Hello and welcome back to Mortgage Advisor on FIRE. This week I take a look back at 2023, and a look ahead to 2024, with an update on what we did over Christmas.
Weekly Update
Another Christmas has been and gone, and this year’s was great. Oana and I hosted my parents; it was the first time I’d spent Christmas Day with my Mom and Dad together since I was a little kid. It was, also, only the second time that the four of us had been together, with the previous occasion being on my 40th birthday earlier this year.
We sat around chatting and with some chilled-out music, and the food preparation was mostly done the day before. Our menu was hugely stripped back. We had a turkey joint wrapped in bacon, with a cranberry stuffing. We made a huge pot of mashed potato the day before and reheated it on the day. We had some peas, some Yorkshires, and turkey gravy. For dessert, we made orange, honey, and pistachio possets, served with shortbread biscuits.
Oana, coming from Romania, has a different experience of Christmas. Her family would normally celebrate on the 24th, saving the 25th for a chill-out day to recover. The traditional food at Christmas in Romania is also different. It’s not really about turkey, and instead, it is all about pork. Pigs are butchered and the idea is to use as much of the animal as possible to make all sorts of dishes, including soups, stews, sausages, sarmale (minced pork wrapped in cabbage, normally served with creme fraiche – it’s delicious), and other bits and pieces.
As we live in an apartment, butchering a whole pig would present certain logistical challenges, and instead, Oana opted for one of her favourite meals; lemon and basil chicken with mashed potato. We bought ten chicken breasts and left them marinating in olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and fresh basil from the morning of the 24th, and then cooked it on the 25th. This lemon chicken is one of my favourite meals, so we had plenty left over, and we had the final portion on the 28th.
It’s felt like every meal since Christmas Day has been some variety of poultry and potato, but that’s what we like.
Anyway, back to Christmas Day, once we’d eaten our mains we played a game that Oana and I came up with. We came up with a list of stupid questions (some taken from the internet, and some we made up ourselves) and each person had to take turns picking a random question and then answering it. The game was great fun but did cause some debate, especially around what was the largest animal we felt we could take on in a fight to the death. I feel reasonably sure I could just about take down a tortoise. I shared the questions with some friends, and we compared notes and the variety of animals that people think they could take on ranges from wolves, to whales (assuming they are beached) to goats. I’ll stick to my choice of tortoise.
Another question that caused a lot of laughs was, “If you had to hide a giraffe from the government, where would you hide it?” I argued I would hide it in plain sight; I pop a lead on it and tell people it’s a dog. I would refuse to acknowledge any other truth; this long-necked mf’er identifies as a dog, and that’s the end of it. The question, “What would make you vote Tory?” was met with blank expressions; such a reality was beyond comprehension.
Once Christmas is out of the way it’s just a weird time as we wait for the new year, which brings me nicely to my New Year’s Resolutions/2024 Goals.
Goals for 2024
Most of my goals are, unsurprisingly, finance-related.
Goal #1 – Increase Fuck It Fund to £15,000.
Goal #2 – Increase Premium Bonds to £15,000.
Both of the above goals are within my power to achieve because they’re not subject to market movements like my ISA and pension are. Once at £15,000 I’ll feel as though I’ve got a decent buffer with roughly two years of normal living expenses saved.
Goal #3 – Max out my ISA allowance (£20,000 – unless this changes with the rumoured budget in March).
Another goal that is within my power, but will be a big ask with less money available for investing. Still, I’ll give it a good go.
Goal #4 – Sell my BTL.
Goal #5 – Reduce mortgage on our apartment to £165,000.
Goal #6 – £10,000 investment income for 2024.
Yearly Update
It’s been an eventful year with some major highs and some truly awful lows. There have been years in my life that have been rubbish, just like everyone else. 2023 is a year that I will not be sorry to see end. My mental health took an absolute beating which started around May, I think. By the start of July, I felt like I was losing my mind. It was the worst feeling of despair I’ve ever experienced. Thankfully that seems to be behind me and I feel as though I’m on an upward swing.
In addition to struggling with my mental health, I’ve had repeated admissions to the hospital, multiple operations, investigations, scans, and other uncomfortable tests. The year started with two operations to deal with kidney stones, which was painful, to say the least. I had three breath tests which involved restricted diets and several hours at the hospital for each test. There have been scans, more blood tests than I can count, lots of physio, and multiple issues with my medication. It’s been stressful.
Anyway, enough of the negatives and on to the year’s highlights.
March was a great month as we attended several events, like a Dara O Briain show, some excellent theatre in The Good Person of Szechuan, and The Great Gatsby ballet.
We also attended some interesting talks at the annual Off The Shelf festival, including talks with Richard Armitage, and another with Ian Dunt. We also went to a fantastic talk about villains and pranksters, called In the Realm of the Dark Rabbit.
2023 also saw a couple of great holidays, with a two-week cruise around Norway which included a voyage into the Arctic Circle. We also returned to Malta where I spent my 40th birthday. In addition to these foreign trips we spent a weekend in London to see Norwegian DJ, Kygo, in a fantastic concert. It was a brilliant night but the trip back across London took hours because we’re stupid.
Best of 2023
So this is a selection of what I’ve most enjoyed this year, not necessarily what has been released this year.
Movies: John Wick 4
I’m not generally one for movies any more. I enjoy a good TV show, but my entertainment now comes from books, audiobooks, and podcasts. I will make an exception for John Wick 4 though. It was brilliant. No one can ever really claim that these movies are serious affairs; they are just great fun, and the fourth entry was arguably the best one yet.
Books: The Man I Think I Know (Mike Gayle), All The Lonely People (Mike Gayle), The Black Fleet series (Joshua Dalzelle).
I discovered Mike Gayle a little before heading on our cruise around Norway. I will often just pick a book at random based on what comes up on Audible, and sometimes it leads me to discover gold. Mike Gayle writes stories with heart, emotion, humour, and characters that feel real. The Man I Think I Know was the first book of his I finished, but I followed that up with three more of his books. All The Lonely People was brilliant, packing a huge emotional punch.
The Black Fleet series was another one I just tried on a whim. It’s set in the future where humanity has colonised space, and the captain of an aging destroyer encounters a hostile alien ship. What follows is an action-packed story with some inventive and exciting battles, which try as much as possible to be respectful of physics with things like momentum, fuel, ammunition, and light delay being important factors in each battle. The series is made up of three trilogies; nine books in total. I really enjoyed it, even if it was a bit cheesy in parts.
TV: The Crown, Taco Chronicles, Vortex, The Boys, Star Trek: Picard, Queen’s Gambit, The Seven Lives of Lea, Three-Body Problem (Chinese version).
I’ve seen a lot of good TV this year, with the final season of The Crown dropping, and the final season of Picard bringing back the Enterprise-D in scenes which will have been emotional for any Trek fan in my age bracket. The highlight of Picard has to be Todd Stashwick’s portrayal of Captain Liam Shaw, a survivor of the Battle of Wolf 359.
The most memorable scene was Shaw describing how he survived the battle, which gave a real insight into why he was so hostile towards Picard. It’s not often you see such raw emotion on screen, and it was one of those moments where the actor became the character. What made Shaw great was that he didn’t give a shit about the legendary status of the main characters such as Picard or Riker; he was a collection of one-liners, wisecracks, and misanthropy all rolled up, and was, in his own words, “just a dipshit from Chicago”.
The final season of The Crown was possibly the weakest yet, but even at its weakest, The Crown is better than most of what is on TV. I’m as anti-royal as anyone, but as a work of fiction, I really enjoyed it.
2023 also saw the release of season one of The Three-Body Problem; one of my favourite book series of all time (the book series is actually called Remembrance of Earth’s Past, and contains three main novels, and a couple of other works, but most people just refer to the series as Three-Body or The Three-Body Problem). This version was the Chinese adaptation (there’s a Netflix version being butchered by the guys who managed to ruin Game of Thrones due for release in 2024). The Chinese version had 30 lengthy episodes, and it was refreshing to see a different style of television. The Netflix version is probably going to try and cram the whole plot into 12 episodes, and will no doubt dumb down much of the plot. We were able to watch the show for free on YouTube from the studio’s official channel. I can’t wait for season two, as the second book in the series, The Dark Forest, blew my mind.
I’ve watched a few non-English shows in the past and enjoyed them, but I’ve never really watched too much French stuff. This year I came across two excellent French shows; Vortex, and The Seven Lives of Lea, both of which deal with similar(ish) themes of time travel and trying to undo past events.
I asked Oana to list some of her favourite shows of 2023, and she’s typed up some thoughts which I’ve included below:
Triptych – Spanish – interesting plot re a woman that gets cloned multiple times and comes to terms with her different ‘lives’ and how her and her ‘sisters’ connect. Also, big crush on Maite Perroni especially after watching Deseo Oscuro.
In Love All Over Again – Spanish – fun little show about two university students falling in love and all their shenanigans along the way. Have seen Georgina Amoros in a few things and I like her, and it was interesting to see Argentinian actor Franco Masini in a show based in Madrid, they had good chemistry.
Sky High – Spanish – slightly cheap acting and tacky action but very moreish and fun to watch. If you’re into cars and racing (which I’m generally not!) then this could be for you. Mainly went for it as am a fan of Alvaro Rico and Miguel Herran.
The Glory – Korean – very harrowing and soul-destroying show highlighting the bullying culture in schools in South Korea. Very powerful, and satisfying to watch as the main character plots her lifelong revenge against her aggressors. Would recommend, but be prepared for some brutally graphic scenes.
Maestro in Blue – Greek – a relaxing summer getaway show, lots of drama, stunning scenery. Klelia Andriolatou is also mega cute. Refreshing to watch something in Greek for a change, am hoping they do more seasons!
The Kingdom – Argentinian – very strong show, along the lines of a religious style House of Cards. Very well acted and very much enjoyed it, would recommend, deffo one to watch.
El Marginal – Argentinian – another epic, gritty show about life inside Argentina’s prisons. Some excellent acting especially from Nicolas Furtado, the relationship in the show with Claudio Rissi is so heartwarming and fun to watch. Highly recommend, this is one I will definitely go back and watch again at some point.
The Marked Heart – Mexican – typical telenovela drama, which I am happy to admit I love. Interesting concept about a man arranging to kill another man’s wife in order to steal her heart when his own wife is close to death and is unable to get what she needs from the donor list. A fresh take on telenovelas and some decent acting, too.
Welcome to Eden – Spanish – as I am familiar with most of the cast (Begona Vargas, Amaia Salamanca, Nona Sobo, Alex Pastrana, Tomas Aguilera, Sergio Momo) this was obviously going to be something I would watch. Enjoyed the ‘Black Mirror’ style plot, the colours of the show, and the overall modernised concept of a sort of ‘off-land cult’, good ending too.
Valeria – Spanish – typically not my kind of show, bit too girly, but I kinda dig Diana Gomez and having seen Maxi Iglesias in a few things, I went for it. Quite sexual, very fun, good character building, and especially love the backdrop of life in Madrid. Based on biographical novels by Elisabet Benavent.
Good Morning Veronica – Brazilian – tackling some pretty heavy religious topics such as sexual abuse, trafficking, corruption, etc. A different take on a detective story, and refreshing to hear Portugese being spoken as opposed to all the usual Spanish shows I watch. Based on a novel by Rafael Montes.
The Witcher – English – I feel a bit cliche about this one, as Ciri is super annoying but have a soft spot for Henry Cavill ever since saw him in The Tudors. Some cheap acting, dumb monster ideas, and not very good effects, but the story is fun and keeps you on your toes. Also, Freya Allen is cute.
Pact of Silence – Mexican – another typical bitchy telenovela, about a young woman who finds out she was abandoned as a baby and goes on a revenge rampage against those who were privvy to the fact. Fun to watch, quite emotional in parts, despite the not-so-good acting, but enjoyed it nonetheless.
Money Heist – one of THE best shows I’ve ever watched. Bank robbing topic aside, which I can understand isn’t entirely appealing, and shitty title translation from Casa de Papel (House of Paper) – the cast is immense, the character building is so so good, the twists and turns of the plot are so well written and leaves you feeling tense and wanting to know what happens next constantly. I am not ashamed to say even after watching it a second time, I bawled at some of the chracters’ deaths. The colour, filming, music choices, and symbolisism is just genius. I smashed all 5 parts and the 3 documentaries in less than a week. Cannot recommend enough!
Thank you to Oana for typing all that up. She has been trying to get me to watch Money Heist, but I’m just not interested. In the words of Captain Shaw:
Music: The Killers, Our Lady Peace, Coldplay, Billy Joel, Kygo, Imagine Dragons.
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Financial Update
Assets
Premium Bonds: £12,050.00. (down from £19,350 on 01/01/2023).
Stocks and Shares ISA: £62,723.40 (down from £63,591.10 on 01/01/2023).
Fuck It Fund: £10,780.68 (up from £0.00 on 01/01/2023).
Pensions: £69,308.09 (up from £55,104.02 on 01/01/2023).
Residential Property Value: £227,512.00 (down from £233,989.00 on 01/01/2023).
BTL Property Value: £146,814.00 (down from £150,993.00 on 01/01/2023).
Total Assets: £527,573.93 (up from £523,027.12 on 01/01/2023).
Debts
Residential Mortgage: £174,247.55 (down from £180,028.08 on 01/01/2023).
BTL Mortgage: £104,924.60 (down from £105,101.46 on 01/01/2023).
Total Debts: £279,172.15 (down from £295,129.54 on 01/01/2023).
Total Wealth: £248,401.78 (up from £227,897.58 on 01/01/2023).
Investment Income in 2023: £8,307.53 (up from £5,685.20 in 2022) (target £8,500).
It’s crazy how much my finances have changed over a single year. There’s been a lot of moving money around to help deal with unexpected expenses, but overall it’s been a decent year; my assets are up, despite property prices falling, and my debts are down.
I came so close to hitting my income goal, but it wasn’t to be. Next year should be a strong year for income, even if I sell my BTL early on. I’ve been accumulating units in funds that pay income, as well as interest rates on my Fuck It Fund increasing. If I sell my BTL for a reasonable price, that money will be reinvested and earning income in other ways, so I’m optimistic about 2024.
I’ve said before that I’m in the middle part of my FIRE journey, and it just so happens to have coincided with a sustained period where the markets have been stagnant. I feel that a decent foundation has been laid though, and that when the market does start to grow again I’ll see some spectacular gains. The key now is to just follow the process and stick to the essential ground rules; spend less than I earn and invest the remainder.
If you made it this far, in this longer post than normal, thank you for reading. I hope you have a great New Year’s Eve, and a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2024.
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Great blog, as usual! Have a wonderful 2024, hope its better for you mental health wise than 2023 seems to have been. Wishing you all the best!
Wishing you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2024 – all the best with your goals.
And I agree with Oana, Money Heist is a great show (only seen 2 seasons so far though).
Thank you, and to you! The more people tell me it’s great, the less likely I am to watch it as I’m stubborn that way haha! We’ve started watching Monarch: Legacy of Monsters on Apple TV which is good fun.