Happy New Year!
I was in the gym before 9am this morning – starting as I (hopefully) mean to go on, but I’m still a little jetlagged so am waking up at ridiculous hours.
Hope you all had an enjoyable festive period and NY celebrations.
Anyway, let’s just get the numbers out of the way for 2022 – I’m sure many will say good riddance to that year!
I saved 13.5% of my net salary, more than I thought I would save, given my travels and the time of year.
The above includes £48.75 from TopCashback* and £29.16 from doing Prolific surveys.
Shares and Investment Trusts
No new investments, I just topped up existing ones.
Current share/IT portfolio can be found here.
(Entire portfolio here)
Future Fund
It was inevitable that I would end the year with my porfolio down in the dumps. As at 31st December, my Future Fund finished up at £225,325.60.
Here’s how it all looks at the end of another year:
Much as I’d like to forget about 2022, it’s my worst investment year so far (using unitization, I’m down 8%), but I think I need it to remind me that investing is not all upward trends and bull markets. Or fun.
Dividends and Other Income
A decent final month for dividends:
I received £523.50, of which £205.71 was from my ISAs, the rest from my SIPPs.
Here’s what the graph looks like after another year:
This has been the only part of my portfolio I’ve enjoyed looking at!
Goals Update
And here’s how it all ended:
I’d be more upset if I wasn’t already numbed from seeing red numbers all the time this year, haha!
So close on a couple (library books and charity donations) but nowhere near the savings rate or emergency goals funds. I did read a total of 25 books (my Goodreads goal) and am pleased with hitting the non-fiction reading goal.
Am well chuffed with the dividend income – I had originally pencilled in to receive an average £250 a month for my FIRE plan, which was to cover most of my basic household expenses. I’m now averaging at £300 a month and with basic costs continuing to go up, I think I might adjust my plan to see how it looks if I aim for £350 or even £400 a month.
Yet Another Year Nobody Predicted (especially me)
It’s been a year since I bought my house.
The houseplants I bought when I moved in are still alive – my greenfingers have definitely improved!
I received Christmas cards from 4 of my neighbours, plus a little present from my immediate neighbour – I have very much settled into my home and the neighbourhood here.
My garden is still a work-in-progress, it’s getting there, though money needs to be thrown at it.
I got COVID early in the year and it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be – I’d just rather not catch it again if I can help it.
Other than that, it’s been another year of feeling well physically and mentally, with the odd bouts of minor peri-menopausal symptoms but nothing I haven’t been able to cope with. I didn’t even put on my usual extra Christmas poundage as I somehow kept food and drink over-indulgence to a minimum (without meaning to).
I’ve remained in employment and despite working mostly from home, am keeping the powers that be happy, with them awarding me that trip to Dubrovnik and an employee of the year award. Go me!
That said, I am of course not looking forward to returning to work this week, but at least I feel like I’ve had a decent break.
My social life was good in 2022, enjoyed outings with friends, the Manchester FIRE meet ups, catching up with a fellow blogger from Oz, and a trip to see the tennis at Wimbledon.
This was also the year I finally got to see my parents after 3.5 long years.
Need to tighten purse strings for 2023 so will see how I can keep the social outings going without it breaking the bank/messing up my FIRE plans. I think one of my friends has a big birthday coming up so if there’s an overseas trip to be had, that will have to be accounted for.
New Year, Same Old, Same Old?
2023 promises to be another challenging year.
I can’t see things changing too much in the news headlines this year – the same doom and gloom, ie war in Ukraine, strikes, higher cost of living for everyone and COVID. Or might things get interesting and we get some doom and gloom of a different flavour? Mortgage defaults and house repossessions?
Being a mostly optimistic person, I’ll just keep on keeping on, adjust my life as needs be and continue to try to save and invest where I can and enjoy my life however I can.
My goals will likely end up being similar to previous ones which have never been very exciting but they keep me focused – I also don’t feel like I have the brain capacity to think of different ones, certainly not ones I will persevere with at any rate.
Anyway, here’s to a happy, healthy and hopefully wealthy 2023 to all of us!
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Happy new weenie! I hope you have a great year. The key is certainly managing those social activities and financial outgoings along side fire in a way that doesn’t make you feel deprived.
I have to agree about the markets for next year and not exactly being excited for things turning around given what’s going on but you really never know. Who knows how things could turn out next year, it really could be as drastic in difference as a reversal and back to growth or a real decline that makes the current one look tame. Let’s hope things get better to some some degree at least
Congratulations again on that employee of the year too! Wonder if you can do it two years running and reclaim the title, hehe.
TFJ
TFJ
Happy New Year, TFJ!
Wishing you a great year too.
My social diary for this month is already filling up, so some juggling of finances will be required, haha!
Happy New Year Weenie. Great that you’ve settled into your new place, we didn’t get any neighborly Christmas cards 🙁
I’m a little unsure of my reading goals in 2023. I’ve always wanted to read the Malazan series, I see you’ve left a review on book #1, have you read them all and do you recommend them? I’ve always heard them touted as the biggest fantasy novel world.
Here’s to hoping that the hot air balloon starts racing upwards in 2023!
Happy New Year, SN!
Not getting Christmas cards might be due to demograph – young people don’t send cards any more!
I have read two of the Malazan series and do recommend them. However, I had to read the first book twice as the plotline and big cast of characters demanded a second reading and I ‘got it’ the second time round. I need to crack on with the 3rd book but so many books to read, so little time!
As lot as it’s the hot air balloon, with the odd rocket, that will be fine – no more submarines! 🙂
Happy New Year Weenie, always enjoy reading your updates and hope they will continue in 2023.
Happy New Year Jim!
Congratulations and what a 2022!
All the best for 2023 and returning to the office.
I’m officially saying I’ll not go back and I hope that it remains the same.
However, there’s something about Manchester City Centre that would make me want to go in! You can feel a good buzz about the place.
Cheers and happy New Year, GFF!
I don’t mind the office, it’s the commute I dislike, so just doing one or two days a week is fine for me and yes, there always is a buzz in Manchester City Centre!
All the best for 2023 to you and your family.
You are lucky you did not invest in Vanguards Inflation Index Linked Gilt Fund which i did 12 years ago assuming QE would lead to rising inflation.To my shock the fund has fallen over 30% this year as have similiar funds as apparently for complicated reasons Inflation Linked Gilts rise on the expectation of inflation rather than the actuality.The moral of this is understand the the investment product you are buying which i did not.Would now recommend anyone who wishes to hedge against inflation should buy Ruffer Investment Fund
Hi Simon
Happy New Year! Unlucky you with those Inflation Index Linked Gilts. I have been building up a little in Ruffer as an alternative to bonds but still wary about adding too much.