Prosperous and Creative Soul Year 5

Watty1

Agree with KK - interviews are about both sides seeing if the role will fit I think. Too often we get caught up in needing the job so we do not really think about if the employer meets our needs because we need the job so we try to fit ourselves - but if you could talk about how to make it work that might benefit both sides.

Just caught up, loved the garden plans which gave me some ideas about an area here that needs some plant care.

savingholmes

Thanks Watty, KK, Merlin, Dancing and Beanie

I need to help a relative with their PIP review this weekend. Joy. Mine should be okay for a few more years but who knows.

Loving the changes I made in the garden. I bought the bird feeder just in time to have the starlings fledge and get fed from their parents direct from the feeder with them sat in the tray. I got some gorgeous video and photos. You get a flavour of my view from my back L shape below…

Plus my new seating area with its planting - that I hope over time will create a plant/shrub arbour over the top of the bench. I replaced the parasol - and added some balloon solar light sprays. I still need to finish tidying… I used a drill for the first time into wood for a new kit planter last weekend - and I'm thinking I might have a go at making my own trellis. I might even be able to do a mini arch using the batons leftover from my roof work 2 years ago. I rescued it from the garage…

KajiKita

That is lovely ❤️ Really verdant and enclosing 😊

KK

savingholmes

KK - on investments - they say only invest what you can afford to 'lose'. I now have half of my liquid savings in cash and just over half in S&S ISA. I was so fearful until I read a Simple Path to Wealth by J L Roth and watched loads of youtubes. I saw the warnings about the stock market as being like cigarette packet warnings - something that represented mortal danger. That may be true if you invest in single stocks, try to time the market or stock pick - it is less likely to be true for index funds…

For my AVCs - I figure I'd normally have 'lost' say 20-40% depending on tax bracket of my pension savings if I had paid tax and NI on it and then put it into savings - and therefore really I'm only putting 60-80% at risk… That's how I rationalise it… I'm lucky enough that my entire AVC pot is due to be tax free providing it isn't worth more than 25% of my pension.

On which note - my pension savings (AVC) have jumped even before tomorrow's £1150 - to £40.4K today and my mini pot has jumped £100 too. Very pleased at how much it has gone up just since I checked on the 6th. Equally though it could drop like a stone tomorrow. I just have to play the long game. It does mean that around 23% of my AVC value since Oct 2022 is due to growth. My mini SIPP has gone up £2K (starting at £3.6K) since July 2023. What I was invested in prior to that was rubbish as it was too low risk but then it was a lost pension for years before they tracked me down…

So I now owe £5134 vs c£7.3K in savings, investments and current accounts at my pay period end. Even though I was debt neutral I feel lighter now I owe less.

savingholmes

KK and Merlin on the job advice… I think it's the right decision to not apply. I am still in a culture bubble where I am where most of it is more positive. If I was given the other role the wider culture is really toxic and there is very high turnover among the senior team - so as Merlin says I'd probably spend my 'financial gains' trying to make myself feel better.

In the bubble I'm in - I've got good knowledge, skills and experience and the relationships to make things happen - I'm less sure how well I'd flourish in the comparative open ocean. The people I work with also are willing to make adjustments which may be harder to get if I left my bubble. Given I only want to work a max of 4 years ideally - and want to stay mostly working from home - there's also a limit to how far I'm willing to push myself… This way I keep more energy for art and other projects…

Nice to see you again Watty.

beanielou

Sound reasoning on job I think.

KajiKita

I follow the job logic too 😊

I will have a look at that Simple Path book - thank you for the suggestion.

KK

WelshmansDaughter

Sometimes the emotional cost outweighs tany financial gain. Definitely sounds like a good decision

TallGirl

Sound reasoning on the job front I have seen too many people go down because of toxic work culture just not worth it. Glad you are getting help to get the house sorted I must say it is very few things I really miss we got rid of when we moved I am now much more of a lets get rid off rather than clutter up again. Lovely garden pics looks really woodland and those Aquilegias look to vibrant. Mine are not flowering yet but I have loads and I love to see what colours they are when they open.

glass_half_full

Love the garden pictures. Looks like you have created a really nice spot there.