Posted: Fri 8 November, 2013 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: 2013/14, Business, Customer Services, Cynicism, Five Year Plan (now Ten), Own Business, Project 42, Work-related |
As part of Project 42, I’m looking at getting back to having a limited company, and as a result of that I’m doing some research (again) on company formation agents, business banking, accountants, other management services etc., and generally getting myself a bit swamped. And as always, it’s all a bit of a minefield, a crap-shoot of hoping to find a company that’s merely slightly less grim than the others.
Business banking is a major culprit on this one – all the business banking people seem to be just as shit as each other. There really are no redeeming factors – and indeed, there’s even less on offer for new accounts than there was a few years back when I did this last.
I’m still somewhat gunshy about using an account to keep track of the business again – after my last one went bankrupt just before time to do the Tax Return, having taken all the fees etc. in advance, and leaving me properly In The Shit.
There seem to be more companies doing on-line management services for limiteds now, although they’re certainly not cheap. (And in a couple of cases don’t appear to want any new business, as they haven’t bothered answering even basic questions)
There’s no real hurry for these decisions to be made, thankfully. It’s all just research, figuring out the best deals etc. before I take the leap.
In the meantime – if anyone has any recommendations on business banking accounts, I’ll be interested to know it.
Posted: Tue 5 November, 2013 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: 2013/14, 42-43, D4D™, Domestic, Finances, Five Year Plan (now Ten), Getting Organised, Own Business, Project 42, Work-related |
As is tradition chez D4D™, this is where I list out some of the things I want to do in the coming year. I’ve kind-of nicknamed it “Project 42” this year, for no particularly good reason (other than that it’s the year of being 42 – which, as everyone knows, is also the answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything) but it’ll do.
The top two stay the same as last year, but there’s some extras that I want to get done or work on, as well as a bundle of other stuff that’ll come up along the way. Anyway, these are the main bullet points…
- Weigh less
- Write more
- Take the IAM advanced driving test
- Sort out my own company again – although there’s a lot that goes into that
- From there, develop a couple of business ideas
- Keep on rebuilding finances throughout the year.
That’ll do, I think
Posted: Tue 5 November, 2013 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: 2013/14, 41 - 42, Domestic, Five Year Plan (now Ten), Getting Old(er) |
Bloody Hell, I’m forty-sodding-two.
It’s going to be an interesting year, I’m sure. And come April, I’ll be halfway through the rebooted Five Year Plan, from Age 40 to 45. I think there’ll be more about that over the coming few days/weeks/months. I bet you can’t wait…
Posted: Mon 4 November, 2013 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: 2012/13, 41 - 42, D4D™, Domestic, Five Year Plan (now Ten), Getting Organised, Work-related, Writing |
Since this time last year, my plans were simple – well, the main goals were, anyway.
The plans, laid out on my last birthday were
- Weigh Less
- Write More
With those simple plans, I actually did OK over the last twelve months – and got a lot more stuff done besides.
For weighing less, I’ve lost just over a stone in the last year. Could be better, could be worse. I’ve monitored my food intake etc. over the year, and kept track of health/exercise/etc., but it’s not been as good as I wanted it to be either. Something to be continued with over the next year, anyway.
For writing more, that’s kind of worked and kind of hasn’t – it depends on what you class as ‘writing’. I’m writing more on D4D, and I’ve written some other pieces along the way (or at least started them, although I’ve also locked up on a couple when they’ve not worked out) so again, successful, but could do more.
I do feel that this last year has laid a lot of groundwork for the next year – I’m getting back into the swing of things, building up my own plans and routine, and generally feeling a lot more prepared for the coming year than I did this time last year.
Posted: Wed 30 October, 2013 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: 2013/14, Domestic, Finances, Five Year Plan (now Ten), Getting Organised, Travel |
Even though I know I’m going to be in the current place for at least another year (tenancy agreement all signed and sorted etc.) I still find myself thinking about moving on. I don’t plan to do so in the next year, but I’m thinking about it all the same.
Primarily it’s more about “Where would/do I want to be next?“, and then looking at current prices and places, just so I’ve an idea of what might work, along with what and where might be practical.
I’m not sure yet what’ll happen, and whether I’ll move on or not. Looking at the changes over the last year or two, it’s pretty much impossible to plan where I’ll be in a year’s time. For the moment I’m just doing my research, and hoping to keep my options open.
Posted: Tue 8 October, 2013 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: 2012/13, Commuting, Domestic, Driving, Health, Travel, Weigh Less, Weight Loss, Work-related |
With the job change, I’ve just regained about 2½ hours a day. My commute has gone from 45-50 minutes each way to 20-25, which gives me the best part of an hour straight away. However, I was getting to Cambridge 45-60 minutes early, and leaving 45 minutes late in order to avoid the really slow/shit traffic on the dire sections of road. So that’s another 90-105 mins regained too.
With that time, my primary aim is to get back into doing something healthier, the cycling, maybe some workout stuff as well. That’s the plan, anyway.
However, despite the new workplace being a lot closer, I’m not planning to aim (yet) for cycling to work and back. Even the shortest route is a ten-mile journey, and some of the roads are pretty dodgy. I might explore a bit, see how things, go, but for now that’s firmly in the “see what happens” side of the list.
When all’s said and done, I’m just glad to have the time back, alongside having a better contract that’s making me happier too. I don’t mind idiot commutes (as regular readers know anyway) when it’s a job I’m enjoying, and when I’m happier with how work is coming along. When it’s a shit job though, the crap commute just exacerbates everything, makes me even less happy, knowing that I’m wasting even more time, that the entire thing is just a faff, and one I can’t be arsed with. It also turns out that when I’m down about my work, it also has a lot of knock-on effects on other bits of my life, as well as my self-image/ego/whatever, which I plan to write more about for tomorrow.
Posted: Mon 7 October, 2013 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: 2013/14, Domestic, Finances, Five Year Plan (now Ten), Getting Organised, Thoughts |
In a fit of being organised, I’ve already sorted out another year’s tenancy on the current house. The agreement was signed yesterday, and went in the post, so it’s all sorted.
It didn’t need to be done for another month – it actually starts on Nov 4th – but I’m far happier with knowing it’s all done and sorted.
My landlord would actually be happy with just doing the entire thing on a rolling monthly agreement, but for the time being I’m happier knowing that I’m tied in (and so is the landlord) for the year. Monthly-rolling is just a bit too easy for my liking, too easy for a landlord to say at the start of the month “Ok, here’s your notice” (and I do mean any landlord, for I don’t think mine would actually do this) and then it’s an organisational (and financial) nightmare for that month.
I used to do 12-month tenancy agreements back when I was in Manchester, and I was fine with them then, too. I had some hassle when it came to moving out mid-term (when I moved to be with Herself) but that was fair enough, and kind-of expected. Even then though, they got another tenant, so I only paid I think two month’s rent once I’d moved out. Could’ve been a lot worse. (And the rent now is significantly less than I was paying for the place in Manch, too. Mind you, the house is also about a third of the size of the Manch place)
At worst it’s something I don’t need to think about for the next twelve months. At best, it’s off my mind, so I can fill that space with other ideas and plans. I’ll be in the same place ’til at least my birthday 2014, and that’s fine with me.