The impossible dream

Moneyfordreams

We have had the heating on a couple of times too... 
My work always has meant I play a role... uniform ready .. Fake it till you make it works... delivers an air of confidence. I think many people have been faking it all of their lives, but then it becomes ingrained, automatic. Sing from the rooftops about the things you do well and the little things don't get noticed as much. 

 

Tahlullah.H

Thanks for that MFD.  I guess this period of change has made us all re-evaluate what is happening around us, and in some cases, to be honest with ourselves - perhaps not with the boss!  What concerns me is that when you are honest with yourself, when you aren't ready for that level of revelation, the damage it can do to your self esteem and your belief in yourself.

Unfortunately, I am recognising the truth, but it doesn't mean I want to announce from the rooftops to all that I have no clue.  So I suppose I'll stand on the rooftop and keep singing to those who need to hear that I am doing a great job, whilst trying to figure out how to get the motivation to actually do what I am supposed to do.

I was speaking to my boss yesterday, only have a 121 every 2 or 3 weeks, and he said that he had absolute faith in what I was doing!  Wow.

Oh well.  On the positive side, I received the paperwork from my LA pension scheme yesterday and signed the paperwork to start collecting my pension from August, along with the lump sum which will be paid into the mortgage to bring it down.  This is great, so by August, I will knock 1 year's mortgage payments off what I owe.  I am assuming that come March 2021, when I am due to re-mortgage onto a lower interest rate - assuming such a thing exists - I will owe in the region of £48,000.  Anything below that will be a bonus.

I genuinely believe that this bit of judicious planning will allow me to get my mojo back regarding overpaying.  I will be so close, that I hope I will want to focus on it entirely and dispose of the mortgage within the 4 years.  Lets see what is on the horizon.  Small steps, but stage 1 of world domination is get the lump sum from the pension and pay that in.

The most bizarre thing about making the decision, was the fact that I didn't ask for all of the lump sum.  I genuinely could not think of what I would do with the rest of the money, without wasting in on things I didn't need, so I left it in the pot.  Not sure when I changed that much, that the offer of a lump sum to spend on anything I want, I couldn't think of anything I want!  Oh sure, there are things I could spend it on - but do I need them?  No, I can usually afford to save to buy what I want on a month by month basis, so it would have been wasted.  So, better in the pension pot and giving me an extra £1.00 (estimation!) of pension per month.

So excited to be nearing retirement!  Only another 12 years to full, genuine retirement with state pension!

Tahlullah.H

Woo hoo!  I managed to book a hairdressers appointment!  So blessed!

savingholmes

Enjoy your new hairdo. I think a lot of us are less productive than we like to think - I suggest you give yourself at least 20% grace. There are studies apparently that show people are more effective in 5 or 6 hours a day than if they work longer... Everyone else is faking too and scared of being discovered so don't beat yourself up.... You must be doing some things right

Tahlullah.H

I was so excited about my upcoming lump sum, I have done a money shuffle in the mortgages.  So my main mortgage has increased and smaller mortgage has decreased, and will be extinguished in August.  I rang the bank to ask what the minimum I could have in it to keep it alive without them feeling they should close it and they said I can have a zero amount.  The joys of an offset mortgage!

So, I am going to reduce it to a big fat 0 and then, when it comes to re-mortgage time next year, I will put £50 in it to keep it alive just in case I need some cheap borrowing.  

So pleased.  Paid my usual £1k this month, so looking good and am in line to pay my usual £250 over and above the mortgage payment.  When the lump sum comes in, I calculate that I will owe £47k, and then as I keep paying my normal payments, by next March, I should owe around £40k.  So excited!  I really am counting my chickens and I know you shouldn't but hey, whatever floats your boat!

All this excitement almost makes me want to list something on ebay!

Not sure I have read this right.  Are they really suggesting that Covid 19 tests are now going to be seen as benefits in kind and so you will get taxed on them by HMRC?  So, the people who are most at risk and usually on the lowest salaries and have to get tested regularly - think nurses, care home staff, bus drivers etc, in fact all the key workers where their employers say being tested is compulsory, now will come home with less in the pay packet?

I was happy until this.  Perhaps I am reading it incorrectly.

savingholmes

I just read that too - that's ridiculous!! Surely someone will sort that. If I got taxed on something like that I would expect my organisation to give me the equivalent of the tax back!

The mortgage stuff sound good though. Exciting progress there. 

Tahlullah.H

I usually do not broadcast my political opinions, but on this, you just have to think that the current Government do not care that there will be another outbreak, because of the people it will affect.  It's ok though, we will give you some more home insulation, not that you will need it when you are in the ICU fighting for your life.

Moneyfordreams

I think that is what we understand it as. 

StripeyTightsSpottySocks

Hi Tahlullah - wow your projections on your mortgage sound amazing 
((hugs)) i think it must be difficult when having little work to do to have the motivation to actually do it.
I may cut my own hair - i would say i'm not bothered about it but i must be a bit as i've refused to let Mr Socks near it with the scissors 

Tahlullah.H

My hair is so bad, I am considering a hoodie with the face mask and sun glasses, just to ensure no-one recognises me on the way there.  What am I talking about?  Most people would look at me now and avert their eyes in case they turn to stone!