Eating a Vegetarian Elephant

kaycastle

Hiya @Chiglepig

Enjoyed flicking through your diary Did you ever post in fireside chats? I've started doing lots of research on retirement yesterday and I'm hungry for examples haha

Chiglepig

Hi @kaycastle, I did post a while ago (pg 21), but need to update a bit because my plans have been developing.

Chiglepig

Hurrah, the top oven /microwave is working again for a very minimal callout charge, and we have a new, reliable tradesperson to add to the list!

I managed to find an extra £100 to put into my S&S ISA. Still thinking about a SIPP.

But in other house expenditure, our gutters need cleaning out and although its a fairly standard two-storey affair bits are quite high, I'm currently hobbled, and I would trust Mr Chigle on a step ladder, much less at roof height! So we're getting our window cleaners in to do the whole thing I suppose it's not every year and is part of the cost of home ownership!

No luck with PBs  - I must ask MrC about his.

Chiglepig

Good grief, just seen on RM that the house next door is on the market, they haven't been there two years yet and were really nice neighbours (I hope it wasn't us ). It's a bit bit of an odd one because it's a nice house, well decorated, good position, but it really needs completely remodelling from a layout perspective (three bed masquerading as a four bed, the proportions aren't quite right), and only has one useable parking place. But there is almost nothing on the market around here (semi-rural), so I don't think it will take long to sell.

I suppose it also gave me a bit of a double take at what houses in the road are being priced for. But as it would take something pretty dramatic to move us from here before I retire, and we are already well beow the point where LTV makes any difference to mortgage offers available to us (very conservative estimate is 26.9%), the value of the house is only as a home for us.

Chiglepig

I've started on the sweep of the house for loose change that I promised myself a week or so ago and started with a big win - a £10 note in my holiday purse alongside €11.35 which must have been there since June 2019, well certainly the euros anyway.

Porridgecat

Jut caught up on your diary it seems that you are finding lots of money to save and that your appliances have decided to test you  our vacuum broke this weekend so we've bought a new one. I did think of a robot one after reading your comments but would probably come home one day to find it belly up with its insides pulled out and a cat looking very satisfied with itself. 

Chiglepig

@Porridgecat, ain't that always the way, the Universe having a giggle. Our Puss thinks paying attention to vaccy is beneath her dignity, although she gave it a few hard stares for the first week.

Got some bargin plants yesterday, killing time at the garden centre opposite the hospital, two hostas reduced to £1 each because of frost damage. It's a bit unsightly, but won't do any harm long term, and at that price, I'll give them a go in the ground once they've recovered - The hostas I got from a specialist nursery are well pampered in pots covered in copper foil and will get a dose of slug eating nematodes once the frosts are past.

Chiglepig

Arggh, bloody energy company! They are sending me letters in big red writing to say I HAVE to send them a meter reading - isn't that what smart meters are for?

South_coast

Send them a photo of the smart meter with the 🤷‍♀️ emoji instead!

Chiglepig

I'm very tempted, SC.