A whole new world, for now

Lookafterthepennies2020

I love that idea about one thing a day to improve your life as and may join in with you on that one! It's so easy to get caught up in what you want to do, but haven't, rather than all the small progress made  

Cherryfudge

in_need_of_direction said:

This year, I made only one ny resolution. It’s to try a do one thing each day that improves my life. 

What a beautiful thing to resolve to do!

Thank you for the prompt yesterday: one thing lead to another and I mooched around getting a few small job out of the way. Today I'm going to put Christmas presents away, and the washer is on while it's not too wet outside for line airing (not drying but partial dehydration!)

milann

It’s lovely to see you back. Everyone has problems - some big some small but if they affect our lives they are our own valid problems - not to be measured against anyone else’s. 

I love the idea of the notebook being used in such a lovely way. It sounds very achievable.
Good to see you back 👍

jwil

I love your resolution, I may steal the idea!

in_need_of_direction

Thanks for the cheerleading folks, appreciated as always.  Yesterday’s improvement activity was tackling a work related frog.  It’s on the move and should be disposed of within the next week or so.  What’s more, it’ll be gone for good.  Right, gotta get going as I am now running late having had my post interrupted by a client call.  Today I am grateful for 
a prospect 
Progress towards a conclusion 
a second cup of tea

HairyHandofDartmoor

Nice to have you back INOD. I hadn't posted for a while before Christmas due to similar reasons in a way, but all problems are difficult to the person who has them. Jwil put it beautifully. 

I also love the idea of doing one thing a day to improve your life and noting it down.

in_need_of_direction

Hi Hairy, glad you feel able to venture back too.  Happy hump day everyone, it’s a relief to know I’m heading for the weekend.  Today I successfully managed to sleep through alarm,dh getting up and making breakfast and was rewarded by a breakfast in bed of cinnamon french toast.  An excellent start to the day but has left me short on time.  Yesterday’s activity was filing some tax papers that will make my next Irish tax reclaim go that little bit more smoothly.

right, lots to get going with.  Today I am grateful for 

my breakfast see above
dd’s improving health 
request for work from a former client

Chrystal

Hope everything is well INOD, it's a long time since we heard from you.  I'm hoping that it's for mundane reasons.  XXXX

in_need_of_direction

Hello and how is everyone? Emerging from lurkdom once again.

what can I say? Life has been more of the same regarding me dealing with reality.  If I was as good at physically running as I am at running away, I’d be Olympic standard.  Enough is enough.  Yesterday my baby boy turned 37.  I can remember having plans for how my life would allegedly be sorted by the time I was 40. It doesn’t seem that long ago and there’s a lot still a work in progress.  So, it’s time to pull up the big girl pants and get things moving.

For anyone who visited previously, the most important update is that the 16 year old four legged fiend is still dictating how the household operates.  She cannot move very far and gets daily meds and a monthly vet jab that keep her pain free.  These are non negotiable financial commitments that I am happy to say we can afford.  However, so long as her eyes remain bright and her tail continues to wag, we will do what we can to enjoy her company.  She still believes she can chase cats and is so pleased when they leave our garden in response to three or four steps from her.  She actually grins.

Both children continue to live and work away and things appear to be on an even keel for them.  We were fortunate to be able to lend our mortgage neutral fund to allow for student loan debt to be wiped out before they were crippled with astronomical interest rates. This is being repaid to us each month which is great as it levels out my self employment uncertainties.

so, on the subject of self employment.  My largest nightmare client put me on a zero hours contract through payroll.  While I haven’t yet extricated myself, this is good for both of us as it gives them a notice period and makes it easier for my business to stay below the vat threshold.  I am now working with some associates so that creates money in with most going straight back out but while there’s little profit, it all counts towards turnover.

DH and I are still together and he’s still wfh but with some changes to that likely in September.  Hopefully I’ll be able to adjust work patterns to be at home when he’s out so furry face isn’t left alone for too long. He’s currently recovering from his first bout of covid while I, surprisingly, have remained covid free to date.  

Over the covid period, there have been multiple discussions about where we live.  It was a good family home and has been good for wfh etc but it is a big old house with constant maintenance needs.  We are kinda in a love it or list it place with me firmly on team list it.  

in_need_of_direction

We clearly would not attempt to relocate the dog so have decided to upgrade and improve with a view to improving value and also how we live.  The first big project was the bathroom which finished last month bar two snagging issues.  For the first time, I have an upstairs shower.  It’s all a bit tight for space but the shower cubicle is large and there is a bath as I believe we need this to sell a 4 bed house.  Our downstairs shower room needs work but that’ll go on the list of to dos. In case anyone was wondering, the upstairs shower wasn’t just to cater for the lazy.  Our downstairs shower room was sliced off the end of the utility room, has an exterior wall and no heating.  

We have found a good but busy builder who did the bathroom and who will be tackling a list of small jobs as and when available.  Some of these e.g. some repointing, are essential, others are tolerations to be eradicated.  Who knows, maybe when everything gets done, I’ll fall in love with the house but I somehow can’t see it.  

So, now to the money.  Like everyone, we are seeing increases in all our outgoings.  We made a decision to clear a chunk of our mortgage.  We have already benefited as the application of the latest interest rate combined with a lesser amount being owed, has resulted in a reduction in our minimum monthly payment.  This morning, having gathered up small pots in tcb, PayPal, etc. we transferred enough to bring our outstanding amount to below what was initially borrowed to buy the house in 1990 - £38700.  How ridiculous is that.  Yes, there was work done but there were also too many futile purchases. I also had to buy ex husband out of his equity.

We have set ourselves a target whereby each month we will pay 2% of that figure plus cover the quarterly interest.  The 2% will incorporate our standard monthly payment so not as big a stretch as it might be.  We will automatically transfer any cash back, pa, sb cash outs, pb wins, pay award arrears plus the £10 token interest payment we charge on the student loan repayment.  We are in the highly fortunate position where covid has allowed us to build some funds but I really want work to continue in the house.  If we get to where everything has been addressed, then we will transfer what’s left to the mortgage.  Especially in NI, there is little to be done with the increased fuel cost so tackling the mortgage is the one option open to us.  We both took advantage of the wealthify offer in the mse newsletter so that will give us £100 next July. We just need to be as savvy as we can.  I’m actually thinking of doing the 100 square chart to colour in as we progress. 

On other matters, I apparently have a vitamin b12 deficiency which explains the constantly feeling horrible.  I’m now on supplements so fingers crossed for those.  I have had my diabetes meds adjusted so will also see how that plays out and I’m planning to sign up for couch 2 5k in September. Let’s see how those good intentions go.

right, we’ll done to anyone who survived the parts 1 and 2 of the update, I was afraid of losing the post.  So, year end targets are weight no more than 12st 3, all remedial works done to the house, payments of at least 10@387 plus interest.

today I am grateful for 
Tea
this site and those who populate it and provide a sense of connection even when I feel totally adrift
targets