Get a grip woman!

Suffolk_lass

enthusiasticsaver wrote: »

My food update for yesterday is weetabix and banana for breakfast.
I did my 12km walk in south Devon so picnic lunch of ham salad sandwich and an apple
DH cooked chicken and veg stir fry for tea with noodles but I was so hungry come 9pm I made toast and tea so exceeded my 2 slices of bread a day limit. IFA appointment today to discuss his proposals to that will be interesting.

I seem to have fallen off the wagon (unlike me, when I put my mind to it) but there was frozen bread and ginger nuts, oh, and custard [hangs head in shame]. I resisted weighing in yesterday but this morning I am just under that permissable limit of the next stone but zero loss this week.

I have had toast this morning (finishing that frozen loaf) with homemade marmalade so not hopeful for tomorrow but I will stick to soup for lunch and meat and salad for supper. There is some custard in the fridge but I will make rhubarb fool so it does not form part of any afternoon treat. Nightmare. I need to re-read part of my book to remind me why I am doing this

enthusiasticsaver

Suffolk_lass wrote: »

Not initially because the mortgage continues. We also have a list of projects we would like to pursue that will reverse things for us too. I have replaced both back doors since February and have ordered the new front door (oak, lots to pay after the initial £500 deposit I have paid to the joiner - it is bespoke because the age of the house means the height of the doorways is too low for anything straightforward :eek:).

Big things in the "plans" for retirement:

• Our kitchen needs attention - it all works but it is nearly 15 and some bits are showing their age
• Our breeze-block built pig-shed is probably unsafe but certainly not suitable as a combined machine shed and workshop so we plan to do work to it (maybe rebuild)
• DH covets a basic campervan - we will see how we go with the new tent he can stand up in - which I bought in error (he wanted a smaller one he has since bought) for Christmas for him. It is an awful lot of B&B nights...
• We want to visit New Zealand (again, for me) and Australia (he lived there) in the next two years

We hope to get a dog

Lots of great plans there. We figured that to gain maximum benefit from any house projects we should do them early in retirement. One reassuring thing I found out Wednesday after speaking to our IFA is that he has done a cash flow forecast for us from now until we are 99 and we can take a £20k hit to our savings each year on top of pensions so I don't feel too bad about drawing mega amounts for our kitchen last year and new bathrooms and e bikes for both DH and I this year.

New Zealand is supposed to be lovely. We have been to Australia but Canada and USA is our next big holiday next year. A dog would be nice too but I would have to get DH on board. He thinks we go away too much so it would be unfair to constantly kennel one. Can your son look after him if you go away?

Least said about food the better. I have succumbed to an ice cream the last few days and have a cream tea booked with a friend tomorrow. Being good otherwise though. Enjoy the sunshine.

Suffolk_lass

Yes, New Zealand is the most beautiful place I have ever been - it was 12 years ago and a brief (2 weeks or so) visit as part of a wedding attendance in Australia but I would very much like to go back. Yes, DS is up for dog-sitting - more a case of try and stop him!

What are we like re food!?

Karmacat

The plans do sound good! I meant to do the kitchen early in my retirement, or at least when I wasn't so ill any more, but various huge things happened that meant it took 2.5 years to get round to it. Really happy its done now!


Foodwise - still not enough variety, though I'm currently defrosting the fridge, and eating up the ends of things will help plus when I went out shopping yesterday, I came back with a Greggs vegan sausage roll (I love them, but eat them very rarely, I've had 3, I think).

redofromstart

Its worth keeping an eye on ebay, we bought a Bedford motor home for c£2k in November a few years ago as cheeky last minute sniper bid with wine goggles on. She is old but perfectly functional, and the fibre glass body means not a rust bucket.

Suffolk_lass

Does anyone else experience sudden purchase syndrome? Long and short of it we went to look at a campervan last night and are going back to look this morning. Watch this space...

enthusiasticsaver

Suffolk_lass wrote: »

Does anyone else experience sudden purchase syndrome? Long and short of it we went to look at a campervan last night and are going back to look this morning. Watch this space...

Exciting and yes our e bikes were a sudden purchase. We did do research though. I think retirement focuses the mind on things you want to do and not wanting to delay any more. So many of our peers are now struggling with health issues that we have decided no more procrastinating or "we will do that one day". Fingers crossed you find a van you are happy with.

Karmacat

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: at "sudden purchase syndrome" but the issue behind it - seeing contemporaries with health issues and not wanting to put things off - is very real. Let us know!

trix-a-belle

ah go for it hun, you only live once! it will be a great opportunity to get out and about now you have the time to.

redofromstart

Ha ha, yes - see my post above. I didn't even know we wanted one until OH said ooh look at this.

Hope it is everything you both want it to be.