SF's road to MF/FIRE - Take Two!

slowlyfading

L9XSS said:

Really wise words which should help you.  I found some months/years easier than others. Life as it does gets in the way both good and bad. The one constant you do have is the support on this forum from other like minded MFWs, all at different stages to you.
keep posting, your doing really well. 

Thank you. I definitely agree with some years being easier than others; I am finding this year tough and feel a little lost. Hopefully it will even out soon.

SuperSecretSquirrel

I loved listoflists' post!
If you can shape your life to better match what you hope it'll look like at the end goal, and you strike the balance about right, it shouldn't matter that it takes a little while longer to really cross the finish line as you'll have been enjoying the journey all the more. Having humble aspirations makes this all the easier
Like you SF, I mainly want to (have to) work less, spend more time with friends and family, enjoy the outdoors, and have a stress free life. I now work a 4 day week and enjoy a 3 day weekend. Income is lower than it would be working a full week, but all those check boxes of what I want from my retired life are already being ticked, so it's a trade-off that's well worth it for me. It might add a few years to my FI date, but that doesn't really matter as I'm enjoying a lot of the benefits already
Maybe some of what you're feeling now is lockdown lethargy, I know I am. Walks and nature are great, but I'd like the occasional big family day out too. That's my hope for the summer, a little bit of normality maybe not stretching as far as a UK holiday even, but a true staycation where we can holiday from home and have lots of days out. You might find this kind of "break" to be both super cheap and just as refreshing, and might help you get your FI mojo back

VintageHistorian

I think there are two main points where it all becomes really daunting and starts to drag you down - The first is getting to that first key target, whether it's £1000 overpaid on your mortgage, or £10,000 in an ISA, or getting below £x per day in mortgage interest. The second is somewhere around the middle, where you've lost the enthusiasm from hitting that first target, but the end isn't yet in sight and it all seems like such a slog.

And on top of that, we've all just been through a pandemic. We have all had to take the precautions that we deemed safe (some more than the government has asked for us, and sometimes some less than government has asked) and faced the knowledge of "risk" every time we have stepped outside our front doors. That's exhausting in of itself.

Give yourself a bit of a break. You are taking a lot on your shoulders (seriously, balancing everything to achieve FIRE is hard work!) and after a while the burden gets heavier and harder to carry. So it's time to sit down, have a rest, adjust your shoulder straps, and take a breather. You'll find that once it's had a few distractions and a chance to focus on something else your brain will start ticking back up again, and it will return to being interesting and involving and less Sisyphean.

slowlyfading

SuperSecretSquirrel said:

Maybe some of what you're feeling now is lockdown lethargy, I know I am. Walks and nature are great, but I'd like the occasional big family day out too. That's my hope for the summer, a little bit of normality maybe not stretching as far as a UK holiday even, but a true staycation where we can holiday from home and have lots of days out. You might find this kind of "break" to be both super cheap and just as refreshing, and might help you get your FI mojo back

I definitely think that it is a bit of this; I am fed up of not being able to see everyone and the enjoyment that brings. I am hoping the our summer is a bit more fun filled than it has been. We are going away to Scotland in the summer holidays which I am looking forward to  

slowlyfading

@VintageHistorian - I think you've hit the nail on the head there a bit. I feel like we're so far from our target, that it feels SO out of reach at the moment. It does feel very much like a slog at the moment! Will continue to plod along, but it feels like very slow progress of late. 

slowlyfading

Another week has gone past. I seriously don't know where the time goes at the moment! 

Had a lovely, quiet Sunday. I made a chicken stew in the SC which we had with Yorkshires. Followed by banana and ice cream. Perfect for a rainy day. I did manage to get out for a quick walk earlier in the break between showers; I am trying to move more as it helps me sleep better on an evening. 

Finances wise; it's been another NSD today. Things are looking ok at the moment. May is an expensive month for us with the car insurance due plus we need to pay off the rest of our Scotland holiday by the end of the month. Things that are factored into the budget but still are a big chunk to pay! 

Onto another week happy Sunday! 

savingholmes

I think give your self credit still headed in the right direction. Try and find ways to enjoy the now rather than being too future focused

Bluegreen143

Subscribing to your thread and I’m off to watch some of your YouTube videos! 

I’m in awe of how much you overpay/invest each month, it’s incredible. I work p/t and have two young kids who I think may be a similar age to yours (5 and 2). We are probably only able to overpay/long term save £300ish a month atm (distinct from short term pots and saving for wants). Though I am a bit lazier than you and don’t have all the side hustles which would help. So I know it can seem like a slog but I think you need to celebrate all you’ve done!

slowlyfading

savingholmes said:

I think give your self credit still headed in the right direction. Try and find ways to enjoy the now rather than being too future focused

I am trying - it's definitely a fine balance. I don't want to wish my life away!

slowlyfading

Bluegreen143 said:

Subscribing to your thread and I’m off to watch some of your YouTube videos! 

I’m in awe of how much you overpay/invest each month, it’s incredible. I work p/t and have two young kids who I think may be a similar age to yours (5 and 2). We are probably only able to overpay/long term save £300ish a month atm (distinct from short term pots and saving for wants). Though I am a bit lazier than you and don’t have all the side hustles which would help. So I know it can seem like a slog but I think you need to celebrate all you’ve done!

Thank you for subscribing! And yes, they are similar ages. It can be tough but we really prioritise investing/saving/OPing and other things come second. To be honest, side hustle income varies massively. Some months (like May) there is hardly any! But, it all adds up