Get a grip woman!

Suffolk_lass

enthusiasticsaver wrote: »

I think that is sensible. I have to say that since I retired the only lurgy I seem to have caught is off my DGD or a New Years Eve celebration. Not commuting has made such a difference to my mood and health. If you have chest problems then I am sure retiring before the harsh winter next year would be beneficial. Will you have to carry on taking the mortgage into retirement or will you be able to clear it using S and S ISAs and a PCLS from your pension? Nice to have a date in mind.

I did not answer the retirement questions. I suspect we will take ours into our non-working phase unless interest rates start to really increase. We will have an "on-paper" surplus allowing us to do so and I suppose that the cash-flow might also be a driver.

Having seen our Council Tax bill this week (£17 pm increase and now over £2000 over ten months), we will have to keep an eye on bills and inflation.

If all goes well we will wait until April 20 to draw down a third of DH's DC pension and do the same for each of the following two tax years (his pension means that he will get about £3k of it tax-free). We could use his DB lump-sum in September 2019 to reduce it by nearly £20k to do it a bit earlier, or use all of mine (well most) and clear the lot when I stop work. I suppose that is a mental resistance thing. I want to have that sitting behind us.

Suffolk_lass

In other news, the lenses have been put on the CC along with my season ticket up until mid April (over £600) so once again, well over £1200 on the CC next month.

At least it explains why I have £40 in JL vouchers this time!

Going to try and keep our SM shopping to a minimum and keep the freezer and fridge reductions going. Used a turkey pie this week. And made a yummy old-fashioned rice pudding with two surplus pints of milk. Got a week-old cauliflower to do for tonight. And still the two frozen cod fillets look at me from the top drawer of the freezer!

We are out on Sunday for my birthday - not sure how many but will be a few of us, I think

enthusiasticsaver

Our council tax has gone up by 6.1% so now just over £1800 a year. Am considering moving to 12 months rather than 10 as we are now on a lower monthly income.

Karmacat

Council tax is my biggest bill by far Mine is over £1k, and even that is with the 25% single occupancy discount

I'm sure reducing what's in the freezer a bit is a good thing - I see a *lot* of people with a *lot* of money tied up in the food thats there, and its not used - its kept "in case".... mine is full of frozen veg thats constantly being used up, and nuts and seeds kept in there to stop rancidity .... they may have been in there too long, my own version of too much money in the freezer

Suffolk_lass

Ooh, nuts and seeds in the freezer. There's never room in mine. I made three large (baking sheet-sized) shallow chicken and pea pies with the left-over chicken from the Sunday lunch I co-ordinated for the (Church) fund-raiser two weeks ago and had to practice my best tetris skills to fit them in. It does mean there is a really quick community lunch option available with a couple of bags of salad if we are short of a volunteer for any month.

There is also a Turkey Crown and large Pork Shoulder in there that are coming on holiday with us this year (makes them sound like friends :rotfl:) - they were bought when on offer for the big S/C house in Scotland for 12 of us over Easter. So not all my housekeeping in there.

I take your point about paying the shops to store their stuff in my freezers though! Quite a lot of mine is meat bought on offer and veg and fruit I grew. It is this stuff we must use, together with mystery surprise left-overs that each time I pop them in I reassure myself I will know what they are - and each time I take them out I can't remember or identify because they are frozen!!

boxofpaws

I'm always a little scared of the stuff in the freezer, especially anything I've put in a tub.:eek: In the past, I have been known the defrost it and then let it go off and then throw it out. I never think meat tastes ok being cooked after it's been frozen, (I always manage to make is stringy), so I'm gradually getting rid of all things like that and sticking with storing safe stuff like chips and fishfingers.

Stuff that is not frightening in any way

Cherryfudge

Suffolk_lass wrote: »

There is also a Turkey Crown and large Pork Shoulder in there that are coming on holiday with us this year (makes them sound like friends :rotfl:)

I'm always a little scared of the stuff in the freezer, especially anything I've put in a tub. In the past, I have been known the defrost it and then let it go off and then throw it out. I never think meat tastes ok being cooked after it's been frozen, (I always manage to make is stringy), so I'm gradually getting rid of all things like that and sticking with storing safe stuff like chips and fishfingers.

Stuff that is not frightening in any way

I'm not the only one to have a questionable relatonship with my freezer, then?! :rotfl:

Suffolk_lass

Well, for the first time in ages, I am making bread. It seems awfully sticky. I do hope I haven't mis-remembered the recipe!

redofromstart

Sticky is usually better, as long as it is workable. HTH

Suffolk_lass

I know, I raided the spare sourdough and did not reduce the water but it'll be fine. I also forgot to add wheatgerm. Doh!