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

Sea_Shell

We have the occasional foray to Waitrose, as it's within walking distance. (hmm, will see how much we've spent in there - I'll report back)

We plan to treat ourselves from there more often 😇

Dizee123

Just totted up our annual spends if anyone is interested.
2 Adults (I retired Jun 21, partner still works), 2 elderly dogs and 3 grandchildren (expensive little human beings!)
Total is £21,348 (compares with £21,780 for 2020) so very similar.
Separate capital budget for big items (new car, major home improvements etc. ) so no accruals.  Hated accruals when I was working and swore I would avoid them when retired! 

Food and drink (includes household and most basic toiletries) - £5,326  
Clothes, hair, cosmetics etc.  - £306
Motoring Transport - £1,922 (1 car and 1 motorcycle)
Pets (includes tropical fish - food, vets bills, toys etc) - £2,997
Leisure, sport and holidays (ramblers, tennis club, gym, national trust etc) - £1,060
Household bills (broken down a bit more below) - £6,944
Maintenance, decorating, gardening, furniture - £1,426
Presents and Gifts - £998
Miscellaneous - 369

Bills
Various insurances (home, life, computer etc) - 1,218
Electricity/Gas - £1,135
Council Tax - £2,107 (Band D)
Water - £702
Phone - £120 (Sim only)
Various TV Subscriptions - £1,662 (live with film buff and motor sports fanatic)

Observations
1. We still spend too much money on food!  This is £500 less than last year as I have mainly given up drink.
2. Unlucky with dogs this year, as had some treatments not covered by insurance, plus more chronic conditions.  £443 more
3.  Clothes, hair cosmetics spends lower than usual, as stockpiled items prior to retirement and inherited lots of clothes.
4.  Less commuting as retired in Jun, so saving of just over £200 in spite of petrol increases.
5.  Not accounted in above, gifted son £3,000 as he finally managed to get married (3rd time lucky due to Covid).
6.  Grandchildren are wonderful little human beings, bring lots of pleasure but, and a big but, are quite expensive, especially as they are getting older!
7.  Hope to do more travelling in 2022, so have budgeted and extra £1.5K for UK holidays (UK only due to dog situation).

So another 18 months until I can draw DB pension at 60, but happy with spends to date.
Have contingency for energy price rises for next year - including training my other half to wear jumpers in the winter.....so still happy with decision to retire at 58 and haven't been bored yet.

Happy New Year all, and thank you Sea Shell for this very interesting thread.

Audaxer

Sea_Shell said:

We have the occasional foray to Waitrose, as it's within walking distance. (hmm, will see how much we've spent in there - I'll report back)

We plan to treat ourselves from there more often 😇

Good, you should treat yourself more often. That might get you to your target of £22k in 2022.   

Sea_Shell

Groceries are split:
Aldi - £2157
Waitrose - £173
Tesco - £109


In other news - Energy:
We've used 1625 kWh of Electricity 
and 12205 kWh of Gas during 2021


In further news, my pension pot's unit prices are, on average, up 11% since last year.   

Our full pot details to follow later.

cfw1994

Sea_Shell said:

Groceries are split:
Aldi - £2157
Waitrose - £173
Tesco - £109

In other news - Energy:
We've used 1625 kWh of Electricity 
and 12205 kWh of Gas during 2021

In further news, my pension pot's unit prices are, on average, up 11% since last year.   
Our full pot details to follow later.

A solid end of year report: well done!
On the energy front, we are streets away from that….our electric usage was 4,500 *before* we got an electric car 2½ years ago…..& it doubled after that.  Thankfully being on Octopus GO tariff means the monthlies remained the same (£150).   Gas was around 27,000.  Must buy more jumpers 🤣

Audaxer said:

Sea_Shell said:

We have the occasional foray to Waitrose, as it's within walking distance. (hmm, will see how much we've spent in there - I'll report back)

We plan to treat ourselves from there more often 😇

Good, you should treat yourself more often. That might get you to your target of £22k in 2022.   

I agree 100% with this: time to plan more luxury excursions, I would say.   Start by staying in one of the holiday spots at https://ravendere.co.uk - we loved their treehouse a while back!   Or a 5* London break, first class all the way….maybe when the weather is warmer and the plague city is less plaguey 🤪
Happy New Year!

Sea_Shell

They look lovely, but did make me chuckle (in regards those cube lodges) that you appear to have to go outside to get from living area to bathroom/bedroom.   It'd be like having an outside loo!!!! 🤣

And no mention of a washing machine.


I think we'll stick with Darwin Escapes.

Sea_Shell

The scores are in, (money has moved between categories throughout the year)...(December 2020 figures in brackets)

DC Pension pots - £375,237 (£345,014) - £17,000 withdrawn
S&S ISAs - £220,688 (£169,188) - £25,000 added
Locked cash (now Loanpad P2P) - £3,250 (£59.237 - was fixed term bond)
Ready cash - £53,980 (£24,220) - now includes £40k Premium Bonds

Total - £653,155 (£597,659)

Net of spends of £17,570 (£11,337)

Spends as a % of pot now - 2.69%, and 2.94% of last years pot.

So for 2022, I think we're pretty safe to spend somewhere between £19,000 and £26,000 (3-4%).   Somehow, I still think we'll come in around £16k, without trying.

westv

It used to be that my old PPF rescued DB pension started when I'm 60.
Now I have to add that it starts next year.
I feel old!

cfw1994

Sea_Shell said:

They look lovely, but did make me chuckle (in regards those cube lodges) that you appear to have to go outside to get from living area to bathroom/bedroom.   It'd be like having an outside loo!!!! 🤣

And no mention of a washing machine.

I think we'll stick with Darwin Escapes.

Washing machine?   
They are priced that you won't spend more than 2-3 nights there, washing clothes won't be needed 🤣
The fella did kindly trail a 50m power cable up to the parking spot so we could charge our electric car when we stayed!

They really are very luxurious: I followed the original build threads (on pistonheads) - a rather expensive build process!
Not in any was affiliated to them: just a known example of some luxury you could try, as you aim for £22k in 22 😉

Sea_Shell

cfw1994 said:

Sea_Shell said:

They look lovely, but did make me chuckle (in regards those cube lodges) that you appear to have to go outside to get from living area to bathroom/bedroom.   It'd be like having an outside loo!!!! 🤣

And no mention of a washing machine.

I think we'll stick with Darwin Escapes.

Washing machine?   
They are priced that you won't spend more than 2-3 nights there, washing clothes won't be needed 🤣
The fella did kindly trail a 50m power cable up to the parking spot so we could charge our electric car when we stayed!

They really are very luxurious: I followed the original build threads (on pistonheads) - a rather expensive build process!
Not in any was affiliated to them: just a known example of some luxury you could try, as you aim for £22k in 22 😉

I suppose we could do a multi accomodation stay, but to travel that far we'd want to do at least a week.

Our trouble is we find "luxurious" to be usually OTT and completely unnecessary.  Stuff for stuff's sake, so they can charge more.

I wouldn't know what to do with a Nespresso coffee machine, if it bit me!! 😂