50 something man seeking to save to retire before 60!

crv1963

sukysue wrote: »

:rotfl:
I have been brilliant yesterday and today decluttering like mad , 16 bags of charity stuff 3 bags of rags , been a huge relief to do it can;t stop now.
:rotfl:

Well done, I've been gardening so will have to do a run to the tip. De-cluttering the house will have to wait until I've either sorted the garden or it rains.

crv1963

Hi it's been a busy few weeks. Left my old team with a tinge of sadness as they were a great bunch of people to work with, but working every day over my hours with little chance of getting the time back and no chance of getting paid for it 5 days a week means for me I made the right decision.


Started my new job, expecting to have a 2 week, 5 days a week induction, to be told it's straight into 3 weeks, 3 days a week induction. Suits me fine, the drive is 2 hours each way but the traffic is constantly moving. Great set of people in the new team, very busy so the time flies over. I was able to get straight into some of it and felt very supported.


Spending- Bought lunch 3 days- I'll have to start taking in lunches again, not going to get into spending £3 a day. Cigarette spending £0.


Bought the car for my son, have it MOT'd but it is in the garage yesterday and today getting the advisory work done, so it will be as safe as it can be. Paid for daily cover £22 for the drive down to him tomorrow- I don't mind third party for the mile or so to my local garage but 220 miles to his home I wanted it fully comp.


Bought birthday present for sister and niece so not doing well on spend reduction.


£70 later today for a refurbished petrol lawn mower.


Saving- £200 into Christmas fund.


Sorting- Gardening yesterday, tackled the box balls, cutting them back into shape one 5 foot and the other 6 foot in diameter as well as weeding a flower bed. Rain stopped play late afternoon.


Other News- Considering renting a room/ B&B or other means of maybe staying near the new workplace as it is only 2 max 3 nights a week and Mrs CRV is worried about the travel, especially in the winter snow and fog. At the moment I'm enjoying the drive, trying different routes to find the fastest, but the scenery is great.


Driving sons car down to him tomorrow, picking my mother up on the way so she can have a day out and see one hopefully both grandsons when we arrive. Oldest son will be working so we'll go to him while he has a break. Train tickets booked back.


Hens laying well still, 4 or 5 eggs a day, getting reduced price veg for them at the yellow stickered veg in the local Tesco.


Simple Pleasures- Having mid week days off!

sukysue

I think l would be worried about you driving that far too if you were my DH, l think that is a very good idea . Things are sounding very good well done to you m'dear!

crv1963

sukysue wrote: »

I think l would be worried about you driving that far too if you were my DH, l think that is a very good idea . Things are sounding very good well done to you m'dear!

Thanks sukysue,



Things are a bit "up in the air" at the moment, until I settle into a work routine and get to grips with the new role making definite arrangements to stay over or not seems hasty. Leaving the car at work and commuting from home to work base isn't possible, bus service doesn't start early enough to get to the train station to catch a train early enough to make the workplace start time.


Spending took off so saving took a dive, but got the car down to my son, which worked out more expensive than I thought, easy to see the headline costs, the car, the MOT and fuel to deliver, but add on the "Dad" costs, a daily insurance, make the car as safe as possible ie- getting the advisory items sorted, buy coffees and train fares home etc, and it all adds up. Then of course I have to do it all over again for my other son- I'll try to get it sorted for him by mid-January. But I'll take a flask next time!


I do believe in treating them both the same, and that they take some of the responsibility for costs, hence they have to pay their own insurance costs and tax the car. I don't mind helping but they have to know how much "things" cost in terms of hard work too! As insurance is the biggest single cost after the car they can know what it is like to work for something that they want.


I see too many colleagues buy and pay to run their childrens' cars and in my view do them no favours as they expect the parents bank to always be there! Some even demand a new car or that they be given their next car, and get it!


Man of Leisure how's the hen keeping going?


Today is a "chillax" day, but I'm not one for sitting around so a bit of gardening is on the cards if the rain holds off, if not then ironing might have to be tackled.

lessonlearned

Hi all.

CRV. Glad to see you are settling into your new job. It takes a while. My husband used to do the Monday-Friday staying over thing. It worked well. The drive was fine in summer but not for winter.

Well I move tomorrow. I'm just about all packed up, ready to go. A few last minute bits before I go to bed and then up bright and early.

My new adventure begins........

crv1963

lessonlearned wrote: »

Hi all.

CRV. Glad to see you are settling into your new job. It takes a while. My husband used to do the Monday-Friday staying over thing. It worked well. The drive was fine in summer but not for winter.

Well I move tomorrow. I'm just about all packed up, ready to go. A few last minute bits before I go to bed and then up bright and early.

My new adventure begins........

Good luck LL, I'm following your move with interest. I'm sure that you'll have a good time sorting the new place out. We're looking at doing a full makeover to our home once we've sorted our finances out regarding the retirement, the list gets longer of what I'd knock the seller down on if I were to buy our home from them.


One of our nieces is doing an architect degree, so fingers crossed she'll use us to practise some of her skills on!

sukysue

Good luck with the move LL !
CRV we are doing exactly the same as you re the cars for the DC . We bought our DD2 first car a decent enough fiesta, only 6k on the clock and we insured her car and taxed and run it for a year until she was settled in a job and now she has taken over the maintenance and insurance costs because like you say we won't always be here or able to fund it and they have to learn.
Great idea to future proof your home. We have done the doors and windows UPVC and this year a new car, so think we will need an update to the kitchen and bathroom and then a thorough decorate to sort the house out but before that we need a huge declutter!
DH and l are already not going to buy presents for birthdays and Christmas and Anniversaries from now on. I could never have imagined us ever doing this but l think as you get older you don't actually want any more stuff... does this echo with anyone else or are we being mercenary? I hope not . We have agreed to get whatever we want and need as we want it throughout the year. So this Christmas will be a bit strange but we have already started by only buying ourselves a card each for our Wedding Anniversary and tbh it was a huge relief ....so far so good!

crv1963

sukysue wrote: »

Great idea to future proof your home. We have done the doors and windows UPVC and this year a new car, so think we will need an update to the kitchen and bathroom and then a thorough decorate to sort the house out but before that we need a huge declutter!

DH and l are already not going to buy presents for birthdays and Christmas and Anniversaries from now on. I could never have imagined us ever doing this but l think as you get older you don't actually want any more stuff... does this echo with anyone else or are we being mercenary? I hope not . We have agreed to get whatever we want and need as we want it throughout the year. So this Christmas will be a bit strange but we have already started by only buying ourselves a card each for our Wedding Anniversary and tbh it was a huge relief ....so far so good!

There's lots on my list, we've had the hall re-plastered walls and ceiling, new floor, decorated everywhere except the lounge we only use when we have people visit- our little everyday lounge is big enough for us. Mrs CRV want to extend the little used lounge demolishing the conservatory and build a proper extension so it can be a dual or rather triple use room- dining area doubling up as a dressmaking area/room with lounge area. We need to have the garage repaired/ rebuilt and the garden walls if not repointed then rebuilt and new steps built up from the drive to house level.


We're undecided whether to follow our ideas or when we get a small inheritance (a whole different story and timescale, not wishing someone onward they have already made that journey!) if we should get an architect in and go through some ideas. The bungalow is large art deco style with lots of original features including servants bell in the kitchen from what is now our bedroom but was originally the living room.


Of course it's me who needs to de-clutter, Mrs CRV needs to stop collecting fish tanks and she's done!


We do anniversary cards, with me doing supermarket flowers! Birthdays a bit harder- my family goes big for birthdays than Christmas, Mrs CRV family the other way round! We buy each other something they want for birthdays, Christmas something big that they want, with little gifts/ stocking.


This year I'm hoping to buy Mrs CRV a record jukebox for her singles, have clear instructions no clothes, jewellery or perfume! I want practical stuff like a new hose, zinc plated hen feeder or jeans.


We like you tend to buy as we go along what we need. I need a new lawn mower this week not in December!

xanthe06

ManofLeisure wrote: »

crv1963, I think your thread will receive 'a large' number of views lol. On the main board it presents as '50 something man seeking' and of course we are all drawn in . Joking apart, I do wish you luck with your plans and am glad that you have recovered from your heart attack.

i thought there was a new sugar daddy in town, lol, glad your feeling better now x

crv1963

xanthe06 wrote: »

i thought there was a new sugar daddy in town, lol, glad your feeling better now x

Maybe I should change seeking to hoping, but I'm not sure how!