Time to get serious

Karmacat

And your chickens sound lovely too!

Good idea to cancel a hassle-ridden policy - I've just been searching out brokers for a friend, and it gets very tricky! Brilliant that everything's going so well for you, though.

Elephantchunks

Many thanks for your detailed chicken reply!

EatingTheElephant

Thank you for popping in SHS, KC & EC.

The news about the pension age change has really hit home that I need to make alternative provisions for our retirement.

There is no way we are working until 68!
My Gran passed at 69 and hubby's dad at 70. I really refuse to work and then die! I know it doesn't follow that we will follow suit as I do believe our lifestyle is somewhat healthier, but I'm not prepared to take a gamble on that.

I don't have a fixed age in mind, but maybe I should start thinking what it should be.

I have lots of ideas and plans, which luckily hubby and I are in agreement about. Diversification will be the key!

shangaijimmy

With you on that one...i've been reeled in by the new dates!

greent

EatingTheElephant wrote: »

Thank you for popping in SHS, KC & EC.

The news about the pension age change has really hit home that I need to make alternative provisions for our retirement.

There is no way we are working until 68!
My Gran passed at 69 and hubby's dad at 70. I really refuse to work and then die! I know it doesn't follow that we will follow suit as I do believe our lifestyle is somewhat healthier, but I'm not prepared to take a gamble on that.

I don't have a fixed age in mind, but maybe I should start thinking what it should be.

I have lots of ideas and plans, which luckily hubby and I are in agreement about. Diversification will be the key!

Hadn't really thought about people's ages when they died: retirement - my dad died at 61, OH's mum at 64. Neither had worked for years before that though (in fact, I'm not sure either ever had a 'proper' job....) and neither were in decent health. But it's certainly food for thought about OH and I taking a healthier view to life (we're healthier than our dead parents, but could both do better) - particularly as we had our youngest when we were 39 - and I want to be around to see him (and the others!) for as long as possible. We're both approaching 50 within the next 3 years, so time is moving on.
xx

EatingTheElephant

I'm with you greent on the 'could do better' with the healthier lifestyle too. Although I'm not sure at what point I would say that I had achieved a healthy lifestyle iyswim. Always a work in progress!

Karmacat

Its an eye opener, for sure - both my parents, and two of my grandparents, died at very good ages (late 80s and early 90s) but the other two grandparents died of environmentally based cancers at 32 and 66. None of them, though, had fatigue issues the way I do, so even with those good genes in my background, I'm struggling a bit. That was part of the decision to stop work, even though the finances are tricky. And since this latest pension news, I'm really starting to get it when people now in their 30s say they don't necessarily believe that the state pension will even be around when they come to retire Mine feels bad enough to get it at age 66, but to get nothing at all, or get it at 70 (because I wouldn't believe that this is the last adjustment ) .... awful.

EatingTheElephant

I didn't pop on earlier as we went out for an early ride.

I do agree that I don't think the age for pensions will stop at 68 :eek: even more reason to plot cunning plans.

This week the only spends have been a trip to the dentist. Unfortunately quite expensive as it is private.

A phone call has also been made to the mortgage co to get the other bits needed so I can see my balance online and not have to keep ringing up. First part has arrived in the post today. Also to check my first OP was successfully received.

Thursday evening I drove through the local town after visiting mil and stopped at the ATM to pay in the two cheques. I have to say I was actually very impressed with the Spanish banks atm. It took the cheques then told me how much they were for and did I agree with the amount. So it turned out to be less hassle than I expected, which is always a bonus.

Right, now I have warmed up and dried out I will potter around at home to get up to date with admin type things I think.

michelle09

I am fairly certain that the state pension will disappear entirely before we make it there (39 more years!) so am planning around it. OH has a pension that will pay out at 61 (even now) so I am aiming to lose the mortgage by 40, put the equivalent into savings and then sell up and move out of London when we are 61. Let's see how that goes.

It is so much easier when you can see your balance online, so hopefully it'll be sorted soon. Can you OP online?

EatingTheElephant

I like your cunning plan Michelle

I can OP by bacs, so it's easy to do and I can ring up for a balance, but I'm a visual person so would really like to see it, plus I don't like talking to people on the phone much!

Lots of general stuff completed yesterday, all paperwork filed ready to complete year end accounts and ironing mountain completed.

We are out with the dog this morning at a local event for a bit of practise, then stopping off to do the horses/chickens and I have a bit of work to do for a friend later. I can't see there being much time left today before DD1 & DGS come over for dinner tonight.