Edinburgher gets cracking!

tootoo

Sounds like a good hobby Ed!
I used some blackcurrants (from my garden) and I'm currently waiting on them to turn some gin into something yummy. It's smelling good so far, just need to hold off drinking it until christmas!

gallygirl

edinburgher wrote: »

For anyone familiar with the chapter 'Barriers to change' in 'Early Retirement Extreme', I think it's safe to say that I have 'increased my dissatisfaction with present situation'

Yup, I had a !!!! day at work as well :rotfl:.

Staffordia

Can I join the !!!! day at work please? Going to be lumbered with managing a complete nightmare :mad:

edinburgher

Staffordia wrote: »

Can I join the !!!! day at work please? Going to be lumbered with managing a complete nightmare :mad:

You certainly can - in my place it's the other way round - the more managerial you are the bigger the nightmare. It seems to be an iron rule :rotfl:

Staffordia

I'm only a junior manager, so I'm actually quite nice;).

edinburgher

Staffordia wrote: »

I'm only a junior manager, so I'm actually quite nice;).

I've been lucky enough to work at a management grades for a few years without any actual managing. Granted, I get given all the carp problems to solve, but if that's fine if it spares me the 'joy' of managing!

Today has been dead/busy/dead busy on and off and I'm just finishing a somewhat late lunch break.

I read this scary (but somewhat unsurprising) article about the state of UK pension provisions (particuarly women). Now I'm far from insensitive towards the fact that wage restraint and rising living costs have led to more demands on pay packets nowadays, but seriously? 40%of women with adequate provision?

The thought of an increasingly decrepit population grudgingly working its collective way to the end of 50 years of paid labour a piece is a sobering thought! I was also surprised to read that 'adequate' provision was 12% of income into a pension/being in a DB scheme. I have both a couple of years in a DB scheme and the aforementioned 12% - I don't think this is anywhere near adequate!

Sorry for the ramble, the article touched a nerve. Reducing our debts over at MFW is all well and good, but we have to accept the fact that it's only one side of the coin....

misscousinitt

Whoops! That is a frightening statistic and just doing some quick sums, I am about £500 short a year in my contributions, just to bring it up to 12% (not including tax rebate).

Thank you for posting this - when I go through all my paperwork on my week off I will have a closer look at my pension and see what I need to do to top this up and then see what I can afford.

Hope that your evening is relaxing.

MCI

edinburgher

Whoops! That is a frightening statistic and just doing some quick sums, I am about £500 short a year in my contributions, just to bring it up to 12% (not including tax rebate).

I'd include the rebate as part of the total for the purposes of calculations.

My employer is very sneaky - my permanent contract details a fixed amount/not a percentage. So even though my salary has risen since I joined, the amount they contribute certainly hasn't.

It could be worse - they're putting all new employees into NEST :eek: What's that - 3% a year or so (with horrendous charges)? It makes me furious that they will so cynically grab an opportunity to stick it to their workers, but for most staff, it is their own fault. The more generous pension scheme has been available for the last 5 years and if you're willing to turn down a 100% instant ROI, you're already doing something wrong.

I don't think 12% is nearly enough, even with a paid off mortgage.

edinburgher

I made it - payday tomorrow and I didn't go over budget! :j

Clearing down the decks this evening, a few last minutes savings:

• 38p to Freedom Fund
• £3.76 to Remortgage Pot
• £3.75 to Kitchen Pot

Targets for next month are (at least)

• £40 to Freedom Fund (£65.28)
• £77.50 to Remortgage Pot (£159.73)
• £77.50 to Kitchen Pot (£203.10)

Should be a piece of cake, will increase targets if they get too easy :beer:

Also increasing our monthly Emergency Fund payment to £150, should probably be more

slowlyfading

I thought you'd finished your Emergency Fund - have you raised the amount you want in there?

Good luck with your challenges this month, I'm sure you'll smash them!