Champagne Lifestyle on a Lemonade Budget.

lessonlearned

Anyhoo......I for one am not going to waste my time and effort bemoaning my lack of readies......I am going to make the most of what I do have and have a jolly good time in the process.

What I lack in cash I will make up for in dash......:D

Well the journey home was easy and pleasant for me, as it was for the journey down .......but then I had stumped up for first class. For that I got a nice roomy seat, in a quiet coach, free wi fi, free snacks and drinks and someone to lift my case on and off the train for me. Meanwhile for some of those who had paid standard fare it was standing room only, packed like sardines in the corridors.

I am not being smug.

I think it is shameful that people pay through the nose for rail tickets and aren't even guaranteed a seat. How can that be acceptable. :mad:

candygirl

lessonlearned wrote: »

I recall reading somewhere that you were looking at over £200k to bring up a child. I have never dared tot it up but it wouldn't surprise me if you took into account lost income, childcare costs, helping them through university etc.

They are not a cheap hobby......:rotfl:

I think that's an under estimate nowadays , especially the uni n beyond years

lessonlearned

candygirl wrote: »

I think that's an under estimate nowadays , especially the uni n beyond years

You're probably right.

happyandcontented

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

But they are personal choice to have them - ever since the 1970's. To some extent before then - ie my mothers choice not to have any and it was the 1950s resulted in two children. If she'd been born in my era - she wouldnt have had any - but 1950s technology and law hadnt quite advanced to 1970s onwards level at that point in history.

One thing in life I am very thankful for - being born at an era where I came of age in the 1970s meant I chose not to have any and therefore didn't have any.

Not a personal choice to need to buy a house for instance - more a necessity and I could have done with half the married persons tax allowance and something instead of child benefit for one of the two children I could have had and that would have helped me buy my necessity (ie my house).

Buying a house is as much of a personal choice as anything else is, you could have rented, or carried on living at home.

Consciously choosing not to have children and then bemoaning that you don't get an equivalent benefit to those who do is a little strange. It seems akin to someone being married but not being happy that they don't get the single person's council tax reduction.

We all make choices and choices have consequences.

lessonlearned

caronc wrote: »

Glad you had a good holiday LL and how lovely to come back to your new bathroom.:)
My champagne moment for today was lighting my new stove:D.

That sounds like bliss. I shall be looking into stoves for sure.

The plan now is get ready for Christmas, then in the New Year start thinking and planning the renovation works, getting quotes etc. I think the first step will be to speak to building control and see what the new rules and regs are for attic conversions. That will determine both the budget and the schedule. Some works might have to wait until 2020.

In the meantime I intend to undertake a massive declutter in the new year and turn one of the bedrooms into a temporary home gym/exercise space. It is currently a junk room.

I have finally opened all my mail (nothing too shocking but no nice fat cheques either:rotfl:) although the Winter fuel allowance and the £10 "pensioners bonus" has arrived in my account.

I was very pleased with my final onboard account. I spent a lot less than I have done in the past because I only went on one organised excursion so that saved a lot of money. I was also very restrained in my spending when ashore and came home with quite of lot of unspent cash. I still managed to get some nice little Christmas presents though

When I booked my holiday I also took advantage of an all inclusive drinks package. Normally I don't bother because I'm not a serious drinker by any means but because it was reduced I bought it. It turned out to be a real bargain and saved me quite a bit of money. I could imbibe freely without worrying about racking up a big bar Bill. I thoroughly I enjoyed my pre dinner glass of cava each evening.

I did splash out and buy a bit of costume jewellery, two rather nice dress rings. Only cubic zirconias but, because I avoided the knuckle dusters and went for stones that were relatively modest in size they look quite "real" rather than obvious fakes.

Bling on a budget.:rotfl: but without being garish or ostentatious.

All in all my holiday came to around £1300, including spending money. Pretty good for 14 nights in luxury accommodation.

candygirl

lessonlearned wrote: »

That sounds like bliss. I shall be looking into stoves for sure.

The plan now is get ready for Christmas, then in the New Year start thinking and planning the renovation works, getting quotes etc. I think the first step will be to speak to building control and see what the new rules and regs are for attic conversions. That will determine both the budget and the schedule. Some works might have to wait until 2020.

In the meantime I intend to undertake a massive declutter in the new year and turn one of the bedrooms into a temporary home gym/exercise space. It is currently a junk room.

I have finally opened all my mail (nothing too shocking but no nice fat cheques either:rotfl:) although the Winter fuel allowance and the £10 "pensioners bonus" has arrived in my account.

I was very pleased with my final onboard account. I spent a lot less than I have done in the past because I only went on one organised excursion so that saved a lot of money. I was also very restrained in my spending when ashore and came home with quite of lot of unspent cash. I still managed to get some nice little Christmas presents though

When I booked my holiday I also took advantage of an all inclusive drinks package. Normally I don't bother because I'm not a serious drinker by any means but because it was reduced I bought it. It turned out to be a real bargain and saved me quite a bit of money. I could imbibe freely without worrying about racking up a big bar Bill. I thoroughly I enjoyed my pre dinner glass of cava each evening.

I did splash out and buy a bit of costume jewellery, two rather nice dress rings. Only cubic zirconias but, because I avoided the knuckle dusters and went for stones that were relatively modest in size they look quite "real" rather than obvious fakes.

Bling on a budget.:rotfl: but without being garish or ostentatious.

All in all my holiday came to around £1300, including spending money. Pretty good for 14 nights in luxury accommodation.

Beware 'LL, I'm going to be chewing your ear off re a cruise.That's such a good deal :eek:

moneyistooshorttomention

No doubting children are dear but - in fairness - single childless people subsidise other peoples choices, whether we've decided to - or not.

It would be nice once in a while to have our situation subsidised. It would certainly help if those we subsidise once in a while even turned round and said "Thank you for the money. We know you're often not giving it by choice and can't afford it. We do appreciate the help we get from you - as you pay extra on taxes and bills etc".

Re I could "live at home" - I'm over 30 - and the agegroup that should have its own home. In fact - I'm in my 60's - the agegroup that that is very very much so. I'll give my mother hysterics and tell her I'm moving back in with her then - that'll make her day - not!:rotfl::rotfl: Be it rented or owned - a home is a necessity and I can't say I've ever fancied trying to sleep on the streets and will let that stay on the list of "Life experiences I've never had - thank goodness".

Anyway - end of subject as far as I'm concerned. Just once in a while - I get annoyed at being "shoved under the carpet"/deemed not equally entitled to express our views. One of us has to give the Other Viewpoint - can't have people reading back from the later 21st century/ 22nd century saying "Didn't anyone ever disagree with that common 20th/early 21st century viewpoint?". Waves to people in future centuries - yes...some of us do.

happyandcontented

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

No doubting children are dear but - in fairness - single childless people subsidise other peoples choices, whether we've decided to - or not.

It would be nice once in a while to have our situation subsidised. It would certainly help if those we subsidise once in a while even turned round and said "Thank you for the money. We know you're often not giving it by choice and can't afford it. We do appreciate the help we get from you - as you pay extra on taxes and bills etc".

Re I could "live at home" - I'm over 30 - and the agegroup that should have its own home. In fact - I'm in my 60's - the agegroup that that is very very much so. I'll give my mother hysterics and tell her I'm moving back in with her then - that'll make her day - not!:rotfl::rotfl: Be it rented or owned - a home is a necessity and I can't say I've ever fancied trying to sleep on the streets and will let that stay on the list of "Life experiences I've never had - thank goodness".

Anyway - end of subject as far as I'm concerned. Just once in a while - I get annoyed at being "shoved under the carpet"/deemed not equally entitled to express our views. One of us has to give the Other Viewpoint - can't have people reading back from the later 21st century/ 22nd century saying "Didn't anyone ever disagree with that common 20th/early 21st century viewpoint?". Waves to people in future centuries - yes...some of us do.

Re the BIB, those children will work to keep the benefits system going for pensioners.

Are you saying that those of us who are married with children should thank single, childless people for their contributions? Really?

Re 'should have' a house, that may be so, but I suspect most of us think that way, but we then earn what is required to fund our choice of lifestyle.

I drive but I fund public transport from my taxes, I have private healthcare but fund the NHS (more than willingly) from my taxes, etc, etc. We didn't get CHB when the earnings rule came in because of the split of our salaries (others earning more than us but with a different salary split did) There are other issues which have affected me too, like some of the pension changes you mentioned, but that is life, we are either on one side or another of a set criteria.

We all make life choices and there are consequences of those choices.

Should I begrudge others having the benefits of what my taxes pay for?

You are certainly entitled to your views, but equally, don't try to shove the opposing view under the carpet either!

You brought the subject to the table and so there is a right of reply.;)

Skibunny40

I'm a lurker on this thread, but just wanted to say thank you to Lessonlearned for mentioning the £10 Pensioner Christmas bonus.

This is the first year I've been an official "carer" for my 85 year old dad, which includes keeping an eye on his bank account and I've been puzzling over why he received a random payment of £10 from the government for ages!! I knew about the Winter Fuel Allowance because he received a letter, but the £10 was driving me nuts - thank you!

Love this thread as well - lots of great ideas.

suki1964

Im very happy to subsidise the generation thats going to be wiping my bum for me when Im too ancient and knackered to do it myself

I pay an astronomical amount in Rates. I don't have street lighting, our roads don't get swept, our verges don't get cut, we have no public transport, all things that are given if I lived in the town. But I chose to buy this house and accept I don't get back much of my taxes in services

Anyway, there no point in arguing about it, we made our choices and we have to live with the consequences

LL, the holiday sounds like it was a real bargain , definitely a champagne lifestyle for lemonade money. Well done you :T:T

My champagne moment yesterday was a me afternoon. I got my hair done, eyebrows done, and got a proper coffee shop coffee, and spent the grand total of £23.40:j

As Ive already posted on another thread, I now go to little independents so Im still getting a great hair cut and blow dry, my eyebrows look fab, but Im no longer paying for the running of posh salons. Hairdresser works out of a portacabin, and I use the lady who has a chair in a shopping mall for threading. Hair was £15, eyebrows £6 and the coffee £2.40, not bad for a me spend every 3 months :beer:


Our extension is coming along. Its cost us a bit more then we wanted to spend as we had to have the ground piled as we are on back filled land and our original foundations are 4 metres deep :eek:. But its swings and roundabouts as although that was expensive, we have saved a fortune on concrete and disposing of tonnes of earth

Unfortunately the hold up means we won't be finished before Christmas but then again, Mr Suki is off for the two weeks over Christmas so he will get it completed then without losing any pay

So all is good

Im tackling an ironing mountain this morning and then Im dragging him to the shops to get the kids and grandkids Christmas pressies and then because its going to be a long day no Sunday roast, just some lush burgers and salad that I got out of M&S yesterday at silly money as I hit at the exact time the last reductions were happening :j:j