Unspent Squirreled Nuts

Stubod

As a "side" thread to the brilliant Squirreled nuts thread started by Sea Shell...

It's been 12 + months since the dreaded covid struck....... (Odd that "covid" throws up a spelling error??).

Prior to this I guess a lot of "recently retired" had big plans to spend some dosh on various activities/items but now find they are unable to fulfill these (hopefully) short term plans.

...so my question is what are you doing, or planning to do with the money that you budgeted to spend last year/this year that is now languishing in virtually zero interest accounts?

As a starter for 10 we are keeping a record of what we should have spent by now and intend to blow it all as soon as we can on an even better holiday than the one we originally planned, problem is I don't see "going abroad" by aeroplane or boat an option anytime soon....may just end up building a new shed instead??

Thrugelmir

Upgraded my turntable to a moving coil cartridge. Spent far more than usual on vinyl albums. At least that spend helps up and coming UK artists. Also keeps my favourite record shop in business. 

cfw1994

Good idea for a thread!
Well, we got an inflatable hot-tub as soon as COVID struck (& Aldi offered them): best money spent all year, by far!
I got a ‘ride-to-work’ bike just before Christmas (a long wait...you know....COVID shortages!), & have kitted it out with panniers, a Wahoo Roam (brilliant gadget)....upgraded to a lightweight tent too!
My notice went in last week, & my plan will be to start with LandsEnd to John O’Groats in May-June.....think internal movement should be more relaxed by then, might even have had a jab.   

Zero pedalling the past few weeks, mind: far too slippy & cold!
Still mildly bemused how the stock market is holding up.  DC pot keeps growing.....
We have elderly frail relative still taking mucho time up, & until she ‘moves on’, our wider travel plans will remain just plans.  Not to worry: I’ve really no desire for us to travel abroad for at least 12-24 months.   Plenty going on to keep us busy.

DairyQueen

Interesting question.

This time last year we had just engaged decorators to ready our urban flat for sale. This being step one of a house move intended to complete before OH's retirement at Christmas. Then Covid struck. Decorators finished just before lockdown and the closure of the property market. Flat didn't go under offer until July and it took until mid January to complete the sale.

Step two (find and purchase new home) began in July and was hampered by a red-hot property market. Still a work in progress and may/may not complete by end of March. OH has delayed retirement as he would rather work than twiddle thumbs whilst fun is banned by government decree.

Step three (sell second small home) will likely take another six months after acquisition of new home.

Proceeds of sale are now languishing in solicitor's client account earning zilch. Plus we have a dollop of cash reserved for the purchase and upgrading of our new home. The extra money generated/saved throughout last year has increased the budget for new home refurbs. Mr DQ's 'garden shed' will now be a home office/snug complete with kitchenette, loo and big screen TV. I suspect I will be a 'man cave widow' by the end of the year.  

The kitchen upgrade has morphed into an extension and bespoke re-fit plus new terracing adjacent to the house. Add two bathroom upgrades, a cloakroom upgrade, essential external repairs, total redecoration inside and out, new boiler, new carpets and furnishings, and hopefully we will be doing out bit to help UK plc get back on its feet.

Before Covid we were not planning any mega-holidays. We are content to embark on a voyage of discovery around the beautiful UK, and we will do just that over the next decade or two, but the restrictions of Covid have honed a desire for (more) adventures so a longish overseas trip is on the cards when the world opens-up. 

Despite all these spending plans money can't buy the thing that I crave most: freedom - to go where I wish, see whomever I wish, do whatever I wish. However necessary for the common good, house arrest throughout a miserable, cold winter is sheer purgatory.

Sea_Shell

Thanks Stubod, glad you've been enjoying my thread.

Well as for my nuts...they appear to be maturing in to large Oak trees, before I can dig them up!!!!    Not quite sure how the markets are managing it, and I do worry that they are getting ahead of themselves!!

Anyway, we've probably saved about £10,000 on what we wanted (loosely budgeted) to have spent over this past 18 months or so since I "retired".     At the moment we've put this extra into our 100% equities fund in our ISA, as this is "should have already been spent" money, and so can just sit there.

I don't know that we'll actually do any real "catch up" spending, although we do have our eye on a few things that we would have already bought/spent, in normal times.    Going forward our budget should be able to absorb the following few bits.

2 new leather recliners 
A flying lesson 
we both need new glasses 
Sun Awning for the garden 
2 or 3 domestic holidays, self-catering would be nice.   Near the sea, for at least one of them!

As for overseas, probably not until we are back to normal normal (not some "new" normal)....no masks, tests, rules, restrictions.    But then I want to go back to Lanzarote and stay in the best hotel on the island, with a suite and a sea view!!!    Which one is "best" is open to debate, but the Melia Salinas doesn't look too shabby, and we've never stayed there so...

However, "posh" hotels can also feel a bit stuffy and up-themselves.   I do love a good buffet, rather than a-la-carte as an example.    So maybe we're better off in our usual environment of an All Inclusive Riu Club Hotel!!  (not actually ever stayed at the Lanzarote one!)

Last year we didn't miss our sunshine holiday, as the weather was so nice here.   My house does a great all inclusive package!!! - but we don't have a pool.   (not keen on hot-tubs, sorry - the smell puts me off my fizzy)

Lets keep our fingers crossed for another great summer here.   

shinytop

Good idea for a thread!!

We are probably spending a bit more on the house a bit more quickly than we would have pre-Covid.  Or maybe we're spending the same but just not worrying so much about it as much!  My view is that we may as well get things as we want as quickly as possible so that we have more time to enjoy it and the period of disruption is less.  Plans for the house are new windows and doors (ordered), some new wooden floors (ordered) and a new heating system (ASHP, still looking into).  Maybe solar panels as well.  And I'm getting a new shed too; the base is laid and the shed arrives next week.  Also loads to do in the garden when the weather gets better.  

We had all sorts of travels planned and have just started looking again at our next long haul trip, maybe December/January.  But some Mediterranean sunshine would be nice before that; we'll be off to Greece and Spain as soon as we can.  If I can, at least one of these will be by motorcycle.  Much better/safer than sitting in a Rynair plane in a mask   

I am also a bit bemused by the markets; I can't help thinking we're due a drop but the longer they keep going up the less painful the 10, 20 or 30% drop will be. I've probably increased investment my risk level a bit overall but also have enough cash to ride out a few bumps.  

Let's see what happens with the big announcement on  22nd Feb although I'm not expecting much. 

quirkydeptless

Well my boiler failed over the New Year, so some nuts already got spent on replacing that. Spending more time at home, I think I could do with upgrading my wooden front door to a uPVC one. Also spending more time on my Laptop, I think it is well due for an upgrade. None of these things need me to wait for the covid crisis to pass, and it may be a long while before it does.

What I really want to spend my squirrelings on is some international travelling, but that could be an even longer way off before that becomes safely available.

dwsjarcmcd

We are pretty big holiday people but other than 10 days in Rhodes between lockdowns, we didn't go anywhere after Lockdown 1 started.  We had planned to get some decoration work, which included re-painting our windows externally, but on thinking about it, we thought they only had a few years left in them, so we used our holiday money to replace them.  No small outlay as there are over 40 windows (and two patio doors and the main front door) but really glad we did it now with spare funds.
We have booked a holiday at the end of October and have treated ourselves to a suite.  Hopefully, we will have had both our jabs by then and we will be ok to travel but if not, so be it!
Other than that, all I want to do is see my daughter (not seen her since October, which I know is not as long as some but it feels a really long time to me!

Albermarle

My job is partly connected to the home improvements market and I can say clearly this is where a lot of unspent holiday money etc is going . So much so there are long waiting times and raw material supply shortages. It is an industry that has been boosted by the lockdowns. Of the 8 posts on this thread so far , four mentioned  this >>
The kitchen upgrade has morphed into an extension and bespoke re-fit plus new terracing adjacent to the house. Add two bathroom upgrades, a cloakroom upgrade, essential external repairs, total redecoration inside and out, new boiler, new carpets and furnishings, and hopefully we will be doing out bit to help UK plc get back on its feet.

 so we used our holiday money to replace them.  No small outlay as there are over 40 windows (and two patio doors and the main front door) but really glad we did it now with spare funds.

Plans for the house are new windows and doors (ordered), some new wooden floors (ordered) and a new heating system (ASHP, still looking into).  Maybe solar panels as well.  And I'm getting a new shed too; the base is laid and the shed arrives next week

Plus we have a new bathroom being fitted in March 

Stubod

Hi all and thanks for the comments.....interesting comment from DairyQ. ref "money can't buy you freedom"!!.....would never have considered that necessary prior to covid!!

Sea_Shell

We've not done any home improvements or DIY at all. 

Just couldn't muster the enthusiasm....plus nothing really needs doing.

Jigsaws....I've done Jigsaws!!