+++ Whoops! Here comes the cheese! +++

redofromstart

My original < < < out of cheese error > > > diary started in 2017 and records our journey to be debt free, mortgage neutral and then last year (hurrah!) mortgage free.  This new diary is to record our current focus on my efforts to retire early.

Lots of cooking, some gardening, many cats and the occasional Pratchett quote.  Far too many jumpers.

Seasidegal58

Ha!  First to arrive!  Have subscribed!
one can never have too many cats or jumpers - and fingerless cashmere gloves!😉

redofromstart

Plans - income:

Currently this is Mr Redos pensions, and a pleasing amount of interest each month.  

Our income target is the magic Enough - by which I mean enough to pay for the things that are important to us, without having to scrabble for every penny, rather than think tank suggested magic level of income needed for retirement or a pension pot based on age and income.  More than Enough needs re-investing in the building works or in my pension pot.

I have just finished a long term, full time contract and am choosing to have a break.  This may change overnight if something interesting comes up though.  

Spending currently outstrips income slightly, but that is ok as we have saved to allow me to be off at the moment and there is a specific pot for this.  Very conscious that waste and over spending erodes our savings, and I find taking money out of any of the pots mildly distressing.  Savings are for polishing and admiring, not using.  We do need to invest in building materials, and rescuing the garden from neglect is also important to me.

Greying_Pilgrim

redofromstart said:

................. and I find taking money out of any of the pots mildly distressing.  Savings are for polishing and admiring, not using........

Redo - how lovely - you've started another diary!

Can I send LG your way?  They think that their savings are for polishing, admiring and count, count, counting.... whereas mumma's purse is...... fair game 🤣🤣

Good luck in your endeavours to find the enough sweet spot!

Greying X

KajiKita

I’m here and happy new diary! 🎉🤩❤️😊👏

KK

redofromstart

Thank you for joining me @Seasidegal58, @Greying_Pilgrim and @KajiKita

GP, it does pay off.  My third year degree eldest has hardly touched his student maintenance loans, because he has lived at home, but the advice is if borrowing the fees, take the loans. His computer is tired and old but he says it still works so why replace it regardless of who is paying. Mind you he is the one who did the cooking GCSE (as the least objectionable 'art' option), got an A* thanks to me, and has never cooked again since. 

so a mental re-adjustment.   The value of my time has decreased - opportunity cost of what else could I have been doing. If the answer is sat by the fire reading a  book rather than billing a client then I have a real choice to make. There was also a moment of realisation this week that anything spent over our income comes out of savings.  Would I tip a £1 note into the compost heap? No, so why am I buying things we don't need or not using them up efficiently.  Baby potatoes, broccoli and sprouts blanched and frozen. Tasteless tomatoes baked with chopped toms, onions and chilli flakes and a sprinkle of sugar - freeze, soup or as base under poached eggs. The second half of the cream (bought for bacon, mushroom, Stilton on toast - glorious) added to par boiled potato slices for a gratin type affair. The oven was on for dinner anyway. 

Tonight we had HM fish and chips - frozen fish, pan fried with corn flour.  Like many of the GF recipes it tries to recreate a floured recipe without really adding much. Next time I will just pan fry the fish without any coating. 

Sun_Addict

I’m in, have subscribed. Happy new diary 🥳

redofromstart

Hello @Sun_Addict

the sun is shining here so I plan to go and see what state the vegetable plot soil is in. It may still be too wet to stand on in which case I will be coming back inside to focus on decluttering and putting things away so that we can start on the first house project of the year (long corridor cupboards for some desperately needed storage, needs emptying and plastering before we can do anything pretty).  

I have enough cardboard and dehydrated coir compost to 'no dig' half of the veg plot, and several full tub trugs of water to use up. 

Must get something out of the freezer for dinner first or I will get caught in the fail to plan trap and resort to something expensive.

Seasidegal58

I love your description of Enough!  Very true. 👍

redofromstart

I have no idea where mr redo found it from @Seasidegal58 but I absolutely agree with the enough concept.

last night an overly affectionate mr fluffy Trousers purred round my ankles till I tripped over and painfully stubbed my toe. Badly bruised means Gardening boots not an option sadly.  I did condense rock climbing stuff into one big box, and some of his camping gear into another which left a few drawers free.  I also found many sets of high count cotton bed stuff and  a gel pillow which I must have relocated when we replaced the hot water tank. We do not need more new good bedding, we are using it already. 

Seasidegal58

Ouch to the toe!😬 Naughty Mr Fluffy Trousers!  Although I'm sure he didn't mean it!🙀