The Retirement Newsletter: Happy New Year — looking back on 2023
Issue Number: -6.5 — How was it for you?
Welcome
Welcome to issue 6.5: Happy New Year and looking back on 2023.
I hope you had a great Christmas.
So, first, a Happy New Year to all my readers. I hope 2024 is a great year and you achieve all you set out to do.
Looking back at 2023
So, how did 2023 work out for me?
Well, thinking about it, it was a mixed bag.
Back in Issue -56 — Happy New Year — am I starting my last full calendar year in employment? — I came up with my prediction for 2023, so how did I do?
My predictions for 2023 were:
The Good Predictions for 2023
A pan-specific COVID-19 jab — sadly, this has happened. Yet. It might, and it could, but it hasn’t.
The stock markets will remain flat — I am delighted to say I got this wrong. My investments have done very well. Thank you very much.
Global energy prices will stabilise but remain high — sadly, I will say I got this right. It would have been nice to say I was wrong, and energy prices had fallen.
The Bad Predictions for 2023
A new ’super-variant’ COVID-19 will emerge — we have been lucky here, and a ’super-variant’ hasn’t emerged. We have dodged a bullet in this one.
The recession will be longer and deeper than feared, leading to higher interest rates and inflation. Another bullet dodged; we didn’t go into a recession, and inflation has fallen. Unfortunately for borrowers, the interest rate has continued to rise. But this is good news for savers.
The war in Ukraine will continue — Sadly, it has. The war has got worse, and now there is conflict in the Middle East.
I had hoped I would be wrong about all the bad predictions.
And what about my New Year’s Resolutions? How did they work out?
I looked at how I was getting on with my resolutions in issue -31 — How are my new year’s resolutions and predictions holding up? — and things weren’t going great. So, where do I stand now?
Resolutions for 2023
The first four have been standards for the last 30 years:
Lose some weight.
Get fitter.
Work fewer hours.
Declutter the house.
Well, I will say that one through four are massive failures. I have not achieved any of them.
My weight is the same as last year’s — maybe a little up. I gained and lost weight this year, as I was heavier in the autumn.
I am not fitter; if anything, I am less fit than last year. Not good.
I am still working crazy hours — but hopefully not for much longer.
And the house is still a mess — but I plan to solve that this coming year.
Keep working on my pension plan.
I have been working hard on this. I have been saving hard and doing a lot of work to ensure I am financially in the best position possible.
Keep The Retirement Newsletter running.
Tick, done, success. The newsletter is still going.
Meet with Pension Wise and have a chat about my pension.
I met with Pension Wise, and it was a very useful meeting — see issue -19: What did I learn from my Pension Wise meeting? for details.
Meet with an independent financial advisor to talk about my pension.
Yes and no. I did meet with a company called Mercer — see issue -9.5: Into single digits — more advice on my pension and a change of plans — which was a waste of time as I learnt more in my meeting with Pension Wise.
Tell my boss about my plans to retire.
I did this…. But it didn’t go as planned. I had the meeting, see issue -13: The meeting and then agreed to stay longer than I had planned (see “A change of plans” in issue -9.5: Into single digits — more advice on my pension and a change of plans). Because of the change of plans, I now have fraction issue numbers of this newsletters, so I hit zero on my new retirement date.
Sort out my subscriptions — I subscribe to far too many services and need to thin the herd and save some money.
I did this in the spring, and then, as autumn came around, I subscribed to many more things. I guess it is seasonal?
Overall, I would say there were some successes and failures in my resolutions. I wonder what 2024 will bring.
Personal Note
For me, 2023 has been an odd year.
The major thing I set out to do — hand in my notice to retire — I achieved, along with working on my pensions and planning for my future. However, there has been one big cloud, and that was starting a new drug.
I wrote about how I had to start in a new drug in issue -33: Ten Signs that summer has arrived — Plus, a new drug, more on the data breach and stories from the end of a ski trip. At the time, I described the drug as “hasn’t been a pleasant experience”, and this hasn’t changed. The drug is still making me feel exhausted and unwell — luckily, I only have to take it once a week.
In issue -33, I also said, “I should see some improvement in my condition in the next couple of weeks, “ which has been true. The drug has been nothing short of miraculous in those terms — I wish it didn’t make me feel so crap.
Taking the drug has meant I have been able to do parts of my job (labs) that I haven’t been able to do for years without considerable pain. I can also go for extended walks (6 to 8 miles (ca. 13 km)) again. But the drug has sapped my energy, and I feel it has dulled my mind, and this has been particularly noticeable to me 30 minutes into a lecture. My energy goes.
Starting the drug this year made me think about my long-term health, and this helped me decide (along with numerous other things) that it was time to retire.
Travel — Nostalgia Corner
This week, I finish off my stories about my trip to Malacca in Malaysia:
Malaysia — Malacca — The Strange Trishaws of Malacca, Malaysia — I’m still unsure what to make of them! They are super weird, and I don’t get them.
Malaysia — Malacca — Malacca? Malaka? Malaqa? — What’s in a name? Malacca does seem to have an identity crisis regarding its name.
Malaysia — Things to do and see in Malacca, Malaysia — A summary of my trip to Malacca, Malaysia
Five things to do and see in Malacca, Malaysia — My top 5 to do and see in Malacca, Malaysia.
Next week, stories about my trip to Kuching in East Malaysia.
Useful links
OK, this week, here are some links that might be useful over the New Year break.
If you do become ill with food poisoning, COVID-19 or the flu, you may find these health-related websites helpful:
NHS COVID-19 website — numerous links to information on COVID-19
CDC COVID-19 website — many links to information on COVID-19
And finally, the two safe travel sites I mentioned earlier:
UK Government Website:
Next week
Next week in issue -6.5 — what will 2024 bring?
Thanks
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Until next time,
Nick
PS, If you want to contribute something to the newsletter — a story, advice, anything — please get in touch.