Making savings before it's too late

GreyQueen

Nice one about PlusNet, Mardatha. I've been with them a few years and the service is excellent but I get a bit ticked off with the yearly increases in price. Heaven knows, my income isn't increasing!

I save a little by paying for the line rental part 12 months ahead and the renewal for that is in March. They send you the details about 2 months ahead and, when I get them, I shall be ringing up and seeing if they want to cut me a better price to retain my custom.

Ooo-err, get me, makes me sound like a dowager duchess talking to the local shop, hey?:rotfl:

You Scots are lucky if you get your water & sewage included in your council tax, down here it's just another utility bill. I pay my (metered) supply every six months, currently about £120 p.a. although it has been creeping up over time.

I'm stalking a potential replacement for my Stolen Item (RL identifier hence me being a bit cagey) and have seen a potential thing online, will sit on my hands a while longer then make the seller an offer which will be about one-third below their asking price. They're a commercial seller, they may go for it, they may pass, but I think their asking price is about 30% above the going rate, based on observations of the competition. We shall see........

Staunch advice about planning for bereavement. I used to be a CAB volunteer and lost count of the amount of older ladies left in a pickle by the death of a money-managing hubby. Oftentimes, these ladies had no way of even doing something as basic as proving their ID; no driver's license because they didn't drive, no passport because they didn't go overseas, no utility bills in their own names........ it was a lot of unnecessary suffering at an already difficult time.:(

Katieowl

mardatha wrote: »

I think it's very important to be aware of how things could change and have a plan in place for it. Although plans never work out perfectly lol but it helps to have some sort of framework.

The one big problem for me would be the garden. I'm not fit enough to cut all that grass or dig the veg bit so would maybe need to pay somebody if my sons wouldn't do it.

You're the same as me Mardatha, I'd be on the bare min if OH dropped off his twig. He's 10 years older than me he's getting his pension, but I have 8 more years to go before mine is due, cos they moved my goalpost. It's going to be tough

My plan B is to rent his room out, or air BnB it or something like that.

We put loads of raised beds in the garden, but he does all the gardening ATM, not sure how I would manage, but I used to do it (we had allotments) so I know what to do, just not sure if I could physically manage. I think I'd nick a sheep or two to keep the lawn down!

mardatha

If I thought for one minute I could nick a sheep then it would be in the freezer already, along with a couple of its pals :D

Katieowl

mardatha wrote: »

If I thought for one minute I could nick a sheep then it would be in the freezer already, along with a couple of its pals :D

Oh t'would be the work of moments here at the moment, there are so many in the field next to the garden, they wouldn't miss a couple or three mind you not sure what the dogs would make of new friends!!!!

tori.k

I've been lucky enough with husband 2 his mum had a major stroke in her 50s which left her paralysed down one side so he became her main carer as a older teenager and I was a single parent for years so we'd both manage ok if needed. In fairness he will outlast me, creaky gates never die but I'd be richer as I'm far tighter than he is
Our council tax is also rising by a minimum of 5% so around a extra £85 most likely the water meter charge will most likely rise by £10 pa as normal I'm guessing.
I will have to find that within my grocery budget for the time being as DH changed jobs 6 weeks ago, and our transport bill is huge now he doesn't have a works van, this will reduce when we finally move house along with the council tax bill.
I'm currently saving 50% of my wages each month and going to try for 70% as with the house dragging on and our mortgage offer expired I'm going to try and get enough saved to hit a next lower LTV bracket, then we could/should be mortgage free in 8 years.
That's where we really need to be, as my knees won't make it to my government retirement age on the summer hours I currently work.

tori.k

Just lost the first roof tile on this old shed due to the blinking storm so that be £50 out my pocket on the plus side it so hot ( to hot to sleep) I've let the woodstove burnout early so saving a few quid there.

mardatha

Katieowl when I lived in my last house, my neighbiur wa sa well known poacher. He was fun once you got used to him. He came to my back door one xmas eve with a huge white goose dangling under his arm and asked me if I wanted goose for xmas dinner. I looked at the size of it and all the feathers and said thanks but I'd need a bigger kitchen nevermind oven! He also on one night we went through for " a wee drink" had a sheep in the bath, Very dead. I never said a word lol best not to know!I used to swap tubs of ice cream and desserts with his wife in exchange for huge salmon, which he seemed to have an awful lot of...
There are still people around here, tucked in wee cottages deep in the woods, who live very very well and totally under the radar. The wives keep hens, they grow all their own veg, (the wives not the hens) and the men bring home fresh organic meat. Free.

Katieowl

mardatha wrote: »

Katieowl when I lived in my last house, my neighbiur wa sa well known poacher. He was fun once you got used to him. He came to my back door one xmas eve with a huge white goose dangling under his arm and asked me if I wanted goose for xmas dinner. I looked at the size of it and all the feathers and said thanks but I'd need a bigger kitchen nevermind oven! He also on one night we went through for " a wee drink" had a sheep in the bath, Very dead. I never said a word lol best not to know!I used to swap tubs of ice cream and desserts with his wife in exchange for huge salmon, which he seemed to have an awful lot of...
There are still people around here, tucked in wee cottages deep in the woods, who live very very well and totally under the radar. The wives keep hens, they grow all their own veg, (the wives not the hens) and the men bring home fresh organic meat. Free.

FAB I'd love that. All we've managed in the way of free meat so far is some pidgeon that DS shot and bought home. He preps anything that needs plucked or gutted thank God, and I cooked it, it was quite nice. He was so proud, Like a kitty bringing meeces home as gifts. LOL

I keep hoping to make friends with someone who goes fishing....

tori.k

Last council tax payment paid today, normally I leave Feb and March payments in the bills account as a buffer but moved it straight to savings, so will have to keep a watchful eye on the telephone / water bill as there is only £50ish more than what goes out now as much as I round up the bill money it's only a couple pounds more than what's needed each month and there is no overdraft on the account.
Also had a message from the bank as they are stopping my credit card unless I contact them, it's not been used since 2013/14 I think as a balance transfers card at the time it was never actually spent on . This is the only credit link I have attached to my name, I don't own a mobile and I already shut down my cashback credit card when it moved to store shopping vouchers rather than cashback.
I've never been a big shopper and sleep better saving for larger items then opting for credit but unsure if this may bite me on the bum with the reapplication for the mortgage, I had a bit of a nightmare the first time round due to lack of credit history and our outgoings so low, DH had no issue simply due to the amount of cards and loans he had over the years. Feels like he was rewarded for being crappy with money and I was treated with suspicion.
It's an odd world we live in.

trailingspouse

Yes, tori.k it's bizarre isn't it? I'm having this conversation with my daughter at the moment. She's been surviving for years on a low income but recently got promoted and money is getting easier. She's never had a credit card, but in her new job she needs to pay up front for things like mileage and accommodation and then get reimbursed. I've suggested to her that she should get a credit card so she's not out of pocket - the money will be in her account before the credit cards needs to be paid. And she needs to build up her credit history - her and her boyfriend seem to be pretty serious so I wouldn't be surprised if she needed to look at getting a mortgage before too long.