The Big Adventure

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  • Goldiegirl
    Goldiegirl Posts: 8,805 Forumite
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    edinburgher wrote: »

    £700k? Our current pension pots are worth c. £70k (and that's a bit of an accounting swindle by counting a DB pension worth £2k/year as £50k (the size of pot we'd need to earn that income in real life)). Actual S&S? About £20k over the last 3 years. It's slow going sometimes.

    I suppose it's all relative. Someone with a £700k pot probably needs it. It was like when I was on the 'Save £12k in 2015' thread run by SF - a chap had total *debts* of £872k!' I assume he's a Londoner, you could buy a castle in Scotland for less!

    I agree with you that small savings add up, as do small earnings.

    .


    At least you've got the advantage of time to build up your pension pot - there'll be a lot of people your age who haven't even thought about their retirement yet, so you have a huge advantage over them.


    Wow, total debts of £872K is big. When I was at the bank we had a few people with mortgages over £1m, but they were few and far between. I expect there are more now, but anything much over £500K makes me do a double take.
    Early retired - 18th December 2014
    If your dreams don't scare you, they're not big enough
  • Goldiegirl
    Goldiegirl Posts: 8,805 Forumite
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    Well, the last couple of days have been good.


    Garage de-cluttering proceeds. Although the house has seen regular declutters, it'd be fair to say the garage has been untouched for many years, and there is all sorts of junk out there.


    We've taken another bag of random junk to the tip, along with an old loo seat, but the things that are left will take more sifting. Some may be eBayable, and others we may or may not keep, but good progress has been made.


    Decluttering now stands at 100 things. I'm delighted with that, but I won't be doing that every month!


    Also, we've taken time to talk to each other. Not just superficial day to day talking, but really in depth stuff. I think we both feel a lot happier now, as we both understand how the other is feeling now about retirement and life in general.


    Hopefully this new understanding will extend to the shopping, otherwise I might have to take up the suggestions of leaving him in the car or parking him with a cup of coffee and a DVD!:rotfl:
    Early retired - 18th December 2014
    If your dreams don't scare you, they're not big enough
  • Karmacat
    Karmacat Posts: 39,460 Forumite
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    How lovely, Goldie, this all sounds the ideal start to active retirement.
    2023: the year I get to buy a car
  • Goldiegirl
    Goldiegirl Posts: 8,805 Forumite
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    The activity has continued today, with another visit to the tip, with another bag of random junk and various items of jumble, such as broken fog lamps, a defunct blow torch, a punctured air bed and various bits of hardboard and wood.


    The decluttering total has increased to 111.


    We've also identified about 18 - 20 items to try on eBay. some of them are quite speculative in nature, such as old tools and woodworking things. But there seems to be a market for that sort of thing, so we'll give it a try.


    There are still things that need further sifting to see if they'll go or if we'll keep them, but it's now looking like ordered chaos in the garage, rather than just chaos.


    At least we don't spend any money while we are busy doing all this, but we have plans to go to Bluewater one day next week for some R&R, and money could well be spent when we go
    Early retired - 18th December 2014
    If your dreams don't scare you, they're not big enough
  • Watty1
    Watty1 Posts: 4,925 Forumite
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    The old tools may sell quite well. Whenever Mr Watty has released something from his barn - a very rare occurance - I've been surprised what it fetched on ebay.
    Made it to mortgage free but what a muddle that became

    In the event the proverbial hits the fan then co-habitees are better stashing their cash than being mortgage free !!
  • edinburgher
    edinburgher Posts: 13,463 Forumite
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    Really good quality tools can hold their value for generations, you might surprise yourself!
  • Goldiegirl
    Goldiegirl Posts: 8,805 Forumite
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    Watty1 wrote: »
    The old tools may sell quite well. Whenever Mr Watty has released something from his barn - a very rare occurance - I've been surprised what it fetched on ebay.
    edinburgher wrote: »
    Really good quality tools can hold their value for generations, you might surprise yourself!



    My dad was a carpenter by trade. He had lots of good quality tools, and I've always regretted letting them go with the general house clearance.


    The ones we are trying to sell probably belonged originally to my father in law, and aren't in very good condition at all, but it's worth a try.


    I've got eBay free listing from 1st to 3rd February, so I've been busy listing today, both auctions and BIN's. I hope to do a few more over the next couple of days.


    It'll be manic next weekend if everything sells, as there'll be lots of packing. But I want to get everything out of the way asap. We go on holiday on 14th March, and I want everything reasonably straight before we go. I never like finishing auctions in the two weeks before I'm on my hols, in case there's queries, so the eBaying is going to be a big February thing


    One item actually de-cluttered today


    112) Wine rack sold on eBay to a person literally two minutes walk away
    Early retired - 18th December 2014
    If your dreams don't scare you, they're not big enough
  • misscousinitt
    misscousinitt Posts: 3,655 Forumite
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    Nice decluttering total.

    I have taken a leaf out of your book and started a bit - but at nowhere near the amount you are getting rid of.

    Slowly, slowly for me!

    MCI
    Mortgage Free x 1 03.11.2012 - House rented out Feb 2016
    Mortgage No 2: £82, 595.61 (31.08.2019)
    OP's to Date £8500
    Renovation Fund:£511.39;
    Nectar Points Balance: approx £30 (31.08.2019)
  • skint_spice
    skint_spice Posts: 12,650 Forumite
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    Oh dear my total is still zero - I must try harder! Have house full of clutter so should be easy really...
    Mortgage End Date: Apr 36/Aiming for Aug 28/Current Sep 35

    Mortgage OP 2024 £2250/7000

    Mortgage balance: £52660

  • Goldiegirl
    Goldiegirl Posts: 8,805 Forumite
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    I think it's good to declutter gradually - it takes years to build up, so it takes time to reduce as well.

    I've been decluttering for 5 years on and off, and we still keep finding stuff to go.

    We've done some more work in the garage today. We've decided to reuse one of the cupboards in there, but took another dilapidated cupboard to the tip. We've bought a small shelving unit, as well, so things we are keeping are gradually finding a home.

    Before we go much further, we need to know what sort of freezer we are getting, so we'll go on a scouting mission later this week. Once the new freezer is in place, we should be able to buy the final, larger shelving unit.

    I've spent more time on eBay, listing a few more items. There's still more, so I'll do a couple tomorrow, but will leave the rest until the weekend.

    It is very satisfying to see progress being made.

    Decluttered today

    113) old cupboard to tip
    114).broken hairdryer to electrical recycling.

    Plans for evening - just relaxing
    Early retired - 18th December 2014
    If your dreams don't scare you, they're not big enough
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