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Next steps; grip-relaxing bimbling, and avoiding the temptations

Time, I think, to start a new diary. My first was about removing our debts, paying off our mortgage and working towards, and through, the first few years of not working. I don't call it retirement at that point, because a wealth of volunteer activities were taken on or continued, and a number of hobbies aspired to or taken up.

Now, I have given up work, stopped being on the Parish Council, and stepped back from being the first person to say "me, me, I'll do it!" Watching other people step up, do things their way? well it's not easy for your average control freak, Queen Bee, "I know best" type, but I'm working on it.

So where are we money wise?
  • There are two of us, plus animals - an old cat, a young dog and about a million bees
  • We have both stopped work. We have some savings and we own our rural house with no mortgage.
  • I and my sister own my Mother's house that she continues to live in, in Scotland
  • and then there is our house in the next town. DH owns 50%, and DS and I own 25% each of it; a small town centre house we bought in 2013, after selling half our garden for development
To income then:
  • I receive a modest occupational pension and started to receive my state pension in April. It isn't quite the max because my occupational pension scheme opted me out (of SERPS, as it was then) and I and my former employer paid a lower national insurance contribution until 2016. After stopping work with 45 years paid (and two missing), I paid for four more to maximise the new state pension and it is just over £200 a week
  • DH receives a smallish teachers' pension (he taught for less than 20 years) and he started receiving his full new state pension shortly after his 66th birthday in November, with the first five days arriving yesterday. He receives a full new state pension thanks to paying NI while working abroad and buying one extra year at the end, after stopping work.
So what is the temptation? It's stuff for me. 
  • I buy too much when tempted
  • I change size from time to time. Sometimes I can attribute the growing to buying and eating chocolate, ice-cream or alcohol (temptations...) - not sure about the losing bit, recently I consciously lost about 4 pounds and another 7 has departed without effort, although we eat less in hot weather and I often don't remember to eat until mid afternoon. That helps from time to time
  • When I shop, I buy off-list. I know it is my weakness so I avoid going until we have run out of stuff. It is particularly evident in the SM
  • I spend on hobbies. Beekeeping is almost all-consuming. It's not cheap
  • Helping out - it is that "me, me, I'll do it!" thing. I have no cope-ability filter; that "have I got time/capability?" thing is missing
  • Researching and learning - it's like an autistic obsession with me. Eg I got my X-ray results on my injured knee. By the time the doctor rang at 12.30 for my "what's next" appointment I had researched the abnormality, its cause, persistence, treatment options and self-diagnosed when and how it impacted the injury. I did tell him what I had done and he said my interpretation is correct, and we quickly developed a three pronged approach to improve things (more of that later). Does everyone else go into google scientific and radiographer-pedia (or whatever it's caused) to look at the archive of diagnostic imaging to better understand everything? I know they don't, but I do. Even watching TV; The Repair Shop for one example. By the time Steve was prising the etch-a-sketch apart, I knew about the wires and pulleys, aluminium dust and the polystyrene beads that comprise its mechanism (and that it was invented by a Frenchman, originally manufactured in USA but sold to a Canadian company and over 100 million sold world-wide). I can't just sit, I have to be doing something.
So I spend more than is sensible, stack up stuff and jobs for both of us (DH tolerates my stacking of jobs) and I seem incapable of just having a small-scale hobby. Beekeeping has been full time since April this year and it can't go on.

I need to manage myself better. Hence this next phase diary. I MUST NOT STOCKPILE STUFF! I hope to post regularly to just be accountable and share some of my money saving things, and how we live

So here goes, in the wrong place? I am avoiding, rather than being in debt now, but always this part of the forum for me. Along with Old Style Moneysaving this is my forum home. So here it is. 

My old diary is here, if you are bored; "Get a grip woman!"



Save £12k in 2025 #2 I am at £564.77 out of £6000 after January
OS Grocery Challenge 2024 finished at £2970.11/£3000 2025
OS Grocery Challenge in 2025 I am at £164.86/£3000 or 5.5% of my annual spend so far
annual
I also Reverse Meal Plan on that thread and grow much of our own premium price fruit and veg, joining in on the Grow your own thread
My new diary is here
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Comments

  • Lovely to see you back posting with a diary again. 
  • Humdinger1
    Humdinger1 Posts: 2,105 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 15 November 2024 at 3:22AM
    @Suffolk_lass it's fab to see you posting again; I've subscribed.   Hearing aids can be very small these days; my 20 year old daughter has an NHS one and it's really discreet.   So looking forward to keeping up with your adventures love Humdinger xx 
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