Countdown to retirement.... oh dear

vintagebrighton

McKneff wrote: »

Are you sure you really need to pay NI contributions.

You only need 30 years contributions to get a full state pension.

I think it's mandatory isn't it? I have a full contribution record ~ I checked but I still get billed. The only thing I haven't done is applied for the small earnings exemption.... really silly I know but it's on my 'to do' list

vintagebrighton

A couple of updates.......

1) I now have to find £76 not £60 cos the electricity company upped my DD without telling me ~ only found out when I checked my account this morning. I know it can be sorted but that's not gonna help me in the next 3 weeks :mad:

2) I put 4lbs on over Christmas/New Year so am now resisting the urge to stuff my face ...... how bizarre!

3) Have £10 of coins bagged up and ready to go into my account.

Back to work today but no money spent (result!). My bus pass is paid till the end of the month and I didn't 'need' coffee, snack, something to read...... Luckily I asked for magazine subscriptions for Christmas so I've got deliveries to look forward to but those lovely big rows of fresh magazines in the shops are soooo tempting....

Gonna go and survey the piles of stuff that can be ebayed. I hate doing it but needs must.....

vintagebrighton

It's only 4th January and I've already lost my mojo Didn't post yesterday so here's an update.... a work day

Good Points
1) Thought I needed a new foundation (at £12) but cut the tube in half and realised I didn't.... £12 saved for now!

Yes, that is seriously all I could come up with........

Bad Points
1) Bought a magazine and a bag of nuts for a grand total of £6.99:eek:
2) Still not listed anything on ebay so not sure how I think I'm gonna sell anything for extra money!

Ah well, today's a new day.... must try harder:(

vintagebrighton

Forgot the £1.60 on a radio times and £6.99 on a bra I really need to get a grip of this! Where's that spending diary?

vintagebrighton

Sooooo, a weekend update

Good Points

1) Had 2 NSD Food shopping yesterday but that came out of the 'shopping money pot'
2) Erm, nope, just the one!

Not so Good Points

1) Paid for a magazine subscription ~ £5 for 5 issues (thanks MSE) when usually they're £4.99 each. Just need to cancel the DD in time!
2) Got together the paperwork to sort the utilities but just couldn't face it
3) Hid said paperwork in kitchen drawer!
4) Not yet listed on ebay

In other frugal living made soya yoghurt, vegan flapjacks and bread.... I can almost see my halo trying to glow!

Have added the magazine subscription to my fripperies budget ~ I do seem to have spent a lot considering it's only half way through January but I'm positive I can stick to it! Just hope I don't run out too early in the year.

I'm hoping to get some veg growing in our little back garden, in pots if needs be.... In the meantime I'll have to spend time clearing it. Good exercise I guess!

It's late now.. I'm only posting cos I didn't want to leave it too long and lose what focus I have found. I've been doing a lot of thinking and planning about how to sort out my debt and get some savings so will post more tomorrow.

Nite all xx

vintagebrighton

A bit more of a productive day today

Good Points

1) Retrieved utilities paperwork from the kitchen drawer and sorted it
2) Sorted out online tax return account ~ don't want another fine and my paper return is clearly late!
3) Another NSD

Not So Good Points

1) Still not done anything about ebay
2) Still need to actually phone utilities company and speak to them

Have looked at the garden.... seriously, we haven't used it atall since we moved in nearly 2 years ago. Well, apart from as a dump for our old kitchen and various other piles of rubbish Sorry neighbours) I hereby pledge to get said rubbish cleared asap!

It's a cute space with the emphasis on 'cute'. Our flat is the top half of a house so the original back garden has been split down the middle... a very odd arrangement that means downstairs kitchen looks out onto our section of garden and our balcony and iron stairwell looks over theirs! Still, plenty of room (once the rubbish has gone) for a little shed, some veg and lots of pots. Just hope I don't dig up anything unsavoury while I'm preparing the ground:eek:

Don't worry, it'll be an MSE shed and garden:rotfl:

I'm still contemplating how other money making/saving ideas will work in the longer term so will post these as and when... If anyone's reading, all ideas/constructive criticism welcome:D I just need to get to the 20th with what's left of my financial integrity intact!

VB

vintagebrighton

Work day today and another NSD.... my bus pass is paid until the 20th and the couple of bits of food shopping will come out of the food money jar. Result:D

What's even better is I resisted those lovely rows of magazines in the shop... I reminded myself that I'll be getting my cheap mags through the post very soon..... temptation avoided!

Nothing on the ebay front yet as I've discovered the competitions board, seriously addictive. BUT I need to focus as I need extra money by the 20th SO I WILL take pictures tomorrow and have items for sale on ebay starting Thursday of this week. There!! Can't go back on it now:rotfl:

VB x

vintagebrighton

I have reached a financial crisis point so have dragged up this diary rather than start a new one.... it's all connected anyway and I would've carried on with the original plan if health problems hadn't reared up and bitten me rather painfully!

Having decided I needed to sort things out financially I then found the cliched lump Cue rounds of tests, scans blah blah blah... the result being that I'm not working at all now and am having treatment for breast cancer. Ironically, one of my original debts was for NI as I hadn't got round to applying for the small earnings exemption....turns out that if I had I wouldn't have any income at all! Bear that in mind all you low earning self employed people, you never know when you might need your contributions to count I have a full contributions record of 35 years for my pension but that won't help if I don't make it to pension age!

Anyway, I'll finish this tomorrow cos it's suddenly very late and have an early date with chemo in the morning...

nannygladys

Hi vintage, just read your diary and Im sorry to hear of your health issues, I hope everything is going OK for you.

Im also worried about my retirement which is only a couple of years away, and like you I have some debts and I only work p/ time, I have no partner and live in a house that is probably too big (only 3 bed semi) but as I have been here over 30 years Im loathe to give up, anyway I would like to follow you on your journey back to full health and financial freedom and will be subscribing.

Hope the treatment doesn't leave you feeling too rough and you're sounding really positive

nannyg

vintagebrighton

nannygladys wrote: »

Hi vintage, just read your diary and Im sorry to hear of your health issues, I hope everything is going OK for you.

Im also worried about my retirement which is only a couple of years away, and like you I have some debts and I only work p/ time, I have no partner and live in a house that is probably too big (only 3 bed semi) but as I have been here over 30 years Im loathe to give up, anyway I would like to follow you on your journey back to full health and financial freedom and will be subscribing.

Hope the treatment doesn't leave you feeling too rough and you're sounding really positive

nannyg

Thankyou and welcome

I still can't get over how quickly 'retirement' is looming over the horizon! Seems like one minute I was building a future then WHAM, mental health issues and bankruptcy changed everything. Just goes to show that it really is true that you can't always plan for every eventuality. That's life I guess and I'd rather be here for the ride than not :rotfl:

Do you have any plans or ideas for what you want in the future?