VelvetFreak's Investing Adventures

VelvetFreak

It's my last day off before I have to go back to work and I am really not ready to go back 😩. The BF has another week off and will spend it playing video games . I haven't done any of my next assignment as I just can't force myself to do it, so I'll be doing it at work and have booked two days off in a couple of weeks to make sure I can get it done. I will spend today catching up on washing and nagging the BF to tidy up his mess. The weather has been unusually warm but is meant to snap back to being super cold very soon 😕. 

On another note, I'm glad that we canceled our holiday as the area we'd planned to go to has had increased Covid cases and strict lockdown and we would have had to isolate for 2 weeks after we got back. 

I haven't sent my usual big amounts to savings or investments as I need to let the account recover a little. I received $14.66 in distributions from my Spaceship Investment into my bank account so I've requested a direct debit to reinvest it. My offset balance is currently $13,000 and my monthly interest is around $250 and it used to be about $350 before I refinanced 😮

I'm going to try really hard to have all NSD's this week and avoid the shops at all costs. I've got lunches in the freezer so should be do-able 😇

VelvetFreak

Hello diary
I had a busy week at work and have managed not to spend much. I've only spent about $30 for the week as I only had to buy lunch once at work and met my mum for lunch yesterday. 

I got my first rent deposit for the apartment but it was only $17 as the real estate took out their letting fee, advertising, and photo fees. Speaking of which, they took professional photos but didn't take a picture of the laundry room?! So I have to follow them about that. The agent said they "don't usually take a picture of the laundry". Considering it's a 1-bedroom, what else is there to take a photo of? The tenant has moved in now so there's probably not much that can be done about it. It really annoys me how these types of businesses use a cookie-cutter process for everyone instead of using their brain and just doing what needs to be done. 

Anyway, the real estate's management fee is 8.69% of the rent + $10 per month for admin. We work in fortnights here so the rent paid is $560 pf and once fees are taken out I get about $507 net in my bank account. The management fees are waived for the first three months so in the short-term I'll be getting a bit more. The apartment costs me about $520 per fortnight so it's almost paying for itself. I've allocated the apartment its own bank account and will start it off with about $1,000 and see how long it will look after itself before it needs topping up. 

My net pay from work is $2,066 per fortnight and I've done a budget for my personal expenses and savings etc. I'm counting the kitchen loan for the apartment here as it's not tax-deductible as it has no interest. I hate it but not much I can do, I'll just keep paying it and in a few years I'll wake up and it will be paid off 😇

Personal = $480 (Food, petrol, clothes, etc)
Cleaner = $80
Phone = $35
Kitchen repayment = $150
Car related = $121
Study expenses = $100
Retirement contributions = $100
Savings (offset) = $500
Investing = $500
Total = $2,066

I can't believe how much money I have to put towards saving and investing! It's over 50% of my salary. Sometimes I get fed up with living with the BF but it's not so bad. I never thought I'd be this well off and have so much money to save so am feeling very fortunate. Sometimes I feel strange that I don't contribute any money to this house but have to remember that the BF makes twice as much as me so the way we do it is actually quite fair. 

I've set up a specific account for all personal bills/savings/direct debits to come out of and I'm now very inspired to be more disciplined and not spend on extra unnecessary things because I don't want to mess up my savings/investment plan.

I've set up my spending account and debit card with a different bank so will be able to be more careful and keep things separate going forward. 

I plan to get the Offset account (Emergency Fund) up to $20,000 and then I suppose I'll stop saving in cash and invest it all! 

It's payday on Tuesday but I probably won't send anything to investments or savings as I've got a study bill due soon and the accounts are looking rather empty, but after that I'll be implementing the plan fully!

VelvetFreak

I got my marks back for my first assignment and I got 25.5/30 (85%). I'm shocked because I honestly thought I'd barely scrape by. Gives me hope that I might actually be able to do this course! 

It's payday tomorrow

Cherryfudge

Well done - great result!

VelvetFreak

Sorry for lack of updates. I have been feeling very unwell over the last couple of weeks and getting progressively worse each day 😔 I won't bore you with all the symptoms but yesterday at work I started to feel really sick and nauseous and I was panicking because I felt like I was going to pass out and die. The BF was stuck in client appointments so I had to call my friend to come and get me and she took me straight to the doctor. Had to interrupt my boss in his meeting and felt so sick that I couldn't talk and almost burst into tears. Started crying once I got back to my desk because I felt so awful. My friend was shocked because I'm not usually one to cry but I think I got so overwhelmed that it had become bad enough to actually have to go to the doctor about it and I was in denial. I was convinced that I had diabetes as I have a strong family history and had many of the symptoms but my blood sugar was normal. The doctor suspects thyroid issues (which I also suspected from my googling my symptoms) so I've had a blood test for that an a lot of other things. I'm going back this afternoon to get my test results and I'm really curious but nervous at the same time. In a way I am hoping that I actually have something wrong with me that can be medicated because if it's just anxiety related I don't know what I'm supposed to do about it!

Meanwhile, the BF is having a job interview over the phone as we speak for a position that he applied for yesterday. He is fed up with his current employer and this one is a lot closer to our house so I hope it will work out. 

Payday was last week and I've topped all the accounts up and I'm ready to start implementing my new budget after next pay where I will need to use a lot of money to pay for my next subject. 

Speaking of which, I have an assignment due on Tuesday that I should really be working on but I just can't concentrate. So I will be stuck doing that over the weekend but oh well. I am considering not enrolling in the next subject and leaving it until next year but will wait and see what's happening health-wise before making a decision.

Chrystal

Hope you get some answers and that medication will help  (((hugs)))

VelvetFreak

Am back from the doctor now. As suspected, I have Hyperthyroidism. It seems manageable enough and I've been sent home with medication to help the thyroid issue as well as slow down my heart rate, anxiety and shaking. 

I'm not shocked of the diagnosis itself but shocked that there is something that can explain the way I've been feeling over the last few months because I thought it was all in my head. 

I need to get an ultrasound and another blood test next week. Hopefully I will feel well enough to go to work tomorrow and finish my assignment over the weekend. 

FtbDreaming

That’s rubbish but at least you’re getting sorted! How good is your GP! You go here it takes a day to get them to answer the phone, a week for the appointment then you call back in another week for the results! X

Cherryfudge

So sorry you've been so poorly.

I have hypothyroidism so I know the thyroid is a pretty massive influence on all body systems. The most seemingly-unlikely things can go on when you don't have enough thyroxine, so I assume it's similar with too much though the symptoms sound very different. In my case, although the condition can't be cured, the medication puts things back to normal so I can just get on with life. I hope it soon kicks in for you and you can be yourself again.

Cherryfudge

By way of a PS... with only Friday left of this week, might it be an idea to go easy on yourself and take the day off, thus giving you a three-day weekend and allowing your body to wind down a bit?