Future Me & the Rabbit Hutch House

Peaches113

Hey chaps *waving emoji*
@longway2go thanks for the heads up on the OU course, I'd seen it mentioned on the faceb00k MSE group but hadn't thought it was for me but do you know what, I think I'm gunna give it a go. Nothing ventured nothing gained eh? 
@SouthCoast all valid points and I think you've hit the proverbial nail with the just do SOMETHING. Doing any of the above is better than being frozen in fear of making the wrong decision. On the buying another house I've actually thought about this a lot as this isn't a forever home so I will look to move in the future. In my head I think I'm giving myself say 5 years to really pay down and put some equity into the house so that the next one can be to more a more forever home type place (i.e. an actual cottage rather than a rabbit hutch!). However it does feels almost slightly counterproductive to pay off a mortgage to be planning on taking out another one, I know really this isn't the case and what I'm doing is putting me in a better position in the long run. 
In non MSE news I am feeling a bit roughed up having fallen off my friends horse today. And not even in an exciting or daring way. Following my friend up a small steep incline by some trees and in a split second realise the horse I was on was considerably taller than the one she was on and next thing CONK practically knocked myself out on a branch and few out the back door. Landed flat on my back and winded myself so I couldn't even croak out that I was okay for at least a minute. Given that I hadn't been riding since before lock down because and I quote 'I'd be that person that fell off and would need to use precious NHS resources just at the worst time' But got back on the literal and proverbial horse and am now using it as an excuse to not do the hoovering as my ribs hurt Gotta look at the positives

LeighofMar

I hope you feel better. Getting knocked off a horse has got to be painful. I read through your diary and I love what South Coast said. Doing something puts you miles ahead of those not doing anything. And I can commiserate with you as I also sometimes suffer from analysis paralysis where I get stuck looking at the big picture and I don't see how I can ever reach it, so I get discouraged. But all we can do is our best. I will enjoy reading about your journey. 

longway2go

I think South Coast has summed it up well, just do something lol
Sorry to hear about your fall and hope you are feeling brighter tomorrow. 

Peaches113

Oh my, how has it been a month since my last post. Time flies when you're (not) having fun! Work had gone absolutely mental again as we moved to opening up again but thankfully we're now back to business as usual albeit in a covid secure manner. I survived my fall with just a few sore muscles and a bruised ego but have to be honest, I haven't got back on yet. Am blaming that on work though. Stupid work. And the weather, either too hot, or too windy, or too rainy. I am very much a fair weather rider

Money savings has continued and to be honest I'm feeling a bit proud of myself for scratching out some extra pennies to go towards the mortgage even with my tight budget, especially as I haven't had any real savings from lock down as have still been going into work every day. In May I managed a total overpayment of £225 and in June £445! Yup the hen do pot got added to the mortgage and my contents and building insurance was due and all extra went on overpayments. 
Finally got paid the bonus which felt like it took forever to arrive. And for the first time in my adult life I am not planning on frittering it away on rubbish! So that will be split between mortgage, savings and I'm going to start an investment fund. A very small, very insignificant investment fund but it's a start. And one thing I'm learning is to just make a start. I feel like I have been paralysed my whole life by not starting things because I won't be able to do it 'properly'. I've always told myself I'm lazy (and a bit useless) but I think if I were being kind to myself I'd say that the fear of doing something wrong or badly has stopped me from taking opportunities or starting new things. Lets call it a paralysed perfectionism. So I'm going to put a little chunk in a fund and try to add whatever I can to it without worrying that I can't hit a 50% saving rate so therefore why bother  
And adding to this new mentality and having taken inspiration from MFW diaries and the escape artist blog I am going to invest in myself. I have spent years talking and musing about taking a CIPD qualification but never done anything about it, I work in operations so manage HR issues on a daily basis and it's always been the part of my job I get the most satisfaction from, and have been told repeatedly that I'd be good at it. But either I didn't have the money, or I didn't have the time but in reality I didn't have the balls to try something new. So I'm doing it. I am going to use some of my house fund money to pay for it as I really don't want to stretch my already stretched monthly outgoings and am not prepared to take from set overpayments or savings pot and I will just have to do without central heating for a little while longer. I couldn't sleep last night with happiness or excitement or something along those lines. It feels like finally its starting to come together. First the financial awakening which now means I have available funds to do this and also giving up drinking at the start of the year which means I have the time and head space to achieve this. Just waiting on the call to enrol and then I am ready to rock and roll. And I'm sure in not too long I'll be on here whinging about why I bloody chose to do it and it's too hard and this post is here to remind me that I want this! So folks, today is a good day

Jessy103

What a great, positive post Peaches! I wish you the best of luck with the qualification, I'm sure you'll smash it!

South_coast

Fab OP's and fab for investing in yourself and investing in....er...investing 😂! Go you!

LeighofMar

Great news Peaches. It's wonderful when a plan comes together. Best wishes.

South_coast

Hey Peaches, how're you getting on? x