The Big Adventure

ljaneyr

Hi Goldie

I caught up finally and just in time to read your year in review! I know you no longer need to do such a detailed list, but I bet it made you feel more organised and in control at the start of the year, and look how much you achieved!

Janey

Goldiegirl

Thanks for all your comments everyone - it was a journey, and I've just about arrived at where I want to be!


Did the weekly shop this morning - just £10.35 spent, due to still being well stocked after Christmas - But back to normal next week


Now, for facts and figures fans - just a couple more snippets


Monthly average supermarket spending 2011 - 2015
This indicates my LBM, about half way through 2013, when I realised 'something' had to be done, if we wanted to successfully retire early!


2011 - £315.12
2012 - £363.97
2013 - £324.10
2014 - £246.00
2015 - £227.25


I think we could reduce further if we needed to - but we're comfortable with current levels of spending, so no need at the moment.


Additional cash generated
I was curious to see how much money could be generated from cash backs, net eBay sales, surveys, using points/rewards, using offers/vouchers, membership discounts and the like. So I tried to keep a record throughout 2015. I may have missed a few though.


Grand total £2298.23 !!!


I thought that was amazing, and proof that a lot of small actions can make a big difference !




That's the last of the forensic detail - but I thought it was interesting

Watty1

That 'cash generated' figure is actually very respectable. Impressive as you don't spend all your time working on it. Its really a holiday or two or some very lovely days out.

ljaneyr

What an impressive figure Goldie! I haven't tracked this before but you have inspired me to work out my average food spend

Goldiegirl

Watty1 wrote: »

That 'cash generated' figure is actually very respectable. Impressive as you don't spend all your time working on it. Its really a holiday or two or some very lovely days out.

I was very surprised, to be honest. If I was in a MFW situation, I'd have paid most of it to the mortgage. However, some of it went on clothes for our new life, some went on jigsaws, and the rest, sort of just disappeared in the pot! But as we were able to save some unexpected money this year, some of it must have gone into savings!

ljaneyr wrote: »

What an impressive figure Goldie! I haven't tracked this before but you have inspired me to work out my average food spend

I tend not to keep detailed budgets for everything, but my food spend is a sort of benchmark figure. I hope to keep the 2016 similar to 2015


Today we had a good walk round a new route. We've lived here 34 years, and have never walked down these particular streets before, so it was interesting looking at all the houses.


My next post is my plan for 2016.


Would just like to wish everyone who has posted or visited my thread a very happy 2016 - the Big Adventure will continue :beer:

Goldiegirl

Year Plan 2016

2016 will be a significant year for us, as Mr Goldie will be 65 in late October, so will be in receipt of his state pension, meaning that our household income will significantly increase.

However, this isn’t until later in the year, so the main plan is as follows

1 - Carry on doing what we did in 2015.

There, I said the plan would be shorter!

Just a few supplementary items –

2 – Open a S&S ISA. We have too much of our savings in cash, so I want to place a smallish amount in S&S, and see how it performs

3 – Transfer £1060 of my unused tax allowance to Mr Goldie, ready for when he has to start paying tax again in October.

4 - As we’ll have a bigger household income from October, I want to start making voluntary NI contributions, to increase my state pension to the maximum amount.Therefore find out how to do this and make the arrangements.

The following isn’t in the plan, but I want to record my musings, and see if I can move forward in these areas over the year.

Fitness – we wanted to get walking as often as possible – but all too often do a quick and easy walk on flat terrain. I want to do longer walks around the more hilly streets we have around here, along with making more effort to go to the local country parks, so we can vary the scenery a bit.

Going out – we had some good days out in 2015 - mostly ‘big’ days out on coach trips or to NT or EH properties. We want to carry on with this, but also see if we can find some smaller local activities, just for a few hours, as I sometimes think we spend too much time in the house....and that means I spend maybe a bit too much time on MSE!

People – this is the most difficult one. Mr Goldie and I are people who are content to be in each other’s company. I’m shy, even though I hide it, and Mr Goldie is quiet and even shyer than I am. I have a good friend I see every month or so, and Mr Goldie has an old friend who we see about 3 times a year.But, I think it would be good to extend our circle a bit, even though meeting new people is out of our comfort zone – could I join a Family History or Local History group – could I (or both of us) go to a U3A activity – could we join a rambling group?

These are all things that I’d like to develop and think about for 2016 - to sum up, it’s about looking outwards, rather than inwards.

Karmacat

Sounds wonderful, Goldie. I particularly like the idea of doing your own slightly shorter trips out - I like finding bridleways with parking spaces at one end and going exploring, we've seen some beautiful places that way. Very local, too.

Have a good night tonight with your OH, and a lovely 2016

pavlovs_dog

Your figures for food spends and incidental earnings are certainly food for thought Goldie.

Goldiegirl wrote: »

Fitness – we wanted to get walking as often as possible – but all too often do a quick and easy walk on flat terrain. I want to do longer walks around the more hilly streets we have around here, along with making more effort to go to the local country parks, so we can vary the scenery a bit.

I saw this challenge posted on the sports and fitness board which may appeal? If the distance is too great, you could always set your own challenge (e.g. the equivalent in miles of walking from X to Y).

Goldiegirl wrote: »

Going out – we had some good days out in 2015 - mostly ‘big’ days out on coach trips or to NT or EH properties. We want to carry on with this, but also see if we can find some smaller local activities, just for a few hours, as I sometimes think we spend too much time in the house....and that means I spend maybe a bit too much time on MSE!

Why not check out the tourist information resources for your local and neighbouring counties? It is so easy for us to overlook what is on our own doorstep.

All the best for the new year

ljaneyr

Goldie I really like your goals and I can definitely identify with being shy. Fortunately my DH is much more outgoing than me!

pavlovs_dog wrote: »

Your figures for food spends and incidental earnings are certainly food for thought Goldie.



I saw this challenge posted on the sports and fitness board which may appeal? If the distance is too great, you could always set your own challenge (e.g. the equivalent in miles of walking from X to Y).



Why not check out the tourist information resources for your local and neighbouring counties? It is so easy for us to overlook what is on our own doorstep.

All the best for the new year

That challenge looks really interesting pavlov! Not sure we have the time for it this year but I'd like to see how fat I can get towards the 1000miles

Goldiegirl

pavlovs_dog wrote: »

I saw this challenge posted on the sports and fitness board which may appeal? If the distance is too great, you could always set your own challenge (e.g. the equivalent in miles of walking from X to Y).

Why not check out the tourist information resources for your local and neighbouring counties? It is so easy for us to overlook what is on our own doorstep.

All the best for the new year

I think that's a really good idea for a walking challenge. I've got a step counter, but it's also got a KM mode, so I could set myself some sort of kilometre challenge.


I've just been looking at our local tourist information website - there are loads of places to go - some I've been to before, but years ago, and others I've never been to before.


Thanks for the suggestions - there really are a wealth of ideas

Karmacat wrote: »

Sounds wonderful, Goldie. I particularly like the idea of doing your own slightly shorter trips out - I like finding bridleways with parking spaces at one end and going exploring, we've seen some beautiful places that way. Very local, too.

Have a good night tonight with your OH, and a lovely 2016

Bridleways are a good idea too - I've been looking at local walking on the web, but I'll look into bridle way too.


You see so much more when walking. The other day when we tried a new local walk, I saw a wooded area I had never noticed before - when we go back that way, we'll have a wander in the woods

ljaneyr wrote: »

Goldie I really like your goals and I can definitely identify with being shy. Fortunately my DH is much more outgoing than me!

That must be a help, having an outgoing partner, just to break the ice with all the small talk. I find myself having to do the small talk with new people, and it doesn't come naturally!




It's a rather wet day today, and I think the next few days will be similar, so walking will have to be on hold for a little while. At least we have the rowing machine to use, so we'll have some exercise.


We decided to take the Christmas decorations down. I felt I didn't anticipate Christmas like I used to, but when it arrived I enjoyed it as much as always. As a result, I was reluctant to take the tree down, but it's time to move forward.


The Christmas cards and last years diary are already in re-cycling, in an effort to avoid clutter building up again.


I've done the start of the month money shuffling, and have meal planned for the whole month. It's only 5 weeks until we go on holiday - normally, I'd want to do a big re-stock about now, but I'll hold off until after we come back. I'll just make do with what we have, and buy any bits we need during our weekly shop. I'm trying to arrange that we'll have some meals in the freezer when we come back, so we won't have to immediately think about shopping and cooking.


The Christmas decorations went back into the loft, revealing one mouse in a trap:( But that's the first one in 4 weeks, so it looks as if it's only a few rogue mice getting in, not a whole gang of them.


Got some jigsaws finishing on eBay this afternoon - all of them will sell, so that's a few pounds for another batch.