spending it while we can

whitesatin

We have savings but I won't save any more than we already have as, when the time comes, we will downsize probably. It would be nice to leave money to my grown up children, not least if it enables them to retire at a reasonable age like we did but I doubt that will happen as, rightly or wrongly, I fully expect to have to fund my/our care in old age.

There are some things I would like to spend money on, in this house, but common sense tells me not to as we probably won't get our money back when we sell. It's a difficult decision as I know we will get the benefit while we are still here, so undecided at the moment.

I wouldn't go out and spend money for the sake of it, not in my nature but I don't hold back if I want something. Lots of our retired friends travel all over the world. We hate flying and limit ourselves to the occasional city break here or in Europe.

margaretclare

I think I would spend to 'get the benefit while we're still here' as you put it.

I also continue saving because we simply do not know what's around the corner and what we may need. I wouldn't have been able to contemplate that private surgery if I hadn't had some savings, and I've never regretted it for one moment.

whitesatin

margaretclare wrote: »

I think I would spend to 'get the benefit while we're still here' as you put it.

I also continue saving because we simply do not know what's around the corner and what we may need. I wouldn't have been able to contemplate that private surgery if I hadn't had some savings, and I've never regretted it for one moment.

That's my husband's reason for continuing to save too, in case we need to have private surgery. We always had private cover and I have seen the bills we submit to the company. Savings would soon run out at the cost of merely a consultation never mind an operation. When I say I don't save now, I still buy premium bonds every month so maybe.....just maybe we might be able to afford an op, if needed. LOL.

pollypenny

Likewise . We save in order to fly to the USA to see the grandsons.

We don't go into longterm savings, as MC said, who knows what's round the corner.

seven-day-weekend

I don't think we do frivolous spending either (I thought the SKI-ing acronym was tongue in cheek anyway?). Most of what we spend is on our home to make it more comfortable, or on modest (as in the UK with friends) holidays. We mainly use money we earn from petsitting for this, or money earmarked for the purpose. The new kitchen we have just had was from IKEA and on interest-free credit, so we are actually paying for it out of income.

We did buy a much newer car, but our old one was 17 years old and had done over a quarter of a million miles!

We gave our son £25k as a deposit for his flat. This was from the sale of our Spanish house.

We still have a good inheritance for him (house and savings) and do not go into long-term savings.

Mrs_Z

Well, it sounds to me that all your purchases, although not strictly speaking necessary, are still very much thought about, not impulse buys and most importantly of all, you enjoy them! We are also splashing out on a holiday this year with OH. We've been married for over 20yrs and this is the first time when it's just us going on holiday with no other agenda to visit friends, family or any other business. We're in our late 40's - both in good jobs, have some savings but they are earning rubbish interest. We've been looking for a house to buy but not been lucky enough to have an offer accepted yet (sealed bids, etc...) so thought - sod it, let's enjoy ourselves for a change!
Oops, I just noticed that I don't quite qualify as an over 50 yet... the title was so captivating didn't realise ....

[Deleted User]

lol mrs z, you are wishing your life away. I think those of us in our middle 60s + have a slightly different viewpoint and it doesn`t matter to us that purchases are not strictly necessary. As Margaret said, time is moving on faster and faster so personally, I am purchasing to enjoy, they do not have to be essential any more but making life easier is a bonus of course

I have been revamping some of my kitchen stores today and have got rid of dried beans and grains, I would have passed them on but they are just out of date anyway. I am using tinned beans these days and hang the expense I am well into raw food and love many of the recipes while still enjoying hot cooked meals and soups, meat and fish, so today I ordered the few items that I wanted. Razz cherries, now they are horrendously expensive but we enjoy just a counted few on our hm granola breakfasts. I have 8 trays of granola in my dehydrator at the moment: jumbo oats, spelt flakes, soaked almonds, goji berries, dried sprouted flax, honey, cacoa nibs, a little coconut oil and a small mount of water. All mixed well and dehydrated at 105 degrees for about 12 hours. Yummy served with hm hemp milk. Oops I am off on a tangent but trying to explain how we use raw food like hulled hemp seeds. The ingredients are not cheap to buy but work out cheaply enough over time.

Nothing to buy on the horizon at the moment, just lots of fruit and green veggies for hm smoothies and tbh they are expensive enough

margaretclare

It really IS essential to live while we can, live life to the full.

DH has just had a phone call from his cousin's son, one of his first cousins who has been battling against acute myeloid leukaemia for the last 3 years starting in August 2010, died last evening. He has really had all the treatment that was possible up to recently, has been so brave. They grew up together as lads - cousin a year younger than DH. Funeral is tomorrow afternoon. I'm not going. I have the perfect excuse - the dreaded lurgy, cold in my throat descended into my bronchial tubes and I wouldn't be very popular going there spreading my germs all around. DH has often said, if that had been him, he wouldn't have gone through repeat and repeat courses of chemo, he'd have said 'enough is enough, let's go off and enjoy ourselves for the time we have left'. I think his cousin's wife would not have been of that mind, though.

iris

That's really sad MargaretClare.


If only we knew what life holds for us, then we could cram in as much as possible.


I never used to think about death, but since reaching SPA I often wonder what is in store for us.


We are both very fit (although DH did have a replacement hip 6 years ago), so I think we better get on and enjoy ourselves before it's too late.


Hope you soon get better MC.

[Deleted User]

That is so sad Margaret, too young.

I never really though about death Iris, not until my very fit husband was diagnosed with heart failure and 40% left ventricle efficiency. He regularly cycles 70 miles and feels really good in himself. Specialist thinks it was a virus that did it, anyway he has asthma and mild copd. Difference between fit and healthy, I am healthy and not fit and he is the other way around. It was so stressful and stomach churning to hear this out of the blue, no time to slowly take it in. We updated our wills the next day and have come to terms with the fact that death is what we are certain of in this life. We live in the moment now. He now takes meds and his heart is very slowly improving but we do not take a minute for-granted anymore and we have become very tolerant of other people and am so grateful to live in a quiet and pleasant little village, with no hustle and bustle