Prosperous & Creative Soul Year 4

savingholmes

Thanks Skint, @debtfreeoneday and @Flossymuldoo

I need to work through my budget again and do some form of 'no spend' / 'uber frugal' challenge on non essentials as every time I go to a shop even for something small I come out having spent a huge amount - it is then harder to resist the other things on my list... 

I've bought some filler and other things to help me resolve my front room walls where the skirting boards were ripped off by the asbestos people. Can't help thinking they could have been less rough. Waiting for application tools to arrive from Am**** and then hopefully I'll make a start. I have an outdoor little wheeled stool which I'm hoping to sit on and shuffle around as I do the work. I plan to resolve the gaps and then order new skirting boards. I'm still debating whether I try and order some kind of electric saw or pay a joiner - but haven't been impressed recently with external trades people so may do it myself as it is more likely to be how I want it - even if I take forever to do something...  

I've done the dishwasher. Put a load of washing on. Had a shower. Done a couple of hours of bedroom tidying and putting previously cleaned washing away. It feels endless. Taking a break. 

I'm currently cooking a slow cooked lamb and YS parmentier potatoes from MnS that was in my freezer. Feel blessed by that. 

I weighed myself this morning and since the end of August I've put on a stone which is really disappointing. I know I can get it off again but that can be such a struggle - and in all honesty - I have a lot of nice food in my house I want to eat first!! I need to remember my hospital trip in Feb - and use that as motivation to improve my habits again as I don't want a revisit. I may even try fasting for up to 24 hours at some point as a way of re-setting my taste buds / cravings.  I also need to get outside and walk and garden more etc. Even cleaning and tidying more would burn some calories.  Hopefully this will be the week I clear down some of my to do list so I can got back to work next week feel rested and more organised. 

I have continued making art in my time off - and have sorted through photos from 1992, 1993 and 1987 - and am binning two huge albums - and compressing the photos into some plastic photo boxes instead for now. I've started scanning some photos in using an app on my phone. I plan to make a bonfire with what I let go of. I've also been listening to stories which is nice.

I read an article in the last year that queries the references to Peter Pan and Cinderella - and suggested that while men may never grow up - some women constantly want to be rescued and waited on and provided for - and both kind of wait in vain and risk never growing up. 

Today's song is from the Sound of... and is 'How do you solve a problem like M?' and the realisation that there was nothing wrong with her in the first place - she was just in the wrong place and trying to fit in like a giraffe climbing a tree and failing. I so relate... What she needed was the vastness of the mountains and outdoors and people she could love and who loved and accepted her...

Happy New Year if I don't catch you again before. I'm not spending as much time on my laptop as I used to. Trying to get a bit more balance. Lots of difficult things in RL too... but I'll get there... 

KajiKita

Maybe try doing the NSD challenge with Cathybird and grouping your spends into just one day a week - that might contain it a bit? 

I appreciate the weight gain is disappointing but you’ve had a lot on since August and it’s always hard to avoid carbs and comfort food in the darker months of the year. As you say, increasing your pottering and walking would help burn off some calories 😊

Glad you are doing art. Happy new year to you too 😊

KK

savingholmes

Thanks KK. By the way I sent you a PM which you may not have seen. 

I was hoping to go for a walk but it is a bit windy out which put me off - and then I found my closest NT property shuts earlier than I thought in winter so would have needed to set off sooner.

I've managed to catch up on most diaries now - so off to make myself 'do a bit'. My stuff for filling the plaster gaps has arrived so I should make a start. I'm planning to do it in layers. Wish me luck!

beanielou

Good luck!  

jwil

Glad you are doing things for yourself on your break.

Good luck with your plaster repairs.

Happy New Year.  You've come so far this year despite some challenges.  Here's hoping 2025 is a good one for you.

savingholmes

Looking back at where I was this time last year. I was worrying myself sick over the survey and debating whether or not to move anyway as I feared my maintenance / home improvements bill would be more than the £10K I'd mentally allowed... It was by at least another £17.5K - but overall I'm pleased I moved. I love the views every day. I love being in a house that Ex and the kids never lived. It feels 'mine' in a way that the previous house didn't. 

Last year I gave myself a "Loose direction for coming year" against the headings of health, wealth, happiness, creativity, home and garden and social

Health

• Lost a stone compared to my worst weight this year - 3 stone better than worst weight of 2021 even with recent weight gain.
• Best sugar blood test in years. 
• First year without significant dental work!! 
  
• Made myself go to regular hospital appointments. Hospital stay in Feb - was terrifying and recovery hard - but I made it. Had quite a bit of time off sick.
• Continued counselling.
  
• Exercise - very sporadic. On folate tablets to try and resolve dizziness etc
• For 2025 I hope to lose weight and to increase my exercise on a more consistent basis. Hopefully be in work more. 

Wealth

• Overall £ is doing well - although I'm over-spending on wants.
• Dec 23 my AVC was worth £6.7K with a £5.4K input. Now its £16.3K with a £7K input in year - with the rest growth. Missed my unrealistic aspiration of last year. Next year I as long as I retain my job (and tax regime doesn't change significantly) - I plan to input at least £12K - so hope by the end of 2025 it will be closer to £28K+ any growth/-any loss.
  
• Vgd sipp in Dec 23 was £3.7K - it grew £0.9K in year to £4.6K so very pleased.  
• This means between AVCs and my DC pension equivalent to 32 capital payments now up from 10 a year ago - based on £650 pcm average  
• Mortgage fell by £6.3K over the year acc to MSE credit report - I think this is an under-estimate - and it was closer to £7K but still less than last year as I'm now redirecting OPs to my pension. In the past I got a 12 months summary at the end of November - but this looks like it has shifted to end of January now due to the move.
• I hoped I'd have between £32-36K EF after renovations - but this is net £10K after deducting CC balance. Up £3.1K in year but this is due to previous home equity sat in savings. (£31K actual savings) with interest 4.5-5% vs mortgage interest of 1.84%.
• 2024 New phone, laptop, dryer, microwave as they all broke / failed.
• Spent £2-3K on holidays and experiences.

Happiness

Creativity

• 2024 continued to hone my drawing skills and attended first life drawing group and loved it. Need to try a new one in 2025 - and hopefully take more art classes. Want to also try oil painting.  
• Have grouped art supplies - but still have too much. Need to use more or give some away.
• Not made much progress on book 2. Mainly focused on art instead which has majorly improved.

Home & Garden

• Moved home end of January last year. 
• Since then paid for new roof felt, batons, soft verge and ridge tiles. New sofits, fascias, gutters. Re-pointed apex on both sides and top few brick lines near roof. Tarmacked front and back with paver edging and new raised beds. Replanted most of the garden which now has an evergreen backbone with other planting to add seasonal interest - including lots of bulbs. Stabilised side fence. Painted fence.
• On top of that handyman did loads of smaller improvements, hanging pictures and mirrors, making electrics safe, moving sockets, put bars in the little toilet and another hand rail on the stairs, digging out bamboo etc. Cutting gate to fit and rehanging it. Fitting new locks etc.  
• By the end of 2023 I reckoned I'd decluttered 50% or more of 'loose' belongings outside of main furniture. Minor decluttering in 2024 including furniture and most recently physical photos. In 2025 I'd like to continue to declutter photos - and also tackle my oldest journals.
  
• I have also gained lots of houseplants and kept most alive. I now need to learn how to propagate them - and then give some away as I this is an area I 'over-bought'. In 2025 I also plant to continue planting bulbs and sow flower seeds in my new raised beds so that I have a riot of colour to look forward to and flowers to cut and put in a vase.
• I need to let some of my planters and pots go now I have raised beds - rather than constantly increasing my planting space... 

Social Connection including work

• Look into clubs, events and holidays around my interests and see if that leads to new friends. Did an art class and went to a life drawing group until they suspended it. Need to find new ones in 2025
• Make time for close and wider family. Improved. 
  
• Go to work more often for social connection. Missed.
• Job insecure - so need to retain cashflow for the mortgage.

savingholmes

Travel & Experiences

• New category.
• In 2024 I went abroad for the first time in 8 years - and then repeated it 2 months later. I went to the Lakes and Mountains of northern Italy. It was stunningly beautiful and I will treasure those memories forever. I also visited some museums in the airport city and a couple of other cities / major towns. I had thought this was impossible for me due to mental health & ASD - but I managed it - although not without a lot of tears and stress. 
• It helped me see myself differently. Mountain poles helped with stability too - and I now use them some of the time back in this country. 
• Started learning Italian via duo which improved my second holiday experience. Now bought an annual sub.
• I did a bucket list item of seeing a live orchestral concert in a Roman amphitheatre - it was utterly amazing - and again something I had not thought I was capable of. I pulled out of a pop concert in this country as I felt unable to go alone and sold my tickets ahead of my first Italian trip - which was ironic but practical and helped towards the cost of my first holiday.  I went to a couple of sculpture parks (land art) while there which were fabulous.
• I also loved my trips to various NT places - especially Powys gardens which I don't recall visiting previously.
• I want to go back in 2025 and explore more museums and galleries - as well as walking out in nature. 

KajiKita

What a year! Especially after having such a rough time in February. You’ve done so much and achieved so much 😊 It’s the things that have brought you joy (the art classes and the travel) that really jumps out at me. I need more of this balance in 2025. Perhaps I should start asking myself ‘what would SH do’ …? 😊😉

Btw, I thought I had replied to your PM - I have tried again this evening. If it doesn’t show up I will send the screenshot of today’s reply that I have taken! 😊

KK

lucielle

Wow, SH that is a formidable round up. You’ve achieved so much and in a short space of time. Bring on 2025!
L

debtfreeoneday

Was just about to say the same thing. You’ve achieved so much and it sounds so positive. Well done you. Here’s to 2025!