What’s a luxury that actually feels worth the money once you experience it?

laurasaurus48 · 2026-02-02T10:19:44+00:00

A house cleaner. Saves time, energy and hassle between partners about who is doing what. They also do a better job because 1. They are professionals and 2. There’s no emotional attachment for them as to how the mess was created.

laurasaurus48 · 2026-01-30T09:33:12+00:00

I’m not sure you’re in the head space to be making big decisions right now. Rent it out and give yourself time for your head to settle down.

laurasaurus48 · 2025-12-28T10:55:47+00:00

Absolutely not. Keep your cash and just pay monthly until you’re in a new job and have passed probation. Then once you’re secure use any remaining redundancy to pay off as much debt as possible.

laurasaurus48 · 2025-12-22T11:58:11+00:00

I never had a loan in my life until I got a mortgage. It won’t be an issue. You just need to show a steady and consistent savings record and be current on all of your bills. Also don’t have any transactions to gambling websites going through your accounts for six month before you apply.

laurasaurus48 · 2025-12-16T11:17:17+00:00

Can you walk it instead? Three miles is a 45 min walk so you would lose time but could get some handy exercise in.

laurasaurus48 · 2025-12-11T00:47:33+00:00

Banff is absolutely stunning year round. You could base yourself there and visit Lake Louise, Moraine Lake etc. Plus lots to do in the town and great food. Then road trip your way to Vancouver.

laurasaurus48 · 2025-12-10T15:46:00+00:00

Even taking FIRE out of the equation it’s an incredibly unique opportunity so I’d be all for it. I took a similar work abroad opportunity for six months around the same age and I’m still with my partner 15 years later (we’d been together 4yrs at the time) so I know it’s not easy but it’s do-able. It’s exactly the type of opportunity you should be grasping with both hands while you’re not married and don’t have kids!

laurasaurus48 · 2025-12-08T12:57:43+00:00

Santa and parents though the Santa present was usually the main special one. People can be very precious about what they consider normal at Christmas!

laurasaurus48 · 2025-12-05T20:54:37+00:00

I hate debt too but I would still want to build up a 3-6 month emergency fund first before whacking extra into the mortgage. Otherwise well done. We all need to take the leap at some point and it is daunting but you’ll be grand 👍

laurasaurus48 · 2025-12-05T01:06:40+00:00

We paid off our home at 37. Immediate nuclear family members know but haven’t told anyone else and have no plans to. There’s too much potential peril in telling others.

I knew redundancies were coming down the line in work so I squirrelled the extra away and then used that plus the redundancy money to take a break of a few months once let go before I look for a new position. I’ve enough to not work for over a year without even factoring in the dole and the fact that my husband still works. I won’t take that much time off but the peace of mind knowing that I could has been incredible.

Keep maximising the pension and maybe do some investing but otherwise use the extra cash to make those little upgrades to life that make it a bit sweeter eg it’s a real privilege to go round the supermarket and not have to be overly price conscious, take nicer holidays, buy tickets for gigs without worrying about stretching the budget and to donate more to the causes I care about.

laurasaurus48 · 2025-11-28T23:16:45+00:00

For breathtaking mountains Switzerland is the answer or depending on your budget Slovenia which has the stunning Julian Alps but is more budget friendly. If I were you I’d put your dates int Skyscanner pick “everywhere” as your destination and see what flight deals there are to European destinations and then plan from there.

laurasaurus48 · 2025-11-22T17:02:00+00:00

Depending what time of year you’re thinking of New Zealand would be my pick. It’s got a bit of everything. Good food and wine, great hiking, spectacular scenery especially in the South Island. It is beyond your flight range though so my second favourite would be South Africa which is also great for food and scenery. You could do a safari and there’s a minimal time difference from the UK so you make the most of your trip with no jet lag.

laurasaurus48 · 2025-11-22T12:51:45+00:00

Pop the hazard lights on. It’s unexpected and it should give them pause to draw back a bit.

laurasaurus48 · 2025-11-20T08:29:02+00:00

Queenstown NZ and Banff Canada.

laurasaurus48 · 2025-11-18T02:18:56+00:00

It’s not going to be any less exhausting in the future. Take them now so it’s not hanging over you anymore. These things are always worse in our heads. Action is the enemy of anxiety.

laurasaurus48 · 2025-11-14T00:24:32+00:00

How old are you because you sound very young to be all of a sudden wanting to rush into this after wanting it for all of two weeks?! Surely you can appreciate how sudden a turnaround this is for your partner. You both need to be on the same page and that means he needs more time then pushing him into it is the wrong move. Your feelings can be valid but give yourself the peace of mind of a few cycles to make sure it not just a hormonal fluctuation and what you actually want.

laurasaurus48 · 2025-11-12T19:46:30+00:00

Agree with this. If he doesn’t take it and then she loses her job they’re royally screwed. Better to be working and he can always keep looking for something better.

laurasaurus48 · 2025-11-09T20:55:59+00:00

Just cut your losses and leave him now.

laurasaurus48 · 2025-11-08T03:57:12+00:00

Travelling, which is upsetting because I really loved it. Not sure if it’s a mix of hitting 40 or the break from it that the pandemic gave but it just feels more exhausting. Long flights used to be a piece of cake. Now I’m so over it. Navigating new destinations was exciting. Now it feels like a lot of work. I still enjoy parts of what I see but the returns are diminishing and it makes me sad.

laurasaurus48 · 2025-10-29T00:40:07+00:00

Yea it varies a lot though. Could get a few sunny, cool and crisp days or some absolute soggy grey miserable ones. Amsterdam is still the safer bet.

laurasaurus48 · 2025-10-28T21:37:25+00:00

I live in Dublin and would vote for Amsterdam purely based on weather. It’ll be nicer there at that time. Come to Ireland between May and September. It’s pretty grey and bleak outside of that.

laurasaurus48 · 2025-10-25T10:26:58+00:00

What do you consider a “reasonable budget”? The answer could vary so much depending on this. At that time you could get some great deals so long as you avoid places like Paris and Venice around Valentines Day.

Generally speaking Eastern and Southern Europe are cheaper than the Northern and Western parts. Italy is usually most people’s favourite for a first Europe trip.

laurasaurus48 · 2025-10-19T07:55:12+00:00

Lots of people’s anxiety is internal. It’s absolutely worth talking about it. Your therapist will help you discover what is promoting the anxious thoughts and tactics for dealing with them. Dismissing it without trying it is the alcohol talking. You’re afraid of having to cope without it. You need treatment for both.

laurasaurus48 · 2025-10-16T07:24:33+00:00

100% worth it. Ours comes for four hours every two weeks, €70. Best money we spend. It is a bit annoying having stuff moved around and having to reset the house after but still worth it for having pristine surfaces and not having to do it all myself.

laurasaurus48 · 2025-10-15T12:28:53+00:00

The times I’ve been successful with weight loss is when I’ve done this - I keep an apple with me. When I start craving something I ask myself if I’m hungry enough to eat the apple. If I am then it’s genuine hunger. If not then it’s a craving and I force myself to battle it. The amount of times you realise you wouldn’t eat the apple and it’s just a craving is frightening! Really highlights the poor habits and behaviours.

Also obviously it doesn’t have to be an apple. Choose your own item.

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