Get a grip woman!

Suffolk_lass

Thanks for sharing your experience enthusiasticsaver. More food for thought.

I have just logged in while this century's biggest washing mountain has taken possession of my kitchen and DH has been paid while there was still £800 in the running costs account. I have resisted the urge to sweep it all up as he is getting his car MOT'd today - he discovered yesterday that he forgot this last September and so has been driving illegally for 11 months :eek:

That right there, is why I have control... Anyway, he will need money. AND, we have people this weekend to feed and entertain for his and my joint birthday celebrations, so that money will go and his car insurance and VED is due. In fact it was the DVLA letter saying the tax could not auto-renew without a valid MOT that alerted him to his administrative ahem, limitations.

On the upside, we have spent less than £50 on groceries this month, including stores due to our long hols abroad and that budget is a smidge under 50% at eight months (caution, smug attack imminent over here). What have I forgotten? Ah, Chimney Sweep, Boiler Service - all due now

Busy_Mee1

I am glad it is not just my DH :eek:

I am not sure what evolved first, I have taken control because he is so useless or he is useless because I have always taken control ......the former I like to think . He is good at tasks and general labouring though and I wouldn't swop him

I hope you have a lovely birthday weekend x

Suffolk_lass

No indeed Busy Mee1, no swapping here either. After 28 years I expected nothing less. I fear my takeover was because although he could do it, he does not. An inclination, not a capability issue!

Anyway, we have had around 40 guests over the weekend, walking with three groups (we live in a very pretty part of Suffolk) and eating and drinking lots. I intend fasting for most of today (just a light evening meal if I can) and lots of (water and coffee/tea) drinks to get my body back to normal. We cooked all the food from scratch for the BBQ but our curry night included takeaway naan, rice and a couple of top-up dishes to add to the main dishes I cooked. No trouble with left-overs, all except some fruit and a few bits of separate salads left for this week's dinners/packed lunches.

DH has the last week of the school hols so he can eat the bacon I bought, (thinking we might need to make breakfasts). I might make my mini-muffin breakfasts, half a chipolata (twist them into cocktail size and pre-cook) then into the mini-muffin tin with mixed egg (loads of them too!) and bake. Brilliant party snacks if lots of chaps (they tend to keep coming back for more) but also excellent for busy people as a snack... err fast? moi?

Money-wise, we spent approx £50 in the indian take-away and a last minute Village Hall booking, having picked the wet day over the weekend for our BBQ. At least we had a Plan B. The actual food and drink was around £400 in total (all planned and out of that £800 I mentioned.

Thinking we might offer our version of a rain dance commercially to farmers - you know, "If you want it to rain, get Mr & Mrs SL to organise a BBQ!"

Suffolk_lass

Well, I have done it. I will retire in February and the forms have been submitted. We shall see if all the HR & Pension provider calculations match my own.

Karmacat

Congratulations!

enthusiasticsaver

Congratulations. Lots of advice on the pensions forum if you need it. I cannot believe I have been retired 8 months now and never looked back.

Suffolk_lass

enthusiasticsaver wrote: »

Congratulations. Lots of advice on the pensions forum if you need it. I cannot believe I have been retired 8 months now and never looked back.

Never been on that part of the Forum. Off to check it out...

Busy_Mee1

Wow well done Suffolk Lass congratulations. I hope to be joining you soon

Suffolk_lass

DEBTS


Mortgage [STRIKE]£110,621[/STRIKE] 66,000 (£44,621.00 paid so far)
Barclays 0% Finance for double glazing [STRIKE]£8,755.54[/STRIKE] £397.98 left (£8,357.56 paid off)
[STRIKE]DH's car - paid off on 21st Aug 17 £3,476 £0 (£3,476)[/STRIKE] all finished!

Total [STRIKE]£122,852.54[/STRIKE] £66,397.98 - that is £56,454.56 or 45.95% paid off so far.


SAVINGS
£10,361.44 Emergency pot
£12,583.14 S&S ISA with Fidelity International (original £10,000 some years ago, no further capital added)
£9183.55 DH's S&S ISA (with Charles Stanley Direct]
[STRIKE]£3,155.32 2 year Bond with Skipton BS @ 4% Finished 31 Jan 2018 - This was used to reduce the mortgage![/STRIKE] all finished
£11,330.58 7 year bond with Skipton BS - matures Oct 20
[STRIKE]£38,630.43[/STRIKE] £43,458.71 Total actual cashable savings and just 12.5% better than when I started

Shortfall -£22,939.27 (all debts)

I have just "rounded down" the mortgage by using most of the unallocated funds in the current account but could not resist going for a nice round figure.

As you will know by now, I hate paying interest and so we will continue to pay down as fast as we can, while living our lives.

Suffolk_lass

If my calculations are correct, next month is the last payment due on the Direct Debit to pay for our double glazed windows. It is just under £400 a month and I intend using the few months left in employment to redeploying this to the mortgage.

In the meantime, we went into a local town to go to that Lake-place store to get some foil and cling-film. Such massive boxes, they might outlast me! We use cling infrequently but still struggling for the last month since we ran out (using disposable shower-caps, stockpiled for covering proving bread, to cover bowls instead). I treated DH to a new stainless insulated coffee beaker with no handle, a sipping lid and not bigger than 15fl oz (his spec, we've been looking for ages) and a brilliant insulated cold-water flask. £22 but I love mine - the ice stays ice for more than 24 hours, even refilling several times in the day (from chilled units at work). That's it. Treated, well and truly!

So then we went for dinner even though it was only 5.30pm - what a treat. Feeling very weekend-y this weekend! - it won't last. Masses of chores but remind me of the Friday treats if you hear me moaning :rotfl:;)