The Mental Debt Struggle...

Keedie

THE SUNDAY SUMMARY
(Week 46 ~ 16 November 2025)

All savings goals are the targets for entering 2026, so with a deadline of 31 December 2025, the 1/5 increments are:

Bronze = 20% of goal
Silver = 40% of goal
Gold = 60% of goal
Platinum = 80% of goal
Diamond = 100% of goal

The Main Attraction (snowballed major savings)

Attracting Abundance (£1,000 Goal)
Silver Target = £400 (40%)
Progress Checker = £0/£400 (0% saved)
This is an income buffer should my agency contract not be renewed beyond mid-December 2025, or I have a dip in income as I try to find another job role. If my pay predictions are correct, then I should be able to add around £250-£300 at the end of the month.

Bookkeeping Business (£3,000 Goal)
Bronze Target = £600 (20%)
Progress Checker = £125/£600 (20.83% saved) || £0/£600 (0% repaid)
Nothing has changed since last week, but when I have the first £600 saved, that will go as a lump sum payment to my mum for lending me the money for the course. And I'm looking forward to the Bookkeeping Summit this week 🤗.

Financial Freedom ~ Month 2 (£5,000 Goal)
Gold Target = £3,000 (60%)
Progress Checker = £2,931/£3,000 (97.70% saved)
This is my One Month Emergency Fund to cover all monthly expenses, based upon a projected future monthly budget (to take into account increase in bills, food etc). This amount is split across my Natwest Digital Saver (£1,231) and my Help to Save account (£1,700). 

Standing on Business (essential sinking funds)

KeeMari (£500 Goal) 
Bronze Target = £100 (20%)
Progress Checker = £15/£100 (15% saved)
This fund is for anything me, my son or our home needs. This ranges from prescriptions, home furnishings, self care, hair care etc. I intend to get this to target once I have completed a few savings challenges and I can reallocate that money.

The Gift (£500 Goal) 
Bronze Target = £100 (20%)
Progress Checker = £70/£100 (70% saved)
This covers Christmas, Birthdays, Eid, Mothers Day and any other event requiring a gift/contribution like weddings, funerals, Christenings or one off charity events. 

Cruise Control (£1,000 Goal) 
Bronze Target = £200 (20%)
Progress Checker = £70/£200 (35% saved)
This covers MOT & service, car maintenance and car tax. I'll be changing my car next year, as I can't handle manual anymore, so I'm unsure when things like MOT and Service will be due. But I'll need to build this up ASAP.

Globetrotter (£1,000 Goal) 
Bronze Target = £200 (20%)
Progress Checker = £81/£200 (40.50% saved)
This has gone down from last week as I paid the £60 deposit for a girl's holiday at the end of April 2026 for my sister's birthday. We're going to the Algarve and I have to cash stuff the remaining balance (£415) to be paid by 1 April 2026.

Side Quests (ad hoc funds)

These are non-essential but realistically take the sting out of life by being prepared for lifestyle requirements, whilst acknowledging that once they are fully funded they will sit in the background until needed.

Bufferoo (£500 Goal) 
Gold Target = £300 (60%)
Progress Checker = £250/£300 (83.33% saved)
No progress this week on my homemade overdraft/miscellaneous fund, as the balance has stayed the same. 

Carpe Diem/The Keedie Fund (£150 Goal) 
Bronze Target = £30 (20%)
Progress Checker = £25/£30 (83.33% saved) 
I had this at Gold level last week, but I've spent since then, mainly on a bit of faff, so it's dwindled down to £25 from £90 (Gold Level). But at least this proves that The Bipolar Buffer is effective, as I've used this money and nothing else, and seeing it going down from dipping into it, helped to curb my hypomanic spending. So now, my target is to get back to Bronze level and build from there.

5 Week Thrive (£100 Goal) ⛔️ ON HOLD ⛔️
Bronze Target = £20 (20%)
Progress Checker = £0/£20 (0% saved)
This is to fund a 5 week month, as my spending is £100 a week for a 4 week month and £80 a week for a 5 week month. If I am able to have a consistent budget via a 5 week fund, then that would help. But this is not essential and I am still pondering if I will do this.

The Big Shop (£150 Goal)
Silver Target = £60 (40%)
Progress Checker = £95/£60 (158.33% saved)
This is funded will cover bulk shops for things like toiletries, cleaning supplies and household staples like rice, tinned food, a large freezer restock etc. I add £5 or £10 a week depending on what happens with the savings challenge. I have kept the target at Silver, so that I can see what is left after my big shop, and then aim to get it back to Silver level by the end of the year. 

Munch Munch (£100 Goal) 
Bronze Target = £20 (20%)
Progress Checker = £0/£20 (0% saved)
Well with all the emotional uncertainty this week with my Dad's birthday, his lack of headstone and stress at work, I just ate my feelings! We relied on take away because I just couldn't be bothered to cook and so this has all gone awry and I need to start again 😬.

Bills Parachute (£500 Goal) 
Gold Target = £300 (60%)
Progress Checker = £30/£300 (10% saved)
No change here from last week. I have completed the 50 Envelope Challenge now, and so I will put some money towards this goal once I have sorted the Standing on Business sinking funds. As I'd like to pay my Parent Care contribution (towards financial management of my parent's affairs like probate etc), that me and my siblings save for on a monthly basis.

The AWE List (£250 Goal) 
Platinum Target = £200 (80%)
Progress Checker = £190/£200 (95% saved)
This is for Adaptations, Wellbeing & Equipment that makes managing my chronic conditions more manageable and gives me a better quality of life. I brought some stuff this week so it's gone down by £60. So I've dropped from Diamond to Platinum target. I got the Dialetical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) workbook as I start group DBT Therapy on Tuesday via Teams. And I will work better with actual worksheets than online. And I got the squeegee and a stuck on holder that allows the squeegee to be stored/clipped to the wall out of the way.

Christmas Cheer 2026 (£250 Goal) ⛔️ ON HOLD ⛔️
Bronze Target = £50 (20%)
Progress Checker = £0/£50 (0% saved)
This is for the Christmas food shop/Christmas dinner, social activities/hosting and a small self gift as my son's present is covered under The Gift.

Birthday Bonanza 2026 (£300 Goal) ⛔️ ON HOLD ⛔️
Bronze Target = £60 (20%)
Progress Checker = £0/£60 (0% saved)
This is for me and my son's birthdays including our birthday meals, presents and social activities.

liselle

Apologies Keedie, I hadn’t read your diary properly and otherwise I wouldn’t have commented re bipolar - as if you didn’t know!! So sorry.
Wow, that’s a very impressive S.o.A.What a great system! Very best wishes for your goals.

Keedie

Oh @liselle don’t apologise, I was agreeing with you 🤣! We can be annoying to ourselves and others. I was simply explaining how I get when I interrupt people and why. Just in case it helped you understand your friend. I’m not remotely offended so please don’t worry. I think it’s always better if people speak their mind. And if you ever have any questions, just ask me, I’m quite an open book (much to the annoyance of my family, especially my son who can cringe at my over sharing 😬🤣). 

liselle

Oh yes that was very helpful Keedie.I must say I hadn’t realised that you can even annoy yourself.The person I mentioned did say to stop her talking, so we’ve got a code word now, which does work.

AntoMac

It was really interesting to hear a bipolar gent open up at my mental health support group @Keedie
So much of what he said sounds just like things that you mention, even the odd uncontrollable spending spree. Absolutely fascinating and it’s nice to understand more about it from someone so willing to share. 

I’m not saying I have the answer, nor am I an expert of course, but you do seem to have quite a large number of different goals that you’re chasing. Might it be less daunting to combine a few? Just a thought. 

Keedie

Sorry I've been AWOL. The ICB Bookkeepers Summit has been really good, but utterly draining as it's long days of soaking in lots of information. Really glad I did it though. It's given me more confidence that I can eventually run a successful bookkeeping practice. And most importantly, I'm motivated to actually get the studying done so that I can get to that stage.

Attending all of the talks and sessions at the Summit, both in-person and the 2 day virtual has made me really think about my future. I've got a good few years of studying ahead of me. I'm hoping to qualify with the Level 3 course in 2027 so that I can get my practice licence. But in the meantime, I'm going to wind down my HR freelancing for good. I genuinely don't like it, and I need to use that energy to study and find a part time job so that I have the financial stability to keep afloat until I can start working for myself again and turn a profit. I want to go into 2026 free from all of that, so I need to give notice to my remaining client.

I'm glad my perspective was helpful to you @liselle and it's so good that the guy at your mental health support group feels comfortable enough to open up @AntoMac. I find that going to my support group really does help me a lot. It anchors me in a way that I can't really explain. It's so nice to have like-minded people that I don't have to mask when I'm around them.

I won't lie, I did think of reducing my savings categories AntoMac, but they're already streamlined from what I had before. The main things are the 4 essential sinking funds, the KeeMari Fund for me and my son, the gifts pot, the car pot and the travel pot. The others are nice to haves, and help me to categorise spending and the big goal ticks along in the background. I did however consider why I need to have the goals at higher levels going into 2026 considering I'm not all that prepared for Christmas. So I've reduced some savings targets and increased others. 

I managed to add another £25 to my Bookkeeping Fund, so that I can repay my mum. So that's nice 🤗.

Sun_Addict

Oh those kittens 😻 Great idea to have a vet pot, that’s what I have. My dog is insured but not the 2 cats. Having said that I’ve never been able to claim for anything on the dog insurance, not even the £2,500 ear surgery she had earlier this year. 

I’ve said it before but I love the creative names you give your pots. I particularly love that you’ve got a Keedie fund 🙂

Keedie

£2,500?!?! on surgery @Sun_Addict. Oh my word. That is a lot of money. I'll definitely start a vet fund, I'll move it into the Standing on Business category, as it'll be an essential weekly sinking fund. I 'm flattered that you like the random names that I give my savings pots. They do give me a little giggle, and make dealing with budgeting and money more interesting for me.

I went to hang out with the kittens this evening and that was really nice. I should be getting the kitten on 1 January or thereabouts. I'm rather excited.

Things are a bit up in the air at the moment, financially and lifestyle wise. So I don't have a Sunday Summary to report, as things have kind of imploded and I need to sit down and really strategically think about my next move. I should have an end of month summary next weekend, plus new trimmed down goals to take into account my change in circumstances. And I can't really think straight. As I've been a bit blindsided by some stuff. So it's all a bit stressful right now. But I'll regroup and figure it out, as I always do...

Baileys_Babe

Sorry to hear things are stressful at present but it does explain why you are posting in the early hours of the morning and not sound asleep.

Sending you gentle hugs 🤗 🤗 🤗 

beanielou

Sorry to hear that things are stressful. How lovely to have a kitten to look forward to.