December always has its own tempo. A strange mix of soft lights, freezing winds, and the slightly dazed feeling of trying to do “normal life” while also navigating school closures, tinsel, and a steady stream of snack plates. This year felt gentler than usual, though — maybe because December didn’t ask for anything dramatic from me. No big purchases, no big life shifts, just the quiet rhythm of showing up, saving a little, eating good food, and trying to keep the little one warm, fed, and vaguely entertained.
It’s the kind of month that feels small in the moment but somehow matters later. The kind that reminds me that the journey to the First 100K is not built in milestones, but in the quiet, ordinary stretches where nothing flashy happens — except maybe a tiny beaded Christmas tree turning up on the table and making the whole room feel cosy.
So the emotional summary of December?
Steady. Cold. Comforting. A bit chaotic. And surprisingly uplifting.
But let’s get to the numbers before we drift too far into stew-simmering sentimentality.
Where the First 100K Stands (December Edition)
Here are the figures, laid out cleanly:
- Opening balance: £22,630
- Investment deposit: £220
- Growth/Shrink: –£717
- Closing balance: £22,133
A neat little market dip to remind us that winter isn’t just for frozen fingertips and ice-covered pavements — apparently my investments enjoy a seasonal lie-down too. Very on-theme.
This is the part of the FI journey people often forget to talk about.
The “boring middle.”
When all your systems are set up, all your automations are running, and your job is simply to keep going. Nothing looks impressive. Nothing feels wildly different. You’re just depositing your £220, checking your spreadsheet, and reminding yourself that consistency is the whole point.
And honestly?
There’s a strange kind of peace in this stage.
Nothing sparkles, but nothing shakes loose either. It’s steady work — the kind that, months from now, quietly becomes progress.
December in Small Moments
The Tiny Beaded Tree and the Nursery Creations
One of the sweetest parts of the month wasn’t expensive or extravagant. It was a tiny beaded Christmas tree — a little handmade decoration that sat proudly in the living room beside the creation the little one made at nursery. These tiny things did more for the festive atmosphere than any well-curated shop display. They made the home feel warm in the way only slightly wonky crafts can.
They’re the kinds of objects you don’t buy; you just receive them, and suddenly you’re keeping them forever because they carry a little person’s joy inside them.
A Very Collaborative Christmas Dinner
Christmas dinner was blissfully simple. No one person took on the burden of preparing a full feast — four households gathered, each bringing something:
- Vegetables
- Date balls
- Gammon
- Turkey crown
And dessert?
Whole Foods cake.
Yes, Whole Foods is… Whole Foods. But my partner has a deal-finding superpower that I genuinely think should qualify as a small form of wizardry. So dessert was sorted without the usual price-induced eyebrow twitch.
The whole meal felt like a gentle exhale — warm food shared with people who all decided the holidays didn’t need to be stressful to be meaningful.
Gifts: Small, Practical, and a Hit
The total gift spend was £69.80
Enough to cover immediate family, and apparently warm socks and a toy car are still undefeated gift choices. Practical, affordable, and genuinely appreciated. Exactly my kind of festive success.
December felt like a spendy month, but that was really down to one thing: £400 of nursery fees. Not a luxury spend. Not a treat-yourself moment. Just one of those unavoidable life numbers that lands in the same month you’re buying toy cars and date balls.
Still — no regrets. Just life.
Adventures: Uber Boat, Coastlines, and Cold Winds
The Uber Boat – Peak London-ness
One of December’s unexpected joys was taking the Uber Boat. I know, it sounds very modern, but something about cruising along the river felt deeply old-school and deeply London at the same time. You get this ridiculous blend of history as you glide past:
- old stone buildings
- brand-new glass ones
- and everything in between
The city unfolds differently from the water — calmer, softer, almost reverent.
It was a long ride, which only added to the charm. At one point, relatives were genuinely impressed the little one uses a fork with actual competence. Peak parental pride. Peak London energy. A strange combination but delightful.
Staycation by the Coast
From 27 to 30 December we did a little staycation by the coast — because if you’re going to be cold, you might as well do it somewhere beautiful.
The wind was the standout character of this trip.
A full personality.
Sometimes pushing you forward like a gentle yet forceful friend, other times slapping you awake with an icy hand across the face. It was bracing, oddly invigorating, and absolutely perfect for clearing out the mental cobwebs.
The little one now requests “tea” — which is just milk in a tiny coffee cup — and honestly, it’s charming enough to forgive the fact that this trend will almost certainly escalate into actual caffeinated beverages one day.
The best part of the staycation?
Going with my parents.
Holidays with people you love — truly love — hits differently. It’s stabilising in a way hardly anything else is.
The Urgent Care Interlude
Of course, because life enjoys its plot twists, the little one got an eye infection. Naturally, this happened on the trip.
We ran for a bus, made it, and then the driver casually took a cigarette break before leaving three minutes later. Very public-transport realism.
The urgent care visit was quick and easy.
And afterwards?
Eggs and beans for lunch, which tasted like the kind of simple meal that fixes everything.
If December had a thesis statement, it might be:
It’s rarely the big moments that define things. It’s the tiny, ordinary ones that carry the weight.
Growing Feet and Frugal Wins
Now for the part that made me laugh out loud: the little one jumped a shoe size and a half. Not one. One and a half.
And look — I absolutely refuse to spend £40–£50 on children’s shoes that will be outgrown in two months. Not doing it. Won’t be tricked. So the funky discounted Clarks pair for £16 felt like a small victory in the battlefield of practical parenting.
Kids grow faster than my index funds some months, but at least the shoe budget doesn’t need to.
Settling Into January
Now we’re landing softly into January — a month that feels more like a deep breath than a grand reset. There’s no dramatic goal, no big resolution, just a quiet intention:
Get back into a rhythm.
Nursery. Work. Home. Steady savings.
The gentle steps that make up the middle miles of the First 100K journey.
December was full of cold winds, good food, small adventures, mild chaos, and soft family moments. Nothing extraordinary — but precisely the kind of month that keeps life meaningful and keeps long-term goals afloat.
The FI journey continues, and for now, that’s enough.
Gentle Questions for the Road
As winter settles in deeper and the days hover in that quiet post-holiday stretch, I find myself grateful for the soft pace of December. The freezing coastal winds, the shared meals, the warm socks and toy cars, the little one’s tiny coffee-cup “tea,” and even the sleepy markets dipping as if they too needed a lie-down.
These are the moments that stitch the months together.
The “boring middle” months that, when you look back later, turn out not to be boring at all — just quietly human.
So here are a few gentle questions to carry with you:
- What tiny moment from your December do you want to remember?
- Where in your life are you feeling the “boring middle,” and what could make it gentler?
- What routine are you craving as January unfolds?
- What small adventure — even an everyday one — brought you unexpected joy this winter?