Another month in lockdown speeds by and time for my monthly update.
The weeks have gone by quickly and the weather has been fantastic again, meaning the kids can play outside and we can relax a little in the garden.
The four youngest kids seem to be enjoying the lockdown and not missing school. It helps that there is so many of them that they can play with each other, and they play online games with their friends.
Mrs FU is continuing to work through the crisis, and I am still on furlough along with the eldest two kids.
The lockdown has given me time to think a lot about future work and FIRE plans, and re-evaluating whether my current plan is sufficient or if I need to change direction. My thoughts and plans change on a daily basis.
Truth be told, if I could access my pension now I would seriously think about FIREing immediately. I don’t mind looking after my rental properties but I am jaded with work and want to spend more time with the kids and on things I enjoy.
We should have been on holiday in Spain now but obviously this got cancelled. I wasn’t too bothered, especially as the weather is great, but Mrs FU was a little upset as that is the only time she gets away from all cooking and household duties in the year. The hotel part of the holiday was refunded this week, but we are still waiting for Easyjet to refund the flights.
On the money front we are ok. We have received income from the self-employment scheme and the furlough scheme, and we took advantage of a mortgage holiday like GFF here. My company has also applied for and received a bounce-back loan which I am going to use for a development I am planning.
The Numbers
FI Target – £1.25m to give £50k/year income @ 4% withdrawal rate.
Current FI value – £555k networth+ £455k (State pen £18.2k x 25) + £87k (DB pen £3.5k x 25)) = £1.09m
% to Target FI – 87%
Time to FI = 3 years (assuming 7%/yr. growth in net worth)
MONTHLY UPDATE AND GOALS
Net Worth May ’20 – £555,467 (Apr ’20 £534,439) +3.9% +£21,028
Assets – £787,267 (£771,731) +2.0% +£15,536
Cash/bank £4671 (£1700)
Main Home Q1 £419,476 (Q4 £408,566) 0% +£0
Rental Properties Q1 £173,034 (Q4 £168,534) 0% +£0
Pension SIPP £190,086 (£177,521) +6.4% +£12,565
Liabilities – £231,800 (£237,292) -2.3% -£5,492
Main Home Mortgage £86,750 (£86,750)
Loans, Debts and credit cards £145,050 (£150,542)
Overall Net Worth in May has increased by £21k and has surpassed the previous all-time high of £543k in December ’19. Net worth has recovered £53k over the last 2 months!
Liabilities were down by just over £5k, helped by the holiday refund and lower expenses for the month.
The stock market inexplicably continues to recover, increasing my SIPP pension by a hefty £12k.
Rolling year on year change in net worth from May ’19 is +£50,936 (assets +£32,110, liabilities -£18,826)
YOY house price change +4.14%. The Equity in my main home is £332,726.
Main home and rental property values are unchanged at Q1 figures, calculated using the Nationwide House price index .
Nationwide’s May report says ‘House price growth slows sharply as the impact of
the pandemic begins to filter through’, and that house prices dropped 1.7% in May. The medium-term outlook for the housing market remains highly uncertain, where much will depend on the performance of the wider economy.
Dividends
SIPP Dividends paid in May were £762.
Dividends May 2020 YTD total £2117, Av. £423/m (May 2019 YTD £608, Av. £122/m)
(Yearly totals – 2016 £425, 2017 £911, 2018 £1306, 2019 £2319)
Other Monthly/weekly goals
Matched Betting –£13 this month (+£152 last month)
First time ever we’ve had a negative month doing matched betting. Still only doing casino offers. We did no normal MB offers this month again.
Total to date since starting 31m ago £11355 Av. £366/m (£11368 to last month Av. 379/m) means we made £13 loss this month, broken down as follows.
Casino/slot offers to date £4806 (4819) = £13 loss this month
Each way sniping to date £625 (£625) = £0 this month
Normal match betting offers £0 profit this month
Diet and Fitness – Well I passed my half-century and made the target of 70kg a few weeks after. I’m down to 70kg and 17% body fat. I’ve been training every day on lockdown and also taking the kids out a couple of times a week for 3k runs. My new target is to get to 65kg and/or under 12% body fat.
eBay/selling – Mrs FU sold a few bits for under £10 but not else much done this month.
Keep healthy and safe everyone.
Any comments/questions always welcome
Monthly Net worth since started tracking
#20 April ’20 £534,439 +£32,858
#21 May ’20 £555,467 +£21,028
We are in a very similar position as you except fewer properties (1) and fewer kids (2).
And our pensions contain even more comparatively meaning our bridge to 60 looks a lot less certain right now.
Our May numbers look similar but i am pencilling in big drops in house prices – who knows uf that’s the case but I see no sense in dreaming that it’s value has taken a hit along with everybody else’s.
Fewer kids – you’re with the majority there 😂
I’m hoping house prices don’t fall too much.
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Hi Mr Fu
Congrats on the half-century and achieving your weight goal. I wish I had your resolve to keep up with my training!
But a great update and good to see that your assets are also riding on the crest of the current recovery – excellent dividends there.
At some point, we’ll surely see the end to travel restrictions, and until then, we’ve all got to try to patiently waiti until we can all enjoy a holiday in overseas climes.
Thanks weenie.
I was surprised by the dividends this month.