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Prosperous & Creative Soul & MFW Year 3
Comments
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Sorry to hear about your relative. Hope your appointments go well today."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
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Thanks Jwil, EH and CatClaires
Well after being MIA for 2-3 months - the handyman showed up today for a chat and ended up taking me most of the way to my optician appointment so I only had to get the bus back. He commented on how much better I and the house looked so that was a morale boost. He's landed a part time job and had personal issues which is why he was unavailable. He's dropped off the banister spindles but says he'll come one weekend if necessary to fit them and any blind I order but I need to get someone else for the rest. It frees me up to look for someone cheaper. It's also good to know there is a direct bus into town that goes past the local hospital from very close to where I live - good future proofing.
Today's optician appointment went better than last week's so hopefully not a serious issue. He has written to my GP though so I need to follow up on that once the blood test results are likely to be back. I also need to try and do a BP reading. I have the kit. It's just remembering. He wants to review me again in 6 months. They'll send me a reminder.
I caught up with my counsellor - and have booked another session for next week. It was cathartic re yesterday's news and we spent some time celebrating recent personal growth / stepping out of comfort zone etc so that was good. I've booked another session for next week. May have to bump my counselling budget back up again for a while and have more frequent sessions. That will reduce £ available for CC repayment but so be it. Mental health is my highest priority as everything else flows from that for me.
I get paid on Monday - which may mean the £ is showing in my account from midnight tomorrow.
I've ordered some more fidget rings too. I find them really helpful. Hope you are all good where you are. I appreciate the support as ever. Jwil I know that you are going through similar job uncertainty - I'm sorry about that - but it's also nice not to feel alone.Achieve FIRE/Mortgage Neutrality in 2030
1) MFW Nov 21 £202K now £174.8K Equity 32.77%
2) £1.6K Net savings after CCs 14/8/25
3) Mortgage neutral by 06/30 (AVC £25.3K + Lump Sums DB £4.6K + (25% of SIPP 1.2K) = 31.1/£127.5K target 24.4% 15/8/25
4) FI Age 60 income target £16.5/30K 55.1%
5) SIPP £4.8K updated 29/7/256 -
Sorry to hear your double bad news 😢
now your ‘man’ has said he can’t do things going forward have you asked him if he recommends anyone ? Round here all the trades know one anotherSealed pot challenge 822
Jan - £176.66 :j4 -
I’m glad you have clarity on the handyman. Good to know where you are at on that.Good news on the opticians, the bus route and the progress that the counsellor sees 😊
Taking care of you has to be the first step - you can’t give (or do) from an empty cup ….
KKAs at 15.07.25:
- When bought house £315,995 mortgage debt and end date at start = October 2039 - now £233,521
- OPs to mortgage = £11,816 Interest saved £5,28 to date
Fixed rate 3.85% ends January 2030
Read 41 books of target 52 in 2025, as @ 9th August
Produce tracker: £276 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.5 -
Thanks KK and Dawn
I offered to go up to see them but they said no - someone else is due this weekend. So hopefully I'll explore some more NT properties or similar this weekend.
My cashback plan paid out - so sent some more £ to CC. Chipping away. Pr1me is due this coming pay period... One of my RSs matures next week - it has only a tiny amount in it - but I'll bung it towards the CC. Another couple mature around Sept/Oct I think... otherwise it may be closer to my move date anniversary.
I have a meeting at 10 so better get a shufty on!Achieve FIRE/Mortgage Neutrality in 2030
1) MFW Nov 21 £202K now £174.8K Equity 32.77%
2) £1.6K Net savings after CCs 14/8/25
3) Mortgage neutral by 06/30 (AVC £25.3K + Lump Sums DB £4.6K + (25% of SIPP 1.2K) = 31.1/£127.5K target 24.4% 15/8/25
4) FI Age 60 income target £16.5/30K 55.1%
5) SIPP £4.8K updated 29/7/255 -
Sounds like you have managed to respond well to the 2 difficult situations. Increasing time with your counsellor is a very sound investment.4
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Sorry to hear about your double bad news but well done for prioritising your mental health x4
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Good idea to up the counsellor budget for now.
Hope you manage to have a relaxing weekend."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 McGee1 -
Thanks Blackcats, Jwil and Orangetoes.
Done my best to get out and about. Saw DD and her partner for lunch today which was good. Photos from a few places beliw. Not sure what the bird is?
Achieve FIRE/Mortgage Neutrality in 2030
1) MFW Nov 21 £202K now £174.8K Equity 32.77%
2) £1.6K Net savings after CCs 14/8/25
3) Mortgage neutral by 06/30 (AVC £25.3K + Lump Sums DB £4.6K + (25% of SIPP 1.2K) = 31.1/£127.5K target 24.4% 15/8/25
4) FI Age 60 income target £16.5/30K 55.1%
5) SIPP £4.8K updated 29/7/255 -
I drove out on a mystery tour yesterday and found a new large BnM a distance away. I bought 4 pre-assembled wooden planters yesterday and painted them today. They had been pre-stained so my stain struggled to take but I'll give it another go tomorrows as I'd like them to last. My plan is to then plant them up with some of my current potted plants. I'm likely to need to buy more soil too - but taking things a step at a time. That will be a lot easier than digging - but the planters have gaps in the slats so the plants will be able to force their way down anyway. I managed to get some beautiful pinky-purple dahlias for about £4.50 each and a Giardia - orange and yellow flowering plant for a similar price. Just hope they survive the slugs!
My garden is looking pretty at the moment. Some red flowering mollis type plant in particular is stealing the show in a couple of blue painted wooden planters. I also have blue and white aquilegia in flower, lavender, busy lizzie, petunia, white hydrangea, red hydrangea, etc - plus in the front my wildflower garden is finally looking deliberate rather than just a mess with poppies, cornflowers etc. There are also ferns which add some structure.
The handyman said he'd do the blind - and possibly the banister spindles but I need to find someone else for the rest - which is good in a way as hopefully I'll find someone cheaper. I just didn't want to offend him.
I've got another blood test booked for tomorrow as one of my results was off - just hope that one's better. Good they got the results so fast though as they asked me to retest within less than 24 hours or the original test.
I've also done a couple of loads of washing and packed and unpacked the dishwasher a few times over the weekend. I've set myself the task of learning Italian and seem to be making good progress. I'm almost at 250 words already - in around a week so very happy with that.
I get paid tomorrow so will do a £ shuffle. It's showing in my account already.... £450 will have gone to AVCs.Achieve FIRE/Mortgage Neutrality in 2030
1) MFW Nov 21 £202K now £174.8K Equity 32.77%
2) £1.6K Net savings after CCs 14/8/25
3) Mortgage neutral by 06/30 (AVC £25.3K + Lump Sums DB £4.6K + (25% of SIPP 1.2K) = 31.1/£127.5K target 24.4% 15/8/25
4) FI Age 60 income target £16.5/30K 55.1%
5) SIPP £4.8K updated 29/7/256
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