Weird question... I have £25000 I DON'T want to save

rizla01

just Spoke to OH and her thoughts are as follows.

New partner? Hmmm.

What will she think of working while you laze all day? Poss case for resentment growing there.

Will you be doing all of the housework while she is slaving away. Inc ironing, vaccuming, making beds, washing, cooking?

Just a womans slant on things, you understand.:)

charlie555

Voluntary NIs: I think I am right in saying that now you need 30 years of NI contributions to qualify for a full state pension, so as long as you will have worked and contributed for 30 years by the time you finally retire I don't think there is any need to do voluntary NICs over the next 2 years.

Well now, sounds as if travelling the world is out since the GF can't go along too.

Difficult to advise as we don't know you. But my first reaction is to say spend 3 months having fun. But don't fall into the trap of sitting around the house all day - get up and get out every day. Trouble is, you will find it much more expensive not being at work all day - leisure costs money!

Then having got bored with doing nothing constructive (unless you are a complete lazy slob which you almost certainly aren't) you have an opportunity to do something useful. It could be voluntary or charity work or more likely as you sound like an industrious sort of person, something that makes money. Who knows, you might find you have the knack for running a business and making a living that way. This may be the only chance you get in your life to do a Dragons Den. Maybe you know how to do wharehousing of certain products much better than anyone else. Or perhaps there's some business you've always thought would be really easy to set up and run. Or perhaps like rizla, buying up an old house (bargains around at the moment) and doing it up appeals.

Anyway, I'm sure we all wish you good luck. And please would you update this thread every month or so to let us know what you are actually doing? It will be very interesting to see what direction things take.

postie1001

Wow! Thank you everyone for the positive support and encouragement, I've been working all day today, so have only just got online, but it was lovely to see so many people who had replied.

I don't have time right now to answer each point of comment individually, as I have to be up and back at work in about 5 hours (I'm a long distance driver and need to be on my way to Devon at 4am this morning for a 9am delivery!) BUT, I will hopefully have more time to reply tomorrow.

To answer a couple of points now though. Yep, I'll definitely keep this updated monthly, I may even list my outgoings compared to expected/budgeted outgoings and see how I do. :cool:

As for being bored after a while, yeah, that was kind of badly said. I think I would be bored if I was being a lazy slob, but that's sooo not me, I love being active but I do plan to read all those books I've never got around to reading too.

I do have some plans to do some bits and bobs. Initially just some odd jobs locally, for a pittance, but enough to get me through a couple of days without dipping into my budget. I have a load of stuff I can stick onto Ebay, which will help. But the end plan I have at the moment is to eventually get myself a cheap van and do odds and ends, small house moves, some gardening, house clearances, odd jobs, moving awkward and big single items... and a few other bits I can do. But not in a full-time sense, just as and when I want to do them...and this after a year of two of enjoying myself. (and getting the garden at the GF's house producing enough veg to cut into the food bill significantly)

Thanks everyone!!! It's truly heartening to read your replies.

Oh, and lastly... for now.. I'm just about to turn 40 in about a month. So have been working for 24 years now.

CravingSaving

CravingSaving wrote: »

I cant offer any really useful financial advice I am afraid, but thought I would say that assuming you have talked your plans through with your GF, you are a lucky guy to be in this position. It doesn't sound like you are being a "kept man" as you will be contributing your share of the household finances AND getting the garden and veggie patch sorted. It sounds to me as though your GF is lucky too! If she is a frugal person too then I can forsee no problems there and you may well work in perfect synchronicity with each other.

I wish you well.

Confession time.... I am the lucky GF Funny thing is, Postie didnt know that was my username when I posted that reply!!

Postie and I have talked this all through thoroughly and I have nothing but encouragement for him. Hey, I am getting a veggie patch after all! Both Postie and I are frugal and have very similar values in life. The less you spend, the less you have to earn. I work part time, I dont slave away... I have found a happy balance in life and I think that having a partner who shares my ideals, and is happy and content with living the slow life, is just perfect!

Lucky me

SandC

Fabulous, I wish you both the best of luck. I think this will be a great success.

nesssie1702

Sounds great! Look forward to hearing how it all goes over the next while for you and hope that you get out of it what you want!

Best wishes to you both!!

downshifted

Good luck to you both - you will be fine :-) There is more to life than posessions - and it sounds as though you are a caring sharing couple with every chance of a happy life :-)

mandragora_2

Good on you - I hope you enjoy it, and it enriches your life.

One factor (among many!) my O/H and I had to bear in mind when our children were tiny, and he was choosing between averagely paid work and staying home with the sprogs for a few years was the fact that by the time they went to school he'd be 43, and might struggle to get back into the jobs market, as he had few formal qualifications. (He was in the services from the age of 18 -39) With a long earning time in front of him, that wouldn't have been viable for us at the time, and in the end, he went out to work. We once calculated that by the time we'd paid all the costs it incurred we were a princely £20 a week better off, but in the long run, for us, it was better.

God, and our good health willing, we hope to take our 'gap' year and travel in about 5 years time - I'll be in my early 50's at that point!!

Charis

CravingSaving wrote: »

Confession time....
Both Postie and I are frugal and have very similar values in life. The less you spend, the less you have to earn. I work part time, I dont slave away... I have found a happy balance in life and I think that having a partner who shares my ideals, and is happy and content with living the slow life, is just perfect!

Lucky me

Have you visited the Money Saving Old Style threads on MSE? There are loads of frugal hints and tips and a lot more than recipes (although they are good too!) You'll find a lot of like minded folk there.
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.html?f=33 Good luck to you both. There's more to life than 9 to 5.

CravingSaving

Charis wrote: »

Have you visited the Money Saving Old Style threads on MSE? There are loads of frugal hints and tips and a lot more than recipes (although they are good too!) You'll find a lot of like minded folk there.
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.html?f=33 Good luck to you both. There's more to life than 9 to 5.

Oh yes, I live by the Old Style threads!!

Postie hasnt moved in yet, but we have spent a wonderful weekend foraging in the countryside around his "new home"!. We have found some Chicken of the Woods mushrooms, lots of hazelnut trees, though they are all bare now, but noted for next years stash, a greengage tree, which we filled our pockets from, and a Walnut tree... though they are not ripe yet, but woohoo.... free food! And then, to top it all, he discovered a potato plant in my front garden, which had half a dozen lovely potatoes on, which he cooked up, with some butter and fresh basil.... mmmmmm from garden to plate in less than 15 minutes!

I know this is Posties thread.... so I hope you dont mind me giving an update now and then too! This is very much a joint venture for us both. I really cant believe my luck finding someone who is happy to live a frugal and simple life