Moving on

Cherryfudge

Welcome to my new thread: my old one is here: Cherry takes the reins — MoneySavingExpert Forum and my very old one is here: Coffee and chocolate — MoneySavingExpert Forum

Quite a lot changed in 2023, and now it's time to move on. I left the job and career path I'd followed for many years and don't feel I can or should go back to those pressures. At the same time I'm still grieving for it. I'd expected to retire from that in a few years' time, then go back to do relief hours. Instead, I now have a relief contract in something else, which at the moment is my only income.

During the last year, I've also discovered it's very likely I'm autistic with ADHD. That's quite a relief to know as it makes sense of a lot of my experience and gives me warning of areas I'm likely to find difficult. It's a big adjustment, though, including the awareness that I would be likely to find certain work and social situations pressured and am therefore choosing not to immerse myself in them,

DH works part time, a not-dissimilar story to mine really. He was too stressed to continue the job he'd done most of his adult life, and is enjoying what he does now, where the hours are shorter and the pressures less.

I inherited money a few years ago and was hoping to leave it untouched for my retirement, but I've used a little to replace my laptop recently, and help towards Christmas. The plan for this year is to take a six month course in digital skills to give me more choice of work and skills I can use outside of work too. I also intend to take an introductory course in proofreading, as it's something I've considered on and off for ages and if I don't test the waters, I won't know if I can do it.

The idea behind this new diary is to trace the progress I make in general and for me to track finances and minimise outgoings, at least till I'm earning properly again.

weenancyinAmerica

Happy New Year Cherryfudge. Looking forward to your new diary.

Sun_Addict

Happy new year and happy new diary 🙂

zedonk

Happy new year! I'm also autistic, most likely with ADHD too, and I can very much relate to the struggle with some work and social situations. Best of luck in your new ventures. 

in_need_of_direction

A new diary, how nice.  Maybe it’ll help draw a line more conclusively under last year.  Onwards and upwards.

Floss

Happy new year & shiny new diary, looking forward to reading your progress.

Charlotte_88_24

Happy new year, looking forward to hearing your journey 😊

24ta

Happy New Year and happy new diary

Cherryfudge

@CRANKY40, @in_need_of_direction, @Getridofdebt66, @weenancyinAmerica, @Sun_Addict, @zedonk, @Floss, @Charlotte_88_24 and @24ta, welcome and thank you so much for calling in! We stayed up to see the New Year in last night and I started this diary, wanting to get the year off to a fresh start right at the beginning - I consequently woke up late this morning and am a bit tired now!

However, this morning I finished the 'junk drawer' box for DS2 and his girlfriend (I think it's about time for something less long-winded, so they are D and E), and it actually dried in time to be assembled and taken to theirs after lunch. The new house is less than 35 miles away but somehow takes 50 minutes by car. We spent the afternoon with them, exploring the new house and having a walkaround their new locality. Apart from the stadium near their house, everywhere is quite quiet, and our only purchase has been fuel for the car.

I've done some laundry to celebrate a clear sky (apologies to those who don't do NY laundry), but got it in when we got home, which is just as well as it's tipping down now.

Dinner was toad in the hole, so that's one fewer packs of sausages in the freezer and a couple of eggs less to use up. I also made mincemeat cake (as buns) which won't help my NY weight loss resolutions but brings us down to a jar and a half of mincemeat at the top of the cupboard. I know it keeps virtually forever, so I'm not too worried. In fact I was tempted when I saw L1dl had large jars down to £2, though I've restrained myself so far.

This evening we've watched NY Bakeoff, and that's about it. I have a rough sketch of some NY's resolutions, but they aren't formulated yet. Needs to be reduced to about 20. I'm sticking with Fashion on the Ration and Shop Charity Store in 2024 on here, and the slower life thread is a newbie where I can see plenty of people expressing pretty well what I've found in the past year: a life less pressured and more 'me' - though some more income would be nice!

Expenditure:
Diesel £44.69

Honeysucklelou2

Happy New Year Cherry! 

The proofreading course sounds interesting. Is it computer based or paper? 

Cherryfudge

And happy new year to you too, @Honeysucklelou2!

The course is online, but it's virtual learning so I have to be available at the the right time - which is now available to book but finishes as I'm due to start an interview for a relief cleaner post! So now I've to see if I can move my interview... nothing's simple, is it?!

We have another rainy day here today and I've made a bit of progress with tasks while DH is out with various errands. We caught a mouse in the humane trap last night so he's taken it out to a field and I'll reset the trap as I'm sure it will have a friend somewhere.