.

    Human wants are unlimited. Resources, such as the abovementioned time, energy and money are limited. No-one can have their cake and eat it. Life will always involve choices, priorities and compromises.

    You want to travel and you want to buy a place. Which do you want to do more? Which would you rather do first? Getting out of £12k of debt is a pretty big life goal to have achieved, but it took you some time: you didn't do that easily, and you won't achieve other goals easily or quickly either. However, you seem to have given up on the other goals without even trying, when you've already proven you can do it.
  • moomin82
    moomin82 Posts: 227
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    First off love your user name! I'm 37 and don't like my job (I've been posting on here about that!)either and what makes it worse is not having a career goal. I think if you are able to go and travel / work abroad then do it. You don't want to live with regrets and if you are bored why not?! It would be amazing. I don't think you are too old at all! Do some English teaching or there are some great charity jobs ( paid ones) in various places. Check out oxfam or world vision etc.
    You have done amazing to pay off all that debt. Shows you are committed so I don't see why you wouldn't travel then get a mortgage after that. Many mortgage companies have removed the age restrictions so that need not be a hurdle. Good luck!

    Hi there! Haha thanks like your username too! What do you currently do for a living? I will have to read your other threads. You'll be pleased to know that I have started looking for other opportunities that would excite me. I think this is important to me. If I am honest with myself I just want to do something I enjoy and keep building new experiences. I am bored and want adventure.
    The good thing is I have an almost clean slate, so just learning how to save and keep at my job until I find something else.
    Paying it off was no easy feat and took me years (I have been in a cycle of debt building and debt busting for most of my working life). If I had healthier spending patterns, I would probably have some sort of deposit by now but hey ho!

    I wish you luck in finding a job you like.:)
    Achievements:
    9 Aug 2021: Achieved a perfect credit score on Experian (999/999 points - Excellent)
    Debt free date: 23 July 2021.
    Next goals: Save deposit as a first time buyer.
    Find ways to increase income
    Further reduce budget/ sell old stuff

    Goals for October 2018: Eliminate unneccessary spending
  • moomin82
    moomin82 Posts: 227
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    edited 25 May 2017 at 8:30AM
    ReadingTim wrote: »
    • Some people live to work. Others work to live.
    • Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life. Chose a job you hate, and it'll seem like a life sentence.
    • Time, energy, money. Throughout your life you'll only ever have 2 of these things at any one time.

    Human wants are unlimited. Resources, such as the abovementioned time, energy and money are limited. No-one can have their cake and eat it. Life will always involve choices, priorities and compromises.

    You want to travel and you want to buy a place. Which do you want to do more? Which would you rather do first? Getting out of £12k of debt is a pretty big life goal to have achieved, but it took you some time: you didn't do that easily, and you won't achieve other goals easily or quickly either. However, you seem to have given up on the other goals without even trying, when you've already proven you can do it.

    With the life choices I have made over the last 5 years, I don't feel I have particularly enjoyed my working life to date or made many "fun" memories and adventures. I settled into doing what I know rather than taking risks with new opportunities. However office jobs have helped me earn enough to pay off the debt. This has been worth it to be debt free! On this website I learnt to question my spending habits much more, and to reward myself with simple pleasures, exercise, reading a book, always the cheaper option.
    I went through some personal issues including depression, lost many so-called "friends", but kept my head down whilst plugging away and spending some time on self-development. It is amazing to feel that I am in the process of turning my life around. When I find myself advising others that are depressed or in debt, I realise I have actually come quite a long way.
    I probably want to travel first so will figure out if this will involve a new job or some sort of compromise with my current job, i.e. a sabbatical as suggested.
    The reason I feel despondent about saving for a place, is I am on my own, don't earn lots, house prices are ridiculous. I have considered shared ownership as an option. You are right I can get there but can't have my cake and eat it. I like to think "Where there's a will there's a way". So maybe if I focus on saving then figure out what to do when I have a bit more squirrelled away.

    I think with career change and that sort of thing there is no big epiphany for some of us, instead I feel I am getting "closer" to finding something more interesting by following my biggest interests and making incremental changes! Follow your bliss, in other words!
    Achievements:
    9 Aug 2021: Achieved a perfect credit score on Experian (999/999 points - Excellent)
    Debt free date: 23 July 2021.
    Next goals: Save deposit as a first time buyer.
    Find ways to increase income
    Further reduce budget/ sell old stuff

    Goals for October 2018: Eliminate unneccessary spending
  • ReadingTim
    ReadingTim Posts: 3,970
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    You're probably having a quarter life crisis - the lifehacker article is quite good in this respect.
  • moomin82
    moomin82 Posts: 227
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    ReadingTim wrote: »
    You're probably having a quarter life crisis - the lifehacker article is quite good in this respect.

    Sadly you are correct.
    Achievements:
    9 Aug 2021: Achieved a perfect credit score on Experian (999/999 points - Excellent)
    Debt free date: 23 July 2021.
    Next goals: Save deposit as a first time buyer.
    Find ways to increase income
    Further reduce budget/ sell old stuff

    Goals for October 2018: Eliminate unneccessary spending
  • moomin82
    moomin82 Posts: 227
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    http://fortune.com/2017/05/19/avocado-toast-millennials-savings-travel/ Found some useful tips on saving. For millenials.
    Achievements:
    9 Aug 2021: Achieved a perfect credit score on Experian (999/999 points - Excellent)
    Debt free date: 23 July 2021.
    Next goals: Save deposit as a first time buyer.
    Find ways to increase income
    Further reduce budget/ sell old stuff

    Goals for October 2018: Eliminate unneccessary spending
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