Poor but happy at 55 need to be debt free to retire!!!

Claw_back_money

Have a good time this weekend PBH - stay dry!!

Cbm

Poorbuthappy55

I'm back and am very pleased to say that I spent very little money. Me £1.03 and OH £58. Not bad for a long weekend including a meal out at Jamies in Bath.

Get my first Quidco payment at the end of this month £61. Instead of using it to pay extra from my credit card I think I will need it for Christmas shopping.

I am spending a lot less this year - i will have to because I'm not using any credit cards.

Had a very disappointing water bill it seems we are using £50 each month for water and sewerage which seems a bit high.

The good news is that our electricity bill was £80 less than last quarter since we had the monitor and can see how much we are using.

Spent £20 in Waitrose tonight which will keep us going until next Monday.

hope everyone's getting on OK?

Sun_Addict

Hi PBH. Glad you had a good time and didn't spend much on your long weekend. I wish our electricity bill would go down - we use so much. We had a chance of a free monitor - someone from Eon was giving them away door to door and I foolishly turned him away because I thought there was a catch to it! OH is the worst for using electricity - he charges up his tools for work every night and even has a heater in the pond for the fish (which is only tiny and he assures me it doesn't use much electricity but I am sceptical about this!). You should see them when it's cold they just cluster around it instead of swimming! I keep chipping away at him though so one day I might get through!

Claw_back_money

Hi PBH
Glad you had a good weekend away. I love Bath but I've never been to Jamies - sounds like you had a lovely time even though you were carefully guarding the pennies!
Have you double checked your water meter, I know we had a bill once that had the wrong numbers on it - never did work out why exactly unless it was a neighbour's meter they had read.
Fab on the electricity though!

Sun Addict - I am a member of Unison and one of the things they keep offering is to check my tax, and charging up tools is one of the things they ask if I do. Have you looked to see if it can be offset against tax somehow?

Cheers
Cbm

Sun_Addict

Thanks Cbm - OH's accountant does take utility bills into account when he does his year end accounts so he does get some tax allowance for this - unfortunately not an awful lot but better than nothing.

Claw_back_money

Glad you get an allowance for the tools.

How is the Christmas shopping going?

Cbm

Poorbuthappy55

Hi

I've just done a really long post and lost it!!!

I was wondering how you are all getting on with your Christmas shopping. I am delighted that I haven't put anything on my credit card.

I have sort of lost the plot a bit with my grocery shopping so my plan is to s

pend no more than £50 between now and Christmas Eve and £150 from 27th December to 31st January. we are away for Christmas Day and Boxing day.

I have been buying my presents in an MSE way with vouchers and/or quidco.

I am going to post this before I lose it again and may do another one later.

I am still planning to pay off my MBNA card by Easter, it stands at £2787 now.

Claw_back_money

Sorry you lost your long post - annoying isn't it!

I'm finding it hard to keep the reins on my grocery shopping at the moment as well. I'm finding 'eeking' out the most effective way, using the bits and pieces knocking around rather than going shopping again. £50 for 3 weeks would really challenge me!!!

Good luck with the MBNA card. My Play.com (which is also MBNA) is a similar amount - £2,950. I need to pay it off before the 0% runs out in April - so similar timescale really.

Cheers
Cbm

Poorbuthappy55

Hi CBM

Looking at your signature if you pay your Play.com card by April you will be nearly debt free - how fantastic is that!!

My £50 grocery challenge is only because my cupboards and freezer are bursting at the seams.

The bad news is my dyson has given up on me and it's out of guarantee. I will have to buy a new vacuum but will buy something for around a £100.

A NSD tomorrow because I have a long day at work and will take soup & sandwich with me.

Will be back again tomorrow.

PBH xx

fiftyeighter_2

Hi Poorbuthappy. Just read through your diary aren't you doing well. Its nice to see someone here that isn't 20-30yrs young. Not that i'm critisising them i wish i'd have been intelligent enough to have a LBM at there age. They are great aren't they. Some lovely people on here.
Well i'm 59. Not really in debt now but POOR. My OH has been laid off and then so did i a week later. So the money has dramatically dropped. But then again as my diary says "Is this a blessing in disguise" with help with my rent and rates i can manage, just. I no to some people this will sound outrageous but i promise i have worked full time all my life. And yes i do intend and am looking for work even though i officially retire next May.
I'm getting off the subject. I just wanted to wish you all the luck. You will do it you no. You have real discipline.