Only freedom will do

edinburgher

Ooh - a thatched roof and outbuildings - sounds fun

On a totally unrelated note, do you ever read Simple Living in Suffolk?

Suffolk_lass

I used to read that but TBH I find him a bit irritating so I removed the link to his blog. There is no hint of simple living in Suffolk in any of the posts I've read (not all). Maybe the name was a joke, but I found his style of writing conveyed an air of smug arrogance in places and he is already retired so the lessons I was reading are different to the ones I need to learn.

I quite like Mr Free at 33, even if it is American

AlexLK

I think I need to learn how to use a computer. Does anyone have any recommended books / websites that will give me an overview for using Excel? I know my methods are very inefficient and do not make use of the programme as it is meant to be used. Not related to my personal finances but those of my family; we pay a bookkeeper to keep records that after 3 years of reading MSE I know I should be able to do myself if I could learn how to use Excel. :mad:

Ed, +£16,500 in one month is rather impressive. Make it every month and you'll be retiring before you know it.

Karmacat, I don't do the calculation either. Without adding business / family finances, I'm quite aware mine would be woeful and likely bring about a slump in any enthusiasm I have. I know I'm a loser without even doing the calculations because I've personally practically nothing to show for my 36 years.

-taff

You should be able to find some excel for dummies type websites that are free to use.
Or do an evening course,or buy that book

Actually, youtube might be a good bet

Actually, found a link

https://capdtron.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/excel-2010-all-in-one-for-dummies.pdf

edinburgher

I find the Dummies guides to be reasonable Alex, but I don't think many people buy books about computing these days as blogs and YouTube are so accessible (and free). I find that if you make straightforward searches for what it is that you are trying to do, the internet can usually provide either the answer or a good steer.

Shush re. NW calculations, you will be richer than all of us put together in a decade or so and that's before you launch your 'forever career'. If you want to see an achievement, go check on your son

AlexLK

-taff wrote: »

You should be able to find some excel for dummies type websites that are free to use.
Or do an evening course,or buy that book

Actually, youtube might be a good bet

Actually, found a link

https://capdtron.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/excel-2010-all-in-one-for-dummies.pdf

Thank you, Taff. That looks ideal for me to get started with.

edinburgher wrote: »

I find the Dummies guides to be reasonable Alex, but I don't think many people buy books about computing these days as blogs and YouTube are so accessible (and free). I find that if you make straightforward searches for what it is that you are trying to do, the internet can usually provide either the answer or a good steer.

Shush re. NW calculations, you will be richer than all of us put together in a decade or so and that's before you launch your 'forever career'. If you want to see an achievement, go check on your son

Thanks, Ed.

Half the problem is not knowing the capabilities of the system or appropriate search terms. I'll type something like "creating a spreadsheet" into google which I suppose is akin to someone searching for "baroque art" - far, far too broad. Hopefully reading the Dummies guide will give me the basic knowledge needed to access some of the material available on the internet. My wife is good with Excel and all manner of other computer programmes but is an awful teacher - very, very, impatient. I once asked her how she learnt to use the software, her answer was along the lines of how did you not? She could set something up but I'd rather understand how it works.

Being self-made is something to be proud of, to whom one is born is not. Said that to a pupil today after she got upset telling me she probably won't go to university because her parents didn't and they do not expect her to (bit more of a background to it than that but she is very bright, taking her GCSEs this year, interested in studying music and there's no reason she won't be able to). No idea if the forthcoming career will be forever but I am looking forward to the journey. My son is asleep, I just checked. I'm sure all parents do this but especially when he was a bit younger, when he fell to sleep as I was reading to him I used to sit in his room for hours wondering how I'd managed to be so blessed. I know (from some of the things you write on here) that you sometimes find parenting hard. So do I, every parent does, but it is worth it. For every 3am wake up or tantrum in the middle of town or your parents telling you that the old ways work best, there's also the first steps, the lightbulb moments, the boundless energy and zest for life. We teach our children many things but nothing close to what our children teach us.

Karmacat

Taff, I looked up the link too, thanks.

And the one that Suffolk Lass gave to Mr Free at 33. And I keep forgetting to read Simple Living in Suffolk, at least for a while since he actually is retired.

Alex is not a failure - look at your most recent post on here, Alex, that's not a loser's post, just like Ed is saying

And Suffolk Lass that's not pretentious - that's the sort of contents list of a grownup with family! My own contents list has suddenly expanded massively on the jewellery section, including a gold bracelet valued at £400 in 1982 :eek: which slightly horrifies me, especially as we know the safety clasp is broken :eek:

Lot of input there, Ed, sorry, just felt the need for some feedback

edinburgher

Happy Mother's Day to all the mummies out there, I hope you are being spoiled :beer:

Karmacat

edinburgher wrote: »

I track a 'median' of the increase (i.e. survey valuation vs. Zoopl@ price). It's not particularly scientific, but it allows me to acknowledge some increase without getting OTT. I may well take housing back out of the equation at some point, but it doesn't make sense just now.

Excuse me quoting an old post, Ed, but I've just been working on this - I can see why I've never worked out my NW including house prices

For my postal code, Zoopla says the average value in my area is £424,46! The average price paid is £380,902. Of semi detached, average value is £415,448, and average price paid £395,294.

But it also says that there are two recent sales, a block away from me, at £285k and £297k. In other words, I live near some very expensive detached, 6 bed commuter properties.

Ah! Just found the "Zoopla estimate" function. Exactly what I thought the value was, within £500 Good to know, and I can keep an eye on it for the history now.

Thanks for raising this in the first place - got to figure out what the French place is worth now, after a bit more maintenance here

edinburgher

Feeling like a !!!! parent.

In the 2 weeks that DD has gone to nursery, she has developed a cold, scarlet fever and a chest infection

I realise that this is all perfectly natural and that nurseries are basically incubation centres for all maladies under the sun. Still don't like it.