Hope is not an Effective Financial Strategy

Eating - the learning i've done from the reading people have guided me towards has been huge. Quite enlightening, and really does help with future planning. After 3 years of mortgage focus to get it to a manageable level should job issue arise, i've decided to pay a touch more attention to those years that i'd like to be retired/semi retired in and so delaying draw down of our pensions. So i have a tentative plan in place which will properly start in March when we remortgage, and i'm debating extending the MFW plan by 1-2 years in order to boost the investments pot - only debating at this stage! I am investing from now until March but only with £2k that we already have and then adding to it with £30 a month (in March that will increase to at least £100 and possibly £200), in order to learn/observe and gain some comfort in understanding the process.

And onto today... I am supposed to be doing fascias, gutters and conservatory once I get back from DS2 football. Have to admit though that my motivation level is a big fat juicy zero! At least i made a juicy £1 TT this morning

In other news something that has been irritating me for at least 18 months is my lack of running/exercise. From someone that was always playing sport the last 6 years this level has plummeted. Even after playing sport i used to run perhaps 30mile a week in my late 20's, kids then came along and time demands go elsewhere understandably. I've had spurts of restarting over the last 5yrs but its never really lasted longer than 2 months. I then struggled for motivation as my ability to run at a speed i remembered was diminishing (definitely age related!).

So long introduction to get to this but i am being inspired by Mrs SJ's cycling exploits, as well as being conscious of steady weight gain as i hit 40 later this year (weight gain hasn't happened yet, but it will if i'm not careful). I've also realised through my MFW exploits that planning and long term goal setting really works for me. So charts on the fridge, spreadsheets and visual representations need to be a big focus and I'm formulating a plan... I have no desire to run marathon or half marathons (i actually know that after not running for 12 months i'd be able to go out tonight and do 10k without too much turmoil) so it'll have to be a personal target.

I'm thinking of targeting running 400mile between June 1st and Dec 31st. So that's 57.14 miles a month, or 14.29 mile a week. This would give me a good long target with a weekly load, but have the ability to 'pre-load' the amount or play catch up, without it being ridiculous. And remembering that i'm supposed to be enjoying myself, and that i'm not as young as I used to be (and visualise myself to be when i recall running exploits).

So in relation to all this I'm gonna do 3mile tonight and tomorrow and see how i enjoy it. I've then got 12 days to decide and commit! (Off to look at some gps tracking watches as i need birthday present ideas for everyone for 6 weeks time)

Karmacat wrote: »

I love that you're setting up long term plans while still paying the same level of attention to the day to day. And I remember being 39 and wanting to head into my 40s at a better weight, and fitter, than I was at that time. I did it, too, and it was a really positive thing. Go for it!

I think that is the key, just being conscious of the future years. I had great teachers in that my parents were like that, so i suppose i have simply carried on their approach.

A_Frayed_Knot wrote: »

Well done you :T great news all round with food buying, exercise and investing and ebay listing . Lots of choices there.

My motivation is also at zero but once washing no.1 hung out and washing no.2 on will make a start on the shed before running down to PO with 3 parcels for the bay, then running back to continue with the fence

That's the plan anyway. :rotfl:

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After my last bank holiday i'm certain that fence/shed painting is my least favoured outside job!

newgirly wrote: »

I think I might hang around here for a bit jimmy and hope that some of your motivation rubs off on me, seriously though well done being so focussed :T

Newgirly feel free to loiter as long as you want! I can't guarantee motivation will rub off, and i'm certain that we all have lull's as its playing such a long game and i went missing for about 8 months last year when life got too hectic with. Lots of goals and plans work for me. Daily, monthly, long term and then in relation to mortgage, pension, investment. My biggest threat will be with our next re mortgage. Previously i've gone for 2 yr fixes as it long and short enough to pay attention to, but my plan for next Feb/March is to go for a 5yr. I think we'll be MF somehwere between 5 and 6 years at the at point so the thought on a 5yr is to be finished by the time the fix ends (extra motivation). So i need to be careful we don't drift along, therefore I'll make lots of challenges along the way.