Prosperous soul embraces creativity & mortgage neutrality

Blackcats

I like how the new coat has paid for itself and is effectively cost neutral.

You have prompted me to look at best place for savings again.  I made a commitment (to myself) to make my money work hard for me which means maximising interest earned.  I've just had an email from Chase saying that interest rates have been increased on their savings accounts.  Ironically N S and I which boasts that it's all about savings are lagging behind on interest rates.  I keep my savings pots in n s & I so I need to review that.

did you set up a donor account for your bank account switching? I'm really happy with my current account but the switching bonuses are very tempting.

savingholmes

Thanks jwil, Beanie and Dancing and Blackcats

Blackcats said:

I like how the new coat has paid for itself and is effectively cost neutral. {It made me happy too

You have prompted me to look at best place for savings again.  I made a commitment (to myself) to make my money work hard for me which means maximising interest earned.  I've just had an email from Chase saying that interest rates have been increased on their savings accounts.  Ironically N S and I which boasts that it's all about savings are lagging behind on interest rates.  I keep my savings pots in n s & I so I need to review that.

did you set up a donor account for your bank account switching? I'm really happy with my current account but the switching bonuses are very tempting

I have at least 4 current accounts. I am going to switch one and may create a donor one on top to switch in future. Last year I created a donor account in July - switched it in Nov and got lots of £. It was fab.

I am so pleased about the AVCs. I applied back in July - and while it's been nice keeping that £ in the account - it's also been slightly frustrating as I wasn't progressing my FI journey in the way I wanted.

I'm currently re-reading my 2022 diary - and it is interesting to read the journey. I clearly worry too much but no idea how to resolve that... Next month I'll do an end of divorce year round up and start a new diary.

I've taken some mackerel out the freezer to defrost and some veggie pasta. I had some of my meatballs and pasta but it wasn't nice and I ended up binning most of it. I think it was the pasta rather than the sauce that was at fault. I might make some porridge for tea. I had a nice time with friends last night and they gave me chilli to bring home. I had it with jacket spud at lunch.

MovingForwards

Money shuffle is working well.
Have you had the N.w3st switch yet? You could then open their RS as it's paying over 5% on the first £1k.

savingholmes

Thanks MF I have done that one before 

EssexHebridean

Blackcats said:

I like how the new coat has paid for itself and is effectively cost neutral.

You have prompted me to look at best place for savings again.  I made a commitment (to myself) to make my money work hard for me which means maximising interest earned.  I've just had an email from Chase saying that interest rates have been increased on their savings accounts.  Ironically N S and I which boasts that it's all about savings are lagging behind on interest rates.  I keep my savings pots in n s & I so I need to review that.

did you set up a donor account for your bank account switching? I'm really happy with my current account but the switching bonuses are very tempting.

If you have an account with the Spanish bank beginning with a “Sant…” they have just launched an eSaver (limited edition) savings account at 2.75 % (2.72 if you select monthly interest) which is pretty decent. Other than that 1st Direct’s regular saver is still fairly keen  - although might not be long before it gets overtaken. 

M@rcus have also just increased their rate on our account with them - but only to 2% including the bonus - and that’s the same level that people like N@tionw1de are offering on their routine savings accounts now. The game is really changing at the moment, and fast! 

leftatthetrafficlights

Love the idea of 'end of divorce year' round up - it will show you how far you've come! 😁

Honeysucklelou2

Just catching up with your diary. The holiday photos were beautiful...as were the photos of your art work.

Well done on the dental work, glad that you are pleased with the bridge.

savingholmes

Thanks EH, Left and HSL

Been to the hairdresser which was nice. It's a family affair - with a husband and wife team and his DD currently helping at the back wash. Always a good crack.

I need to pick DD up in a bit from town and take her to the train station. She's then staying at Ex's without him there - overnight. Gives us all a mini break.

It's been lashing it down here - so no autumn walk for me today. I plan to make some art and do some writing. I'm currently still on a trip down memory lane re-reading parts of my diary - and remembering some of the unwritten parts too!

I've been listening to a book off and on about thinking like a monk - not because I follow their Eastern philosophy - but because I liked the utube presenter - and I'm trying to be more open to other points of view. What I liked were the examples of how to become more mindful but also that the path to contentment is not chasing happiness - but instead lies in service and giving. Towards the end of the book he shared an example of where he and other monks had been dropped off in a village for weeks with just the clothes they were wearing and perhaps an empty bowl and cutlery for food. In that culture - holy men were typically offered food and they were welcome to temple food offered to the gods. Initially they were super-anxious and focused on meeting their own needs. Once they felt more secure in the likelihood of finding food they started to look at how they could serve and give back even though they had nothing but their innate gifts and talents. As time wore on - they realised that some of the people of the village had less than they did and weren't offered food as easily. They therefore started gathering food for others too.

To me that is self-actualisation in microcosm. You have a biological imperative to get your own needs met. After that while extra money smooths your path it doesn't necessarily bring happiness. Post divorce and going from a two wage household to essentially one (or if you want to be precise 4 to 2) I felt like I was scrabbling around for every penny. Now, especially with my pay rise and P1P, I feel more secure and therefore have more emotional and financial bandwidth to consider others needs. He advocates giving time &/or money to causes to which we have a connection - and we may then find one sticks above others - with which we may then choose to get more fully involved.

I'm considering how I can give - even if it is token amounts - to charities that I philosophically agree with - and I or someone I'm close to has a linked experience with. I'm thinking I might pick a different theme each month.

• Having gone hungry as a child / been close to the wire - I want to support my local food bank. I picked up some tinned fruit, meat, fish, soup etc. (They tend to get too much pasta, beans and tinned tomatoes). I chose things that were nicer cooked but could be eaten without - as that is what people are asking for... Breaks my heart... Need to drop it off next week.
• I rejoined the Autistic Society - in the hope it helps them advocate for people like me and reach out more. That will go out of November's pay.
• One of my top fears is homelessness so I may give to that around Christmas.
• Another month I may look at child related charities around protection and anti-bullying.
• I'd also like to support suicide prevention charities and those that support MH. 

etc...

Will come back to this theme again I'm sure. Off to pick up DD now.

badmemory

They were saying that near here the foodbanks are short of things for singles especially things that don't need cooking.  Then I start to wonder if they even have a tin opener.  I just can't imagine!  We just assume that people have certain things, but they obviously don't.

Blackcats

Nice thoughts about giving to others.
I always donate to homeless charities at Christmas as you can provide money to buy a Christmas lunch.  I donated a lunch in my mum's memory last year - helped me feel better about her empty chair at the Christmas dinner table.