Cherry takes the reins

Cherryfudge

I'm feeling a lot better this evening, mostly because I've heard from A, who sounds so much more positive than last week. Nothing at all from DS2 for a while, no replies to my messages but he's been on nights so I'm more miffed than worried.

The little shopping trip was successful: I've stocked up on some bits from the eco shop and had a chat with the owner. Soon after getting home the chap came to mend the window and actually advised us not to spend out on a new one at this point. From our conversation and experience of windows elsewhere I imagine the ones on that side of the house, which we put in about 20 years ago, may start to fail from hereon in, but they haven't gone yet. The same company is replacing our back door later this year so we'll take stock of the windows again then. Meanwhile the man turns out to have been to school with DS1 (our children seem to know everyone between them) and to have an interest in the Spanish flu pandemic so we had an interesting conversation which has convinced me to wash masks often!

I managed to get a fair amount done in the garden, and DH's extended tree pruner arrived (cost about £45 a few days ago so need to remember to add that to the money spreadsheet). He's done some of the high shoots that I couldn't get to. We watched the tree surgeon clearing tips of branches from overhead wires earlier in the year and realised we can do that ourselves. I've done some weeding and cleaned the bird feeders as well as the earlier work.

DH tidied a bit in the shed and found a tin of oddments that I must have put together in my teens. It was so rusty that I was surprised it still opened and I've binned about half of what was in it but found some old necklaces, one of which was a huge favourite for a while and as it's glass it's not been spoilt by time.

I got the ironing cleared again while watching 'Fake or Fortune': DH has a day off tomorrow so one of the things on his is to check if he still wants all those items.

It's back to work for me tomorrow afternoon, and the first of two consecutive sleep ins.

Spending:
Housekeeping £12.80
Gift (bought a takeaway tea for DH) £2.10

Tonight I'm thankful for positive news from A, inroads into the jungle garden and having the eco-shop to hand with all the lovely stuff she sells.

Cherryfudge

Another member of staff is isolating so shifts are being juggled. When did August ever look so crowded? Perhaps it usually is and I just haven't noticed. I went through the new rotas last night and found a couple of sleep ins to pick up but I'm still cautious of taking on too much. I'm back in for the late/sleep tonight but have swapped tomorrow's late for an early as someone can cover the late and the early is short of staff - so I will have the later part of the day off.

Someone came round this morning to quote for a new loft hatch. Turns out it's the same man who came three years ago, though of course prices have gone up. He said some of their materials have risen by 300%, but the quotation he gave was about a 50% increase on the original. I know it would have been cheaper to have had it done then but we needed other stuff done so it fell off the priorities list. Anyway the company can do the work at the end of this month and it will be IRO £600, which is about £400 less than DD paid for their loft work earlier this year.

DS2 texted at around 3am to ask if we are free on Monday or Tuesday. Those are days when we are planning to go to the old house but we could meet him for lunch on Monday en route... if he can do then. We've not seen him for quite a while!

I am going to pop into town soon to waste money on snacks for work. Not entirely a waste of course but my locker has a sad lack of biscuits. I'll get juices as well so I'm so dependent on coffee.

Sun_Addict

What does the loft hatch work include for that price? 

It’s good that you can pick up shifts to suit you. 

I hope DS2 can make Monday and you can have a catch up.

Cherryfudge

Sun_Addict said:

What does the loft hatch work include for that price? 

It’s good that you can pick up shifts to suit you. 

I hope DS2 can make Monday and you can have a catch up.

Thank you.

It's a case of enlarging the entrance to the loft and fitting a ladder, VAT included. It might be a bit more if they come across unexpected electrics and have to re-route something. The loft is already boarded so they will have to cut into it but not patch it. DS1 did it as a summer holiday project when he was 12!

Nothing heard about meeting DS2 yet... maybe we should find some date in a couple of weeks and ask him if he can make it.

Cherryfudge

I'm tired after a very long shift, but the shift itself went pretty well. Two consecutive sleep-ins and an early shift: I'm glad I don't do that all the time!

DH texted just before I got in to say J and L were calling round as they'd had an idea about their wedding venue. They ended up staying for food and a chat and their idea is perfect, somewhere we all love and which has good family memories. It's limited in size which is ideal as they only want a small ceremony, but I can see we are going to have to be tactful to a number of people!

I spent £11 on food yesterday and Dh has also done food shopping today. I've put in last month's overtime claim which isn't huge but useful. I'm still havering over whether to buy Premium Bonds...

Things I'm thankful for tonight: J and L's idea for their wedding venue, good shift (that might not have been), seeing J and L and the puppy.

BalanceBy50

Cherryfudge said:

I spent £11 on food yesterday and Dh has also done food shopping today. I've put in last month's overtime claim which isn't huge but useful. I'm still havering over whether to buy Premium Bonds...

Hi Cherry why are you havering over PB’s? Are you buying them because you think you may win big money or is it because it’s a safe place that’s not instantly accessible but you can get to them if needs be & you may have the odd win which would offset any interest you may lose. I understand it’s a moral issue but if you did win big think of all the good you could do xx

Cherryfudge

That's a good question, @BalanceBy50. While it would be nice to win big money, I don't think it's likely. I've had a few premium bonds since I was a baby and never won a penny. DH won all of £25 about 30 years ago.

Reasons for buying:
Not having all my eggs in one basket - in fact spreading them over several baskets! We intend to buy a BTL once some family estates are settled but I refuse to sink every penny into it.
Savings accounts are a secure way of watching capital depreciate at the moment.
I'm sure the Government needs the money - though my drop in the ocean isn't going to swing the national debt.
I might win a bit.
I can get hold of the money if and when wanted at relatively short notice.
It's a gamble - but so are shares, property, investments, savings in some form.

Reasons against:
I steer clear of gambling because I know I could get drawn in.
No guaranteed return.
I might be able to put the money to better use elsewhere - sometimes I do, but sometimes it just sits in a current account doing nowt.
Would I be better putting it in my pension? But then I don't understand pensions well enough to know if that's worth doing: I've only got a partial contribution record and am in my late 50s, so the pensions are never going to pay much.

BalanceBy50

I think you need to do the research on the pensions but I would be surprised if you would see much return if you put it in your pension.  Good luck and I hope you make a decision soon 😁 x

still_hopeful

I would absolutely look at pensions, if only because you would get the tax relief so it's free money. 

If you've not got a full state pension contribution record, that would be the first thing I would look into - voluntary contributions could be the best investment you ever make. Go online for a government pension forecast, make sure you read past the headline figure and see what you are actually due as things stand now, and what the maximum you could get is.

Then you need to work out if extra contributions are worth it. This will depend on factors including how many years you intend working, and how much those years would add to your forecast.

People over on the pensions board are very helpful if you have any questions.

Cherryfudge

BalanceBy50 said:

I think you need to do the research on the pensions but I would be surprised if you would see much return if you put it in your pension.  Good luck and I hope you make a decision soon 😁 x

Thanks

still_hopeful said:

I would absolutely look at pensions, if only because you would get the tax relief so it's free money. 

If you've not got a full state pension contribution record, that would be the first thing I would look into - voluntary contributions could be the best investment you ever make. Go online for a government pension forecast, make sure you read past the headline figure and see what you are actually due as things stand now, and what the maximum you could get is.

Then you need to work out if extra contributions are worth it. This will depend on factors including how many years you intend working, and how much those years would add to your forecast.

People over on the pensions board are very helpful if you have any questions.

Good point on the tax relief... I can't add anything to my state pension pot. I looked into it a little while ago and have had full employment including pension contributions following that.

I'm only a few years off retirement and didn't start to pay into a pension till my early 40s. I understand receipt of Child Benefit prior to this helps with the State Pension, but I don't do mathematical things very well so getting further depends on me being fully awake and not dealing with other stressors!

I'm also eligible for something from DH's pension, it's my occupational pension contributions that are going to be the weak point.

I suppose I can't be sure how long I'm going to live (!) but in my observation my parents' generation was longer-lived than their parents, so I could reasonably expect to live three or four years longer than they did. I need to plan to be around and still spending when I'm 90!

I suppose I could make one-off contributions for now and sort out something more permanent in the longer term.

I will make a note of the points you've both raised, thank you. When I have my head together a bit better, I'll contact my employer's pension scheme and see if they wilt at the mention of my name (my husband is with the same employer and has a really complicated pension which took a while to sort out). I especially need the two projections: I would like to work till retirement age and beyond. However, it's a job that depends on me staying reasonably physically fit, so I know I may not get that option.

It's really helpful to hear from others about it and might just stir me into action, thank you.