Well two months early I’m calling the wealth, weight and wellbeing plan that started in February 2021 finished and more importantly a success!

For background you can find the first check in here (15 April 2021), the second here (25 June 2021), the third here (02 September 2021) and fourth here (13 November 2021).

Wealth Update

The major reason I’m ending this plan early is that I’m now paid off my home mortgage. Originally I was going to pay out the loan at the end of the one year fixed period but after contracting my Bank they assured me there would be no payment penalty for ending this earlier.

Today I received the update land title with no encumbrances or caveats i.e. mortgage holder against the property.

I still have several significant financial obligations ahead, in particular rebuilding the graduation gifts for my two nieces (Darby & Erin) and nephew (Harry) and three big planned trips in 2022, 2023 and 2024-2025.

Outcome: COMPLETED

What I learned
That keeping a close eye of my spending and limiting the amount of money available for that spending ($776.12 per fortnight) with the rest going into accounts I can’t access easily makes difficult goals entirely possible.

I also learnt of the privilege I have of a secure well paying job and the back up options I have allowed me to remove the home loan burden.

How people on even less money than this fixed amount can find enough money for rent (which I didn’t have to pay) and food and utilities (which I did have to pay on this fixed budget) is hard to envisage.

The many COVID lockdowns actually helped keep my travel costs down, so at least some upside from very difficult times.

Weight and Wellbeing Update

I completed the 26 kilo lost just in time for the last fourth check in.

Outcome: COMPLETED

What I learned
That I needed to reset new weight goals. While I have managed to stay within my 26 kilo weight lost goal I have lost momentum. As a result I will now look to go down another Body Mass Index group this time from overweight group to normal.

The many 2021 COVID lockdowns actually helped keep a more controlled diet. Having said this the 2020 COVID lockdowns lead to many bad diet choices which was one of the major reasons I needed this weight loss plan!

New Challenges

Other than meeting all of my goals one of the major reasons to call this plan to an early close is to set a new 2022 plan.

I would like to rebuild the graduation gift amounts and pay for the Kimberley trip in August 2022. This will be difficult but is possible.

The much harder goal is aiming for a normal BMI weight range, but losing 30 kilos in the last 12 months tells me it’s worth aiming for.