Realising the dream

Congratulations on taking the plunge.
Yes a drop in I come is scary but you need to turn your new life into a fun challenge and celebrate all the little successes and new achievements along the way.
Will you now have time to grow some of your own veg in your garden? It,s enormously rewarding, good. Exercise and will help save you money.

Invest in some charity shop body warmers to wear indoors when you're home to reduce your heating bills.

Perhaps do some Lesley Sanson youtube walk at home videos or other exercises which yiu can do during the winter months in your free time.

Rediscover your local library. How about reading all the classics yiu never previously had time for?

Batch cooking and menu planning will help reduce your grocery bills.

Am sure other will offer useful suggestions from their own experiences. Yes, and do try and out some money away for your pension. Retirement these days can often end up being almost as long as your working life and yiu don,t want to be living in a situation where you're too hard up or scared to switch the heating on when yiuyou hiuae is freezing.

I took a set back a few years ago with the credit crunch where my income was cut drastically. I found it OKish to adjust to the lower income by not taking any foreign holidays and then not taking any holidays, doing all my own car and house maintenance not eating out etc. Cutting back on food also was not a problem. However, I found that many of the conversations I had with friends and family had to change. Swapping stories about holidays, the best places to eat out or anything to do with consumer spending became very one-way. You have to do a lot of listensing and not much talking.

Hi Life Of Dreams. I have been wondering how you are getting on.

I am sorry you had a bit of a set back to your plans for a simpler life but I'm glad to see you back. Life does throw us curved balls and sometimes we do have to put things on hold whilst we get our bearings and think things through. Anyway it sounds like you are more determined than ever to make some lifestyle changes.

It's a good time.....as Jackieblack says "New Year, New Start".

And the good thing is Spring is on its way......lighter days and hopefully some sunshine to help you on your way.

Good luck and definitely keep posting, it will keep you on track.