Moving forward and upwards

Skint_yet_Again

Plenty of time before Christmas to get organised MF it’s only just November 😉 Hope the garlic does as well as your courgettes, chillies etc. 

Ouch to the pulled muscles 😧 hope you’re feeling better soon 

doingitanyway

Hope the pulled muscles heal quickly.

You have a bounty of veggies. I'm jealous 

savingwannabe

Hello lovely, I'm jealous too. Everything looks a bit finished in my garden. lol. I'm here to get ideas for next year. Hope your muscles are getting better and you have a great weekend, love SWxxx

debtfreewannabe321

Hope you're okay MF ❤️ 

MovingForwards

Thank you Skinty, DIA, SW and DFW321

While I'm facing the the usual winter struggles my health just isn't holding up or repairing itself as I'd hoped. If I carry on the way I am I'll not be working this time next year. After much soul searching and weighing options / ideas something had to give and I've submitted notice on 3rd home and over this month am slowly closing down.

The great unknown is can I get myself back to how I was, however, I'm remaining positive.

You're probably wondering what my great plans are now.

I'll be paying down the mortgage to clear it by Dec 2029, saving to do lump-sum at the end, saving to do kitchen / shower room in a few years, general saving and pension.

My plot doesn't need much more work to finish setting it up as I've done it disabled friendly from the start. I've now got a gooseberry farm, all transplanted from the garden by hubby and he's started creating the comfrey hedge. It will be gentle outside exercise, is my friendship base and puts food on the table.

I'm redesigning the garden so it's useable for my health. Hubby will do the transformation; it's going to be how I wanted it originally. The borrowed garden will be a tomato, chilli and pepper farm with a poly tunnel 🤭

Next month I'll be a lot more chatty as I miss you all and haven't been such a good friend x

Skint_yet_Again

MF I am so sorry to hear 3rd home is closing down after all the efforts you have made with the business. However you are right to prioritise your health and wellbeing and I hope you are soon feeling better. 😘

Looking forward to reading about your savings and paying off the mortgage. Redesign of the garden sounds fab 

jwil

Skint_yet_Again said:

MF I am so sorry to hear 3rd home is closing down after all the efforts you have made with the business. However you are right to prioritise your health and wellbeing and I hope you are soon feeling better. 😘

Looking forward to reading about your savings and paying off the mortgage. Redesign of the garden sounds fab 

From me too.

MovingForwards

Thank you Skinty and Jwil

I'm currently emptying out 3rd home and not taking any further bookings over what I have this month, allowing me to focus on fully closing in the new year.  I did become a little upset, an hour after getting home I accepted it's for the best as none of the alternative options would work and I'm just delaying the inevitable while further risking my health. 

While it's sad, I've learned so much and discovered wonderful products for my skin and health. There's more I'd like to learn on a personal level.

I've run on empty for too many years and had started to fill my soon to be free time with plans of yoga, swimming etc before mentally stepping back and having a word with myself!
- I am having online (USA tutor) piano lessons, but that's self-paced and I signed up during a brief sale (approx £24pm); it's the tutor I'm already with and existing students seem nice.

I worked out money distribution for next year, just need to get my spreadsheets prepared.
- I've applied for a 7% regular saver 🤭

Think I've only got 7 (employed) days to do this year and I'm giving serious consideration to buying some extra holidays next year so I can take a week or so off after the annual frantic / manic period. I've not got enough with my usual allowance and use those to escape the carp.

Think I can get used to having time back again and mentally beginning to feel the benefits 😃

Skint_yet_Again

Piano lessons sound good. You can always increase physical activity to include swimming and yoga if you feel up to it once you’ve rested after festive period / finishing at 3rd home. 

Buying extra holiday from work sounds like a good idea if you are guaranteed to be able to use it when you need it. 

MovingForwards

Thank you Skinty 

It will be months, even years, before I'll know if I'm realistically able to take a class. I have totally messed my health up, nothing is healing or repairing itself, or it would have gotten this bad anyway. I'm listening to my body while trying to find things to keep my brain occupied 🤭

The lessons are like traditional face to face, but online videos, and links to practice sight reading, and the community is for asking / answering questions, putting up mini recordings to get feedback and guidance from the tutor and learn from other students. I'm taking things very slow at the moment, still tinkering and learning my notes to avoid mentally swamping and overdoing it.

I'm managing to sell, at purchase price, a lot of the stock I won't use, and definitely won't need to buy anything for myself for a few years. I also have a lot of Christmas gifts covered. Equipment will be sold, some furniture will be donated to charity, some will come home to replace items; I'm already slowly donating things to charity as I work through 3rd home. 

Other exciting news, I've doubled my private pension monthly payment to £50pm (I've an existing DB, previous DB, other small private pensions and will have full state pension). I've also increased my monthly S&S ISA payment. Still need to set up the spreadsheet.

The furbabies are settling in, or taken over I'm undecided which. We (hubby) decided to change the girls name and add a hyphenated additional name to the boy; he's been practicing high jumps and is very close to go from floor to top of door, prances around like bambi when having (frequent) mad hour and definitely lives up to the reputation of his colour. She's still finding her little feet and does have setbacks easily but loves playing and bedtime snuggles (have I said she's really pretty and her face shape reminds me of a "blue").

We're having Christmas at home this year, taking MIL out over the break and having second Christmas with A&U. No tree as gingernuts would eat it!