2020++ - smiling and waving and looking so fine

FootyFanDan

mark55man said:

@FootyFanDan - thanks Dan - 2021 will not be missed.  I have high hopes for 2022, but not until the summer really. until then just keeping on.  Hope your work is being more reasonable and not just rely on you

2022 is the year I focus on me and my family - which is what it should always be. Work has been somewhat tough the last few months for various reasons really, however I am hoping to strike a balance this year. The whole feeling like I am constantly working needs to stop and it will. Haha yeah summer is my kind of season as well - wishing you and your family the best for 2022 

mark55man

So just spent the morning doing last year's numbers.  I can't quite face doing next years predictions yet but plenty of time.  I'm good at keeping track and analysis, but actual hard core budgeting eludes me.  All the figures below are monthly estimates (target set at start of year) and spends (my allocation of spends to individual categories).  This allocation went a little meh! at the end of the year but not significantly

• CAR - Target £400 - Achieved £300 - a good saving but does show that travel was picking up although 3 trips north to visit FIL did add to this
• CASH - Target £0 - Achieved £30 - zero was never achievable but quite happy with this
• CHARITY - Target £30 - Achieved £60 - but includes memberships (eg National Trust) which I hadn't budgeted for
• CLOTHES - Target £75 - Achieved £30 - been in joggers all year but OH has had more F2F meetings
• COFFEE - Target £100 - Achieved £80 - our weakness and pleasure
• CRAFTS - Target £100 - Achieved £140 - OH weakness and pleasure but her spends who am I to intervene
• ENTERTAINMENT - Target £125 - Achieved £170 - mainly extra costs for visiting FIL
• GROCERY - Target £800 - Achieved £830 - it's high but works for us, this figure is net of her charity spends (which we get refunded)
• HOLIDAY - Target £250 - Achieved £90 - did anyone go anywhere this year?
• HOUSE - Target £700 Achieved £694 - very predictable - this is all fixed utilities but <1% out is pleasing
• KIDS - Target £350 - Achieved £480 - longer than expected need to support DD2 in London, but all sorted now
• LIFE - Target £100 - Achieved £320 (Air conditioner and iPAD blew the budget) - my LIFE category is for everything else, so I regard this as a budgeting error
• AMAZON - Target £100 - Achieved £150 - well it was 2021 & 2021 can take a long walk off a short pier

£1000 pm average off credit cards - not going to be a feature of 2022
£1000 pm average towards my Mortgage Neutral fund - very much going to be a feature in 2022

mark55man

In other news my SOLR (Supplier of Last Resort) is now E-0n and the period of honouring my previous suppliers rates is ending in Feb, so I have just rolled onto their standard variable tariff at an estimated increase from £2000 to £2200.  This will then get monstered upwards in April 2022 when the capped rate will go up by 40%.  Hopefully by April it will be a bit warmer so we will probably leave it there until then and just try and get by using less.  Then when we get to the end of summer will have a look around at what the market is doing then.

I think trying to eliminate some smaller drains might have a good chance of keeping that levelish - eg I have already turned down the heating by 1 degree across the day.  I think there is some potential for savings from always on devices   

mark55man

mark55man said:

Happy new year everyone - will be back soon - posting more detail and forecasts - just wanted to say 2021 has got off to a great start - I'm well, my family is well, and I'm just having a black coffee no sugar and it's lush!

In summary then, my 2020
* Started with this diary clearing my head and setting some targets
* Then a fabulous (and heavily subsidised) visit to my brother in another time zone

and then 2020 went downhill, BUT with some positives
* I still haven't been overdrawn since summer, and have been building EF & other balances
* I lost a LOT of weight (although December has not been kind) and I have a little more to go
* I paid off a LOT of debt, without quite sealing the deal
* I'm still completely unfit, but have plans
* Have made progress in the garden, with more to do
* Have not decluttered / home-improved with any real zeal, so lots to do
* Have helped the local community in need (mainly by supporting my lovely OH)
* Have improved long term and MFW type thinking - may be debt/mortgage neutral in 2024
* Have completely smashed my green targets by recycling more and driving about half my 2020 miles

More detail and 2021 targets in a bit - now back to my coffee
 

The above quote was my start of 1/1/2021 analysis of 2020, its frightening how much is the same.

Here is my 1/1/2022 analysis of 2021

• I still haven't been overdrawn since summer 2020, and have a little EF
• My weight has been flat but the last two months have been dreadful I expect to have to lose a lot again 
• I paid off a LOT of debt, and am only left with XMAS overhang which should be cleared in Jan
• I'm less completely unfit than in 2020, but need to get back on
• Have made progress in the garden, with more to do
• Have not decluttered / home-improved with any real zeal, so lots to do
• Have helped the local community in need (mainly by supporting my lovely OH)
• Have executed and made good progress on long term and MFW type thinking - aiming at mortgage neutral early in 2023
• Have maintained WFH and recycling more and driving less miles than 2021

So my focus on 2022 will be

1. Weight
2. Fitness
3. Decluttering and home maintenance
4. Energy saving and sustainability
5. Community

Will think those through and come up with some things to do/measure - until then I am heading back to my spreadsheets then lunch and weather permitting a long walk

savingholmes

Enjoy your 10000 steps. I think you've achieved loads this year. I'm sure you will do the same moving forward. Be kind to yourself along the way.

mark55man

Just done my budgets for the year will be OK if a bit tight when inflation works through.  Not a lot of slack, but we will be looking very hard at groceries.  The monthly budget also includes £100 I am trying to put into a pot to get ahead of next years set bills rather than being a bit hit and miss.  I have kind of staggered them throughout the 

Only at 6500 steps the walk wasnt quite as long as I had thought as we stopped longer at the pub on the way and doubled back shorter.  I'm going to aim to average 5000 steps in the winter months and 10000 in the summer - measured equinox to equinox

mark55man

so ended up yesterday on 7000 steps and today is 3000 so above target average (just).  will try and go to the gym tomorrow.

had a lovely day seeing DD1 and her SO and the progress she is making renovating her house - went out for a sunday lunch but apart from that stayed in and chatted

savingholmes

Well done on the steps. Glad you got to see family.

ohdearhowdidthathappen

You had such a successful 2021, so many targets met

mark55man

Thank you both.

Well one target that I let slip was my weight - between October and Christmas I took my eyes of the scales (refocussing on cake and biscuits mainly) and accidentally gained a stone - so that's all got to come off again before I can get down to the targets which remain 100kg then 200lbs (approx 10kg to lose to reach 100kg and then another 10 to reach 200lbs). 

Today is day 1 of back on the wagon - luckily we have little in the way of left over treats (I wonder where they went??) so should be relatively easy to be good for a while at least