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

michaels

If your spending is only 2% of your pot, either you are extremely risk averse or you retired much later than you could have done.

Ganga

michaels said:

If your spending is only 2% of your pot, either you are extremely risk averse or you retired much later than you could have done.

Or too mean to spend money  or trying to be the richest person in the graveyard

greenbee

Ganga said:

michaels said:

If your spending is only 2% of your pot, either you are extremely risk averse or you retired much later than you could have done.

Or too mean to spend money  or trying to be the richest person in the graveyard

Or 2020 has got in the way of planned money-spending?

Spaceace

Ganga said:

Or too mean to spend money  or trying to be the richest person in the graveyard

Speaking personally I think this is a big issue.  Not being 'too mean to spend money' but, having trained hard over many years to avoid unnecessary spending, that it's difficult to break that habit and start to use the accumulated funds even when all the analysis and spreadsheets say that it's okay.   Also, not 'trying to be the richest person in the graveyard' but fearful that (despite all those spreadsheets and calculations) something will happen that means the funds don't last until the graveyard beckons!

Or maybe that's just me. 

Stubod

Spaceace said:

Speaking personally I think this is a big issue.  Not being 'too mean to spend money' but, having trained hard over many years to avoid unnecessary spending, that it's difficult to break that habit and start to use the accumulated funds even when all the analysis and spreadsheets say that it's okay.   Also, not 'trying to be the richest person in the graveyard' but fearful that (despite all those spreadsheets and calculations) something will happen that means the funds don't last until the graveyard beckons!

Or maybe that's just me. 

..I assure you that it's not just you...and saving is a very hard habit to break. I have finally just got my head around it when COVID struck and there is nothing I can spend it on!!

Terron

greenbee said:

Ganga said:

michaels said:

If your spending is only 2% of your pot, either you are extremely risk averse or you retired much later than you could have done.

Or too mean to spend money  or trying to be the richest person in the graveyard

Or 2020 has got in the way of planned money-spending?

That's what has happened to me. After decades of saving first, I was all set to start travelling more. I even went to South Africa to watch a couple of Tests in January. But since then my spending has been cut back greatly.

MallyGirl

I had an email telling me that I get the money back this week from Virgin for our big family safari. It was the first time we had planned a big family holiday outside of the UK. Maybe we'll try again in a uni holiday but probably not next year - the world needs to recover quite a lot before we venture out into it.

Audaxer

michaels said:

If your spending is only 2% of your pot, either you are extremely risk averse or you retired much later than you could have done.

I don't see anything wrong with spending only 2% of their pot, as more for later years if and when needed.  

Audaxer

Sea_Shell said:

Just been updating the end of month figures on my spreadsheets, and we have gross annual growth across the whole pot of 5.03%, which is good news.   Net growth, after spends, is 3.02%

I've updated the OP with the current numbers.

Your investments are doing really well, especially that American growth fund you have.

Just out of interest is the growth percentage increase just relating to the investments or is that based on the total portfolio, inclusive of the cash part? 

Sea_Shell

Audaxer said:

Sea_Shell said:

Just been updating the end of month figures on my spreadsheets, and we have gross annual growth across the whole pot of 5.03%, which is good news.   Net growth, after spends, is 3.02%

I've updated the OP with the current numbers.

Your investments are doing really well, especially that American growth fund you have.

Just out of interest is the growth percentage increase just relating to the investments or is that based on the total portfolio, inclusive of the cash part? 

That's for the pot as a whole, yes, including cash.    Luckily we have a fixed term bond due to mature next September, which is paying 2.2%, that's got about £59k in it.    Most of the rest of the "ready cash" is in VRS's still getting 2%.

Approximately 50% of our total pot is in equities, in various places and % splits (ISA's/pensions), so we are still aware that this element could take a nose-dive any day.    So yes, we are cautious, but not overly so.

Obviously Covid has curtailed our plans for 2020, like it has for almost everyone.      I know for some people they'd see growth above what they need, and it would burn a hole in their pocket, and their first thought would be "what can I spend it on"!

As for the suggestion, up thread, that I retired too late ROFL....I was 47!!!!

We do have to be a little cautious about making the pot last, as if we do live to a ripe old age, I still want to be able to pay for all the services that we will no doubt need, to do all the things we can't do for ourselves any more.    We don't have children we can "badger" to come and do jobs!!      Cleaner, gardener, taxis, delivery charges, and the small medical stuff like physio, chiropody etc.