The Edcawber Principle

edinburgher

So begins spendpocalypse!

The cat had surgery and has had a pin inserted into her foot to bring the bones back together. She is coming home today (half an hour) and has to be kept in a cage for a fortnight to aid healing. I am honest to goodness dreading the bill

We have also had our solar panels flying rat proofed. Looks to be a very good job, I am greatly amused by disappointed looking pigeons landing, having a scratch around and then giving up £500

I have also booked tickets for a live version of the Muppet's Christmas Carol in December because God knows we all need something to look forward to. Pretty expensive, but we love that film as a family and I'm working on the assumption we won't be going on our summer holiday this year.

Mrs E had a small windfall which she shared and I have received a birthday gift (£65 in total). I paid £32.52 of this into my SIPP and the gummint has topped this up to £40.65. I'm noticing a lot of people making pensions posts these days, maybe MFW needs a wee half way house thread between MFW and FIRE? I know we suggested this as a sub-board or similar years ago and it went nowhere, but a single thread wouldn't hurt?

edinburgher

£1300 for the vet 

beanielou

Eeeeeeeek.

Karmacat

edinburgher said:

£1300 for the vet 

Oh drat   sorry to hear that.  

OTOH, I'm very interested in the solar panel ratproofing, and the Muppets Christmas Carol is a great idea   As far as going away this year, have you thought about a whole-house rental from Airbnb?  My Somerset holiday is one such: a two bed cottage, with two bathrooms (I'll be with my sister, so we'll have a bathroom each).  We've booked just before the school holidays, of course - prices might be *really* different if it's during.

Suffolk_lass

Good job you had the savings and you love your cat. That sounds too glib but it it is a good job you are in a position to do it. I loved the rat-proofing at our old house. It kept the balconies and sills much cleaner.

Your suggestion for a pensions area could start in Savings and Investments or Pensions, Annuities and Pension Planning and see who joins a savings for pensions log. What puts me off over there is the usual little band of smart**se comments from people who know best in that area, telling you you could do better, should have done it this way, or boast about what they have. It puts me off.

edinburgher

@Karmacat @Suffolk_lass

A staycation is definitely an idea KC, I think I had just assumed from the tabloid headlines appearing in my news feed that England was booked up?

SL - you're absolutely right on that front - hence why I'd probably feel safer off the main pensions board. Planning for the future is a bit like exercise - it doesn't really matter what you do as long as you do something (and often) 

Cat is home, full of morphine and fairly calm in the big cage 👍 I am annoyed because as well as the insurance being insufficient, I need to print off a paper form, have the vet complete it and then scan it before emailing. It feels very backwards, I'll take out a new insurance policy where the insurer accepts all digital claims.

I have received a birthday cheque from my lovely inlaws and have paid half of this into my pension. £25, topped up to £31.25 by the gummint 

Suffolk_lass

Does that mean happy birthday today then?

I'd be going down to Largs for day trips if I were in Scotland (and up to Mull, and Wester Ross before the midges if I were looking for self-catering loveliness).

By the way, if Miss E is interested, the nest cam for the ospreys at Rutland Water has an egg already. I haven't checked the other webcams I usually follow yet, but the Cairngorms (Loch Garten) lost their pair two years ago. Loch Arkaig is the other one. Must look..

edinburgher

@Suffolk_lass - aye - 20 years or less to early retirement  

DD loves herself a bit of nature, osprey cam sounds great 👍

ElmoR

I like your new word 'spendpocalypse'. Must use that. I had been using moneyhaemorhage and it always seems to involve pets or car?!

Hope kitty recovers well.

Main reason I've popped in is to shout a very loud *yes please* to the idea of somewhere that is a community feel thread/group between MFW/FIRE landscape without the downer vibe from those (dominating the Retirement and Savings/Investments land) who don't get our mindset (and have out of this normal/peasant-world larger pots too).

I came away from recent posts on other boards feeling belittled and, in one instance, subtly ridiculed. Without the MFW posts, where technically I no longer belong , I am a forum board orphan! There must be many others floating around too!

ElmoR

edinburgher

@ElmoR - thanks for that I know what you mean, I sometimes feel a little out of place on MFW as I am in no rush to pay off my mortgage!  This is, however, a very welcoming board and there are lots of folks with different approaches and we all learn something from each other. I'll start something shortly.

I managed a lovely brunch, cat is suitably full of painkillers and now I'm just relaxing with a coffee and a wee bit of computer games. I also received a funny card from my Dad with £30, which was gratefully received. Another £15 paid into my SIPP, £18.75 thanks to the gummint.

Edit: And fab local friends just popped round with a wee gift and they have printed the insurance claim forms for me