Working the numbers 2019 style

mark55man

LSD day today and 3800 steps

Today gave me a chance to wield a sledgehammer knocking in election boards for our local candidate - glad its not everyday but always nice to do something practical

mark55man

Wow - hadn't realised it had been 2 weeks for posting. Here are the scores on the doors for November

• Car - low use sort of month
• Cash - £50 higher than usual, not very traceable so not sure what spent on
• Clothes - work trousers plus party top for OH
• Coffee - £30 under budget
• Crafts - bit over budget (OH did some classes)
• Entertainment - well under usual budget - as we have been very, very!, boring
• Grocery just edged over £700 - but did get some xmas stuff early so probably inevitable
• Holiday - small spends this month, went to the Gower and took advantage of a spare room in friends cottage
• Kids have been cheap,but xmas is a coming
• General day to day life costs are quite up, as we had the opportunity to buy a well maintained older car off a friend for DS1, I made a contribution
• Amazon edging up into 3 figures, but some work stuff and some car stuff

So generally all the small stuff going OK - but a few bigger bills - holiday and car still lurking like a fog over the accounts. So its been a bit of a bleak midwinter - but I'll get through December OK and that will have been a lot of good work - although I have lost track of the big picture a little. that's what the days between xmas and new year are for

will try not to be a stranger, but the last few days before the election will be quiet as I will either be hiding, busy at work, or helping with canvassing and on the day things where I can

mark55man

And here are the transaction counts

• CAR:11
• CASH:3
• CHARITY:4
• CLOTHES:2
• COFFEE:12
• CRAFTS:9
• DEBT:7
• ENTERTAINMENT:5
• GROCERY:34
• HOLIDAY:5
• HOUSE:18
• KIDS:6
• LIFE:14
• WORK:22
• AMAZON:4

doingitanyway

Welcome back. I was beginning to wonder if you were buried under the candidate sign you were last seen erecting. Your numbers sound good. Under on the entertainment, but previously you have been over so it all balances out?

ohdearhowdidthathappen

Good to see you back. Do you work in politics or is it a sideline/interest? I've already done my postal vote :-)
Your figures look good

mark55man

Politics is a big deal to me but not my job. It’s going to be interesting and I know our local candidate so it’s double pleasure to help.

My non money numbers were quite good for the last 2 weeks managed 10000 steps nearly every other day and only slipped under 5000 on 3 occasions

Not been monitoring NSDs strictly but have generally been pretty cheap except some big bills kind of swamping it. Such is life.

Clean and fix - save and make - actions have all been under the covers and may leave them until I kick off after xmas

mark55man

so I'm happy to report xmas all sorted in terms of presents and apart from a few small things to be got today Shopping. so can now relax and concentrate on having a few NSDs

the year has ended with a rush of spends both planned and unplanned, this has set my debt busting back a bit but still in a better place than 12 months ago.

main costs have been automobile, xmas, supporting DS1 car insurance as he moves from self employed to getting a better job, holiday (to visit my brother who is long haul / long term overseas), plus sadly vets bills for my little kitty before she passed (purring to the end)

on the plus side - my bro is keen for my DC to visit him so he paid for the 2 who are coming with, which was nice. Also I have had a busy year at work, and my end of year bonus reflected that and will help cover the cost of xmas and some of the overspending, so not in a terrible position, just a bit out of control at the moment

I know I've let the diary slip a little, but will do a final report or two, and link out to my new 2020 diary, although I think having the year in the title kind of time limits it, and I don't want that. My MFW LBM was in the middle of the year when I realised if I wanted to be completely debt free and possibly retired then it was possible in a 4-5 year journey and not 7-8 as I had worried. Anyhow more of that later.

Wishing everyone well for the upcoming break. XMAS has its challenges of organisation, sad memories and family - but I do love it and I hope you all manage to find some peace and love

doingitanyway

Glad you are ending the year well.
I didn't know you were aiming to retire early, must have missed that bit. Looking forward to hearing more

Peace and love back at ya

mark55man

Thanks DIA

Early is relative I'm already late 50s - just thinking of shaving a year or 2 off 65 if I can.

Spent so long paying off mortgages and debts and caring responsibilities I'm actually convinced that I won't need as much as a proportion of my current salary - some depends on kids all getting a bit more firmly established - but my main blocker is the usual one about when to turn the income tap off

I remember one quote from the pension boards which is "retirement timing is basically choosing which is worse - running out of money before you die or vice versa"

[Deleted User]

Good to see you back posting - so sorry you lost your kitty but good to see your positives in there too, and that the balance of the year has swung in the positive direction