Hope is not an Effective Financial Strategy

Karmacat

Yep, Groundhog Day is pretty much it!  Lovely to hear how well your DS1 did though, congratulations!

Busy_Mee

Lovely to hear all is well at SJ Towers. Sounds like you are putting your furlough time to good use x

shangaijimmy

Well we plod on through the summer holidays. Kids seem to enjoying it as we range from a back garden full of very one elses kids, to bedrooms full, to worn out 8yr olds, to afternoons with the paddling pool and water slide out! We have a few family days out scheduled over the next few weeks. 

We made a decision for Mrs SJ to sell 5 days leave back to work, which we'll use next spring for a weekend away somewhere. Following our utilities switch we also have £163 winging its way back to us for the credit we'd built up. So following my new approach I'll add this to my ISA, which is also classed as our mortgage neutral pot. That way I get a hit of one balance going up and one going down! I'm just about getting used to ignoring the mortgage balance now 

Suffolk_lass

You are a bit quiet. I hope it is you savouring the last of the school holidays and nothing is amiss. Enjoy the Bank Holiday

debtfreeoneday

Hope all ok SJ

Suffolk_lass

debtfreeoneday said:

Hope all ok SJ

I hate it when my favourite diaries go quiet. A quick check of profile activity suggests SJ has been around (implying he might be OK-enough to have a look) - I hope he comes back soon. I know we are not alone in missing his updates

themadvix

Hey SJ, hope all is well - we're missing you!

therocket_2

Just checking in - hope everything is ok in your world SJ. 

Rocket

CathT

Just been catching up SJ, hope all is ok. Am so used to your diary being on the first page. 

shangaijimmy

Wow...first of all I need to say how humbled I am at the messages in my diary asking if everything is ok and so on. Secondly I have to say that since I had a couple of e-mail alerts last week I've been planning/rehearsing/pondering on logging back into my diary.

So here I am, logged back on. I suppose the last few months things have just drifted. My 90yr old grandma has done it tough since March, and its taken a toll on the family with care home situations. I was the last to see her on a window visit during August and once those stopped I'm sad to say her rapid decline really sped up. She sadly passed away 2 weeks ago after a ridiculously fast onset and then subsequent death from dementia. Its a blessing that she didn't suffer a long slow decline but its been very tough on our close family. On my wifes side there's also been a  serious health issue of about 12 months take another bad turn. And although neither have been Covid related, you can defintiely say that the effects of Covid have been very apparent.

I continue to be in limbo work wise and the time of furlough ending and the job support scheme being announced was anxious. Then the support scheme got scrapped and furlough reintroduced till April, so we could breathe out and at least we have some security till April. In relation to work I think I have actually made some good decisions about the whole work life balance thing. I believe I was good at the family work life balance but not always in a positive way for myself. So whenever the world starts to turn at the speed we all know and love I'm determined to 'balance on 3 legs rather than 2' (time will only tell on that one).

MFW status has kinda of limped along in the background. A few TT's here and there, but overall I continue to work on ou our contingencies for the doomsday job scenario that may or may not be looming.   Anyway I will post a financials update and amend my signature and everything either tonight or tomorrow.

And then lastly the 2 things that have kept me sane are my dog walks and running. The dog probably won't agree and Mrs SJ keeps telling me that the dog has lost an inch off each paw with the amount of walks!! And I ended up completing a marathon training program and then ran the big distance in October (never again...he says). Since then I've been chipping away in recovery mode with the hope of hitting 1000 miles by New Years Eve (approx 80 remaining).

I am pleased to say that the kids are in fine form. DS1 has breezed into high school and is flying with no issues which is a massive sigh of relief. DS2 continues to be a whirlwind of energy and enthusiasm, and DD has started at primary school and thinks its the best thing ever. She even gets herself dressed in her uniform on a Saturday and Sunday and is so disappointed when we tell her its closed.

So thats me...back....I can't say that I'm back for good, or as enthusiastic and free posting as I was but I will endeavour to try!

Thank you once again for the kind messages, it really does mean a lot.