It's time to start digging up those Squirrelled Nuts!!!!

Stubod

Sea_Shell said:

"How gloriously the sun do shine"

Afternoon all.   Just taking a respite from the heat, so I thought i'd pop in and update the month end figures.

Just need the chance to get out there and enjoy life again, properly.    Our worry is that the UK holiday market will be overwhelmed, availability will be stretched, and prices (although we can afford it) will not be as good value for money (ie more expensive) if the overseas holiday market isn't back up and running properly.
Even if full lockdown was lifted tomorrow, we won't be going anywhere until the kids are ALL back at school, so probably not until September.   In that respect, no different to usual kids summer holidays, where we hunker down and avoid the hoards!!

Anyway, just thought i'd give an update.    Keep well all.

..same thoughts as us...would love a "holiday", but only thing that appeals now is self catering as we wont be going cruising or getting on an aeroplane anytime soon. Would even consider buying a campervan, but I think UK sights will be "heaving" when lockdown is eased, so back to square one...tent in the garden maybe?

Sea_Shell

For completeness, I should also add, that although we have spent £3,600 so far in 2020, we have also brought in £660 in interest, vouchers, cashback and sales on FB.   So the net effect is only a £2,940 spend, or £588 per month.

enthusiasticsaver

Since March when we locked down we have saved around £3k in not eating out, no weekend breaks, theatre trips and few takeaways. We have spent more than you as we did a Caribbean cruise in February before we locked down and it was my 60th so lots of meals out but still a lot less than usual.  The lockdown has been good for our savings account and we have just rearranged two holidays, one of which was booked for this month and will now take place next year so our holiday budget is looking good. Not sure if we will get any holidays this year as the demand will be strong for UK holidays and I don't want to go on a plane just yet.  I have also noticed our investments have enjoyed a bounce back in recent weeks. 

Self catering might be an option maybe in a holiday cottage in some remote part of the UK? 

MallyGirl

We included solar panels in our camper van design so we can use more remote sites - I'd still like access to showers and a proper loo as well though, they don't have to be fancy. We are happy with remote places and don't want all the clubhouse/ entertainment/ pool stuff or a beach so we should be OK to find somewhere once they are allowed to open. Moorland or forest for us.
We are still waiting for our big foreign holiday to be cancelled. They have cancelled up to 12th July and we were due to fly on 18th so fingers are crossed.
Last week was my birthday and our wedding anniversary. Next week is OH's birthday. We are settling for nice takeaways for now, and a meat delivery is coming from Darts Farm for a nice home cooked special meal, but we intend to have a catchup celebration once things are open and it seems safe to do. No idea when that might be. In the meantime lockdown spending is pretty low and OH's employer has said no one to return to the office till end September at the earliest.

Sea_Shell

I've just finished making my first home made mask. 

I found a bit of elastic I didn't know I had and have cut up an old T-Shirt.   Hand stitched.   It's come up a bit big (first attempt), but it'll do if I HAVE to wear one somewhere.

Although we have no plans of going anywhere in the short term, other than maybe the library, once they reopen.

TBH my running buffs do the same job...which is good, as I'm out of thin elastic!!!   However I do have some wide stuff that could be cut lengthways?

Tomorrow may be homemade mask 2.0!!   Got nothing better to do!  

atush

I made oen out of a linen napkin early on but have real ones now. Been wearing one since lockdown started.

crv1963

Mrs CRV made some using a pattern from a website- I think it was a Govt. site. She uses cotton, some with ties some with elastic. I'm not convinced of the argument for masks everywhere but can understand reasons for them, but if I have to wear one when out I will do so. 

Sea_Shell

crv1963 said:

Mrs CRV made some using a pattern from a website- I think it was a Govt. site. She uses cotton, some with ties some with elastic. I'm not convinced of the argument for masks everywhere but can understand reasons for them, but if I have to wear one when out I will do so. 

Happy Blursday everyone!!

Yeah it was the .GOV site that I read, but to be honest I found that a 25cm square is too big/bulky, especially with two layers.   I'm going to try again today with just 20cm and one layer, and see how that goes.   Also even my "thin" elastic is a bit too thick, as it's about 8mm, I think 5mm max would be better.

I'm sure if I asked around, there will be people in the village who are banging these out on a sewing machine and selling them, so that's always an option.

The "cut out a chunk of T-shirt and tie it round your head" method is cheap and cheerful, and if it meets the "requirements" for being allowed in somewhere (to shop etc), then it'll do.    The current rules seem to be more about being "seen" to be wearing a face covering, than actually wearing an "effective" mask.   But we'll leave that debate to elsewhere!!!!  


In other news, overall, our ISA's have regained ALL their losses, and are now over the highpoint that they were pre-CV....go figure!!     The pension pots are lagging behind a little, (still down 4.4%) but they are gradually following suit.

Bravepants

Sea_Shell said:

The "cut out a chunk of T-shirt and tie it round your head" method is cheap and cheerful, and if it meets the "requirements" for being allowed in somewhere (to shop etc), then it'll do.    The current rules seem to be more about being "seen" to be wearing a face covering, than actually wearing an "effective" mask.   But we'll leave that debate to elsewhere!!!!  


In other news, overall, our ISA's have regained ALL their losses, and are now over the highpoint that they were pre-CV....go figure!!     The pension pots are lagging behind a little, (still down 4.4%) but they are gradually following suit.

My SIL has been churning out face masks and providing them for free to the local community.

Our ISAs are back too! I added £1000 to mine since the lockdown began in March, and I am at about £700 above the peak before lockdown; and this with the FTSE 100 index still 1400 below its peak at that time. Just goes to show what a terrible index FTSE 100 actually is!

Stubod

..great news about your ISA's, ours are still down, but well up from their low point in March. We have been "invested" for the last 8 or 9 years, (only really started when savings rates dropped below 4%), but they have never done that well. My initial hope was that they would at least just about beat inflation.

I did think that once they had returned to a level that matched the original investment plus inflation I would "cash them in" and just go back to savings accounts as this would still leave sufficient funds for us to live off without the ongoing "risk".

I appreciate that this exposes us to the risk of inflation but my planning has always been based on interest rates being 25% of inflation anyway.