Some people just seem to have unlimited money

victory

Pollycat wrote: »

Both I and OH are retired (not yet aged 60) and have what (I guess) a lot of people would consider a very good lifestyle (I like it too. )

Foreign holidays, no mortgage etc.

BUT - we worked for it.
When our contemporaries were driving round in BMWs, we didn't. We had smaller (less expensive) cars.
We didn't fly Business Class to the Far East and stay in 5* Spa hotels.
We did go to the Far East (and other places) but on more of a budget (although we didn't have to).
We were happy with that and often saw more of the country than those people holed up in a 5* All-Inclusive resort in the middle of nowhere.
I worked hard at finding bargain holidays.

We saved hard, not hard enough to make it a chore but enough to make sure we could enjoy our retirement.

Whilst other people were shopping at M&S, I was (happily) cooking big batches of chilli and bolognaise sauce.
Whilst other people were buying ready meals, I was busy cooking them from scratch.

I still work hard at saving money, even though we aren't in debt.

If I see mince reduced at our local Tesco, I buy it.
In fact, if I see 500gm packs of mince, I buy lots and split it into 340 gm packs (12 oz) which is enough for 2 of us.
That way from 6 x 500gm packs I get 9 meals for 2 people instead of 6.
I bought 6 x 500gm packs of mince for £6.60 (instead of £13.20). That's 9 x 3/4lb which works out at less than 40p per person.

I buy reduced veg and make my own soup for lunches.

I buy most things on BOGOF, anything that keeps, and put it in my garage (I can it my corner shop).

I buy a lot of clothes from charity shops, that way you can get one-offs.
Most people say I always look good.

I don't have to work so hard at saving money but I feel I can then justify buying say, a pair of UGG boots.

I don't even need to justify that - I just like to.

I guess I was born thrifty with a spendthift underside - IYSWIM. :rotfl:

It works for me.

OP
as per your post, £50K is a reasonable income.
Maybe your friends are doing something you're not, money-saving wise.
Or maybe they are up to their ears in debt.
Or maybe they have won the lottery and haven't 'fessed up.

Whichever way, be happy with your lifestyle - or change it.

This post is perfect, sums it up beautifully, excellent way to live,save, enjoy, have hols and not feel as if every day is a scrimping chore, excellent:D

FBaby

mrcow wrote: »

You could be dead by then. Or worse. You never think it will happen you you, but trust me, 2012 has taught me that it can and will.

Why would you overpay on a mortgage when it is preventing you from fufilling ambitions of travelling and seeing the world?

Stop overpaying on the second mortgage for 12 months (it won't kill you!) and do something extraordinary.

I agree 100% with you, but we've decided to take the chance, but if I can indeed happen that we are not here to see 2013 (I think you must have meant 2011), the odds are more that we are likely to live for another 20/30 years after we will be able to really enjoy our lives through having made the choices we have.

We overpay our mortgage because we went to be mortgage free by the time we are 50, so that we can THEN reduce our working hours, or start enjoying those luxurious holidays.

What really annoys me are those people are choosing to live for today rather than tomorrow. No issue with that choice, but then they expect their debts to be written off, or their salaries to be topped up by tax credits and the rest. People complain that the pension they get is rubbish and doesn't allow them to live well. The problem is that when you live above your means for many years, you do feel that you are hard done by when suddenly you have to make do with the minimum.

I've seen my parents working really hard and making sacrifices, but I now see the amazing life they enjoy. Holidays abroad 4 to 5 times a year, spoiling the children and grand-kids, splashing on a the sports car my dad always dream of... they are certainly making the best of their retirement. So cross fingers that our health is on our side (and we do everything to remain fit), and I will come back in 10 years time and brag if I may

ognum

I don't think any of us can comment on how others live, we all have choice. Some don't smoke drink or party but like holidays, others love designer labels. All this makes the world go around. Providing your lifestyle is manageable for you carry on, if not cut back.

We have always been 'careful' but never missed out on anything we wanted to do. I have been careful in future planning, helping our kids. I do a lot of volunteering because helping others is more important to me than shopping etc but that's just me. Live your life the best you can and don't worry about others.

FBaby

ognum wrote: »

Live your life the best you can and don't worry about others.

Who says the OP is not doing that? She doesn't come over worried to me, just curious.

JC9297

FBaby wrote: »

I bet you don't live in the South East and don't pay the same mortgage we do for the same house

I did say if you didn't have a huge mortgage payment coming out of that £50k. Oh, and I live in Oxford, and no you couldn't buy a house around my way nowadays on 50 grand.

busiscoming2

Our income is way less than 50k. We could live like Kings on that!!!

Totally agree with Pollycat, that is how we live. We don't believe in credit and aren't particularly materialistic. I don't think I ever pay full price for clothes, buying them in the sales, ebay or the charity shop.

We cook from scratch most nights and have a takeaway a couple of times a month.
We have a nice house but don't feel the need or inclination to have top of the range flat screen tvs or stereo systems.

We do have two or three holidays a year but search really hard for the best prices.

The one thing I can never understand is the need for some (or rather a lot of) people to change their very expensive mobile phone frequently, and pay so much on monthly contracts.

I believe credit cards are to blame for lots of folks living outside their means.

Pollycat

victory wrote: »

This post is perfect, sums it up beautifully, excellent way to live,save, enjoy, have hols and not feel as if every day is a scrimping chore, excellent:D

Thanks, victory.

There are a few other things that I didn't mention, we never had kids so had more disposable income during our working lives than some people.
I worked for the same company for all my working life (over 33 years) and was lucky to get early retirement with immediate payment of pension & lump sum - which together with savings/investments funds our lifestyle.

I am sometimes a spendthrift - I wanted a pair of UGG Kensington boots which retail at £255.
Smallest adult size was miles too big so I bought childs size (some slight design differences) retailing at £150 but managed to get them on-line for £95.
So with the difference I also bought some EMU kids Stingers Hi for £54 (adults retail at over £100 on Amazon) and a pair of Kiwis (sheepskin kids lo boots) all the way from New Zealand for £48.

So (as I justified to my OH) "I've actually saved some money, dear. I've spent less than £200 and got 3 pair of boots.
But at least the mince from Tesco was cheap". :rotfl::rotfl:

JC9297

FBaby wrote: »

I agree 100% with you, but we've decided to take the chance, but if I can indeed happen that we are not here to see 2013 (I think you must have meant 2011), the odds are more that we are likely to live for another 20/30 years after we will be able to really enjoy our lives through having made the choices we have.

We overpay our mortgage because we went to be mortgage free by the time we are 50, so that we can THEN reduce our working hours, or start enjoying those luxurious holidays.

What really annoys me are those people are choosing to live for today rather than tomorrow. No issue with that choice, but then they expect their debts to be written off, or their salaries to be topped up by tax credits and the rest. People complain that the pension they get is rubbish and doesn't allow them to live well. The problem is that when you live above your means for many years, you do feel that you are hard done by when suddenly you have to make do with the minimum.

I've seen my parents working really hard and making sacrifices, but I now see the amazing life they enjoy. Holidays abroad 4 to 5 times a year, spoiling the children and grand-kids, splashing on a the sports car my dad always dream of... they are certainly making the best of their retirement. So cross fingers that our health is on our side (and we do everything to remain fit), and I will come back in 10 years time and brag if I may

I think it is great to do what you are doing if you have the spare money to pay off the mortgage/save, unfortunately for a lot of people on low incomes they have to use all the MSE tips just to make ends meet in the present rather than as a means to an amazing retirement.

merlot123

ognum wrote: »

do a lot of volunteering because helping others is more important to me than shopping etc but that's just me. Live your life the best you can and don't worry about others.

No, its not just you, shopping is the most the boring thing I have ever come across. Walking around a busy shopping centre, feeling too hot, other peoples children screaming and overpriced food halls. Not my idea of fun.

I also have offered my services to a Charity shop this morning, the lady in there is going to get the manager to call me.

Mind you, I have enough toot I could fill a charity shop, so I'm off to declutter.

merlot123

kettlefish

I sometimes wonder if our friends think that about us. I am 23 and he is 28. He only earns ~£18k and I was a full time student until May, worked part time as a nurse (approx £250 per week) and am now on £128 per week as on maternity leave, but we run a three bed, detached house on a nice estate, have a decent (but 8 year old) car and at least one foreign holiday and two or three UK breaks per year as well as regular meals and day trips out.

What they don't know is that we don't have a mortgage and never have had, and we have enough in the bank to buy another house if we wanted to. This is because DH lost his mum and dad in his teens, and received not only the family home but the proceeds of two life insurance policies. We don't exactly shout it from the rooftops!

Every situation is different, and I would give anything to live in a rented two up two down and make do with a week in a caravan in Skeggy if my DH could have his beloved parents back!