We’d like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum.
This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are – or become – political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
Prosperous soul, mortgage neutrality & creativity Year 2
Comments
-
18 people in one house does sound a bit oppressive and overwhelming to me too. Could you do some research and look for a local cafe or garden centre to escape to early if you really need a break?Sending supportive vibes for this.It does sound like all your efforts are catching up with you, but it’s not surprising considering how hard you worked to stage the house, for so long. You are allowed to feel a bit flat 😉
FWIW, I had a beautiful garden (brought loads of wildlife in, something in flower most of the year) at our last house that I never sat out in due to being overlooked and noisy neighbours (drunken barbecues) and that made me feel quite trapped. The garden just became a chore.Since moving we are barely overlooked and the difference is huge for me. If you are sensitive to this, some people are, some aren’t, then it matters and it will always matter.If you don’t get chance to move this year, definitely look at options for privacy screening - it will make a huge difference to your sense of ‘psychic-safety’ (sorry, this is a very woo-woo description but I don’t know how else to describe it) and therefore your ability to relax and enjoy your space.KKAs at 15.10.25:
- When bought house £315,995 mortgage debt and end date at start = October 2039 - now £229,702
- OPs to mortgage = £12,345 Estd. interest saved = £5,863 to date
Fixed rate 3.85% ends October 2030
Read 60 books of target 52 in 2025, as @ 30th October
Produce tracker: £426 of £300 in 2025
Watch your thoughts, they become your words.
Watch your words, they become your actions.Watch your actions, they become your reality.6 -
You could look at acoustic fencing, expensive but aids noise reduction. Hope the gathering of the clans goes better than expected.LTotal Debt Dec 07 £59875.83 Overdrafts £2900,New Debt Figure ZERO !!!!!!:j 08/06/2013
Lucielle's Daring Debt Free Journey
DFD Before we Die!!!! Long Haul Supporter #1244 -
Hope your day goes well🙏Mortgage OP 2025 £7500/7000Mortgage OP 2024 £7700/7000
Mortgage balance: £34,465
Money making challenge £78/400
”Do what others won’t early in life so you can do what others can’t later in life” (stolen from Gally Girl)4 -
It sounds like you are swapping safety nets tbh, like you want to move but you can only do it if you have the comfort of what you already know.
It might be an idea to go back to the area(s) you like but look at different types of houses. As an experiment, look at the cheapest/smallest etc.5 -
Hope today goes well x4
-
good luck with everything. you are allowed to have a few off days where surviving is the goal and also an achievementI think I saw you in an ice cream parlour
Drinking milk shakes, cold and long
Smiling and waving and looking so fine3 -
I'm just catching up, lots going on!
I hope today's event goes as well as it can and hope work calms down for you a bit soon.
Good luck with the new meds, hope they make a difference."Good financial planning is about not spending money on things that add no value to your life in order to have more money for the things that do". Eoin McGee2 -
Thanks KK - I went with BIL to a shop and while he refuelled - that gave me a much needed break and went for a brief walk with one sister.KajiKita said:18 people in one house does sound a bit oppressive and overwhelming to me too. ...It does sound like all your efforts are catching up with you, but it’s not surprising considering how hard you worked to stage the house, for so long. You are allowed to feel a bit flat 😉
FWIW, I had a beautiful garden (brought loads of wildlife in, something in flower most of the year) at our last house that I never sat out in due to being overlooked and noisy neighbours (drunken barbecues) and that made me feel quite trapped. The garden just became a chore.Since moving we are barely overlooked and the difference is huge for me. If you are sensitive to this, some people are, some aren’t, then it matters and it will always matter.If you don’t get chance to move this year, definitely look at options for privacy screening - it will make a huge difference to your sense of ‘psychic-safety’ (sorry, this is a very woo-woo description but I don’t know how else to describe it) and therefore your ability to relax and enjoy your space.KK
I think it's a combination of work being super busy over the summer when it's normally quiet, the house, and changes with DD too.
Thanks for sharing about the garden. I am sensitive to this... so yeah it needs to be a priority.
If I stay I need to invest in some see through blinds - so I can see out but its harder for others to see in. I might look out for some tall screening evergreens too. It feel reassuring that someone else 'gets' it.
Achieve FIRE/Mortgage Neutrality in 2030
1) MFW Nov 21 £202K now £171.8K Equity 36.37%
2) £2.6K Net savings after CCs 10/10/25
3) Mortgage neutral by 06/30 (AVC £27.9K + Lump Sums DB £4.6K + (25% of SIPP 1.25K) = 34/£127.5K target 26.6% 10/10/25
(If took bigger lump sum = 60.35K or 47.6%)
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 £5K updated 10/10/257 -
Thanks I might consider that if I move - but this person shouts from her upstairs windows so that wouldn't help with her!!lucielle said:You could look at acoustic fencing, expensive but aids noise reduction. Hope the gathering of the clans goes better than expected.L
It went reasonably well but I way out of the house about 12 hours - for less than 6 hours there so a lot of driving, traffic and stress too.skint_spice said:Hope your day goes well🙏
Thanks WD. I have considered smaller houses but they tend to be closer together and therefore noisier so unlikely to help. I am considering going for a cottage holiday again in a couple of months to remind myself that I don't need all the space I currently have.WelshmansDaughter said:It sounds like you are swapping safety nets tbh, like you want to move but you can only do it if you have the comfort of what you already know.
It might be an idea to go back to the area(s) you like but look at different types of houses. As an experiment, look at the cheapest/smallest etc.
Thanks Dancing. 5 people didn't turn up so that made it a lot easier!DancingInTheRain said:Hope today goes well xAchieve FIRE/Mortgage Neutrality in 2030
1) MFW Nov 21 £202K now £171.8K Equity 36.37%
2) £2.6K Net savings after CCs 10/10/25
3) Mortgage neutral by 06/30 (AVC £27.9K + Lump Sums DB £4.6K + (25% of SIPP 1.25K) = 34/£127.5K target 26.6% 10/10/25
(If took bigger lump sum = 60.35K or 47.6%)
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 £5K updated 10/10/256 -
Thanks Mark. It's one of those things - you have to do the family stuff as part of having a support network but that doesn't make it easy for someone like me. I'll hopefully rest up tomorrow.mark55man said:good luck with everything. you are allowed to have a few off days where surviving is the goal and also an achievementjwil said:I'm just catching up, lots going on!
I hope today's event goes as well as it can and hope work calms down for you a bit soon.
Good luck with the new meds, hope they make a difference.
Thanks Jwil. It mostly went well - aided by a third of the people not attending
The BF coped brilliantly. The worst bit was fighting my way across a city 4 miles to drop DS at an unfamiliar train station. It was horrific in terms of gridlocked traffic and I don't plan to ever return there!!!
DS has agreed to come and see me in September after his mini trip abroad.
Achieve FIRE/Mortgage Neutrality in 2030
1) MFW Nov 21 £202K now £171.8K Equity 36.37%
2) £2.6K Net savings after CCs 10/10/25
3) Mortgage neutral by 06/30 (AVC £27.9K + Lump Sums DB £4.6K + (25% of SIPP 1.25K) = 34/£127.5K target 26.6% 10/10/25
(If took bigger lump sum = 60.35K or 47.6%)
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 £5K updated 10/10/255
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply
Categories
- All Categories
- 352.2K Banking & Borrowing
- 253.6K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 454.3K Spending & Discounts
- 245.3K Work, Benefits & Business
- 601K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 177.5K Life & Family
- 259.1K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.7K Read-Only Boards




