Making savings before it's too late

SmlSave

I'm just delurking to say that whilst a Will written by a solicitor can be expensive (compared to DIY or Will writers) it is definitely worth it in the long run.
At work I've seen the trouble that a poorly worded Will can have on a family

PollyWollyDoodle

Yep ... even though I'm single and have no children, I've made a will (although I don't buy life insurance). It makes it much, much easier for those left behind. It's not so much the legacy hunters, it's the close relatives and those who you'd want to have your worldly goods, who can end up with nothing.

pigpen

exactly.. getting a will done properly isn't cheap.. and it is on my list but keeping a roof over our head and food on the table is way more important at the moment than a piece of paper I might never need. As it stands if I croak OH has the girls regardless because they are his and the others can do as they please with all my rubbish.. bin eat, sell it, burn it.. I don't care.. noone else would have a look in and my life insurance has it down in the policy what is to happen with that money.. £10k each and the mortgage paid off and £500k to cover the care of the under 18's in the event we both croak. I don't have anything I would specifically want to go to anyone.. I don't care... I don't care what they do with my rotting corpse, it doesn't matter.. it will be a blob of stinking meat. If we both snuff it DD1 is having our girls.. we have discussed as a collective and agreed and DS1 will help out as much as he can. OH's family are not having them for specific reasons which my children are authorised to use against them in court should the need arise.

I really have nothing to write a will for at this moment in time... and better uses for my cash like food and our home and utilities.

I will do it when I feel a need... not to mention the massive change in circumstances which is in the not so distant future.

Blackcatsreturns

Pigpen, I respect your views. However, just for future reference and in case others might find it useful I thought I'd just mention that every November selected solicitors participate in Will Aid. A professionally written will in return for a donation (suggested around £95 to a charity) a bit of a win/win I think.
I've done a bit of spending this week, buying my March birthday gifts. I stuck strictly to my planned gift budget. Maybe I'm starting to get the hang of this change of attitude to money? Working my way through my fancy tea bag stash. Last night was spiced apple and today is sweet mint. Not sure how I managed to accumulate so many different tea bags but they are all nicely organised now and I'm enjoying using them. I found some Fortnum and Mason gin and tonic green tea bags - how sophisticated.

[Deleted User]

I am waiting for an organic fruit and veg box this morning, I never begrudge the money spent on organic. It started in 1971 when we joined a suma wholefood cooperative in kendal, I have always known that we are what we eat, however times were tough in the past and we did our best. I started growing most of my own veg in my garden in s wales from 1982 and after that had veg boxes. Nowadays I buy grass fed meat, could not buy it when children were at home, very expensive. Today my bill is £47 and that includes quite a good amount of fruit and veg, probably enough for a family of 3-4, eggs, beef fat, guernsey milk to make hm yogurt, semi milk for tea, minced lamb to make shepherds pie with mashed sweet potato on top, worcester sauce, best butter . I expect my weekly bill to vary between 15 and 50 pounds, depending if I add meat and if the allotment springs to life.

doingitanyway

kittie wrote: »

I am waiting for an organic fruit and veg box this morning, I never begrudge the money spent on organic. It started in 1971 when we joined a suma wholefood cooperative in kendal, I have always known that we are what we eat, however times were tough in the past and we did our best. I started growing most of my own veg in my garden in s wales from 1982 and after that had veg boxes. Nowadays I buy grass fed meat, could not buy it when children were at home, very expensive. Today my bill is £47 and that includes quite a good amount of fruit and veg, probably enough for a family of 3-4, eggs, beef fat, guernsey milk to make hm yogurt, semi milk for tea, minced lamb to make shepherds pie with mashed sweet potato on top, worcester sauce, best butter . I expect my weekly bill to vary between 15 and 50 pounds, depending if I add meat and if the allotment springs to life.

Hi Kitty, I am another one who thinks an organic veggie box is worthwhile. I am almost debt free and did without whilst paying debt but I am 1 payment from being debt free so I reintroduced it. It helps me eat better. I get a box fortnightly. I supplement with organic fruit and veg YS (rare) and sometimes I stretch to once every 3 weeks. I aim to buy small quantities of meat too. I think when you are younger you might get away with eating rubbish but as I enter middle age I think good quality food is a must

[Deleted User]

doingitanyway wrote: »

I am 1 payment from being debt free

WOW, well done you :j that is one heck of an achievement

pigpen

Blackcat..thank you.. I need to rejiggle life insurance before I can do a will and I can't do that until at least June.. but I'm not planning on croaking before then. I will look into it.. I looked a few years ago but there were ridiculous rules in places like age or assets and there were so few appointments available But I will look I promise.!

Got some more of the dratted painting done today.. I need to sand a few rough places and then can slop on the second coat.. and I need £90 in the next few weeks to replace our broken shower before we all smell like teenage boys! Why do things have to break? I can't be doing with this!!

I fit in my jeans after 20lb of lard off my pocket-sized self.. now for the other 4 stone! lol.

I'm really looking forward to school finishing on Friday.. I will get so much more done in the house without having to go out every 5 minutes on school runs.. I will hopefully get the kitchen and DD3's bedrooms decorated. They are my mission.

I want to get at least 5 things a day listed on ebeast too.. I have more than enough gubbins to shift and the majority which is going to DD1's will have gone by then so I will have space.. I need £350 by the end of May (I should be able to save that from income) and have £750 still to pay on the gas/leccy.. I might just rob a bank, it has to be easier!

I don't even know where else I can save some cash.. the stupid report that the 'cost of living' has gone down.. They just make up this rubbish to stop us all doing ourselves in with despair I'm sure.. how has it gone down when everything has gone up apart from the wages? I may have to rent out my furry mouser.. she catches rats too, quite versatile.

[Deleted User]

crikey, I had some unexpected money in my bank account this morning, I know where it came from but it was not expected. Every last penny plus two pounds will go into my yorkshire bs savings account. I am not tempted by anything else

tori.k

That's fantastic Kittie I really wish for that luck at the moment unfortunately cash is only flowing one way at the moment.
Mortgage paperwork turned up today, so officially feel i've taken on the national debt
First payment will be over £900 :eek: then will settle down to a more reasonable £600ish for what feels like the rest of my natural life
Payday is tomorrow and its all and then some is accounted for already.
If that wasn't enough the water bill also turned up.
Its been a long time since I felt so broke, we are determined that we are not using any other credit other than the mortgage during this move. and ideally wanted another payday before we exchanged no chance of that happening a lot of the searches are already back solicitor just waiting on our mortgage so looking like we could wrap this up for the Easter holidays, which is a nightmare for me as next to the May bank holiday its my most demanding time at work, but that's always the way these things work.
Least the sooner we are in the faster we will get sorted.