A whole new world, for now

in_need_of_direction

Thanks all for the positive feedback.  It’s too easy to focus on and get annoyed about earlier life choices rather than seeing positives in making improvements.  

Cherry, with regard to agency staff, we used them last week but they are more than double the cost of staff pay as the main need is for nightshifts. We just cannot afford it. 

We had bank holidays here mon and Tuesday and I stayed off site. I had to go in and cover a partial night shift on Sunday to Monday It left me all at sixes and sevens as I had little notice so no preparatory nap. I just stayed in the house, binge watched the first series of baptiste and got the bathroom cleared out and properly cleaned. We got rid of over 30 items including ointment that was best before 2018. We have also restructured how we use the storage. My life may be a mess but my bathroom is sorted.

It has encouraged me to tackle other areas. Work related paperwork is a biggie for me.  I’ve decided to change my approach. Up to now, I have tried tackling areas e.g. a desktop, a tabletop, a filing tray etc. This time, I’m trying by subject matter.  So far, I’ve gathered up all my personal pension stuff into one file. I’ve also gathered most of my RoI tax stuff and now have ready access to put a €4K tax reclaim in process.  I will deal with UK tax stuff next and then, by this weekend, will hopefully get expenses related receipts etc in sufficient order to pay myself.  I am also going to be extracting things like car insurance that appears to have found its way into my work papers. Get me, I have a plan!

and, speaking of plans, dh and I had the money discussion.  He works in the public sector and always has done. He sees the future as being taken care off via his pensions.  I have been looking at things like buy to let but he is concerned about risk in terms of increasing mortgage payments, voids, etc. Accordingly, things have been drifting which means I have no measure of success.  After next month’s payments, we will be in a position to clear our mortgage by cleaning ourselves out completely. This would however free up £600 per month.  It would also mean that we could live on DH’s more guaranteed salary if my work dried up.  That said, we have a ridiculously low tracker mortgage whereby our quarterly interest is approximately £30.  We will never again access debt so cheaply.

What we have decided is to aim to clear the mortgage by Christmas/New Year having built up a £10k buffer by then. The only variable is if we can get people to do the work needed / wanted in the house, then the £10k target can be reduced by those spends.  Even taking into account exchange rates and tax, the €4K just waiting to be claimed, should take us a quarter of the way to that plus I have other work that I can invoice for and roughly £2k of expenses I can claim.  Alternatively, we might just win a million on the premium bonds 🥳

Other news, I have a hospital appointment today that was originally scheduled for September. I’m assuming that this isn’t good news and last night fell into the sleepless night category. I really need to get a new gp as I have been experiencing discomfort but, as our surgery is still refusing appointments, I see no point in trying to engage. 

Right, need to crack on as I’ll be finishing ridiculously early for my 3 o’clock appointment.

today I am grateful for
a plan with some targets
the continuing health of family and friends despite the covid increases
support

milann

Wow you have some great plans there for the way forward.
Hope the hospital appointment goes ok for you.

24ta

Well done on the sorting out, the future plans are looking good.
Hope all goes will at the appointment  

Cherryfudge

I see just what you mean about the expense of agency staff. All it does is move your staffing problem onto a different plane.

I like the way you are dealing with the mortgage: paying ours off just before lockdown gave us about £300 a month extra. Between this and lower living costs caused by the pandemic, we got by nicely on my salary with some to spare, despite losing DH's much larger salary at the same time. It's a nice feeling!

Like your husband, I work in the public sector but I have relatively few years of pensions. At the moment a buy to let seems like a better option than other investments. We have a small amount of experience in the sector and DH has related skills so we could manage a property ourselves so long as it's local and we're very cautious in choosing a tenant. To me that's an area where, if we are prepared to put in the work, we would get a better return than anywhere else, particularly if we have a minimal mortgage. However I have memories of the rocketing mortgage rates of the past, so it really would need to be minimal!

I hope your appointment goes well. Would you be able to get GP phone consultations, that might lead to a one-to-one or referral if necessary?

teapot2

Like the financial musings - good to have a plan and some options.  I hope all went ok with your appointment too.

jwil

I hope the appointment went ok, and great plans!

beanielou

Hope your appointment went well.
Great plans afoot.

in_need_of_direction

As Greying would have said, visitors, how nice.  Thank you all for your good wishes. It turns out that the appointment was an administrative error as the system hadn’t been updated to reflect that I had been seen in June. That said, I took advantage and raised a recent but consistent issue which meant I got a blood test from a brilliant phlebotomist.  I really didn’t feel a thing.  Was so relieved.

gave myself an early finish afterwards which won’t help with the mortgage clearance but did help me.  I had a treatment booked for 6 which was lovely though we had to take breaks as I was struggling with a combination of heat and hay fever.  People of my ethnicity are not equipped for global warming. 

Woke up this morning to an email from a former colleague seeking the address of a neighbour with whom I used to work.  Apparently it’s her birthday and it’s to send flowers.  The birthday girl’s partner died suddenly just over 10 years ago leaving her with a young family. She is one of those people constantly Making an effort for others so I’ll drop off a bottle while checking out the door number.

Well, I need to get underway.  Today I am grateful for 
a meaningful off the record conversation 
a heads up on the birthday 
good wishes when I was absolutely petrified of what I was going to be told.  You people make such a difference.

Cherryfudge

That's super news - almost a timely mistake, if there's such a thing. Of course it would have been better without the worries but you did get a blood test and actually got to see someone in person.

Have a good weekend.

beanielou

That worked out well then