Early Retirement Extreme Forums

Sorry you are going through this! I second the recommendation to try carnivore for a little while. Quite a few people with autoimmune issues seem to benefit from it and it doesn't have to be expensive if you stick to ground beef and eggs. This guy has Crohn's and has a podcast about it https://permi...

I see it's been a while since I updated my journal. The first half of 2021 wasn’t quite what I was hoping for, but things are getting better now. Although I’m still not allowed into the USA, there are rumblings that things could change soon, and the UK has opened up to the USA so that’s encouraging....

2020 year end update. Hanging in there. Nobody close to me has had the virus, although friends of friends/family have had it so I know it’s out there. The hospital I work at was beginning to see quite an increase in admissions just before we knocked off for Christmas. But the ambulance sirens haven’...

I have a Kindle Fire which cost about £80, although it may be possible to get a special offer on it on Prime Day or Black Friday. I mainly use it to read books either on the Kindle app or on Overdrive which is the app for my local library. It's about the same size as a mini ipad but a little chunkie...

Regarding these devices, I had the same problem on hiking trips, being urban by nature and unaccustomed to this kind of thing :oops: I spent some time researching the various gadgets available but since we typically go to a cafe for breakfast before hiking and I get a coffee to take away, my current...

For a long time I regretted joining Facebook, and then a couple of years ago, a genuine friend used it to communicate that her husband was dangerously ill, and I was very glad to be in the loop about that. So maybe it depends on how your friends use it, if it's how they get in touch with you. Otherw...

So, a few more weeks have passed and it still feels like we’re in some kind of nightmarish sci-fi film. No sign of US/European travel restrictions being lifted yet. My fiancée has always been allowed to come here but would have to quarantine the whole time she was here, and would almost certainly ha...

Greetings from London! I’m pleased to report that the virus has pretty much left the hood https://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/lifestyle/coronavirus-sick-of-london-already-20200522196741 More seriously, the Office for National Statistics reports that our mortality rates are now below the seasonal ave...

It’s been a while since I updated my journal and a lot has happened since then… Relationship Still not sure when or how D and I are going to get married. My current plan is to get to the USA as soon as I can and get it done there, but failing that, a wedding in Iceland isn’t completely out of the qu...

Sorry your brother had to cancel his wedding too, egg. I guess a lot of weddings are going to be postponed this year. You're right, it is hopefully only a blip for those of us lucky enough not to be directly affected by the virus itself. I don't intend to pack in my job until my visa comes through, ...

Well, a lot has happened over the past couple of weeks... Just a few weeks ago my American fiancee and I were still planning to get married in London in September. This required us to "give notice" which in the UK has to be done at least 29 days ahead of the ceremony. An added complication...

Good evening from London. I see back in October I was joking about my Riot Diet from a few years ago. Now it's back in force with tinned tuna, ready meals in pouches and a self-indulgent tin of cassoulet stashed in the cupboard. I also have plenty of wine and loo roll! :) It's actually getting a lit...

A belated happy new year to everyone! It seems like a good time to do some financial tracking. My expenditure figures for 2019 are as follows: • Travel £9.3k • Health £7.6k • Utilities and property taxes £4.6k • Groceries £3.5k • Charitable contributions £3k • Wine and other alcohol £2.5k • D’s bath...

Hi Kipling! Your vision of the cottage in the country with cats, books, food, wine etc sounds wonderful. Have you considered getting a hammock? It seems to me that the only significant difference between this year's budget and last year's actual figures is the wine budget, so nail that down and you'...

Time for another update, as it’s been a while. My plans were thrown out of whack when my mother broke her wrist while I was staying with her for the weekend about a month ago. She had a fall in the kitchen while we were making lunch. I had to call 999 and we spent the afternoon in A&E. Fortunate...

Last week I discovered that a friend had a copy of Antifragile, which I’d been meaning to read. I borrowed it from him and made it as far as page 32. The author is certainly pleased with himself. One sentence did resonate with me: “academics (particularly in social science) seem to distrust each oth...

End of October report. I’ve done my monthly finances and it was an expensive month due to the medical stuff, so I more-or-less broke even. But the numbers are still on track for retirement in 2 years at which point I’ll be 48. I’ve been keeping a record of my spending for the last 3 years so I have ...

@halfmoon, just wanted to let you know I spent some time this week reading your journal from beginning to end. What a fascinating life you and DH have had. As someone who doesn't know one end of a power tool from the other, I'm in awe of your achievements. Your property looks very tranquil and I par...

Thanks, chenda! I assume you're talking about the UK. I hope things don't get that bad, as I'm not really in a position to stock up living where I do. After the riots in London a few years ago I did store a few tins of tuna in a wooden box for a while. I called it the Riot Diet

Thanks, halfmoon! That's an interesting idea. About half my capital is tied up in property and most of my savings are in fixed-term accounts in an attempt to eke as much interest out of them as possible. I'm also hoping the exchange rate will improve as it's low at the moment by historical standards...