I have had quite a busy month which is great it is really helping me to relax and improve my health.
I have had a few issues with my new motorbike, one resulting in a warranty claim. I have had to wait for this to be resolved, so I have refrained from using the bike that much this month and gone out and attended beer festivals and meet up with friends and acquaintances. I also spent some time with my sister, who had some holiday, and visited some places related to our ancestry. It was really good to go and visit the places where our ancestors lived and worked. We also visited a museum which was full of the equipment and other social history information which gave an insight into how they would have lived.
My ancestors were mainly farm labourers and where they managed to ‘better themselves’ became farmers as either tenant farmers or, if very lucky, owners of land. Some became masters of trades and then ran their own businesses. The churches and villages we visited were very old, many dating back to the doomsday book. There were some interesting insights into village life and we manged to find some of the farms and buildings in which they lived and worked. The museum had pictures taken my a Victorian photographer who had gone out and tried to capture the social history of the time. One photo was of the shop that one of my ancestors owned and ran but sadly no picture of them. It was quite common to have pictures of the owners outside their shop. It would have been great if a photo of them had survived as I could then see any family resemblances.
It does feel good to do some of the things I wanted to do when I achieved FI. Being able to go places and explore. Able to flex my days and go when the weather was good and not have to worry about work getting in the way. After the past few years of limited opportunities it has been good to start seeing some positive change. I do worry that my money will run out. The cost of living crisis and the inflation are making my costs spiral and I may have no choice but to work in future years. I do wonder how I will achieve this as it appears to be “who you know” not “what you know” when it comes to jobs. Most of the people who would have helped me find work have now retired. I think I will struggle to get a job as I am ‘overqualified’. I looked for Christmas jobs, most are full time, I looked to see if there were any Royal Mail part time/shift jobs going, there are none local to me I would have to travel 30-35 miles away to the nearest sorting centre with jobs.
I look at my expenses and my energy bills have gone up by 50% and are unlikely to reduce. I will just reduce my use and cut down on my heating use. I have already started to look at how I can reduce costs. Living on my own I do not have the economies of scale which other partnered FI followers have. I have to support my housing costs on my own. It is quite clear that solo living is more costly than a couple.
If things get tough I may have to get a job but I really don’t feel capable. My brain fog gets in the way some days and I find I just cannot function like I use to. I am trying to just get along as I am and if I have a bad day then I just write it off and rearrange my plans. I just enjoy the flexibility. I am now trying to find ways of improving my health and reduce this brain fog and other issues. I am aging and know that my health will get worse but I will also try to fight it and keep going as much as possible. You are as old as you feel and I will try to feel younger and try to remain as fit as I can.
Income
A little bit of paid survey income, I have not spent much time on this this month so the income is well down. I also received some small dividends. The interest from cash accounts continues to increase as the UK interest rates go up again, which is helpful. I have some fixed interest accounts that have matured and now have been renewed at higher interest rates. I also won £125 on premium bonds. Still no the big win I would love to receive. A large win would ease my uncertainty as I see investments roll up and down due to recent global events.
Expenses
Just my normal living expenses and expenses related to ancestry hunting and meeting up with friends. I have also bought a theatre ticket for the RSC which I will visit with an old work mate. It is for a performance next year but having to book early as we struggled to find any tickets for this year. It was a combo of limited shows and tickets so we have booked up early for next year and hope that there are some great actors in the cast.
Month End Summary
I have been making the most of any dry day as I did last month. The summer in the UK has not been that great. I hope next year is better.
Overall, a good month for me, I have been continuing the positive feeling while trying to keep to my budget.
If you enjoy my content, please consider showing your support and Buy Me A Coffee by clicking Here.
Sparkle Bee's Journey to FI 