2020++ - smiling and waving and looking so fine

mark55man

Sarah thanks, and noted, and that's OK - we're a bit of a 24x7 house and can live with a bit of peak hours traffic management, as long as that's as low as it goes.  I will watch closely though over the first few days/weeks   

Sarahwithlove

If you go in their website you can do regular testing of your speed 

mark55man

Right so this morning, I have sorted out my plumbing and electric insurance - which was heavily discounted last year, but not - apparently this year.  So with a slightly healthier emergency fund and with the confidence that gives me I decided to cancel and will just pay as needed - so will be £30pcm.  Annoyingly I missed the actual renewal letter while I was busy before Christmas so have paid one month for nothing.  So I'll book that as £30 to lazy/stupid tax and £30pcm to savings

PS Thanks Sarah - didn't know that - I normally use OOKLA - currently Ping 10ms - 55Mbs down and 19 Mbs upload.  But will be good to use Virgin's own system to compare (as that is undoubtedly closer to what heir own engineers will see) 

mark55man

Another hour done and I am now the owner of a new (14 plate) car just over £3K after subtracting my old car sale price.  I had hoped to do that later this year out of savings, but doing it on 0% Purchase card is OK but 2nd best.  I will pick it up on Monday in time to not go to work (WFH) on Wednesday.  I will work out my new DFD when I do my end of month reports. 

mark55man

my annual February half term holiday by the sea has just been cancelled.  so I am very sad about that we've been going with other friends and family for ages.  we've reserved for next year, but that's long away.  

no doubt we will find somewhere else to go at some point this year, but we like peace and quiet not holiday business so will have to think hard.  plus I don't think we will be free of restrictions well into summer so will be a long gap before a proper break.   Will move my Feb holiday to March and use it for gardening, and then maybe May onwards will be good for some day trips 

really don't know how to plan ahead - but will be trying to make the garden more attractive as a destination
 

savingholmes

mark55man said:

really don't know how to plan ahead - but will be trying to make the garden more attractive as a destination
 

Yes that about sums things up. That's why we got our patio done in 2020 and converted part of the lawn to grow veg

mark55man

So this mornings admin was helping my OH log into her various employers pension schemes and checking on current forecasts.  its been a long time since we have done that, and it was worthwhile, as we spotted that we had assumed the estimates were for amounts at point of payment, but were actually in 2021 money, so by the time we get to retirement (5-10 years) they will have risen with inflation.  This means they may be about 10-15% more than we were predicting.  

Rookie error, and it doesn't change what we would have received, but in the last stages of planning finding a few hundred per year extra is a bit of a coup.  On an annuity basis (not actually going to do this, but its a good comparison) it would cost about £12-15K to secure that much annually - so not a minor thing to find out.

Just having a coffee, then off to do create a better office space in DD2's old room now she is in Lockdown London   - will still be a spare bedroom (a luxury we haven't had for years) but will primarily be an office with a big table and I will move all office type facilities (eg printer, router (if possible) into it to clear up the lounge).

savingholmes

Great news on the pensions. Happy day in your house.

mark55man

slight hiccup with DD2 room, discovered the bed has Tardis like properties and when rotated 90 degrees did not give us the anticipated extra space for a work table, so now will have to find a slimmer desk than the spare table we had planned to use.  ah well that's tomorrow's job

savingholmes

Good luck with the desk