Eating the elephant

Seanymph

I have been lurking and reading for so long I feel I know lots of members here through their diaries and it's got to the point where Its almost rude not to introduce myself.

I am 47, and feel a bit late to the party If we are honest, the husband is 53, and the assorted offspring between 18 and 24.

I work at several part time places, although all at the same role. Oh works full time.

We have my house we live in, his house the eldest lives in and our house in France.

And the dreaded mortgage.

So, goals;

We would both be more than happy to stop working, and would like a motorhome to enable travelling.

I have no idea how anyone retires early and affords one, because the ones we like are about eighty thousand!

Oh yes, it's a big elephant.

Current priorities are a new roof on the French house, the final payment on the June holiday, and four new tyres. Ah, and a mortgage overpayment.

Wages paid in yesterday at the post office, if they clear before Thursday I can polish off the holiday.

Oh is currently in France, he went Friday, and I am flying out this Friday for the second week. We are getting the quote for the roof during this trip so we will know what we are up against.

So it's all looking a bit impossible, but I read so many where huge achievements are made, and, if I don't start I certainly won't get anywhere.

Well, that's me.

Secret_Saving_Squirrel

Very good luck on your journey, I am glad that you introduced yourself. You seem to be in a very strong position if you only have the one mortgage but three properties. You won't need to be working for much longer unless you go for the big motorhome too! We have an old one which was only five thousand. It does the job.

All the very best,
Squirrel x

Seanymph

Thank you for the welcome SSS.

I am so impatient I struggle with planning. I always want to do it all now.

I logged on this morning all excited about paying off part of the holiday remaining, and there wasn't the money there - completely forgot we serviced the car last week!

I took a professional qualification last year (and the year before) and had to submit a portfolio - I spent over a year thinking about it, and then just 9 months doing it - and in the end I stuck with 'grinding it out' and did it over four Saturdays.

So I am going to apply that here - I need to do a little bit at a time, and eventually I'll be half way there.

zootie

Welcome and good luck. I have only recently started a diary myself but it really does focus the mind on what you want to achieve.

downshifter

In your position you could do it all now - just sell a house or two. However if your youngest is still dependent, you might have to think where you want to be when s/he is say 20, then work backwards. So in April 2017 you will have that motorhome. By Dec 2016 you will have sold a house and so on backwards. The aims need to be SMART as in all the best project plans.

In the meantime you can read all you can on motorhomes, what sort of layout you want, go to the shows, read the mags, join the forums. Hire one next hol. Research the itinerary for where you want to go and so on.

If your youngest is independent now, then sell a house and get on with it. Focusing on short term goals, such as next week's roof, is counterproductive, you need to look beyond that.

A friend of mine had a similar plan and wrote each aim on a big sheet of flipchart paper and pinned it to the kitchen wall. Each milestone was listed and then ticked off when accomplished and eventually off they went in their motorhome to Italy. It took them about 18 months to get to that point. They were there a week, the husband became ill, they came home, he subsequently died. He was in his early 50s. So follow your dream as soon as you can.

And my motorhome was £16k, it's fab!

Seanymph

Thank you downshifted, we have holidayed three times now, and have learnt some of the things we don't like. And the price was gained at a dealership open day last weekend, and we are off to Peterborough in April. It's such a big buy we will spend a while window shopping.

Oh looked at French prices last week online and given the poor euro they seem better value. So one of our to dos next week when we are both out there is to have a trip to a motorhome dealer and have a look in France. It will be left hand drive but as we do most of our travel on the continent, or at least intend to, then it will be a bonus not a hindrance.

Unfortunately the roof isn't optional, but necessary. We bought a project.

downshifter

Seanymph wrote: »

Unfortunately the roof isn't optional, but necessary. We bought a project.

Yes but the fixing of the roof has to be part of the long term plan. So if you're going to sell the house within the next couple of years you might decide to use cheaper materials, (and put the spare cash towards the motorhome fund) whereas if the long term plan says you're going to keep it for yourselves or to rent out, then you might want to use more long lasting materials that would serve you better in the long term.

It all has to fit together and nothing should be done that isn't part of the plan.

DS

Seanymph

Yesterday was a good day. I finished off some paid work, and cut the lawn and did some digging. We are a bit behind.

Today I am working from home first thing, then off to the office but I have to back in time to do some here.

Youngest daughter is here for a few days to lend me her car, so we do too much chatting.

In good news one of the chickens has started laying again.

Seanymph

As I'm going on holiday Thursday everything is really piling up, so that has been my focus really.

I am impatient for my cheque to clear by Thursday, but as I paid it in at a post office, on Saturday lunchtime, I'm not sure it will.

The excellent news for yesterday was that I been able to get rid of one of my jobs. I helped out because they lost their staff member, and no one was applying. I met someone last week at a meeting and suggested they might like to apply, they did, interviewed last night and it was agreed.

So, April for two staff and may first I'm off. Back down to three jobs for me, and that's plenty. Phew.

CathT

Hello and welcome. Just wanted to wish you luck with your plans.

Seanymph

Thank you Cath.

The sun is shining here in Norfolk, the washing is out (and on), and it's my youngest daughters birthday.

I have remembered to set up the Darttag account for when we come back the week after next too. Go me.

Unfortunately because we went to the hospital yesterday, and it's her birthday, we had joint haircuts (my treat) nice eyebrows (my treat) breakfast and then lunch out! Cripes. She also left me with her car and caught the train back to uni, so that was my treat too - as was the tank of petrol.

Still, the money has cleared into the bank this morning, so £150 into the easy access fund - littley is off to Canada for eight weeks this Summer, and I've promised some flight contribution.

£300 to the retirement fund and when they open £250 to the mortgage.

Yipppeeeee!

Update on the figures later, and it will be my first update. I'm very excited.

And I now understand why the running of a diary on here is beneficial - with an OH with absolutely no interest in finances at least I feel like I'm telling someone...