It's time to start digging up those Squirrelled Nuts!!!! 29 June 2019 at 3:14PM edited 30 May at 3:40PM in Pensions, Annuities & Retirement Planning 1.3K replies 183.3K views

Sea_Shell

Ours is the original boiler, circa 1991, so we're happy to pay £75 p.a. to have it serviced.   It keeps getting a clean bill of health, and our gas consumption isn't being compromised (I've been keeping log of usage since 2014)

Yes, it won't last forever, but from what I hear, new ones don't last 30 years!!

And, yes, the safety element is very important too.

MallyGirl

Sounds like a bargain and you don't want to scrimp where carbon monoxide is involved. OH likes to insure against things so we have BG Homecall for boiler, electrics, plumbing, drains, the full works and it is £56 pcm. It's a big old house so if something fundamental does go it will be expensive but I would rather pay when that happens. I let him have this one, for now, but refused to renew the warranty on my car which was even more expensive than BG.
It was interesting that when we heard the announcement about the new energy saving grants that we both came up with the same priority thing to address (if it qualified) - downstairs single glazed sash windows. Maybe it is a sign that this is something we should sort out while we are still working whether we can get a grant or not.

crv1963

MallyGirl said:

Sounds like a bargain and you don't want to scrimp where carbon monoxide is involved. OH likes to insure against things so we have BG Homecall for boiler, electrics, plumbing, drains, the full works and it is £56 pcm. It's a big old house so if something fundamental does go it will be expensive but I would rather pay when that happens. I let him have this one, for now, but refused to renew the warranty on my car which was even more expensive than BG.
It was interesting that when we heard the announcement about the new energy saving grants that we both came up with the same priority thing to address (if it qualified) - downstairs single glazed sash windows. Maybe it is a sign that this is something we should sort out while we are still working whether we can get a grant or not.

We too have BG Homecall, it paid for itself when the boiler broke one Christmas, but I won't pay for an extended car warranty. We are also getting the house in order while income is coming in, replacing things like windows and preparing it for our retirement. 

michaels

Our heating system is broken again despite getting what was supposedly a quality boiler about 8 years ago and the repair companies refuse to cove it as they say it is sludge build up.  Issue was probably that we got cheap bathroom towel rads and at one point the system was drained and they did not add inhibitor so cheap rads have rusted and rust sludge has blocked up the boiler heat exchanger that is a £600 part plus labour.

Solution is probably going to be new rads, power flush and new boiler or new heat exchanger and £2000-£3000 all because some dodgy plumber did not add inhibitor.

fred246

When we moved into our current house all the neighbours got British Gas Homecare. I was happy to do that but British Gas Homecare didn't cover powerflushing. I wasn't sure if our system had enough inhibitor so I phoned up British Gas and said I would have homecare if they sent someone out to make sure our system had inhibitor in it. They made an appointment but nobody turned up. So I flushed it myself and added inhibitor. I didn't bother with British Gas. It turns out the builders didn't put inhibitor in any of the houses so the neighbours all paid British Gas Homecare and then paid British Gas a fortune for powerflushes. They are still having problems and mine is fine.

enthusiasticsaver

I ventured out to the hairdressers this morning and it was fine for anyone wondering how things are out there.  I have to admit though I did not stop for a coffee afterwards or wander round the shop.  They took my temperature, had sanitising gel and I had to wear a mask.  Apparently they normally disinfect everything between customers but my husband was going straight after me so they did not bother.  

Interesting talk about Apple products.  I use a Dell laptop but have an iphone and ipad air(both a few years old now) and an ipod which is donkeys years old now. I like the interface and they all talk to each other so music downloaded on my phone appears on my ipod and same goes for photos etc. I would not pay for a Mac book though.  We have used Dell laptops for about 10 years now (this is my second). 

I am impressed by your controlled expenditure Sea shell and thought I would run a report on clear checkbook on what we have spent over the last six months.  We had a Caribbean cruise holiday in February and a weekend away with my brother and sister in law in January and my 60th birthday in February so quite a lot spent prior to lockdown.  We also have paid for some garden landscaping over lockdown and a new gas fire in January.  
Direct Debits                                                                            3582.23
House Expenses                                                                      2903.92
Holidays                                                                                   1329.12
Food                                                                                         2001.96
Eating out prior to lockdown and some takeaways                  1109.46
Personal spends  for DH and me                                            1551.20                               
Gifts and charity donations                                                        694.34
Cars and diesel and train tickets                                               887.76
Total expenditure from 1.1.20 until 9.7.20                              14059.99
Total income from 1.1.20 until 9.7.20                                     18079.50

So £4019.51 surplus over the first six months of 2020 which has gone into savings. 
You have also reminded me we need to organise a boiler and gas fire service.  I pay £59 a year for the boiler and the same for the fire  from a fantastic local plumber.  The boiler was changed about 4 years ago and the fire was replaced this year so that is included in house expenses above. 

shinytop

We ate out for the first time for a while on Tuesday night.. There were four of us and it was fine.  The staff were gloved and masked and there was an empty table between us and any other patrons.  It was quite though, maybe 25% occupied.  I'll definitely be going again soon, especially when the recently announced freebies come on stream.  

enthusiasticsaver

Sea_Shell said:

Everything is still ticking along here, and having finalised June's figures, we have spent £4,493 in the first 6 months of the year.   
We've also had "income" of approx £800, so in effect we've only eaten into our funds by £3,693! 

However, overall our "pots" are down £6,200 since the year end, which isn't too bad all things considered!!    A net drop of only £2,500.


As for the economic fall out of another wider lockdown, well that doesn't bear thinking about!!

Do you keep such a tight control over your spends because you are drawing down rather than having a fixed DB income?  Is it psychologically harder to spend I wonder when you can see investments/ savings going down rather than receiving a DB pension every month as we do in much the same way as a salary. As you say you are quite happy with make do and mend (we would replace the printer) but our expenditure is £9,500 approx more than yours over the same period. Almost £3300 of that is  holidays (including travel)  and  eating out at the beginning of the year and £2900 is things done to the house so that is £6200 but we are still spending £3300 more than you.  Admittedly  our personal spends come to over £1500 (£200 each per month)  of which my husband spends all of his on hobbies and I manage to save most of mine so he spent £1400 and I spent £100.  Is your husband as frugal as you? Our gifts etc have also come up to almost £700. Food has been an extortionate £2000 as there were three of us for two and a half months of lockdown and I have been shopping online rather than at Lidl. I am not worried about it as our income is more than enough to cover it and we haven't needed to drawdown on investments at all. They are up 6% since last July. 

enthusiasticsaver

shinytop said:

We ate out for the first time for a while on Tuesday night.. There were four of us and it was fine.  The staff were gloved and masked and there was an empty table between us and any other patrons.  It was quite though, maybe 25% occupied.  I'll definitely be going again soon, especially when the recently announced freebies come on stream.  

Good to hear.  We have not eaten out yet although we have booked a long weekend with my mum next weekend in a hotel.  She has spent the last six months with only my stepdad for company who has dementia so she needs a break. 

chiefie

bowlhead99 said:

atush said:

Iom.  Now that NZ has been 're infected there are only a few vivid free places.  Guernsey may be

Yes Guernsey moved back to normal activity without social distancing and 'controlled/ uncontrolled environments' rules this weekend. But guessed you weren't there as you mentioned going to Tesco rather than the local equivalent!

That’s the co-op and Waitrose there.