Giving every £ a job

Blackcats

Hello SH - I use a Jamie Oliver recipe.  Basically wash the flowers thoroughly.  Heat water, sugar and honey til dissolved.  Put in some lemon slices and juice, put the flowers in head down and leave for 24 hours.  Strain and bottle.  I like that Jamie suggests diluting with fizzy water, soda water or Prosecco 😋.  If it was in a shop it would have a label saying "sugar tax applies" but it's very nice and seasonal and I only make it a few times a year.

another lovely sunny day here, enjoyed a short walk after work and sat in the warm sun just relaxing after a busy day.  No money spent all day.  

Spending day tomorrow as I've got a dentist appointment.  Spending and not on anything fun, but I suppose it's important.  As Pam Ayers advised "I wish I'd looked after me teeth"  

savingholmes

Thanks for the recipe. Good luck with the dentist

Blackcats

Dentist was less than I thought it would be - I had in my head that it would be £116 or £160 - although they sound similar they are very different.  In fact it was £100.  Note my slightly less than laser like focus on money😂.  Anyway I paid £16 into my marginal gains pots and there is now enough money in there to pay for my holiday accommodation which feels amazing as it really is odds and ends of money, rounding down bank account, £co etc etc.

During a very tedious on line work meeting this week I drew up a little chart plotting out the months to retirement with a couple of choices of dates.  I absolutely want to have finished work by 30th September 2022 so that's a final date but could adjust to earlier dates.  I am on 3 months notice but might give a little longer - perhaps 4 or 5 months.  So there are some variables that I can play about with on my countdown chart.  I looked really diligent during the meeting - concentrating hard and making notes when all the time I was making my dreams a reality.

whatever happens I've got 12 more months minimum so I'm going to squeeze £300 into savings each month.  I do already have some savings set up each month so this is a big effort to find another £300 but that will give me a £3600 lump sum.  At least I know it will fund a year's council tax although that is already accounted for in my financial retirement plans.  

So payday is next week and I'll pay myself first and get the initial £300 scooped into savings.  

QueenJess

Just popping in to show solidarity with the council tax bill. Mine is also horribly expensive. I think I looked it up once and worked out it was the most expensive area to live in the UK for council tax 😬.

At least our council seem to be vaguely competent (unlike my parents council who are all corrupt and there are constant news articles about them).

Good luck with the early retirement plans. Sounds like you are doing really well.  🙂

savingholmes

Nice to be plotting retirement. Lovely to have saved up for time away too

Blackcats

Hello Queen Jess - you got me thinking about council tax and it turns out that the cheapest place for council tax is Westminster!  Average of £800 for a Band D.  At first I was surprised but then I thought about it and it probably helps the second home politicians to keep their expenses claims nice and low 🤣

My problem is that I remember when spending £3500 on a car would get something quite nice so I haven't made the adjustment to paying that much in council tax.

savingholmes, I really feel ready to stop working.  I've got an interesting job and it pays well but it doesn't spark much joy anymore.  There are some elements that energise me but the corporate part and the office politics part irritate me.  Plus staring at a screen for meetings all day or trying to mange the incessant barrage of emails drains me.  I do know I'm fortunate to have a job, a good income and have built up a good pension.  I don't mean to sound like a spoilt brat but I'll have been working in the public sector for 30 years next year so enough is enough.  I hope that you are e-charging your batteries.

I had an email from £co saying a cash back was payable - got excited thinking it was my £25 payment but it was a 67p payment.  Every little helps!  

My spending on food was over budget last month - I knew it was likely to go over part way through the month but didn't do enough to get back on track.  This month looks a bit better and I've been putting freezer sourced meals on the plan a couple of times each week.  Tonight was pie ( vintage pie as I can't even remember buying pies) leftover mash and frozen peas with a few frozen sprouts.  It was nice enough.  

Sun_Addict

I also work in the public sector and know what you mean. We’ve lost a lot of people to early retirement recently. 

Sarahwithlove

I too work in public sector and agree we've had a lot take early retirement or semi retirement so they do part time hours and get part pension. I don't blame them tbh 

Loveactually

Same here black cats this week 2 times freezer sourced dinner one day it was chicken burgers with fries and peas and today curry which I batch cooked and frozen. 

Less tiring for me too as no cooking from scratch everyday after a whole day of working 

savingholmes

I think a lot of people are struggling with jobs and motivation in these weird times. At least you have a goal and a workable plan. What will you do with your time post retirement?