Breaking Through, Travelling On

edinburgher

I think you follow what I'm thinking just fine KC, it will be a spring garden

The site is a bit brighter than I thought forget me nots would like, but they are very adaptable (and I'm pretty sure that a variety has self-seeded already)!

Currently thinking snowdrops, crocuses when they become available, and 3 types of forget me nots (we'll thin these out to use in other parts of the garden).

Silly question, but if we use bark chippings, won't it stop the flowers that I do want from growing?

earthgirl

Karmacat wrote: »

Just read a very interesting article in The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/money/blog/2017/apr/22/save-40-a-week-retirement-which-report
Basically saying that to get to what Which call "the average spend of £26,000 a year in retirement (!!!!!!??? :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:) that when the state pension is taken into account, a couple only need savings of £152,000 to achieve this (they say spending falls in people's late 70s, so will spend less).

Hmmm! Since I haven't earned £26k for an awfully long time, let alone need a *pension* of that much, and I have other monies to come not currently included in my calculation of Net Worth (i.e. my French apartment, my inheritance, and equity release on my current house) - then the difference between the above £152k and my current £122,188 is **sucks teeth** £29,812.

And of course I only have one state pension, not two, because I'm not a couple :rotfl: But as I get more free of the backlog of tasks on the house and garden, I might see my way clear to that new target. I think I might up the target in my sig to remind me of this.

:j

Off to do the garden now - I just love edible planting

Thanks for this KC. Its useful to know as for me retirement can seem so far away for us, but it isn't really. Thanks

edinburgher

So KC, what you're saying is you're likely to have well more than average retirement funds? :beer:

greent

Karmacat wrote: »

what Which call "the average spend of £26,000 a year in retirement (!!!!!!??? :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:)

Our neighbours (retired couple in their 70s spend at least this, I reckon - 4 or 5 cruise holidays a year (not mini break ones, either), plus several other breaks plus they are always having workmen in to do decorating/ odd jobs/ maintenance - all adds up!

Karmacat

edinburgher wrote: »

I think you follow what I'm thinking just fine KC, it will be a spring garden

The site is a bit brighter than I thought forget me nots would like, but they are very adaptable (and I'm pretty sure that a variety has self-seeded already)!

Currently thinking snowdrops, crocuses when they become available, and 3 types of forget me nots (we'll thin these out to use in other parts of the garden).

Thats all good then

Silly question, but if we use bark chippings, won't it stop the flowers that I do want from growing?

Ah! Thats a good question, not a silly one. Nope, they don't, believe it or not - bark chippings don't stop weeds from growing, or ordinary plants from growing - what they do is that when weeds drift onto the surface of the bark chippings, the weeds are forced to root into the chippings - so you can hoick them out really easily, as opposed to digging down and disturbing your carefully planted ones.

Of course, you have to be a bit careful placing your chippings *around* the plants at first. Nature has been doing it for thousands of years, you'll be fine

edinburgher wrote: »

So KC, what you're saying is you're likely to have well more than average retirement funds? :beer:

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: sort of :rotfl: but that article depends on a couple's state pension income, and there's only one of me. Still a good aim though

greent and all - I'm just starting to see my way clear to relaxing a bit more, and that when I choose to focus and work, its on things that I like, like writing and the cat designs that have been on the backburner for so long. Not pruning hedges and navvying! Roll on 4 - 5 cruises a year :A I have 10 days in London next month, catsitting - got a few things lined up already to do during the day

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SuperSecretSquirrel

Karmacat wrote: »

That article depends on a couple's state pension income, and there's only one of me. Still a good aim though

Surely your expenses would be lower than those of a couple? The income of a couple and the expenses of a singleton... Sounds like a recipe for a luxurious retirement to me! :cool:

beanielou

SuperSecretSquirrel wrote: »

Surely your expenses would be lower than those of a couple? The income of a couple and the expenses of a singleton... Sounds like a recipe for a luxurious retirement to me! :cool:

A common misconception.
We have much the same expenses apart from food as a couple.
Utilities are much the same blah blah.

Karmacat

There's something to both those points. When I go out for a meal, I order one meal, not two. But if I buy a DVD, it costs me the same price as a couple pay between them. And it costs the same to heat my living room as it does for a couple to heat their living room between them. If a couple needed to earn more dosh, they've got twice the chances I have, because there's two of them. Its six-and-two-threes, I think But I like it as a goal, I must say, even though it has limited application to me. Must change up the sig.

I pootled back online to say I've *finally* managed to upload 5 things for sale - 4 are just reopening withdrawn books etc on Amazon. The fifth is a new one on Amazon (though I didn't mean to!) that may or may not come online, don't know. And its a collectible too, which hasn't gone into the information. Still 4/5 isn't bad - though 3 of them have "quality alerts", and Ive no idea what that means. Shutting down for today as soon as I've found out

ETA - right, ebay it is, for that one, I've just found another autographed one on there.

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EatingTheElephant

I never knew that was the reason for putting bark down! Makes complete sense when it is explained like that.

edinburgher

So do the bark chippings go over the seeds? Basically cover everything? Got gravel cleared, prepared area and put down compost. Gave that a rake and all seems well...