Finding Enough

2025 Financial Journey: Financial Independence (FIRE) Success Story

findingenoughwombat

6th Feb 2026

The biggest adventure of 2025 was spending a month in California – definitely a contrast from SW Scotland!

2025 definitely didn’t turn out as planned for a number of reasons, good and bad, but our freedom fund had a great year with no active tinkering whatsoever. One of my greatest fears when finally taking the plunge and quitting the 9-5 was large falls in the market in the first few years that we were relying on it for an income. Whilst we are probably not out of the danger zone yet, after 3 full years of early retirement (and not having a large side income from anywhere else), things are looking very healthy so far. While we were dealing with the ups and downs of life, the freedom fund finished 2025 with stellar gains on a year earlier.

Decorating, kitchen rebuilding and a first Christmas at home, December update

findingenoughwombat

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11th Jan 2026

Tired of plain emulsion, I got a bit creative in the dressing room / Christmas spare bedroom

Despite having moved into our cottage in SW Scotland in 2023, we hadn’t yet spent a Christmas here. Much to the disappointment of certain family members, we decided to have a quiet one at home this year. When an old school friend asked if she could come and stay for a few days while her kids were with her ex, it seemed a good excuse to keep things relaxed and simple. It also meant there was a little pressure to get a spare bedroom habitable and make the kitchen a bit more functional…….

A LOT of rain, and a horrendous train journey, November Update

findingenoughwombat

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29th Dec 2025

One of many rainbows in November. This one was captured in Dorset on a very brief visit.

A lot of rain means no shortage of rainbows, and apart from a brief cold spell, there was a lot of rain in November! The update is very late this month, despite starting it on time. We seem to be juggling lots of minor things and I’d forgotten how much time walking a dog takes out of the day – especially when the daylight hours are so short at this time of year. Then there’s all the fun of the self assessment I have been putting off. The great news is that we finally managed to move back into the house towards the end of the month after the plastering was finally completed, dried and we could decorate. It was about time, as the novelty of sleeping in the shepherd’s hut in the garden had well and truly worn off – especially with all that rain and mud.

A trip to Transylvania and a new furry family member, October update

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10th Nov 2025

October started with a long anticipated trip and proceeded in stop start fashion when it came to completing the energy efficiency work. I am finally starting to catch my breath and feel a little more in control of what is going on around me. At the time of writing we are still sleeping in the shepherd’s hut in the garden, but we now have use of the kitchen and living room, albeit in slightly utilitarian fashion. As we completed the last of our planned travel, we welcomed a new furry family member.

Contractor chaos and a week in the Lake District, September update

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24th Oct 2025

The vans that would fit in the courtyard behind the house – the rest are nose to tail down the track.

The 1st September brought 6 vans full of 9 contractors to start work on our energy efficiency improvements. By day 2 we were up to 8 vans, and I have no idea how many people. The cacophony of SDS drills, impact drivers and slamming van doors was a bit overwhelming. You couldn’t go anywhere without getting in someone’s way, so I mainly hid out in the shepherd’s hut. Mr Wombat became a kind of default foreman, as although the individual trades were competent, the plumbers didn’t really collaborate with the electricians and the guys doing the insulation didn’t plan work with anyone else. Also, no one really seemed to grasp the implications of having a pump in a well feeding the house and therefore limiting the way pumps could be installed downstream if they removed the header tank as they originally planned. They did eventually concede that he probably knew what he was talking about, and there was less rework from that point on.

Visiting family and destroying our house some more, August Update

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23rd Sep 2025

Some of this years competitors at the local agricultural show

A very tardy update this month, as September has turned out to be very eventful (in a good way), but more about that next month – or in a couple of weeks.

August started in fairly unremarkable fashion. I carried on with the cement stripping and re-pointing the gable end of the house, we spent a lot of time outside with the vegetable garden in full flow after a slow start to the year, and it was time for the local agricultural show again. This year I volunteered to help out on the beekeepers association stand, so I got in for free, wore a bee suit all day and talked to a lot of people about bees, but saw less of the rest of the show.

A new shed roof, a new record high for the freedom fund and more pine martens, July update

findingenoughwombat

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15th Aug 2025

One of July’s swim locations, not far from home

July was the first whole month we have spent at home in a long time, and it showed in the amount we managed to get done on the house. The bees returned from their holiday to the field beans, and it has been lovely watching them on their favourite blooms in the garden when I’ve taken a break from DIY.

No hot water, a holiday and pine marten kits, June update

findingenoughwombat

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8th Jul 2025

Pine martens in daylight out of the window! This turned out to be Mum.

June started in very positive fashion, with the stonemason we had been waiting on for months finally being available to repair the cracked linted in the newly revealed large fireplace. We finally got the in line extractor installed in the ceiling above the shower room and changed the aged halogen lights for LED spots and there were wildflowers popping up everywhere. Just as we were patting ourselves on the back and working out which order to do all the jobs required to put the ‘rubble’ room back together, the hot water cylinder sprung a leak 🙈

Probate, a heatwave and a mini-adventure to the Isle of Bute, May update

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8th Jun 2025

The view from Bute across to Argyll and the ferry at Colintrave, on a perfect sunny day

May was improbably warm and dry in SW Scotland. The weather was glorious, but drought is perilous for those (like us) with private water supplies. A daily hike down to the well became the norm once the burn (stream) past our house stopped flowing. Just the circumstances you want for when your in-laws are about to visit 🙄

The arrival of spring, and the loss of a parent, April update

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10th May 2025

The ominous glow from our window on the first night

April began in dramatic fashion with a wildfire in the Galloway Hills that we could see out of the window! Even if you live in the UK, you probably didn’t see it on the news, as despite it burning for 5 days and extending to 45 miles in length at one point, not many people live here, so it’s not very news worthy. The first night I saw a red glow behind the ruined barn, when I went to lock the door at bedtime. I wandered out with a torch, expecting to see the rear lights of some kind of farm vehicle in the field behind, but was astonished to see the hill in the distance aglow. I assumed that unless there had been some kind of alien invasion, it must be a wildfire, but there was no mention on any of the local social media groups. Having been quite close to the California fires in January, we we kept a close eye on developments, but thankfully it spread away from us.