Future Proofing my life: Deposit saving then MFW journey in under 13 years

Fortune_Smiles

Morning LaPlan 🌞  You might find this podcast interesting - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001pf9l  Put me off sweets for ever 😲

Fortune x

SuperSecretSquirrel

Thanks for sharing the brain health stuff LWAP 🙂 I turned it into a little checklist and gave myself a score out of ten for each one:

Avoid: Caffeine (9/10), Alcohol (9/10), Smoking (10/10), Drugs (10/10), Sugar (6/10), White carbs (3/10), Cakes (7/10), Sweets (8/10), Takeaway (7/10), Negativity (8/10), Visceral fat (8/10), Contact sports (10/10).

Do: Floss (8/10), Oily fish (1/10), Greens (8/10), Vitamin D (10/10).

I don't think I'll drop my sugar intake below where it stands (a little bit of cake or chocolate or a couple of biscuits most days, no sugary drinks, some hidden in foods like sauces etc). Similarly the white carbs are going nowhere - we sometimes have whole wheat pasta, brown rice, and sweet potatoes, but we really like white pasta, white rice, and white potatoes too… Fish and seafood are my kryptonite. I will occasionally force down some tuna or sardines "for my health", but I really don't enjoy it. I think I should probably add a supplement to cover what I'm missing here, so thanks for making me think about it 👍

earthgirl2

Thanks for the brain health info from me too. I'm 8 days in to giving up refined sugar and I have hardly any cravings now (just have to avert my eyes from the kids holloween chocolate!)
Does Tuna count as oily fish?

SuperSecretSquirrel

Hmm, as it turns out tinned tuna doesn't count, fresh/frozen does.

LadyWithAPlan

themadvix said:

You might like the Zoe podcast LWAP - lots of food for thought there - pun intended!

Thanks  - looks good - - are those the people who have your blood glucose app as well?
South_coast said:

Merlin's_Beard said:

Man I wish I'd not read this after stuffing my face with cookies and drinking half a glass of wine but here we are...

I tend to see that as more of an incentive. I remember years ago ordering a massive takeaway pizza/sides etc and scoffing the whole lot while watching Supersize Me in readiness for starting a diet the next day. I felt so repulsed it was easy to avoid the bad stuff for a couple of days 🤣!

Yes excess does lead to temporary disgust until one gets tired again... I remember reading how we get the most reward for the first drink (alcohol) and then the rewards shrink ... same with the expectation of eating my Harib** as the whole packet disappears. I have had neither sweets or crisps since watching the doc - but caffeine and sugar yes - I did say no to alcohol - 

I have at least 10lbs I need to shift - about 5 lbs put on since my relationship finished and I feel unfit so cleaning up my nutrition every day  rather than my  current mix of great healthy home food alongside excessive caffeine, harib* and corn chips... 
I joined the gym last month  but hardly been - partly cos of travel and partly not making it a priority - going to bed to late and thus no time before work in the morning .. That changes. 
i am walking 20k steps each day whilst here which is great though.


I have been thinking today ' I am a million dollar racehorse' I need to feed, exercise  and treat  myself like one.. I have just had a coffee with one sugar  whilst knowing its not good for my brain ... but I am definitely cutting down on both . There are lots of free cakes, muffins, croissants, cookies where I am - all day - luckily being GF I have no choice but to ignore them..

Career /life Rethink
Got paid some cash  by 3 companies but so much more yet to get paid. I am staying here for an extra day anyway to chill  and may extend my stay further (except the cost) for a continued vacation -  I am thinking to use the space and the sea air to have a think about my next 5 years and what I am doing. but at least £350 to extend flight  and then attendent costs -


I got blown off course work/career wise due to covid and need to look at where I am now and where I want to be heading. The house buying is part of that but I need to also look at my career and my various side hustles. What do I want?
I gave up a v profitable career decades ago to go after my dream job which I have made work financially - though not make as much by far - however now I have a leg in each camp and I need to make plans and figure out the big next steps. I need the flat as a building block - I think @SuperSecretSquirrel was v right in looking at the cheaper flat to keep my costs down and thus finances all to work better.
Still think it was too dark but the £400k mark vs the £475k cost is much easier to fund and pay down..

My main consult job has gone from 5 days to 2/3 and I can work it around my other contracts.. When I started this diary 2 years ago Aug 21 I was saying I need to change this up but I am still happily pootling around and not driving my life. 

iphone 15 pro max and esim only issue
Not buying a phone here though its hugely cheaper - same price in dollars as pounds so 20% cheaper - £900 v £1100 - I would  - except in the US they are only selling iphone 15's as esim only - so no physical sims space
.. the only UK network that I would go with that accepts esims without using out a physical sim first  is vODAF*** - I was with them but they are currently v expensive and charge for daily european travel unlike 02 I have moved to 
MSE did test esims amazingly but I dont want to get locked in expensive contracts on this hardware. Need to research.
I may just buy a new mobile battery charger - and see how good they are to carry around - using an old one now.

I like to buy my phone outright but I can get 2 yr contract deals inc the phone of £1200 which includes phone usage.
I will thus wait - my phone battery is not great but I can wait.. iphone 12 pro to resell (bought second hand earlier this year) I can get  £345 with over 80% battery - mine is at 82% now - gone down 1% in a month ...
I will probably be back in US in January so..

I am also eyeing up the want of a ipad pro - my old one I part exchanged years ago but so much easier and lighter to carry than my Macb**k Pro  - however it is a complete want not need - I can justify it work wise BUT again its $899 so £734 ..vs £899 in UK for pro 11' 256g - but I don't need it and I need to look at house buying..

US Shopping
I am eyeing up some new winter boots - these are actually a need  - smart knee length flat - as my last ones from Hob*s have had it - Beyond repair really now - well over a decade old and useful for smart casual and work. So I will get some boots here at least..
Plus may get some xmas gifts ..

EOM 
Still not done EOM roundup but I do know my sipp and s&s isas are down again .. ouch

Happy Friday all

LadyWithAPlan

Fortune_Smiles said:

Morning LaPlan 🌞  You might find this podcast interesting - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001pf9l  Put me off sweets for ever 😲

Fortune x

I will check it out thanks...

I am GF and should always also be DF (intolerant but it creeps in when travelling) so sugar and corn chips is the easy win for me .. But I need more focus on giving them up

SuperSecretSquirrel said:

Thanks for sharing the brain health stuff LWAP 🙂 I turned it into a little checklist and gave myself a score out of ten for each one:

Avoid: Caffeine (9/10), Alcohol (9/10), Smoking (10/10), Drugs (10/10), Sugar (6/10), White carbs (3/10), Cakes (7/10), Sweets (8/10), Takeaway (7/10), Negativity (8/10), Visceral fat (8/10), Contact sports (10/10).

Do: Floss (8/10), Oily fish (1/10), Greens (8/10), Vitamin D (10/10).

I don't think I'll drop my sugar intake below where it stands (a little bit of cake or chocolate or a couple of biscuits most days, no sugary drinks, some hidden in foods like sauces etc). Similarly the white carbs are going nowhere - we sometimes have whole wheat pasta, brown rice, and sweet potatoes, but we really like white pasta, white rice, and white potatoes too… Fish and seafood are my kryptonite. I will occasionally force down some tuna or sardines "for my health", but I really don't enjoy it. I think I should probably add a supplement to cover what I'm missing here, so thanks for making me think about it 👍

Glad to be of help! It was v interesting - especially as the more we do of the bad for brain the more dementia risk goes up as well as day to day brain functioning slowing down .... 
You are way healthier than me  - your checklist is a great idea
Well on on the floss - yes oily fish is my issue too - salmon I think is the way forward or from what you say fresh tuna
Maybe omega supplements ad make sure loads of avocado and nuts can help.

earthgirl2 said:

Thanks for the brain health info from me too. I'm 8 days in to giving up refined sugar and I have hardly any cravings now (just have to avert my eyes from the kids holloween chocolate!)
Does Tuna count as oily fish?

Well done on the sugar - in 2014 and 2015 I gave all sugar, biscuits and cakes and chocolate for a year each - with a week off for good behaviour at Xmas I felt amazing.

I di not have any caffeine for 7 weeks - no coffee, no black tea  (even drank white tea!) but that was for my teeth ) I felt surprisingly fine... but went straight back on - my morning soya milk latte (HM) is a thing of joy for me... that may need to be a habit I change..

Its Friday afternoon here so off to get a super healthy salmon or tuna meal - maybe some sushi  - except for the white rice!! 

savingholmes

Enjoy your time away. Glad the invoices are gradually being paid - sounds like it is still the trickle rather than the flood you need to help you buy the house. 

beanielou

Could you put the iPad through as a business expense? 

LadyWithAPlan

beanielou said:

Could you put the iPad through as a business expense? 

Yes and the phone too if I got  - I also keep an old mobile with another cheap sim £20 the year  as a back up and personal 

Ipads are  much easier on planes to work  and also  my back - carting around my fabulous  4lbs laptop all day gets a bit tiring on my shoulders with my other junk  and means I need bigger bags etc  - I have been getting v fit though  20k steps plus every day and a LOT of stairs 
Ipad also just easier to use -  the 11' is a perfect size  and has some cool software I could use. I dont have a tablet at present -  
Plus an ipad would mean I could work on it and not use my phone so much.
I can justify an ipad but i can get away without one  as I do have a £2k + macbook thats only 18 months old  - each macbook pro I have lasts at least 7 years - last time on 7 years the battery was going but I killed it only by throwing coffee on it, the one before lasted 9 years! They really are great so the annual cost comes down so I always buy the best I can as I know it lasts. It is always the battery on that that becomes a pain but 18 months in its lasting fine for a day out and about

I am sure though that battery tech for phones will get better - so I will buy a battery charger travel pack under £50 and see.... I am in contract til end Jan .. 

FI%
However I have my eye on a v large purchase - a home .. so I think dropping  £2k on tech  for a phone and ipad I dont desperately need as such  .. is a bit silly - thats £2k more I would have to borrow at 5% for 20 odd years... so £100 extra a year interest  .. I am trying to find ways to stop me buying things I can afford cos of my large house deposit  but actually do diminish my fi% number
Chatting to the brilliant Super Secret Squirrel on his blog he suggested I pay with my house deposit and size of my mortgage to see how if I borrow and extra £100k  on the flat how it affects repayment and how quick I can become Mortgage free and build my FI - so I will play with that

USA SHOPPING -
I went to a US consignment store yesterday  - where people sell their expensive clothes via a 3rd party shop - saw a fabulous  cream, faux fur coat  - would work well day and night - but $170 and I just bought a red coat in Europe 2 weeks  ago so I walked away ... I have a couple days to decide before i leave  - it would be a great addition to my wardrobe .. but I am thinking no .. Again buying a house is the priority 

I have 2 lots of family birthdays before Xmas so will try to buy something from here  - and the odd Xmas present - so far some Grinch socks is all. 

I am looking at some knee length black flat boots as useful for day to day work and running around  - so will pop back to Ald* here - and try to avoid the high heeled boots of which I have many to buy the more essential flat smart boots -
I also have accidentally bought a Vivienne Westwood vintage bag online auction - its green and £70 + £10 postage and I know I will use it loads esp as I have a fabulous green winter coat I bought last year..  I may keep it back as a XMAS gift as 

savingholmes said:

Enjoy your time away. Glad the invoices are gradually being paid - sounds like it is still the trickle rather than the flood you need to help you buy the house. 

Thats official ! 

South_coast

LadyWithAPlan said:
....I killed it only by throwing coffee on it....

Ah, so cutting out the caffeine will be a double win 😀👍!