My intention for today's post was to discuss the transition from being a saver while working and earning a salary to being a spender in retirement.
That was the plan, but instead, I decided to go skiing. That's what I call a good early retirement decision! The saver to spender post will have to be done another day.
In its place is a very short post, with just a tenuous connection to spending. That connection is that, since retiring early, I decided that each year we'd donate 5% of our annual spend to charity - I suspect it could be more, but this is where we are for now.
We have automated some regular donations which cover about half the amount, so we then need to choose some other causes for the other half. One way is to sponsor a friend doing an event, which is a nice way to show support for their efforts and broadens the range of charities that we contribute to. My idea is that this post can do a little more of that.
The other day, my sister sent me a photo of her, my older sister, and me. Sorry for the poor quality - it's a photo of a photo, and an old photo at that. Of course, what I should really be apologising for is the orange flowery shirt and matching tie (yes, I'm wearing a tie which is difficult to see because it's exactly the same colour and pattern as the shirt🤦♂️). I wonder if I'd been stung by a bee as one eye seems to be closed (maybe both eyes), or perhaps I'd fallen asleep standing up. Why my Mum decided to dress me like that and then take a photo when I had my eyes closed will remain a mystery.
So, why would I post this slightly embarrassing photo of me? To encourage you to do the same. I'm hoping that some of you will add a comment to this post and attach a photo - it doesn't have to be a weird or embarrassing photo, but it would be good if you'd explain the context. In addition to the photo, add a charity or a cause that you care about, and I'll make a donation to them. Let's have a little fun and do some good at the same time. Any photos more embarrassing than mine will get an extra donation.
Told you it was a short post🙂