2020++ - smiling and waving and looking so fine

mark55man

3rd flat tyre in 3 months (3 different cars) this time was a bulge in the sidewall caused by a pothole in the last week.  so that was £60 I hadn't planned to spend

otherwise just in the last few days before payday so looking forward to the end of this slog!! 

there_is_a_light_2

Catching up on your diary and have only just noticed your reply to my request for a pensions master class back in November before I went AWOL for a couple of months.

Thank you so much, that’s given me my homework for the weekend and I feel a spreadsheet coming on! Will definitely be contacting Pensionwise for a proper consultation and won’t be holding you responsible if I’m destitute at 80! 

there_is_a_light_2

Ps. Ouch to the tyre.  And I’ve a cracking lyric to add to my signature, very apt for present circumstances 

mark55man

Thanks TIAL.  wouldn't have anything to do with a hillside desolate would it

No worries about the masterclass I think we all need a bit of AWOL now and again.  In a nutshell though it becomes when easier when you learn to separate the tax mechanism side of it from the investments strategy side and then enrich both with your all personal circumstances/history and your own future hopes and aspirations.

savingholmes

Ouch to the tyre. Sounds like you were able to absorb cost which is good

mark55man

thanks SH - ye in the scheme of things its just a bump in the road

My new scheme of building up 0% spend CC3 so I can repay 0% BT CC2 is working, but it just feels so wrong to be building up a CC again.  Well we'll just have to take pleasure in CC2's demise in a few months then tackle CC3, but it is an odd zone to be in.  

t2rry

Just catching up, sorry re: the tyre, always annoying, it feels like we get a new set every year and I'm not sure why!! 
Must be so strange to be purposefully adding to a CC, but so good in the grander scheme.  

Every time I read your diary I am inspired to go and do something more with sorting out my pensions, I got details of where my old pots are and what's in them this month, next month I'll figure out about how best to combine them (they're only tiny but still, from small acorns....) so thanks for that!!  

Yay to the end of the January slog

mark55man

Thanks all

T2rry - I think with pensions you need a flurry now and again, then leave it alone (maybe read the pension thread now and again if you can't resist) until/unless your circumstances change or its been a year or so

Weighed in today and 1lb down on the week, so gone are the days of losing 1kg every few days but I am happy with a gradual (or indeed any)  reduction as its proving very testing on my will power working at home - I have been at home since before Christmas.  I am nearly down to my pre Xmas weight which is a difficult milestone but hey-hoe! onwards and downwards

I slightly miscalculated my budget - and overpaid CC2 by a bit too much, and now the month will all be a little tight - but I can avoid by juggling a little more onto CC3 - which was kind of the big picture plan, but a bit more helter-skelter than I had spread-sheeted.  Also Feb is a short month so instead of 6 weeks from Dec payday its only 4 so that will help!!

savingholmes

Yeah I am grateful February is slightly shorter. It always feel to me that they should have swapped it around and made January the shorter month... Well done on the weight loss. Good luck with the stretched budget - can you do a store cupboard challenge ot make up the difference instead of putting on CC? [See moneysaving old style board for details] You can tell them what's in your FF and cupboards and they'll suggest what you can make with that if you are stuck... I need to do more of that too. I seem to be building a frozen veg stock as they keep subbing it for mixed peppers and if I don't check - we just accept it... I figure we'll use it one day...

mark55man

Very good thoughts SH - I will try to make use of what we have - a lot of our store cupboard is not really low carb, but we do have lots !! so I am sure there will be a way through