Breaking Through, Travelling On

rtandon27

KC - I always find things listed in threes are acheivable, so that looks like the perfect list to me!

... and you've prompted me to look at our ISAs which I know could be invested at a (margainally) better rate!

Eek to the rats - spiders and flying things I can deal with but when a dead rat the size of a small dog appeared overnight in the front garden (a few weeks back) - I sent the OH to find the farm hand so it could be dispatched! :rotfl:

Fortune_Smiles

Hope the rats pack their bags soon Karma. One time in Mexico I woke up to a Bird Eating Spider on the wall at the foot of my bed :eek: Not a small one either :eek:

Fortune x

smallholdingsister

Hope they are soon outtathere "Like a rat outta hell".

beanielou

:eek: to the rats is all. Not at fan.At all.
A friends DS had pet ones :eek:

Suffolk_lass

I opened stocks and shares ISAs with husband and Son using the Charles Stanley Direct platform last year. It was straightforward transferring DS's existing cash ISA into this. It just sits there as your cash pot until you buy the funds and shares you want. It is very straightforward and cheaper than Hargreaves Lansdowne. I do admit I do my checking on HL before carrying out our transactions on the CSD platform - HL is easier to understand and uses less jargon (and explains it when it does)

I also put £10k into a managed S&S ISA about five years ago - with Fidelity International - that has grown by 25% over five years, despite a big dip in years 2 & 3. That is actively managed by them, and as a bigger fund, it is spread across many more funds and shares than we are.

Buying shares also attracts a trading fee that I didn't spot until I started, so I let the money build up and buy once rather than lots of little top up purchases for DS, as he only saves a small amount (just £51 a month, allowing a bit for fees and charges) but if you were transferring a cash pot it is a one-off so may not apply.

I looked at time to hold when selecting funds for DH and DS - higher risk so higher equity for DS as he is in for the long haul, lower equity and a few more conservative things like bonds or conservative funds for DH. Give me a shout if you want more detail.

Karmacat

Thank you all for the support on the rat problem! The first night there was *more* noise, as the nice man warned me, but last night there was a bit less. I do wonder if I might have to have the innards of the porch gutted ... there's obviously a space there just not helpful. We'll see, because that would be quite an undertaking.

Suffolk_lass wrote: »

I opened stocks and shares ISAs with husband and Son using the Charles Stanley Direct platform last year. It was straightforward transferring DS's existing cash ISA into this. It just sits there as your cash pot until you buy the funds and shares you want. It is very straightforward and cheaper than Hargreaves Lansdowne. I do admit I do my checking on HL before carrying out our transactions on the CSD platform - HL is easier to understand and uses less jargon (and explains it when it does)

Thanks for this SL. The HL site sounds useful - though I'm looking to go from stocks and shares to cash and bonds and the like, at my age thats the more accepted pathway. Especially now I've retired.

I looked at time to hold when selecting funds for DH and DS - higher risk so higher equity for DS as he is in for the long haul, lower equity and a few more conservative things like bonds or conservative funds for DH. Give me a shout if you want more detail.

I'd be interested to know the details of the bonds and conservative funds, yes please - pm, of course, if thats more appropriate.

"Worked" on the travel book yesterday (too enjoyable to not use the quote marks ) formatting so that its easy to see whats old diary and whats modern comment. And commenting more. It's fascinating to see quite how much things have changed since then

I think I'd better do *one* of those financial admin things today. Life only waits so long.

Verbatim

Hi KC
I'm intrigued at all your money generating plans. I guess the £25k earnings goal is over the 4 years rather than pa? And are you getting money in yet?
Yes, next time you're in London it would be good to meet up.

Karmacat

Hi Verbatim

Yes, the £25k is over the whole time rather than per year, you're right. Other than from investments, I'm not getting any money in yet, oh, apart from the odd purchase of the little kindle book. I'm finishing the travel one, but I'm a bit too conscientious in some ways - I'm having a bit of fun with the list of website links I'll put in as an appendix, and I'm sure the people who encourage you to write best sellers in a week would advise against that. Still, it adds value, and I enjoy it, so ... raspberries

I had been thinking of doing catsitting, maybe to the tune of £1k a year, that was part of that £25k, but I'm doubtful of that right now. I'm still at the stage of catching up on the house maintenance I missed out on while I was ill for such a long time and then helping look after my mum - not just getting rid of the rats, but replastering the wall that got wet, replacing the garden gate (it rotted off its hinges!) renovating the brick shed (I've seen pests run in there, so there's no chance of not doing that). And running the garden a lot tidier so that cluster flies and rats get less of a chance to find a home with me!

There are people I'd like to catch up with, and people I'd like to meet (like you!) but my energy is still limited, and I made commitments last month I had to pull out of, which was tough. Even being out of the house for 6 hours to go see Diana's Dresses meant I did hardly anything for the next two days, just little tiny pottering bits, and long rests between.

I'll get there, its just going to take me a while

How about you, whats it like for you in relation to energy levels?

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[Deleted User]

Karmacat wrote: »

I had been thinking of doing catsitting, maybe to the tune of £1k a year, that was part of that £25k, but I'm doubtful of that right now.

I know you said the cat sitting had been problematic (allergy wise wasn't it?) even though you loved the experience of getting to know and win the trust of the cats you cared for. Instead, have you thought of house-sitting? Friends of mine do it from time to time and have what amounts to free holidays in wonderful parts of the country and in houses that they'd never be able to afford themselves;). None of them have resident pets, the most onerous caring duty is watering plants:rotfl:.


They aren't registered with an agency, their first 2 jobs were with friends of friends and the rest have been the result of word of mouth recommendations. I know there are agencies that you could maybe register with. This type of work sounds ideal to me with lots of peace, quiet and time to read all the books I never seem to have the time to read. I wish I was free to do it. In your case, just think how much writing you'd get done;). Just an idea anyway:)

Edit: Good Luck with the rats:beer:

Suffolk_lass

I don't mind saying here. We have a split between 3 funds that are 40% in bonds -
1. Vanguard Inv UK Lifestrategy 60 per equity
2. Capita Financial Woodford equity Inc Stg Acc (there's an Inc one too)
3. F&C Fund Mgmt Ltd Global Bond Acc

The F&C one has been more sluggish but has more bonds and more outside the UK. If I were retiring I might switch some to the new Woodford fund that was launched in April and is specifically aimed at income. This is the page. http://www.hl.co.uk/funds/fund-discounts,-prices--and--factsheets/search-results/c/cf-woodford-income-focus-income