The beatings will continue until morale improves – January 2022 update

After a fantastic start to the year of our Lord 2022 (mainly because I was chilling in Australia) we had a rude awakening upon our return to London.  First, there was the rampant Covid outbreak still going on in London.  Second the utterly dreary weather and long nights, and third the stock market took a plunge.  As I had been on holiday, I’d left £2000 in my S&S ISA account ready to invest because I was idle about investing it. Upon being paid on 10 January, I plonked another £3000 into my ISA and duly purchased £5000 of VUSA the … Continue reading The beatings will continue until morale improves – January 2022 update

Holidays and fun

I have just returned from what seems like a month of holidays. I went to San Francisco to visit my good friend and his girlfriend, with my girlfriend. We stayed in their lovely flat in amongst the fog in Richmond, SF, near the Pacific ocean. They then came to the UK and stayed at our place for a few days before we all went to Munich for Oktoberfest. This is the first big holiday I have done while on my FIRE journey. It was always going to be expensive but I think it was totally worth every penny. Having spent … Continue reading Holidays and fun

The day I paid off my debt

Today I made the final payment on my credit card. It felt scary to do it. I had all kinds of anxiety thinking things like “I’m going on holiday at the end of the month, do I have enough?” Well, the answer is yes, I do have enough. It’s a feeling I’m not used to having, but I have enough because I’ve sorted out my financial life.   There have been so many times in the past 6-7years where I’ve been struggling to get through the month, or worse just spending recklessly It’s deeply ingrained anxiety that I’ve lived with … Continue reading The day I paid off my debt

Emma, my new best money friend.

Budgets are fantastic tools to allocate your monthly income against certain items and keep on track with your spending. I have used budgets for many years and they have indeed helped me manage my money better. I have an Excel spreadsheet that has my income at the top from which I deduct all my expenses, leaving me with a remainder figure. At the moment that remainder is in theory quite large thanks to all the cutbacks I have made in my quest for financial freedom. But the quandary I find myself in is that the remaining money I actually have … Continue reading Emma, my new best money friend.

Summertime is coming (allegedly)

Here we are in mid-June already. The 12C and pouring rain would lead anyone to believe it was mid-March, but that’s the UK for you.  It’s been a busy few weeks for me as I have travelled to Luxembourg several times for work and also had numerous new ideas and ventures come my way. Firstly, the debt situation has continued to improve. I now only have £1440 of credit card debt left to pay. I was immensely proud of myself for getting this far and feel like this period of hard-core debt reduction is nearing its conclusion. That is getting … Continue reading Summertime is coming (allegedly)

May update

May has been a long month by all measures. Many things have come to a head and I’ve felt both directionless and demotivated at times, and extremely excited about the future at others. Firstly, the issues with the company have made me reassess what I am doing career-wise. I think I’ve mentally checked out of the company, and although I have half-heartedly applied for new jobs, it’s only a matter of time before I do so properly. I just feel there is no point in working hard for a company that is on the brink and is being run so … Continue reading May update

Some anxiety

The past three weeks have been rather difficult for me. Despite my genuine excitement at being able to ‘see the light at the end of the tunnel’ for my debts, some external forces have upset this happy FIRE ship. On Tuesday shortly before Easter, when I arrived at my company’s office, there was a bouncer on the door and a notice saying we could not go in. Rather perturbed, myself, the Chairman and other employees didn’t really know what was going on. I work for a small consultancy business with big ambitions, and one that has taken some big risks. … Continue reading Some anxiety

Housing in London

London, Londra, Londres. What a city. Home of The City, Big Ben and Buckingham Palace. Hub of culture with galleries, museums and stunning architecture. Home to culinary delights and thriving nightlife. It is indeed a great place to live, but I’m not alone in that view. The result of this popularity is many, many, people arrive from around the UK, Europe and the wider World come to experience what the exciting cultural melting pot has to offer. My girlfriend came from Melbourne, the world’s most livable city for seven years running, to live in this city. I have many friends … Continue reading Housing in London