The Retirement Newsletter: How are my new year’s resolutions and predictions holding up?
Issue Number: -31 — How many have I kept going? Have I met my targets? How many have I got correct?
Welcome
Welcome to issue -31.
It seems impossible that we are halfway through the year (well, almost), and this raises the question — did I stick to my New Year’s Resolutions in issue - 56? And how are my predictions turning out?
My resolutions and predictions for 2023
So, what were my predictions and resolutions for 2023?
New Year Predictions for 2023
I had three good and three bad predictions:
The Good Predictions for 2023
A pan-specific COVID-19 jab — I still think this might happen. We already have vaccines that cover two variants.
The stock markets will remain flat for the year and finish where they started. (This is only a good prediction because I am saying it won’t fall.)
Global energy prices will stabilise but remain high.
So far, I have not seen anything about a pan-specific COVID-19 jab; please let me know if you have.
The second prediction, so far, I am half right. The stock market isn’t “flat”, as it is being buoyed up by the tech stocks that seem to be performing well, unlike the rest of the market. (Please note that this is not investment advice but an observation.)
I also got prediction three wrong — energy prices appear to be falling. So, this is better than I hoped.
The Bad Predictions for 2023
A new ’super-variant’ COVID-19 will emerge.
The recession will be longer and deeper than feared, leading to higher interest rates and inflation.
The war in Ukraine will continue.
On number 1, the jury is still out. There are many variants out there, but nothing ’super’. Again, I may have missed the news on a super-variant, as COVID-19 is now old news. If you have heard of anything, please leave a comment.
We seem to have dodged the second bad prediction so far in the UK with a small amount of growth — so that is good news. But, the lack-lustre performance of the economy, while not shrinking, is causing some economists to refer to it as being ‘as good as a recession’. There is no pleasing some people. Unfortunately, I was right about interest rates and inflation.
Sadly, I got number 3 correct. I so wanted the prediction to be wrong.
New Year’s Resolutions for 2023
What about my New Year’s Resolutions?
I had ten resolutions.
The first four have been standards for the last 30 years:
Lose some weight.
Get fitter.
Work fewer hours.
Declutter the house.
And I am still failing on 1, 3 and 4. Let’s see what the next six months bring. I am a little fitter, but there is still much work to do.
Keep working on my pension (retirement) plan.
Number five has been on my list for ten years, and I am still working on it. I have progressed in the last few months, but, like in 2, there is still much to do.
Keep The Retirement Newsletter running.
Well, you are reading it, so I have met this one. Next week is the second birthday of the newsletter. I can’t believe it.
And the new ones I brought in for 2023:
Meet with Pension Wise and have a chat about my pension.
I am hoping to do this in August/September time. I want to do this as close to my planned retirement date as possible.
Meet with an independent financial advisor to talk about my pension.
Same as for number 7. I intend to do this in September/October time.
Tell my boss about my plans to retire.
I am planning on doing this in November.
Sort out my subscriptions — I subscribe to far too many services and need to thin the herd and save some money.
And number 10 is a work in progress. I have stopped a few subscriptions, e.g. Netflix and Disney+, and I am not missing them. This means I have saved some money each month. But, I have picked up a magazine subscription service. So, swings and roundabout.
Overall, I am progressing in my plans for the year, but there is still more to do.
And I can’t believe we are almost halfway through 2023.
How are your plans going for 2023? Have you also reviewed your resolutions?
Travel — Nostalgia Corner
I had previously visited Yellowstone National Park in the summer and spent six fantastic days on horseback trekking through a large area of the park, camping out under the stars. I thought the place was astonishing. And a few years ago, I returned to the park in the depths of winter.
During winter, the park restricts access, requiring visitors to join an official tour. The tour comes at a high cost, but the experience justifies the expense:
Yellowstone National Park in the Winter — Day 1: Arrival — the drive into the park, exploring Mammoth Hot and staying at the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel.
Yellowstone National Park in the Winter — Day 2: Off to the Old Faithful Snow Lodge via some geyser basins and the Wild River — the start of our adventure in the park.
Yellowstone National Park in the Winter — Day 3: Snowshoeing through the Upper Geyser Basin— wow, just wow — and watching Old Faithful erupt with about ten other people.
Yellowstone National Park in the Winter — Day 4: Last day in the park — our last day — West Thumb Geyser Basin, Yellowstone Lake and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.
Yellowstone National Park in the Winter — Leaving the Park — drive from Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel back to Bozeman — like a bat out of hell! A scary drive back.
Next week, I will finish off my winter trip to the States.
Next week
Next week in issue -30, I celebrate two years of the Retirement Newsletter and round off my trip to the US.
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.