Balancing not just the budget

RosaBernicia

I have FINALLY dealt with my pension stuff. Not only have I sorted the form, I actually sat down and worked out all the options beforehand. All By My Self (though with a lot of help from the very patiently worked out examples). As I'm numbers phobic I have been procrastinating about this and actually once I just got on with it, it was fine.

I have made a decision as it seemed quite clear cut once I had the end numbers in front of me, although it is rather scary to be trying to make decisions for 20 years on. Although, I guess I made the decision to take the pension that long ago, and I'm very glad I did. It might be the only sensible money decision I made in my 20s, but my 20-something self deserves a big hug for it! I am very grateful to know that I will have that income, plus more for each year I earn, later on. I've been surprised to find that friends who I thought were quite sensible about money, and had it to spare (going by what they seemed to spend) haven't sorted this and are now panicking about it.

It's making me think more about how I want things to be then... which has two things I need to work on... 1) I want to be in shape to enjoy it - I need to eat better, and exercise; 2) I need some thinking time to work out what that enjoying will involve; 3) it would be great if I could be mortgage free by then. Though I still haven't decided quite how to go about 3), so for the moment I will just save.

Got my first £10 Amazon voucher from ShopNScan and can now feel less guilty about pre-ordering a new book from one of my favourite poets. :j

End of :money: update, nothing else to report as been away on training, off to read other diaries!

Rosa xx

doingitanyway

I feel a bit guilty reading your post Rosa as I have a garden and good soil too but I haven't got it sorted and tidy let alone growing stuff. I am going to get some help to get it cleared and maybe some raised beds sorted as I am determined to grow something next year.

Outside space of any sort is such a valuable resource in so may ways...I'd like to use it better...

How is your garden coming along. It sounded like you were making progress.

DIA x

RosaBernicia

Hi DIA

I made progress and it looks so much better than it did, but I've got a bit distracted - plus it rained at the weekend so that time was no help. It only really needs another few sessions so I will try and get it done bit by bit over the next couple of weeks.


Rosa xx

ZTD

RosaBernicia wrote: »

As I'm numbers phobic I have been procrastinating about this and actually once I just got on with it, it was fine.

Any reason why you're numbers phobic? You seem to be able to handle them ok.

Tinkerbelle2000

RosaBernicia wrote: »

I have pots in the garden here and it did occur to me that if I'd been organised this year I could probably have grown quite a lot even in a small space. Do you have room for a few pots or troughs? Rosa xx

I wish I could have pots but the only problem is the gardens are shared. The back is a yard which has a house sharing it along with our flats and they treat it like its theirs alone and their dog is always out there. The dog is quite timid but it does poo all over the yard. The only time I go out there is to get to my shed or hang washing out if it is poo free.

The front garden is all lawned which the council make a hash of mowing and one of the neighbours uses it as a rubbish bin from their bathroom window. I got sick of picking it all up so now I just walk round it. We only use this to take Mr D out at night and in the morning.

When I do start looking for a new home, the garden will be a big priority.

Tink xx

RosaBernicia

That's a shame Tink, you'd think other people would also enjoy seeing the garden loved and used but I guess things don't always work that way. I am very lucky to have a private garden as this city is so expensive most places would be out of my price range. I put up with this flat lacking TLC because it is cheap and the landlord is actually nice and because I do get the garden space and cats. I hope you find somewhere fab when you do move.


Rosa xx

doingitanyway

I second what Rosa said Tink

RosaBernicia

Right, Sunday night keeping on track update. I am trying to make a habit of this as it fits nicely with sorting other things on a Sunday night and sending the ShopNSc4n stuff. It's working OK so far as now that things are a bit more settled I don't need to spend so much time tracking accounts. I've also started to use the YNAB phone app more, as I can enter things on there when I get home, then just put aside the receipts that also need scanning and sending.

Things are running OK even if I am still a little lost as to how my credit card stuff is being seen in YNAB. It will be cleared again before the due date but I am now wondering about taking the holiday I wanted as I will have a hotel bill to pay for the new work conference and possibly a membership fee too. So it would take up all the spare from my September and October paycheques. I'll see what happens.

Decluttering has gone well this weekend, I have FINALLY put three things on 3bay tonight and also had a sudden urge to go through my books. I've ditched three carrier bags full, as I've got rid of all the old fiction that I'm never going to read again and could get on the Kindle if I do want it, plus a lot of self-development stuff that was interesting at the time but I won't read again. That can all go to the charity shop later in the week. I also did a bit of reshuffling in the garden and that led to a bit of rearranging the living room. I am hoping to get a pile of shredding done later this evening, in front of the TV if necessary.

Hopefully an OK week coming up at work, and I need to plan some weekend things in if I decide against the holiday. So all plodding peacefully along hope everyone else's week has gone well too.


Rosa xx

MuffinTops

Hello Rosa,

All sounding lovely for you. Well done on pushing through the number phobia and getting your pension sorted.

Sorry to hear you're doubting your holiday. I hope you manage to figure something out there for yourself.

I'm embarrassed to say I've still done nothing on my selling stuff side of things! I just haven't been home long enough to do very much the last few weeks.

I hope your week is going well.

MTxx

RosaBernicia

MuffinTops wrote: »

Hello Rosa,

All sounding lovely for you. Well done on pushing through the number phobia and getting your pension sorted.

Sorry to hear you're doubting your holiday. I hope you manage to figure something out there for yourself.

I'm embarrassed to say I've still done nothing on my selling stuff side of things! I just haven't been home long enough to do very much the last few weeks.

I hope your week is going well.

MTxx

Thanks MT

I can totally sympathise with not being home enough to do anything, I was just getting used to not studying and now I'm away a day a week for several in a row. It's amazing how much difference losing two evenings makes so it must be a bit of a shock to the system for you going back to full time!

I've now got a sort of solution for the holiday as I won't be going for as long as I thought. I'm still going to take some time off but will have to go somewhere a bit closer to home than I wanted. I'm mostly annoyed as I was hoping to run into the lovely man again but I guess I'll just have to look for one who doesn't live so flaming far away!


Rosa xx