Squeaky bum time!

Workerbee999

I’ve had to give myself a bit of a talking to tonight, I have been spending far too much of my time worrying about what MAY happen in my life rather than just dealing with whatever IS happening in the day I am living. 2 weeks ago, my mind was full of:
1) Do I enjoy my new job, 3 months in, wilI I be able to deliver it and develop some good relationships with colleagues, there is too much to think about.
2) How can I cope with working away during the week, and worrying about the impact it will have being away from my son when there’s is so little time left before he grows up and goes his own way.
3) How will I be able to support him through the stresses of his GCSEs this summer
4) How can I be motivated through the next 5 years to retirement while I build up the pension pot, when I am constantly on the corporate hamster wheel.

Today I realise I had been worrying:
1) Now that I have been made redundant last week (twice in 6 months - definitely no more travel industry for me!,) how will I cope with not having work to occupy my mind, what will I do for the next 5 years (in reality I’m sure I will find something, just not for a few months)
2) How am I going to cope with being home for probably the next 6 months, and what will I do with my son all summer before he starts 6th form.
3) How can I support my son now he won’t be able to do his GCSEs

It took the incredulous look from my teenager when I seriously asked him if he was upset about  just being given his (excellent) predicted grades and not being able to do all the revision practice and take all the exams, to take a minute to jump off the fear wheel of constant news bulletins and realise I have nothing to worry about AS LONG as we and all our loved ones are healthy - yes no job but can comfortably live on one (solid) salary although not with extravagant holidays etc. but no mortgage or debts, a son with a great group of friends, 95% who will be at 6th form with him, and above all, the once in a lifetime gift of being given 6 months where I accept I won’t find a job, to spend at home, with my son trying to make some family memories.  Everything I was dreaming of 2 weeks before, just with less money in the pension and the bank, but so what, what is it really for??

Albermarle

 Everything I was dreaming of 2 weeks before, just with less money in the pension and the bank, but so what, what is it really for??

Well it would be better to have everything you were dreaming of but still with more money in the bank I suppose.:)

Parking_Trouble

Time to reflect on what really is important 

Ganga

Workerbee999 said:

I’ve had to give myself a bit of a talking to tonight, I have been spending far too much of my time worrying about what MAY happen in my life rather than just dealing with whatever IS happening in the day I am living. 2 weeks ago, my mind was full of:
1) Do I enjoy my new job, 3 months in, wilI I be able to deliver it and develop some good relationships with colleagues, there is too much to think about.
2) How can I cope with working away during the week, and worrying about the impact it will have being away from my son when there’s is so little time left before he grows up and goes his own way.
3) How will I be able to support him through the stresses of his GCSEs this summer
4) How can I be motivated through the next 5 years to retirement while I build up the pension pot, when I am constantly on the corporate hamster wheel.

Today I realise I had been worrying:
1) Now that I have been made redundant last week (twice in 6 months - definitely no more travel industry for me!,) how will I cope with not having work to occupy my mind, what will I do for the next 5 years (in reality I’m sure I will find something, just not for a few months)
2) How am I going to cope with being home for probably the next 6 months, and what will I do with my son all summer before he starts 6th form.
3) How can I support my son now he won’t be able to do his GCSEs

It took the incredulous look from my teenager when I seriously asked him if he was upset about  just being given his (excellent) predicted grades and not being able to do all the revision practice and take all the exams, to take a minute to jump off the fear wheel of constant news bulletins and realise I have nothing to worry about AS LONG as we and all our loved ones are healthy - yes no job but can comfortably live on one (solid) salary although not with extravagant holidays etc. but no mortgage or debts, a son with a great group of friends, 95% who will be at 6th form with him, and above all, the once in a lifetime gift of being given 6 months where I accept I won’t find a job, to spend at home, with my son trying to make some family memories.  Everything I was dreaming of 2 weeks before, just with less money in the pension and the bank, but so what, what is it really for??

I think holidays as we know them both abroad and in the UK will not be on any ones mind or available for a long time to come.

crv1963

Ganga said:

Workerbee999 said:

I’ve had to give myself a bit of a talking to tonight, I have been spending far too much of my time worrying about what MAY happen in my life rather than just dealing with whatever IS happening in the day I am living. 2 weeks ago, my mind was full of:
1) Do I enjoy my new job, 3 months in, wilI I be able to deliver it and develop some good relationships with colleagues, there is too much to think about.
2) How can I cope with working away during the week, and worrying about the impact it will have being away from my son when there’s is so little time left before he grows up and goes his own way.
3) How will I be able to support him through the stresses of his GCSEs this summer
4) How can I be motivated through the next 5 years to retirement while I build up the pension pot, when I am constantly on the corporate hamster wheel.

Today I realise I had been worrying:
1) Now that I have been made redundant last week (twice in 6 months - definitely no more travel industry for me!,) how will I cope with not having work to occupy my mind, what will I do for the next 5 years (in reality I’m sure I will find something, just not for a few months)
2) How am I going to cope with being home for probably the next 6 months, and what will I do with my son all summer before he starts 6th form.
3) How can I support my son now he won’t be able to do his GCSEs

It took the incredulous look from my teenager when I seriously asked him if he was upset about  just being given his (excellent) predicted grades and not being able to do all the revision practice and take all the exams, to take a minute to jump off the fear wheel of constant news bulletins and realise I have nothing to worry about AS LONG as we and all our loved ones are healthy - yes no job but can comfortably live on one (solid) salary although not with extravagant holidays etc. but no mortgage or debts, a son with a great group of friends, 95% who will be at 6th form with him, and above all, the once in a lifetime gift of being given 6 months where I accept I won’t find a job, to spend at home, with my son trying to make some family memories.  Everything I was dreaming of 2 weeks before, just with less money in the pension and the bank, but so what, what is it really for??

I think holidays as we know them both abroad and in the UK will not be on any ones mind or available for a long time to come.

I was thinking along the same lines- I do think holidays abroad will resume but that we'll all probably not see this until late next year.

Thrugelmir

crv1963 said:

Ganga said:

Workerbee999 said:

I’ve had to give myself a bit of a talking to tonight, I have been spending far too much of my time worrying about what MAY happen in my life rather than just dealing with whatever IS happening in the day I am living. 2 weeks ago, my mind was full of:
1) Do I enjoy my new job, 3 months in, wilI I be able to deliver it and develop some good relationships with colleagues, there is too much to think about.
2) How can I cope with working away during the week, and worrying about the impact it will have being away from my son when there’s is so little time left before he grows up and goes his own way.
3) How will I be able to support him through the stresses of his GCSEs this summer
4) How can I be motivated through the next 5 years to retirement while I build up the pension pot, when I am constantly on the corporate hamster wheel.

Today I realise I had been worrying:
1) Now that I have been made redundant last week (twice in 6 months - definitely no more travel industry for me!,) how will I cope with not having work to occupy my mind, what will I do for the next 5 years (in reality I’m sure I will find something, just not for a few months)
2) How am I going to cope with being home for probably the next 6 months, and what will I do with my son all summer before he starts 6th form.
3) How can I support my son now he won’t be able to do his GCSEs

It took the incredulous look from my teenager when I seriously asked him if he was upset about  just being given his (excellent) predicted grades and not being able to do all the revision practice and take all the exams, to take a minute to jump off the fear wheel of constant news bulletins and realise I have nothing to worry about AS LONG as we and all our loved ones are healthy - yes no job but can comfortably live on one (solid) salary although not with extravagant holidays etc. but no mortgage or debts, a son with a great group of friends, 95% who will be at 6th form with him, and above all, the once in a lifetime gift of being given 6 months where I accept I won’t find a job, to spend at home, with my son trying to make some family memories.  Everything I was dreaming of 2 weeks before, just with less money in the pension and the bank, but so what, what is it really for??

I think holidays as we know them both abroad and in the UK will not be on any ones mind or available for a long time to come.

I was thinking along the same lines- I do think holidays abroad will resume but that we'll all probably not see this until late next year.

Travel insurance may never be as cheap ever again. There'll be many tourism related businessess globally that will shut their doors permanently. The loss of income is going to felt in many peoples pockets whatever the source. 

Albermarle

I think we can safely say the third runway at Heathrow is now dead and buried.

Username999

Albermarle said:

I think we can safely say the third runway at Heathrow is now dead and buried.

HS2 aswell, hopefully.

crv1963

I just have looked in my e-mails- I have one from my Travel Insurance saying that any holidays I have booked from 18 March are not covered for Covid-19, any booked before that date are. I had forgotten that I had it at all as it was through my bank, so if there are any problems with my holiday at the end of May to Croatia then I can claim for it from them. I don't expect we'll be going at all as I do expect the travel ban to still be in place. I had paid for it by Credit Card so had expected to have to go through that. One small silver lining.

DairyQueen

OldMusicGuy said:

DairyQueen said:

Decided on Monday that my blood pressure would benefit from not checking my portfolio for the foreseeable. No intention of buying or selling until the market has calmed and, even then, just to rebalance, so why be an anguished spectator?
........
Either this is just another pot-hole on the investment road or we will all be dead. I know which my money is on.

You and I have been posting about retirement planning for a similar period and have some similar approaches. This has been an interesting test for me, because my portfolio was highly cautious and defensive to avoid sequence of returns risk, just like this event would have caused. My strategy appears to have worked, because as of this morning my portfolio is down around 12% compared to market drops that seem to be in excess of 30%. I also have plenty of cash in my SIPP so I don't need to sell any investments.

I've also been pleased that I have not checked my portfolio much and am not panicking. I had a strategy and it appears to be working for me and that is allowing me to stay calm, even though my paper losses are pretty big in absolute terms. We don't know what will happen in the future but I am certain there will be some form of recovery. If there isn't, then like you say we will not care about checking portfolios because we really will be in dire straits all round. 

I don't come on here much because the level of hysteria and ill-informed doom-mongering posts seems to have reached record levels. I don't find that helpful.   

I still like to check-in most days but have been posting less since the crisis has developed. Too many panicking posters incapable of browsing current threads to find the oft-repeated answer to "My pension/investment has dropped by x, should I sell?". 

I have to admire the IFAs for their patience in posting the same replies to thread topics endlessly repeated. Shame they can't simply record an audio response and post a link (would be quicker). 

I also shake my head in disbelief at those who believe that 'someone' should compensate them for their 'loss'.

Like you, OMG, I am pretty sanguine. We are fortunate to have sufficient guaranteed income and cash to see us through indefinitely so the drop in equities won't cause us real pain. The research of the last three years has paid-off.

I recall that you are due to move into a new home soon? Any issues with that? Our planned house move has hit the dust as we have two properties to sell. The first is currently being decorated and was due to be marketed at the end of this month (some chance of that now). We are currently cramped into tiny property number two and will be here for the duration. 

Amazing how situations like this can change your priorities. Last month I was fretting about how quickly we could move house, and whether we could do so without selling property two. Now, I will consider myself blessed if all family and friends emerge safe and well.