Christmas eve brunch - Early outing of the sprouts, my fave veg! I really do hope you all had a lovely Christmas as I have. It's been different, but really nice nonetheless. Gone were my work papers off the dining table. I downed tools and used it as a dining table (oh, the audacity!) for… Continue reading Financial independence update: December 2020
Author: Firelite
Financial independence update: November 2020
Wanting financial freedom amidst a time of low freedom I'm starting to think that one day I'll look back at this humble finance/navel-gazing blog as the best documentation of my life through Covid times. Not because it's particularly insightful, but in the midst of it, it's quite easy to forget that we are living in… Continue reading Financial independence update: November 2020
Financial Independence update: October 2020
Working on that pumpkin harvest As we're in the first weekend of Lockdown II, I already look back at October with ghoulish nostalgia. I'm sure I'm not the only one. We were so close to going abroad as the Canaries came off the quarantine list as we hit half-term. Now I'm realising that life won't… Continue reading Financial Independence update: October 2020
Financial Independence update: September 2020
Well, I was wrong. Turns out we did manage to get Junior tested for Covid and, with a negative result, resumed school life after a week at home. Phew! It’s not a week I’ll forget soon though. Me trying to create online learning materials (which takes bloody ages), and Mr Firelite, with a Major Project… Continue reading Financial Independence update: September 2020
Financial independence update: August 2020
This is where I got up to with my month-end update before work got busy pre-start of the academic year, Firelite Junior started school (shorter day than at nursery) and just as we were thinking that we might even have found a childminder, Junior came down with a bad cough! While said cough has improved… Continue reading Financial independence update: August 2020
My FI journey one year on: How did I do?
At the end of July last year fresh from off the first index funds boat I decided to start a blog charting my financial journey into territories unknown to me. So one year on, how's it going? Well, the blog itself has its peaks and troughs (yes, we're at a trough), but it's great seeing… Continue reading My FI journey one year on: How did I do?
Financial Independence update: July 2020
This photo is our first journey outside of our region taken a couple of weekends ago. It marks our move onto the terra firma of ‘the new normal’. This month I also reach this blog's One Year Milestone! Whoo-hoo. I’ll reflect on the bigger picture stuff in the year reflection to follow soon, but hope… Continue reading Financial Independence update: July 2020
Financial Independence update: June 2020
A breath of fresh air as lockdown lifts... The beautiful but burning sun of late, interspersed with shower after shower, is probably a fair analogy for something – maybe my mixed feelings over my work situation. But that aside, I’ve retained my high (82%) savings rate. Or if you like, 87% of take-home pay (this… Continue reading Financial Independence update: June 2020
Unlikely Topic of Conversation 1: Quantitative Easing
That feeling you should or think you kinda know something, but you don’t really know it. This is what this new occasional series* tries to address: I deconstruct and untangle to provide digestible personal finance-related nuggets for the regular person, which let’s face it, rarely come up as a topic of dinnertime conversation! At least… Continue reading Unlikely Topic of Conversation 1: Quantitative Easing
Ecofrugal: My 17 Top Tips for a Win-Win
You could sum it up in five words – Use less and make your own. And there’s some good lists out there already, so what’s new? I wanted to base this one on my own experience as someone who doesn’t have a tonne of spare time and mental space (realistically, I’m not going to keep… Continue reading Ecofrugal: My 17 Top Tips for a Win-Win