2014-15 Summing Up

Posted: Wed 4 November, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: 2014/15, 2015 vs 2014, Bankruptcy, Car Repairs, Domestic, Finances, Five Year Plan (now Ten), Food, Getting Organised, Health, Looking Back, Thoughts, Travel, Weigh Less, Work-related, Write More, Writing | Leave a comment »

This time last year, I made a list of things I wanted to do in the coming year.

So how have I done? Actually, not badly at all.  (The initial goals are in bold, with the results in colour afterwards)

  • Weigh Less – Kind of. It’s fair to say, this has had its ups and downs. Over the course of the year, I put back on some of the weight I’d lost, and then lost it again. With more regular attendance at the gym, I’ve also changed shape, lost a noticeable amount of fat, but replaced it with a similar weight of muscle, so I’ve maintained roughly the same weight throughout the last six months, despite looking (and feeling) fitter and lighter. It’s annoying, but successful in a way.
  • Write More – Less successful. I’ve completed a couple of pieces, and got ideas for others. So I guess I’ve written more – and been doing more here – but still, it’s not quite what I’d hoped/planned for.
  • IAM Test – Kinda. I’ve booked it in, but it’s not happened yet. I’ll write more about that when it does.
  • Ideas for my own business – Successful. In the last six months I’ve changed to doing the contract through my own limited company, and dealing with my own accounts and payroll etc. – which is definitely a good step in the right direction. I’ve also got more/better ideas and goals for the coming year, and what the plans will be.
  • Build The Finances – Successful. It’s not been perfect. There have been unexpected expenses like the car’s turbo needing replacement, and a few other things along the way. There’s also been that nasty habit of getting out and having a life – some of which hasn’t been super-cheap.
    But all told, I’m coming out of the year in a far better position than I went into it. Not as well as I could have come out of it, but there we go – my choice, my decision, and it’s still a good position to be in.

So all told, it’s been a pretty good year. Most of the plans have borne fruit, or are at least showing growth and promise for the coming year.  Frankly, I can live with that as a set of results.

 

The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same

Posted: Wed 21 October, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: 2014/15, 2015 vs 2014, D4D™, Domestic, Finances, Five Year Plan (now Ten), Getting Organised, Looking Back, Single Life, Thoughts | Leave a comment »

In preparation for another post (one of the usual ones for a couple of weeks’ time) I’ve been looking at things from (roughly) this time last year, and it’s been a bit odd in some ways.

There’s a distinct synchronicity between the two years, which is surprising.  Last weekend, I bought some new tyres for the car – and it turns out I did the same a year ago.  It also got a full service done – which I’ve just booked in again.

It’s also just under a year ago that I started doing the day-trips when I could (and/or when I wanted to) on weekends, which has continued and been pretty cool. I haven’t done one in a couple of months, mainly due to a madly busy period with no weekends ‘off’, but that doesn’t mean I won’t again.

Along the way, there’s also been a lot of good stuff.

Comparing where life was last October to this is like comparing pearls with cow shit.

October 2014 was a low point, although nowhere near my lowest. (There’s some competition for that ‘honour’, mainly September 2010, April 2012 and August 2012, although I’m sure there’s a couple of other close-runners too) At the start of it, I’d just walked out on ShitCo with nothing to go to, nothing even in the pipeline. That was a bit scary, but infinitely better than the prospect of staying working for them. I know, I still haven’t written much about that time, and probably won’t – safe to say, it was No Fun At All.

I got a new contract within two weeks though, and that was the start of the recovery process and climbing back to where I find myself now. I’m still working for the same people, and will be ’til at least the end of the year. It’s been good – and helped by being a role where I work for/by myself for four days a week. I’ve rented an office in central Milton Keynes, which works best for my schedule and environment, and keeps me vaguely sane. (Which working from home four days a week probably wouldn’t)

I’ve done a lot of rebuilding again in the last twelve months, and I’m pleased with how it’s gone.

Onwards and upwards!

Three

Posted: Thu 13 August, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: 2015/16, Bankruptcy, Domestic, Finances, Five Year Plan (now Ten), Getting Organised | Leave a comment »

This one’s not quite on the actual anniversary of it happening – mainly because there was a small matter of D4D™’s birthday happening on the same day – but it’s close enough that it’s all good.

Anyway, it’s now three years since I was declared bankrupt, and it’s been a long old road.

I’m happy with where things are, and it’s all looking positive. There’s still a way to go – the next stage comes at the end of this year, but really from here on it’s all about rebuilding. Much the same as it has been for the last couple of years, but it’s a continuing process. Long may it continue to be so.

Into August

Posted: Wed 5 August, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Bankruptcy, Change, D4D™, Domestic, Driving, Finances, Getting Organised, Health, Introspective, Looking Back, Thoughts, Weirdness | Leave a comment »

Somehow, we’re into August already. The year’s racing by (as usual) and here we are. August.

August is a funny (as in ‘odd’, not as in ‘ho ho’) month for me – for some reason it’s always been rather more eventful than others. It seems to be generally a month of change for me, in ways both negative and positive.

It’s definitely the month I get twitchy about, more than any other. I’m sure that’s because my parents first pointed out what a consistently change-laden month it was (which may have also gone some way to making it a bit more self-fulfilling) but I try to not focus on it. By that, I mean that I don’t consciously go “oh, I’ll do that in August”.  August just seems to happen.

As examples…

  • D4D™ got started in August. Not intentionally (well obviously it got started intentionally) in August – that was just when everything came together for it to happen
  • My bankruptcy was in August. Again, that’s just when it came about.
  • I finally passed my driving test in August.
  • I’ve had *lots* of job changes in August, contracts ending and so on.

This time round, it looks (so far) like things will be a lot calmer.

I was a bit twitchy, as my current work contract had an end date next week – and even though I was 99% sure it would extend again, there’s always that “But it’s August, and thus could bite me on the bum” nagging doubt. However, it’s been confirmed this week that it’ll extend again, through to October (which will mean I’ve been doing this one for a year) so that’s all good.

To the best of my knowledge I’ll be staying in the current house for at least another year. That’s the plan (and renewal isn’t ’til November, so not a concern) and I see no current reason to change it.

There’s currently nothing else of major import and change looking like it’ll happen.  I’ve got stuff planned for the month, but nothing change-laden.   All the same, during August I’ll be…

  • Doing a 10Km sponsored walk for Marie Curie
  • Seeing Benedict Cumberbatch in Hamlet (a happy surprise instance, brought about by a friend of a friend not being able to go)
  • Possibly another London visit, or alternative Day Trip
  • Sorting out (renewing) car insurance again

And there’s a bundle of other stuff as well, alongside the weekly working normality.

So with any luck, this August won’t be too eventful and change-laden. We’ll see.

Revised Plans/Targets

Posted: Thu 16 July, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Bankruptcy, Car Repairs, Domestic, Finances, Five Year Plan (now Ten), Getting Organised, Thoughts | Leave a comment »

One of the things that came to my attention last week with the car being sorted was with regard to my finances.

Now, this year is the first one where things have (so far) gone OK, and I’m pleased with where things are in general.

However, looking at what I’ve managed to do this year, I did feel I had done less well than I could’ve done. I’ve saved less than was perhaps possible or ideal – although still far, far better than I also could’ve done, or have done in previous times – but I do also know that there’ve been things I’ve bought and done this year that took some of that money away from being saved etc.

From here on, though, it’s going to be a bit different.  I still plan to be able to do what I want when I want, but I’ll also be bunging a but more into savings as well.

I’m doing a full spending-diary at the moment, because I want to know where it all goes, and what it goes on. I’ve already been monitoring my monthly outgoings, and have a far better picture of them now than I used to – and have also been able to reduce a couple of things on there, plus a couple more will be dropping in the next month or so, come renewals time.

So that’s where things are.

The end of this year is the next big change, when I’m done with the repayments plan that’s been in place the last two and a bit years. When I’m done with that, the same monthly amount will be going direct into savings. It’s money I haven’t actually missed (well I have, but I’ve done without it just fine) so it can carry on going elsewhere, but to my benefit instead.

So yes, a way to go yet, but everything so far is at least in a positive direction…

Back on the Road

Posted: Sun 12 July, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Car Repairs, Customer Services, Domestic, Finances, Getting Organised, Milton Keynes | Leave a comment »

Following on from last week’s fun, I can confirm that the Saab is back on the road and (so far) sounding and running OK.

It’s done a couple of decent(ish) runs, although for the moment it hasn’t had my semi-traditional post-serious-work run down to Devon and back. (Yet)

It’s not been cheap, but I’m happy with the decisions and work. Of course, that might change if the damned thing goes ker-fut again tomorrow, but for now I’m happy with how it’s all gone.

Ker-fut

Posted: Sat 4 July, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Car Repairs, Commuting, Domestic, Driving, Finances, Getting Organised, M1, Work-related | 2 Comments »

Yesterday nearly got very interesting indeed.

I’d had to drive over to Chesham for a day in the proper office, and on the way the car had started making some very dodgy noises, although it was all running OK.  From the noises, and when they happened, I was fairly sure it was an issue with the turbo.

As a result, I rang up the Saab garage, and booked it in for a checkup on Tuesday, which was the first day they had available.

On the way home, the noises were worse, so I was driving more carefully (and a bit slower) than usual.

I got to the Leighton Buzzard bypass (having avoided the M1 on a Friday evening – can’t think why I might’ve wanted to that) and whatever had been weakening let go, dumping a shitload of smoke and gunk over the road – which must’ve been interesting for the poor bugger behind me, to say the least.

I’ve managed to nurse it home – taking it slowly, accelerating without hitting the turbo ranges etc. – so it’s parked up outside the house, and I’ll be somehow getting it to the garage over the weekend (when the traffic is quieter, in case things go horribly wrong) in order to get it sorted on Tuesday. In the meantime, I’ve also reserved a hire car for next week, and we’ll see how things go from there.

I don’t yet know whether I’ll get it repaired/replaced, or look for something new – a lot of it will depend on what the costs are for fixing it, really. So I’ll know more later in the week, and work from there.

In honesty, I could’ve done without the hassle – but it’s something I can deal with without crippling me, and that’s no bad thing.

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