Monthly Archives: May 2021

Still here!

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It’s halfway through another month this morning and I realised I haven’t posted since my last progress report! Time for me to get back to blogging more regularly I think. I’m still here and still plodding along 🙂 

My main reason for slacking off blogging has been work – which is very busy and the last few weeks I’ve been bringing work home every night. By the weekend I am just very tired and spend most of it catching up on sleep, doing a bit more work, and getting ready for the week ahead.   From this week I will be down to half staffing so it’s not improving any time soon. I’m trying to pace myself so I can last the distance.

Strangely enough, I don’t feel as stressed as I did last year. I find myself thinking about being retired often, thinking that this time next year I’ll be doing things for the last time. I happily daydream about what it will be like to spend a day sewing or just go for a walk during the day, having the time to shop for bargains and grow a veggie garden.  I’m secretly excited at being only 18 months away from leaving! In my head I’ve already left.

With the finances – I’m going to keep adding extra to the retirement funds instead of the mortgage until the end of the financial year – (June 30th). Then I will reassess and recalculate. It’s looking like the long-awaited restructure at work will happen before the end of the year so I should know more about what’s ahead in early July.

Our retirement savings are doing very well and we’re basically at a point where we could stop now & coast FIRE. I feel like time is just flying by so fast now!

April Progress Report

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 I decided to take a break from blogging & being online as much this last month. The time out has been good and I’m back now with our progress report for April. Here’s the numbers:

Mortgage

  • current balance $55,380
  • down from: $56,678
  • total reduction: $1,298
Savings
  • current balance $616,801
  • up from: $596,502
  • total increase: $20,299I
I was pleased to see such a big increase in our retirement savings this month – the combination of extra payments plus a rising market. 
Work
I’ve been enjoying the change in work. Its less stress but more work. I am a bit tired but I remind myself its only temporary. 
I think that one part of me feeling less stress is knowing that I’m getting closer to my last year of work. I just don’t feel as invested in the workplace as I used to and I’m making decisions knowing I won’t be a part of this team for very much longer – its given me more objectivity and the ability to keep out of the politics. 
I have had three offers of more consulting work in the last month. I turned down two of them and said yes to one as its just one hour per/fortnight working with a great client. It feels good to be able to be choosy and it gives me confidence that I’ll be able to pick up a few hours work here and there if I want it when I retire/semi-retire.
Health
I’m not making any great progress here… I tell myself it will be easier when I’m not working…
Other:  We were able to spend Easter with our family which was wonderful after having to miss Christmas due to covid restrictions. It was so lovely to see everyone and feel that return to ‘normal life’ after a long year apart. We caught up again yesterday for FIL’s 89th birthday. Not a lot is happening apart from that. I do a lot of daydreaming about what I want to get done in the house and garden- it feels like the second half of this five year plan is going much quicker than the first!