greent's mfw journey

Karmacat

Wow, greent, what a post! Amazing stuff. As newgirly says, having the family altogether like that is lovely - and you've planned some great trips out as well.

And apparently you have a forest in your house at this time of year :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: it's very impressive :j

CathT

Hope the pace of life slows down a little now you have all finished for Christmas. Still one week to go here, it's very much a reversal of last year when our schools finished before England. We used to have two trees but one was one my mum gave me and the fake snow used to drive me mad falling off it so I returned it to her!

greent

Some local schools are still going until Tues/ Weds - but it's nice that we've all finished (it does mean an early return though - 2nd Jan for DS1 and 3rd Jan for DS2 & DS3)

'My' tree (forsaken this year) is very different to the one currently up! I always choose a really wide tree and there are 600 warm white lights on it first. It is then festooned with literally hundreds of gold/ bronze/ purple baubles of varying sizes, a few gold bells and stars and one large golden pear (random, but I love it) Next year it will be back!

I haven't made many concrete plans for 2018 yet, newgirly - I have some vague/ possible ideas which need firming up. I also need to revisit this year and see how that went ( I already know some bits went better than others! ) I'm looking forward (without wishing Xmas away, as I love it too much!) a new year though
x

shangaijimmy

Our school only closes on Friday! DS1 is most agrieved that mummy and daddy have finished work yet he still has a week to go, whilst i'm viewing it as a minor adult victory!

greent

As I wrote up 2016's review on 18th Dec, it seems a good time to do it again this year! (Clearly there is a lull in the proceedings at this time for me - enough of one, anyway, that I can look back and forward )

• Make memories together - lots of good ones! - Definitely a keeper on the list. I am aware that time with all 6 of us together will be rarer and want to make the most of it - we have played lots of family games together, gone to playparks with smalls, more cinema trips than before (cheap tickets), a holiday without DD. Weekend brunches together have been a good family time - even better than Sunday dinners. DS1 (17) has a brilliant sense of humour and is funny to talk to on the way to school (I take him when I'm invigilating there) We're ending the year with 2 (part)family trips (ie: not everyone is going on each trip) - HP Studios and a cinema trip. Oh - and OH and I had a night away totally without children for the first time in years! (we've only ever had one night away since having 4 children before) The boys had fun in the snow last weekend
  
• Little jobs which need doing around the house - spreadsheet to be updated over Xmas hols and timescales decided upon - some have been done, but not as many as probably could have been - partly because OH has been working away since Jan and partly because some have been overtaken by new little jobs which have arisen since this time last year - and also partly because we are innately lazy! :o
  
• Kitchen remodel (and some new appliances sadly required) without any debt - 2017 will see this happen!!:rotfl::p - well 2017 has seen this planned and changed and planned some more - so although this hasn't been done, the plans are there, the deposit has been paid and it is booked for the NY (Once we got to Oct I didn't want it started in case of delays in the run up to Xmas) I consider this an almost-success
• Tackle various bits of debt (eg: OH's car loan, tax credits overpayments ) - £10K target for the year - yep. Tax credits, OHs car, an old small prsnl loan, some 0% CC debt - £12239 repaid in 2017
  
• Support DD through rest of first year at Uni, DS1 through AS exams and UCAS application and DS2 through starting at secondary school - success. DD got the equiv of a 2:1 for her 1st year. DS1 could have done better in his AS exams - but far better to door poorly in AS than in A2 - hopefully he realises the work required. UCAS app - 1/ 5 conditional offers received, 1 rejection, 3 still to hear from. DS2 is loving his new school, after an undecided start. More work for me with some running around but he is thriving and has joined the rugby club (and is in a team - he was previously totally non sporty), the rifle shooting club (the school has their own rifle range!), the drama club and the chess club
  
• Continue to declutter - Marie Kondo style (I WILL conquer the paper in this house!!:D) - definitely a success. Paper was done - needs a revisit in the NY to ensure systems are maintained. Lots of things have gone - but this is an ongoing process with 4 children
  
• Make £500 from selling unwanted/ unused/ unloved items discovered during decluttering! - £1445.57 (net) made between myself and the children. :T
• Pensions! - we have upped our contributions to co pensions but still need to review our old pensions - my transfer value seemed huge when I had a peek, so I'm confused.
• Lose weight - still aiming for 2 stone - :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
• Review all finances to ensure current needs being met in best possible way - kind of. Money has been being saved for kitchen (which is costing rather more than we thought) so it's been in a reasonably easy access account. New 0% CC obtained to buy some kitchen things on and aid cashflow for 1st half of 2018
  
• Ensure Co accounts and personal tax stuff submitted to accountant promptly!! - Co year end is 31/01 - accounts were submitted to accountant before the end of Feb. Personal tax stuff was with them in May - definite success for both items
  
• Carry on targeting BTL IO mtge - target for 2017 is £3286 reduction - actual reduction so far £5288. Currently on hold until new tenants in
  
• A cheap family holiday - maybe even just in the caravan with the smaller two. - hmmm - a week in Portugal in Oct wasn't exactly mega cheap - but not outrageously expensive. DD unable to be there, but we did give her the spending money for her trip to Paris
  
• Simplify life - an ongoing thing. I have decided to drop the festival after the NY and will let the main organiser know first week in Jan. Whilst I am committed to invigilating in both secondary schools for this summer, I may resign from one after the exam season - I much prefer one school above the other and it seems silly to run myself ragged with 2 very different systems (the one I'm considering dropping pays 26% more per hour, so it's not a money based decision! :D) I have been neglecting the charity stuff - really need to get my b** into gear and sort all paperwork out and hand it over after AGM. It's a fab project, but I've done my stint there now and I'd possibly like to do something else - Gosh! I find it hard to believe that this time last year I was still involved with the festival. Anyway, I *did* resign in Jan. I also left the charity in July - it wasn't my plan in the end to leave entirely but I did, somewhat abruptly! However, since then I have realised just how much it was affecting me negatively and I don't miss it one bit - so leaving was definitely the 'right' thing to do for me.
  I am still invigilating at both schools - I was hoping to get a different role at one, but mention of that has fallen by the wayside.
• Health - I need to get fitter, not just lose weight. I am loving Zumba and it has helped my shoulder mobility but I need to do more. This was going great guns at the start of the year - Zumba 3-4 x/ week, HIITs and C25K..... then I got a cold which went to my chest over Easter and took time out, then the exam season happened and then I got lazy over the Summer. 2.5months ago I tore a ligament in my left foot and it's only just easing up now but needs a lot of support still. However this *will* be resurrected
  
• The garden - lots of little jobs to do here and it tends to come at the bottom of the list so will do a separate list for this and also look to grow some veggies again in 2017 (didn't in 2016 as we were away for 3 weeks in the Summer) Ultimately (but definitely not in 2017!!) I would like it re-hard landscaped and remodelled as it needs it. Grew fruit, salad leaves and lots of tomatoes - was probably enough, tbh. Still lots of jobs to do. 1 patio was smashed up and removed but has not been replaced with anything yet - except weeds! :rotfl:
  
• Count my blessings each and every day Life is good - sometimes I need to remind myself of this - I have been practicing daily gratitudes
  

Overall - some good bits, some not so good bits. OH did get a contract in Jan which was extended in July and has just been extended again until 2nd Feb - so that's been good. I've probably still not put my physical health and wellbeing high enough - although mentally I feel better for no longer doing 2 things which were dragging me down. House is better clutter-wise. And I have a nephew (8 weeks tomorrow) - ooh - and my 'baby' cousin (she's 26...) got engaged and has set a date for her wedding (2019) to a lovely chap No family deaths and no major health scares (that I'm aware of)

Now to 2018...

newgirly

Fantastic update greent :T

Karmacat

I agree, that's a fantastic update, you've done so much! Though not so much for yourself as for the others, maybe? It's got to give somewhere, I suppose, but your health is *so* important ... please take care. Oh, yes - enjoy yourself too

:rotfl::p :j

CathT

Great update. You achieve so much and it was lovely to read a summary of your year and goals achieved.

shangaijimmy

Great update and got me thinking... I'm sure on my diary id promised a 2017 review, so need to get that boxed off!

greent

Similar to last year's.....

In no particular order:

• Make memories together - good ones! - Definitely a keeper
• Little jobs which need doing around the house - spreadsheet to be updated over Xmas hols and timescales decided upon. Some of these will be achieved along with kitchen, as we've asked tradespeople to do the small jobs along with the kitchen job. Definitely want more progress on this in 2018 than in 2017! Ideally I would like to achieve something and update the list every month
• Kitchen remodel - now delayed (by kitchen co) for a couple of weeks. However, I want it in essence done by my bday (early March) and properly finished by end of April. We have most of the money in an account, but anything which gets put on 0% CC to be repaid in 2018
• Tackle various bits of debt (eg: OH's car loan, possible tax credits overpayment, 0% CC debt) - would like it ALL gone by end of 10/18
• Carry on supporting DD through Uni, DS1 through the end of VIth form and hopefully start of Uni, DS2 through the rest of his first year at secondary school and (towards the end of the year) DS3 in starting to prep for 11+ test
• Continue to declutter - Marie Kondo style Mostly done except for the continual ongoing things needed. I want to re-gain a calm house (*most* of the time) I'd like to achieve 2018 items in 2018, but I'm not sure I can (am almost at 2017 in 2017 though! )
• Make £1000 from surveys/ selling unwanted/ unused/ unloved items discovered during decluttering!
• Pensions - have made a start on this. 2018 will see us increase our contributions to co scheme (and co contributions are also increasing - both ahead of what the minimum requirements are) and probably an appointment with an IFA to gain a better understanding of what our options with our old pensions are
• Lose 2 dress sizes
• Review all finances to ensure current needs being met in best possible way and also set up a targeted savings plan come end of year - it tends to be a bit ad-hoc at the mo, and we could do better
• Ensure Co accounts and personal tax stuff submitted to accountant promptly again
• Carry on targeting BTL IO mtge - target for 2018 is £4000 reduction
• A family holiday and maybe even anther night away just OH and myself
• Continue with simplified life.
• Health - I need to get fitter. My shoulder is much better than this time last year. However, I have lost a lot of cardio-type fitness in the 2nd half of the year and need to get this back up - and actually finish c25k this year!
• The garden -make it so that we enjoy spending time in there Ultimately (but definitely not in 2018!!) I would like it re-hard landscaped and remodelled as it needs it.
• Count my blessings each and every day - I like thinking at the end of the day about what I am thankful for

Nothing really new for 2018 - it's a take stock, get rid of debt kinda year and then re-assess after that. Biggest change will be if DS1 goes off to uni, which he is really looking forward to
x