2020++ - smiling and waving and looking so fine

mark55man

In case anyone was wondering, my recent profligacy did not include spending £25K for a 3 day glamping ticket at Glastonbury.  So not irremediably f.eckless  

savingholmes

mark55man said:

In case anyone was wondering, my recent profligacy did not include spending £25K for a 3 day glamping ticket at Glastonbury.  So not irremediably f.eckless  

Wow just wow. How rich must you have to be to spend that kind of money and think it's okay?? 

mark55man

true - that was literally the top price ticket and it was for 10 and did have a shower and loos but even so!!

mark55man

Hello - another busy week at work.  Its an end of the quarter thing for me, so hopefully should quieten down for a few weeks

Financially been a good balance between magic money (ie some unexpected tax rebate/work allowances/....) and stupid/lazy taxes - much more the latter, I haven't really been stupid, but I have been lazy with controlling spending.  

Weight is flat - and I'm happy with that, although I do need to get on with it.

Helped DD move flat last weekend - she has inherited the clutter Gene - was the only day this month I did my steps - still in a bit of a slump about that.  I had thought summer would be more motivating but apparently not.  At ours, we decluttered the lounge which looks fine, although most was decluttered into a spare room for further attention, not quite sure that's a victory but we have kept the lounge very tidy which does feel super good

Will try and get a load to the tip today, that's my frog list for today and to try and get a refund from a hotel that over charged me 

Will just get coffee #2 down my neck and do some number crunching and reporting back.  July is one of my few months of the year with no annual bills or birthdays so should be on to a winner 

As I write, my liquid cash position is that I have £3K on 0% CC4, nothing anywhere else, and about £9K EF+savings between myself/OH and under £40K to go on my mortgage neutral target.    So not unhappy with that, definitely been worse 

mark55man

OK so Hotel overcharge frog sorted.

Done the expenditure review - ouch!.  Car insurance, house insurance, garden labour, summer holiday and a fair bit of subsidy to DD.  So partly explains the slight out of control feeling, and although I should have been on top of it it was all reasonably mandatory expenditure.  Probably more worrying was significant increase in car costs and grocery, but have done a lot of miles this month and I will get a chunk of that back through work.  Grocery will need attention, but some of it is my OH food bank purchases have rocketed up (she will get most of that back but that's another frog).  Demand has skyrocketed, and contributions from general public have shrunk has everyone is feeling the pinch!   

savingholmes

Sad re the increasing need for food banks...

doingitanyway

Well done on the hotel overcharge frog
Sad people have so much less that they can't give to FB

mark55man

Very true SH and DIA.

This weekend was spendy as we needed to go to Scotland for the funeral of one of OH's friends.  Early service on Sat so had to stay away Fri and Sat.  I did have a free night voucher but 800 miles + one night city centre stay was not cheap - however it was an emotional must attend and in as much as funerals can be "good" it was fabulous day of memories and catching up especially as blessed with the weather for the wake.  Sunday was nice as we decided to have mini day in the city before heading home late afternoon - definitely the silver lining to a very dark cloud. 

I used CC3 for the spends and will take the dent in my EF - not really an emergency but certainly unplanned.  

These pre retirement years are getting scary with the number of people not making it to the changeover  (not going to say finishing line)      

savingholmes

I think Mark - that's why so many of us are reluctant to wait for the govt agreed date to retire - none of us know how long we've got. I am leaning towards a gradual shift to part time if I get the choice though. I need to do clear £196.5K of mortgage first though - simples

My condolences on the loss of your friend.

ohdearhowdidthathappen

Sorry to hear about OH's friend.  We all slave away expecting a nice long retirement and sadly it's not guaranteed.... endless quest of living for today but with one eye on the future.