Only freedom will do

edinburgher

AlexLK wrote: »

£26 shoes for an adult?! Buy cheap, buy twice.

Not at all, cheap shoes have their place, £26 is almost exactly the price I paid for my last pair of 'driving trainers' (I don't find it comfortable to drive in formal shoes). I also find that as I overpronate, the sides of shoes wear too quickly (rather disappointing as I'm already seeing damage to the £160 Loake brogues that are one of my 2 work pairs) :eek:

Karmacat wrote: »

"hesitantly charging" ... I love it :j:j:j

I gave it some thought

edinburgher

Also realised today that (assuming a very conservative rate of return), Mrs E and I will be able to live our current lifestyle at state pension age with no further pension contributions. It's not great, but it's something

No plans to work for another 34 years.

Karmacat

Ed, that's huge, to be at that stage already, congratulations!

edinburgher

Karmacat wrote: »

Ed, that's huge, to be at that stage already, congratulations!

I think we have all had the fear of being in the gutter eating dog food at that point (I developed it before I joined DFW). Now I now it won't come to that. It'll be cheap people food, and we'll be able to afford a bench.

Karmacat

You crazy person I do understand that fear, obviously - I'm sort of running through my own version of it right now, actually, as you know. You'll be able to afford cheap people food *now*, and by the time it rolls along, you'll be set for the caviar :j

Even for me - I could downsize, or I could release equity if I didn't want to move, or was too old to hack it. There's always something - the "something", in your case, will be caviar and champagne :beer:

edinburgher

I will admit without shame that I enjoy both champagne and caviar (in true MSE style I wait until the former is on offer and buy cheapish but high quality the latter from a German importer as an annual Christmas treat)

1st world problems eh?

Karmacat

No shame necessary! I don't eat caviar because I'm veggie, but I love champagne - we had Nyetimber at the East Lothian wedding, it was absolutely gorgeous.

As you say, first world problems.

edinburgher

I like a wee Ruinart Blanc de Blancs - curse/bless the guy in the wine shop who introduced me to that particular drop

Although this year's 'Anniversary Booze' comes from Chapel Down :j

slowlyfading

We got DS some first shoes and I went for the summer ones at £16 rather than £24 - I feel shoes are going to be a big expense in this coming year....

Congrats on the retirement savings forecast

chumpy45

Brilliant news on retirement forecast :T am very envious. Am currently looking at AVCs for my teacher's pension but I am afraid it will be much too little much too late !!