2020++ - smiling and waving and looking so fine

mark55man

So stepping up my game - averaging 9000 since Saturday - I should do more, but will look to catch up if possible over the post xmas period - the next few days are hectic with family and getting ready for family and doing taxi jobs to make sure the family are in the right places xx

mark55man

Good news on the MOT front, sailed through with only a lightbulb needed - not bad for a 10 year old car.

Also walked both ways to the garage so at 13000 steps today after all my chores and shopping as well. 2 million still looking possible but maybe unlikely given how busy we are with family from Christmas Eve to Boxing day.  House is filling up so that always makes me happy

Payday today for my work, so things looking healthy but its a 40 day wait until the next one.  Will just update my Mortgage thread as there is news.

 

mark55man

Happy Christmas - back in the day I would have been up for hours fighting off kids demands (possibly after a late night wrapping) - now its just gone 8 and I am the first one up and everything chore related was finished off mid afternoon yesterday

Will be trying to stay off the computer for a few days - depends how many christmas films I can take

savingholmes

Hope everything goes well and you have fun 

ohdearhowdidthathappen

Hope you've had a lovely Christmas

mark55man

Yes indeed, a lovely Christmas was had - we had 3 days of it, family + partners on XMAS eve = mostly the same again on XMAS day (friends in need replacing DD1+1 who was on shift), then a smaller group on boxing day. 

Presents were low key but fun.  Major "brownie points"  win for me was finding some eau-de-toilette for my OH that was her absolute favorite butt was out of stock almost everywhere.  We also chose not to wrap anything which felt a bit odd, but didn't really change the feel

In preparation we mainly re-cluttered (reorganised the clutter) in the house into two main centres and now have to deal with them slow time.  Still generated 2 trips to the tip worth of decluttering, and so much housework I hit 10000 steps average barely leaving the house.  

mark55man

Today has been spreadsheet day - preparing for 2023.

Out of interest, I spreadsheet determined that I only had two proper workdays in the whole of 2022 with no transactions out of an average of 4 discretionary transactions  per working day,

Otherwise just setting up the spreadsheet skeletons for next year - will need to do some proper budgeting to help me with my targets

savingholmes

I am sure mine would be similar. My vice is Am####

mark55man

Some thoughts as we near the end of year 3 of my 5 year diary.

In my initial post to this diary I set targets (guesstimates) for Jan 2023 of
- Debt £0 - Mortgage:£50K - Savings £12K - Weight:90Kg

Well I'm pretty happy about progress against those - I have a small amount of 0% CC That I could but am choosing not to pay off ahead of schedule.  I am mortgage neutral following some serious overpayments into my pension pot, and have a plan for withdrawal/repayment .  I have, pretty much for the first time in my life, an EF currently at 12K. 

My post from this time last year was a little more off the mark - in fact I seem to have done the exact opposite - talk endlessly about retirement and not done anything about fitness.  Weight and fitness has gone the wrong way big time, but will try and get back on track

mark55man said:

So 2022 will be about keep fit lose weight, but do more to declutter and also do more for the community.  I won't talk much about retirement planning as that's not going to happen in 2022 (and prob not in 2023) and everything there is set up.

So my focus for 2023

- weight & exercise - for real this year - 2020 was great 2021 neutral and 2022 downhill

- frugality - back to core MSE even though my budgeting is on track  

- gardening - enjoying our outside space 

- countdown to 2024 - getting ready for R - Day - middle of 24
- savings - now I can save at a greater rate of interest than my mortgage I am putting spare money into savings

Also and you know I am quite political I will be supporting my local team for the local elections in May and a general one if we are lucky enough to have a chance to remove the current lot.

So to make these aspirations real - + there will be a line in my signature for accountability

* Weight - From 115kg to 100kg by 31/12/23
* Steps - From 2m (just under) in 2022 to 2,5m in 2023 - average 6850 per day 48000 a week
* Exercise - Back on the rowing machine - 2000m sprint in under 8 minutes (<2:00/500m)
* Savings - £11K for mortgage repayments post R-Day
* Gardening - Tidy enough to have a birthday party for my big birthday
* R-Day - Just keeping the daily countdown going

savingholmes

Lovely goals. I think you've achieved a lot this year - including home improvements. I'm sure your wife is celebrating!

Best of luck for 2023 and beyond.