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Five Year Fix, Five Year Plan
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Good luck with your plants. I love winter flowering beauties and evergreens - so will look up redo's suggestion too.Achieve FIRE/Mortgage Neutrality in 2030
1) MFW Nov 21 £202K now £169.8K Equity 37.1%
2) £1.5K Net savings after CCs 11/2/26 (but owed £1.4K) so £2.9K
3) Mortgage neutral by 06/30 (AVC £34.8K + Lump Sums DB £4.6K + (25% of SIPP 1.3K) = 40.6/£127.5K target 31.8% 16/11/25
(If took bigger lump sum = 62.7K or 49.2%)
4) FI Age 60 income target £17.1/30K 57% (if mortgage and debts repaid - need more otherwise) (If bigger lump sum £15.8/30K 52.67%)
5) SIPP £5.2K updated 16/1/264 -
@redofromstart David Austin had kind of been on my radar, so good to get a positive recommendation for it. I didn't realise that honeysuckles could flower in winter so I will definitely look into that
@KajiKita I also didn't realise that maples could be shrubs, either, I assumed they were massive trees (I really do not know a lot about plants!). My garden's south facing but quite blustery because I'm near the top of a hill.Start mortgage date: August 2022; Start mortgage amount: £240,999; Original mortgage free date: August 2056
Current mortgage amount: £224,460.73
Start student loan 2012: £29,750; current student loan: CLEARED July 2025
Unread owned books Jan 2026: 256
Undone crafts 2026: +14 -
A good thing, a bad thing.
Midmonth round up of pensions shows that I've got more than £60,000 for the first time ever! Obviously this might dip before the end of the month, but it's nice to hit another milestone there even if it's only temporary.
Bad thing is that this is despite my boss, for the second time in a year, underpaying into my pension. Lord knows what they're doing to mess it up, I'm salaried and haven't had any OT for ages so there's nothing TO mess up. Imagine if I was one of the people that never looks at their pension (we've got plenty of them at my place).
A handy google reminder has also popped up telling me that I need to change my internet over, because my deal is running out.
Start mortgage date: August 2022; Start mortgage amount: £240,999; Original mortgage free date: August 2056
Current mortgage amount: £224,460.73
Start student loan 2012: £29,750; current student loan: CLEARED July 2025
Unread owned books Jan 2026: 256
Undone crafts 2026: +15 -
Yaay for the £60K (even if transitory 😉).Boo sucks to the missing contributions! Is it contracted to a company or does your employer manage the pensions themselves?
KKAs at 15.01.26:
- When bought house £315,995 mortgage debt and end date at start = October 2039 - now £222,084
- OPs to mortgage = £12,881 Estd. interest saved = £6,203 to date
c. 16 months reduction in term
Fixed rate 3.85% ends October 2030
Read 14 books of target 52 in 2026 as @ 15th February.
Produce tracker: £39 of £400 in 2026
Watch your thoughts, they become your words.
Watch your words, they become your actions.Watch your actions, they become your reality.4 -
@KajiKitaThey manage it themselves, very small business in the grand scheme of things. The last time I got the extra back in the next pay packet, and it's only been twice in three years, but I don't really like the feeling that I have to watch what's happening!Start mortgage date: August 2022; Start mortgage amount: £240,999; Original mortgage free date: August 2056
Current mortgage amount: £224,460.73
Start student loan 2012: £29,750; current student loan: CLEARED July 2025
Unread owned books Jan 2026: 256
Undone crafts 2026: +15 -
It seems odd that they could get this so wrong …. 🤔Merlin's_Beard said:@KajiKitaThey manage it themselves, very small business in the grand scheme of things. The last time I got the extra back in the next pay packet, and it's only been twice in three years, but I don't really like the feeling that I have to watch what's happening!
Do they not have an easy spread sheet to track all this stuff?KKAs at 15.01.26:
- When bought house £315,995 mortgage debt and end date at start = October 2039 - now £222,084
- OPs to mortgage = £12,881 Estd. interest saved = £6,203 to date
c. 16 months reduction in term
Fixed rate 3.85% ends October 2030
Read 14 books of target 52 in 2026 as @ 15th February.
Produce tracker: £39 of £400 in 2026
Watch your thoughts, they become your words.
Watch your words, they become your actions.Watch your actions, they become your reality.4 -
I have no idea what crazed system they have - a lot of other staff have a lot more complex things going on (regular OT, paid by the hour, part time but with kids so constantly losing/gaining hours etc)KajiKita said:
It seems odd that they could get this so wrong …. 🤔Merlin's_Beard said:@KajiKitaThey manage it themselves, very small business in the grand scheme of things. The last time I got the extra back in the next pay packet, and it's only been twice in three years, but I don't really like the feeling that I have to watch what's happening!
Do they not have an easy spread sheet to track all this stuff?KKStart mortgage date: August 2022; Start mortgage amount: £240,999; Original mortgage free date: August 2056
Current mortgage amount: £224,460.73
Start student loan 2012: £29,750; current student loan: CLEARED July 2025
Unread owned books Jan 2026: 256
Undone crafts 2026: +15 -
That sounds really poor - and you are missing out on pension growth time too. Hope they get it sorted quickly and I'd definitely ask what they are putting in place to stop it keep happening.
Enjoy your garden.Achieve FIRE/Mortgage Neutrality in 2030
1) MFW Nov 21 £202K now £169.8K Equity 37.1%
2) £1.5K Net savings after CCs 11/2/26 (but owed £1.4K) so £2.9K
3) Mortgage neutral by 06/30 (AVC £34.8K + Lump Sums DB £4.6K + (25% of SIPP 1.3K) = 40.6/£127.5K target 31.8% 16/11/25
(If took bigger lump sum = 62.7K or 49.2%)
4) FI Age 60 income target £17.1/30K 57% (if mortgage and debts repaid - need more otherwise) (If bigger lump sum £15.8/30K 52.67%)
5) SIPP £5.2K updated 16/1/262 -
J Parker's have free P&P for the weekend - if you are willing to give bare root stuff a go. I spotted a few nice roses at £3.50 and some perennials (bare root and small plants) that might be tempting.My mortgage free diary: +++ Divide by Cucumber Error. Please reinstall universe and reboot+++
GNU Mr Redo3 -
I'll definitely have a look at these, thanks!redofromstart said:J Parker's have free P&P for the weekend - if you are willing to give bare root stuff a go. I spotted a few nice roses at £3.50 and some perennials (bare root and small plants) that might be tempting.Start mortgage date: August 2022; Start mortgage amount: £240,999; Original mortgage free date: August 2056
Current mortgage amount: £224,460.73
Start student loan 2012: £29,750; current student loan: CLEARED July 2025
Unread owned books Jan 2026: 256
Undone crafts 2026: +13
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