Five Year Fix, Five Year Plan

Merlin's_Beard

(This is the time of year when the job regret really sinks in, as everyone wishes you a nice break, and you know you finish work at 6pm Christmas Eve and you're back at 8.30am Monday! At least I don't work bank holidays any more.)

rtandon27

Thanks so much for sharing that tax form - I've just popped on to have a look at it and looks like there are things on there I can claim back for - fabulous, as I currently owe about 800 to them and I'd like to keep some of that!

This year I'm working Mon & Tues and have to have my phone on and charged from the 24th to the 4th 'just in case'.  Most of my co-workers are already on leave (3 wks) or started today (2 wks). If I do end up getting the call and having to go back in, then the taxman takes 40% of it - grrrr

Merlin's_Beard

Oh amazing! I'm glad it's going to help!

Merlin's_Beard

In less wonderful news, I've managed to send my dad's christmas present to my old job, that is 150 miles away, and that I haven't worked at for five years.
 
Tracking says it's on its way back to the seller, who will refund me when it gets there. Replacement ordered and will arrive on Monday, however, I am a muppet. It has prompted me to go through my addresses on 3tsy and shed all the old ones though!

Planning a weekend of not very much at all - out twice during the week and that is very much my max.

Merlin's_Beard

Home, and it's finally Christmas!

My dad's present (new version) arrived, and it's home and it's wrapped. Had to run into the supermarket next to work today to buy a card for mum and dad, just about to write that.

Last day of work dragged - not enough work to keep us busy, too much work to just prop the door to reception open and all sit with a cuppa!

Managed to be quiet enough towards the end that I could run out and buy st@rbucks for those of us left until the grim and bitter end, in the hope of making it a little bit less grim and slightly less bitter.

The other thing that's arrived is the replacement external hard drive after I returned one. I was feeling a bit guilty because i was half convinced that it was me being an idiot that couldn't get the old one to work, but this one has plugged in and just worked, so I guess not! Backed up photos from my holiday this year and some ebooks.

KajiKita

Well done for persisting to the very end - I’m sure those that did come in were very grateful to you! 

Are you free now for a bit or are you on call? Hope you have a lovely Christmas whatever! 😊

KK

Merlin's_Beard

Last day off today before I'm back at work tomorrow! (so... my normal weekend off 😂)

I feel exhausted if I'm honest. I always forget how draining Christmas is even when it's just immediate family and I, to be honest, can't do much in the way of helping before the main day (because I'm at work).

There's always a lot of tension and waiting for an argument to break out. Thankfully we didn't have anything too bad, but the waiting and expectation that something might is always sitting over the day and it's so incredibly wearing, even if it's just the steady chip chip chip of criticism aimed at (mainly) other people.

Merlin's_Beard

I've paid for my t3sco delivery so I think I've done all the big spending for this year. Time for a review of the last 12 months.

Financial first:

✅ Finished the kitchen - all cupboards up, all how I want it, except for maybe painting a wall at some point (non urgent, low priority)
✅ Boarded the loft, have more storage space, love it.
✅ Paid off my student loan! This is a huge one
✅ With the mortgage, that's £10,000 worth of debt paid off this year
✅Pension has increased nearly £26,000
✅ Actual cash savings has only increased £6,500 but that's fine because it should only be cash if it needs to be cash
✅Emergency fund continues to creep upwards, sitting at £13,950 - ideally I want to keep checking this against 6 months of normal spending, but it would cover my normal bills and tight spending so I'm not too crazy about focusing on it
✅ New car fund sitting at £9400
🟰 dropped hours

(Total net worth increase over 2025: £43,000)

Also deciding to switch from OPing the mortgage to saving for the new car has made me feel a lot better about how achievable that is by just adding an extra £250 to that fund every month, even if it deviates from the long term plan a bit (hopefully just for half a year, maybe? then back on it. Also I can get savings higher than my mortgage anyway so it's not a priority right now)

I'm putting the dropped hours as a not-positive, because, while overall it has been good for me I hate that it was necessary for me because my job keeps asking me to do two people's jobs for the price of one. I hate that I don't have an extra £350 a month to put towards anything, because it would be helpful. And in the circumstances it is the best choice for me, but I do hate the circumstances that mean I can't work full time and just, look after myself.

Merlin's_Beard

Not financial:

❌ Mental health has definitely been a struggle this year, and I'm still a bit all over the place
✅Counselling helps (but also sometimes it has to get worse to get better) - this is a good investment in me
✅ Nearly every year I say I want to do more social things and this year I have - joined a board game group near me, got a book club out of it as well
✅ Also did a few more things non work related with work people who could be friends?
❌ Books bought vs books read - I haven't counted these but I can tell you it's not good
✅ Did a little bit of writing as well - entered a flash fiction competition. I won't do very well (a lot of entries a lot of good ones too) but I will get feedback and it's nice to both be creative and have a chance to improve as well
🟰 dipping my toe into the dating pool again after *coffcoff* years, as yet to be decided whether that's a good thing!
✅ Went away with friends in October, had a great time! And via an online group have built some connections as well that are feeling like real friendships now.

So a positive year in objective achievements, even if it doesn't feel like it right now.

rtandon27

@Merlin's_Beard - that's a lovely well balanced round up for the year!  I think that dropping hours will have an overall positive boost for you, the extra hours/cash are not always conducive to a balance life so while that may seem like a negative, it too may have a positive effect on your work/life balance!  Well done on a great year!