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

michaels

Sea_Shell said:

Morning Everyone

Just thought i'd pop back in and say Hi.    

We've been to visit both sets of parents, finally, as they are now off shielding.
We've been to a country park for a lovely walk, coffee and a cake.
We braved Dunelms for 2 bathmats...our old one had finally gone in a hole!!
We've trimmed the conifers in the garden.
I've sewn another couple of facemasks.

and in financial news...

We've put another £5k in the "100% equities" ISA's, having had another look at our cash float situation.    We have a fixed term bond due to mature in Sept 2021, so we're just running down our cash until that pays out, then we can re-assess, our cash float again at that time.    If in an emergency we need that cash back....we'll withdraw it from the "less volatile" 20-60% ISA, but if we've done our sums right, we shouldn't need to touch the 100% ISA for many years.

Saw yesterdays news about Club Lloyds interest.   boooo  hissss.     Lets hope TSB don't follow too hot on their heels.

Thanks for this, I hadn't remembered about club Lloyds interest rates as when they were last cut they became uncompetitive so I moved the money away but I see that actually now they are paying more on 5k (1.2% by my calcs) than Marcus so I will move some money around at least until the end of October.

cfw1994

swindiff said:

Back into work on Wednesday for the first time in 4 months. It's been like a trial retirement and I have to say I was beginning to get used to it lol.

I know what you mean!   I've been home-based for a couple of decades now, but even this feels....different. 
No commuting anywhere (every so often I would normally have a day or two in Amsterdam with work, or London etc) - quite liberating in many ways!
Lots of zooms all over the place...I highly recommend adding a random goat to your zoom, booked a couple for work and a friends call, raises a grin (& helps feed some goats!)
Good chance to try to get fitter - gardening, cycling, walking....

badger09

michaels said:

Sea_Shell said:

Morning Everyone

Just thought i'd pop back in and say Hi.    

We've been to visit both sets of parents, finally, as they are now off shielding.
We've been to a country park for a lovely walk, coffee and a cake.
We braved Dunelms for 2 bathmats...our old one had finally gone in a hole!!
We've trimmed the conifers in the garden.
I've sewn another couple of facemasks.

and in financial news...

We've put another £5k in the "100% equities" ISA's, having had another look at our cash float situation.    We have a fixed term bond due to mature in Sept 2021, so we're just running down our cash until that pays out, then we can re-assess, our cash float again at that time.    If in an emergency we need that cash back....we'll withdraw it from the "less volatile" 20-60% ISA, but if we've done our sums right, we shouldn't need to touch the 100% ISA for many years.

Saw yesterdays news about Club Lloyds interest.   boooo  hissss.     Lets hope TSB don't follow too hot on their heels.

Thanks for this, I hadn't remembered about club Lloyds interest rates as when they were last cut they became uncompetitive so I moved the money away but I see that actually now they are paying more on 5k (1.2% by my calcs) than Marcus so I will move some money around at least until the end of October.

Lloyds rates drop from 1 October

MallyGirl

cfw1994 said:

swindiff said:

Back into work on Wednesday for the first time in 4 months. It's been like a trial retirement and I have to say I was beginning to get used to it lol.

I know what you mean!   I've been home-based for a couple of decades now, but even this feels....different. 
No commuting anywhere (every so often I would normally have a day or two in Amsterdam with work, or London etc) - quite liberating in many ways!
Lots of zooms all over the place...I highly recommend adding a random goat to your zoom, booked a couple for work and a friends call, raises a grin (& helps feed some goats!)
Good chance to try to get fitter - gardening, cycling, walking....

Same here - been a homeworker since daughter was 2 and she is off to uni in October. I used to go to the office about once every 2 or 3 months,m plus visit clients as required. Not been anywhere in 2020. The difference here is that husband and daughter are both home too. We have managed to live harmoniously which bodes well for retirement.
All 3 of us are still on the same tank of fuel we bought in February as even the night away in the camper was only an hour's drive.

atush

My OH starting working every other week in the office.  Said it was strange last week.

Audaxer

enthusiasticsaver said:

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. 

I think it would definitely be more difficult and stressful if I didn't have DB pensions as my main source of income. I have also done okay within the last 6 months as regards spending, but your spend is more controlled than mine considering you have managed to save £4,000 of your DB pension income in 6 months despite some large items of expenditure. I see that you also have two State Pensions coming on board within the next 6 years, so you really are in a very comfortable position to enjoy retirement.

Sea_Shell

IT'S BEEN 1 YEAR!!!!     Since I finished work. 

Wow, that's gone quick. 
Achieved bu**er all in that time, mind you.
2020 so far has been a year to forget.
Financially, we are almost exactly where we were last year, growth of pot = spends from pot.
We shall muddle through the remainder of this year, as allowed, and hope that 2021 will be better.

AlwaysLearnin

Sea_Shell said:

IT'S BEEN 1 YEAR!!!!     Since I finished work. 

Wow, that's gone quick. 
Achieved bu**er all in that time, mind you.
[Snip] 

Not true - you fixed a printer 😁
Happy Anniversary

crv1963

Happy Anniversary and you have achieved, you're still here to tell the tale and the tale is..........the printer and the journey!
Edit- to correct poor grammer.

savingmore

Sea_Shell said:

IT'S BEEN 1 YEAR!!!!     Since I finished work. 

Wow, that's gone quick. 
Achieved bu**er all in that time, mind you.
2020 so far has been a year to forget.
Financially, we are almost exactly where we were last year, growth of pot = spends from pot.
We shall muddle through the remainder of this year, as allowed, and hope that 2021 will be better.

congratulations on your anniversary.   we are considering jumping three years before we intended to retire but would need to self fund.  when you say your pot is same and spending equals gains, have you had any other source of income  or just your savings/investments?  trying to work out if our new plan is doable....thanks for any thoughts on this.