Retirement Savings -Mortgage changes

The last two weeks we've all been sick. DH and I both ended up off work for a week - this latest cold really does knock you about! I'm going back to work today but I certainly don't feel like I'm 100%.

Yesterday I made a change to our retirement funds. They had been in the hostplus Indexed Balanced option and I have now changed them over to the Balanced option. Although the balanced option has higher fees, it is performing better and has a more diversified portfolio. I think that we are headed for difficult times in this country with the re-election of this dreadful government - maybe even a recession? So having a wider range of investments should help to buffer our savings a bit from a downturn.

I have also been reconsidering our extra mortgage payoff progress. Our mortgage is only 4% interest, our retirement savings could be getting 12% (based on last years figures). Financially its a smarter decision to put it in retirement funds than off the mortgage which is already well ahead. What I am thinking of doing is just paying the interest amount as the extra payment each month ( now just over $400) and putting all the extra into retirement savings. So the goals for the year will change a bit as we head into the new financial year.

Monday Motivation!

I woke up this morning determined to get back to some better routines and better time management. I've been a bit sidetracked with this training and realised on the weekend I haven't read a book this year, I haven't sewn anything for months and the walking/exercise has just gone by the wayside.

I've started the day with a weigh-in, a healthy fruit smoothie and catching up on a few blogs. Ilona had a great post on motivation which was just what I needed today: Motivation  - its a good read if you need a bit of a pep talk.

Some goals for June to keep me on track:

• eat Dr Gregers daily dozen 20 days (minus grains)
• read 2 1001 books
• finish two charity quilts and post
• declutter the bathroom
• complete website 

May Progress Report

Not a huge amount of progress financially in the last month:

Mortgage

• $120,872 down from $121,680
• total reduction $808

Retirement Savings

• me $129,810
• DH $305,250
• Total $435,670
• total decrease $1,226

Health

My weight is the same, haven't been exercising as much as I'd like. Had some time off work with the flu. 

Work

Work has been quite busy but I've been taking regular small breaks, a few days off every 3-4 weeks and that has really helped. I've been busy working on training for setting up my consulting business so doing webinars in the middle of the night and very early mornings. I'm building my website and have set up a company, got the legal work done and need to open my bank account. Currently talking to my first potential client. I'm enjoying having a new challenge and its keeping my pretty busy.

Home

Well the last coat of paint will go on tomorrow in the front lounge room and my new office so it will be good to have that done. One garden bed is fully cleaned out ready to replant and the other is almost done, three trees chopped down and pathways cleaned up.