A Journey of Many Pounds Starts With a Single Penny

Karmacat

LG, you're doing great - I love those detailed calculations you can make when you've got salaries coming in.

I lived in London for years, but moved out, to a small city and now to a small town - but its 45 minutes to Central London :j and plenty of people in London itself travel that long

LadyGnome

KC that is a good point about the travel and not necessarily being further away just because we are not in London. I do wonder if my perspective will change when I retire. I think I am still very much in "world of work" mode and may alter my view when I stop. I suspect I am going to need several months to adjust to retirement before making any decisions. It still feels a long way off but I do want to be able to make a choice when to go rather than grimly hanging on for my pension.

I will still be doing the calculations when I retire knowing me:D

LadyGnome

Another NSD yesterday which is just as well as money is a bit tight this month. My lottery prize has hit my account so I will pay my change in today and make the next overpayment of ...(drum roll)...£8

LadyGnome

NSD yesterday and today should be one too. £8 to the pots after all every little helps.
I get a sense that most people I know are struggling a bit this month, the combination of earlier pay and Christmas spending mean everyone is feeling the pinch.
I've mixed feeling about the possibility of snow today. The boys will love it but commuting in bad weather is less fun!

brizzledfw

We had a smattering of snow today but no travel disruption.

I am hunkering down and miserly counting out every penny. I am around your age (I clearly feel 30 most days :rotfl:) and work absorbs a huge amount of my energy and 'thinking time'...but I love it. And in reality I think what I want for 2026 is to be able to pick and choose the work and projects I do, not to have to do it in order to pay the bills. I find it hard to get OH to focus on the longer term stuff (are he and your OH related?!) whereas I am always plotting and planning. Whens hes back I will try again..I have already put monthly budget meetings in the diary ...

LadyGnome

Hi brizzled
I find drip feeding ideas to Mr Gnome works. I mention helping the children out when they are older, then another day about saving for our future and slowly the idea seems to percolate his consciousness. Note:- this might constitute brainwashing:):o:)

All my planning is really about having a choice. I am happy to work longish hours now and don't mind the stress but I don't want to be forced to carry on at the same level at the point when I am no longer enjoying it because I failed to plan.

I am ploughing through the annual joy that is a tax return. I've done most of it, just need to collect the last few figures and then pay what is due. I have the money in a savings account (you knew I was going to say that, didn't you?:D ) but I have no intention of giving it to HMRC any sooner than I have to.

Karmacat

LadyGnome wrote: »

I find drip feeding ideas to Mr Gnome works. ... Note:- this might constitute brainwashing:):o:)

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

I am ploughing through the annual joy that is a tax return. I've done most of it, just need to collect the last few figures and then pay what is due. I have the money in a savings account (you knew I was going to say that, didn't you?:D ) but I have no intention of giving it to HMRC any sooner than I have to.

Good for you! Confession time - I made a mistake with last year's form, and in the nightmare of new demands and balancing refunds, just over £900 of *my* money is sat with HMRC I *have* rung them about it, and they've confirmed it's mine, not their that they should have allocated to whatever account I thought it was supposed to go to, and I even have a copy of the letter I sent to them at the time, so I'm pretty sure it's mine. I may yet have to pay this year's bill and ask for a refund of this amount, but we'll see. Complicated! Keep going on yours

Save

LadyGnome

Hi KC
Good luck with getting your money from them. Ask them for interest on the money if its paid back to you after 31st Jan if it relates to a previous tax year.

This month feels so long. I've just worked out that I have about £7 left before after planned expenditure before I will have to dip into savings. I don't get paid until next week.

I've batch cooked my lunches for this week and part of next week so I am hoping I can limp through to payday. I think the £7 will go on birthday cards and cake for Mr Gnome as its his birthday this week (I already have his present - bought in the sales naturally:money:).

Moneyfordreams

love your key dates planning,. I copying that

LadyGnome

Hi Moneyfordreams feel free to copy. It was quite sobering to see when my mortgage would end if I wasn't overpaying.

Nothing exciting to report today. Yesterday was a NSD and I am expecting today to be one too.

One day closer to payday:)