I Want To Retire

SAVVYSCOT

Hello everyone!

Hope everyone has had a lovely weekend. I've been slightly AWOL this week as we have had an abundance of events and been spending alot of cash :eek:

We've had my aunts funeral, a day out, a close family members 30th birthday at her home and we had friends and their 3 kids over for the day yesterday. It has all be so nice (even the funeral, although very sad, they had arranged it to be a celebration and catching up and reminiscing with friends and family - almost function like with tables and mingling and food and drink).

But all the time with family and friends has just been lovely . We are all suitably knackered and slept in to 6.30am this morning. Considering everyone is usually up at the back of 5am, 6.30am is a lie in :rotfl:

Spending has not been great, hosting and what not has cost £120 :eek: It was my first time hosting so it was a learning experience. I got faaaarrrr too much food and snacks. It was all a bit rushed because of everything else that was going on this week. So next time will be different! And significantly cheaper! And more organised.

Been listening to lots of early retirement podcasts (despite the fact ive not even cleared the debt!) so it is very inspiring. One of the things that is suggested is to host events to save on going out. Just maybe cheaper than how i hosted :rotfl:

Spanner in the money works. My very good friend has got engaged and is planning a little mini hen weekend to a large Spanish city. It's just an overnight. She is fabulous and her other friends are also fabulous so it will be fun. Costly, but fabulous fun.

But also got a caravan holiday book for £145!!! :T Again another friend has one who rents out to only friends and family to cover her fees each year so she effectively gets it for free - if that makes sense! Not the ideal location but for that price for a week it will be perfect! Plus it has indoor swimming included! Just need to make sure and keep the costs down otherwise this cheap week will spiral out of control like the "cheap day with friends' that was £120

That my updates - helps putting them in writing!

Off to get ready as someone is buying a table for £10! better than nothing and i'll put it in the girls piggy banks!

Igamogam

Love your optimism Savvy!

I lost my closest dearest and longest friend 18 months ago. She was taken ill,admitted to hospital, diagnosed with multiple cancers and died all within a week. She was 53 with teenage children and a life to live. We had such plans as we set our children on their way and then returned to our lives. It certainly pulled me up short and made me think about things differently. Work is no longer important but what I do and how I do it, for the rest of my life, is. I will retire early and the plan is to buy a van and b00ger off around Europe for 6 months and then maybe pick up some supply work on return...or maybe not!

Fortunately I have paid towards my retirement since I started working in my mid 20's and I have a final salary pension but I have large CC debts to be cleared or at least substantially reduced before I retire....I dont want my pension pay out to just go and pay off the debt!!

So you thinking about retirement now is a good thing....I dont think enough people do. If there is one thing I have instilled into my DDs is that to use their vote and plan their retirement....and if they only take up those 2 things I will be happy!

Good luck *subscribes*

SAVVYSCOT

Igamogam wrote: »

I will retire early and the plan is to buy a van and b00ger off around Europe for 6 months and then maybe pick up some supply work on return...or maybe not!
Good luck *subscribes*

Igamogam that is my dream! I really want a carvan and to travel Scotland first, then England and Ireland! I'm going to see if you have a diary to subscribe to aswell!

Husband and I are thinking if we have anymore children it might be cheaper to get one than go abroad for holidays for a couple of years!

SAVVYSCOT

WELL EVERYONE. IT's all went to sugar (insert bad word!).

Grab a cuppa...this is a long one!

THE UGLY :eek:
We found bad mouldy dampness in our house, we got a damp guy and plasterer in to fix it and it turns out we had a leaking pipe at bottom of wall. Need to pull up flooring in two rooms to fix. Going to cost around £800-£1,000 to fix and thats with the plasterer and pipe guy being family friends so doing us mates rates.

My husband's car (that he uses for work) also went in for repairs (it was dangerous) and bill came back in at £600 :eek:. Mechanic (also a family friend) told us we also will have a few things that MIGHT need done to get the car through MOT at end of month.

Currently have no hot water but we have cold water and heating - which we did not for a day - so it could be worse!! Especially as we just had snow :snow_grin!! House is also a building site which isn't ideal with two toddlers.

THE BAD
We have a large party booked which is going to cost us a couple of hundred pounds. As we go big once you see and then usually don't do anything for a couple of years. Not an option to cancel nor would we want to _party_

I'm going on a hen weekend at the end of the month that needs all the spending money for. Flights, accommodation and transport have been paid for. So It shouldn't be TOO bad. It's self catering and a very small group and I think we are going to stay in a few nights so it might be two dinner/lunches out.

THE GOOD
My husband and I have been good at not going to supermarket. We've had the odd slip up but we are trying to keep to a Friday night shop and if we don't have something then we do without and improvise (the way that normal people do and not ones with supermarket on their doorstep!). This hard limit seems to be what we need.

He still also needs work though, tried to convince me this morning he needed new trousers cos the pockets needed sewn on his. I thought he was joking...he was not.:rotfl:

My inlaws have offered to lend us £600 for the car and we pay them £300 next month and the month after. Just to help spread out costs. I think we might take them up on that offer- not ideal but every little helps and it's less on the credit card.

THE PLAN
The credit card payments will not be getting paid this month (aside from minimal) and we will be keeping ALL available cash aside to survive the month. If things need to go on a credit card then so be it. I'm all about surviving this month and then bunkering down in May, June and July.

We will be using every morsel of food we have. We are running low on veg though, so we are going to need to get some on our friday night shop.

That's it. I'm going today to see what easter egg bargains their are for the easter egg hunt i'm organising as part of our large party (i know, i know)....

Big sigh. it will all be alright. It will all be alright. :money:

enthusiasticsaver

Always hiccups along the way and one reason why you need an emergency savings account. Use the month as a challenge not to put any more on credit. Any extra income you can garner by selling bits or switching bank accounts or any other way of raising extra cash?

Igamogam

Could you ask your party invitees to bring small eggs for the Easter Egg Hunt???

SAVVYSCOT

Hello guys

Yes we defo need an emergency fund, sods law these things happen just when you are getting on the straight and narrow!

We need an emergency fund, however my goal is first to get the credit cards cleared. I know we should have the fund set up but i'm too focused on the credit cards to even care. The plan is to REALLY not add to the credit card this month. I like that and that is our goal.

Good news is the party is working out slightly cheaper than planned! Ever so slightly but it's a small win. Easter eggs are already sorted (but out of this months pay). I think we might get by okay. I hope we do...

I also have already purchased everything for Easter (which we make a big deal of in this house) and dished out half the family eggs so thats just nice to have fewer things on the to-do-list. We have a kids party and day out which are also all ready paid for (including gifts and snacks and "accessories". SOOOOOO we will have a very fulfilled month that has already been organised despite the fact that we are totally skint :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Shopping list and meal plan is prepared for this evening. Hubster will head to Asd4 once kiddos are in bed and get the shopping. I am very happy with how we are doing with this, lets hope we get better and can start working to a good budget. I feel we are being healthier aswell, yeh know? We had cucumber and strawberries and blueberries that needed eating and the girls have been eating them, as opposed to packets of crackers etc. :T

SAVVYSCOT

Hello all.

No change here. Husbter spent £69 at Asd4 and we got a huge shop with far too many treats... I don't think I'll let him go shopping hungry again :rotfl:

So we are completely sorted for food this week :T Only thing might be some more blueberries or bananas but that's it.

TOTALLY got my dates mixed up and we have a kids party today! I thought it was next Sunday :wall: We are re-gifting a gift!! I feel bad HOWEVER this friend is the one who told me to start re-gifting kids toys, especially when you get doublers! AND we got two. AND even if i was out buying a gift I would have got a very similar item so that makes me feel better ! Also I'm happy that it will be another item out of our house. Just need to wrap it and make a card with the girls! We love making home made cards because:

A) I think there is nothing better than a homemade card
it is zero waste (ish) meaning my girls get to craft away and it doesn't go to waste and some of our card was stuff ordered by accident at my old work which would have sat and eventually got the bin
C) It's free as we have lots and lots of crafting supplies to last us a while. We may need to top up on sticky on stuff soon though.

We are just going to go out a nice walk and then head back for some lunch and to get party ready. So should be a nice FREE Sunday! :money:

SAVVYSCOT

Change of plan. Youngest has fallen asleep so I'm going to stay at home (and drink coffee) and organise the girls clothes boxes (youngest going into next size up and clothes to go up loft incase we have a 3rd) whilst hubster takes eldest to park! I have the categorised by age in big clear plastic boxes!

Present wrapped and card ready. We are officially party ready as-well _party_

jwil

I always re-gift the duplicate toys. There's nothing wrong with it, it saves waste and money!