Learning to walk before I run

Baileys_Babe

Could you add extra lining to the existing curtains?

savingholmes

I do all my wash on 20 degrees. Not had any issues - but I'm not in the child phase any more.

Great progress re pension and savings and paying off your student loan. Good timing with the rates they are due to shoot up to.

edinburgher

@Suffolk_lass - forgot to say - two mitigations against shifted goalposts:

1. Can take both my DB pensions from 55
2. Setting up ISA DD from 1st May for £100/mth. Ostensibly for mortgage payoff, but could also become £30k-50k gap bridging fund. DD2 not leaving school until I'm 57, won't retire until then anyway

Suffolk_lass

That's reassuring. I should have anticipated you would have a plan! I presume your DB pensions at 55 are schemes you have left, freezing your rights at that point (and index-linking your benefits accrued). When the Gov't changed our public service pension to bring the NPA in line with SPA, a number of us on the old scheme had reserved rights written into the scheme rules, but this was changed and so was legislation, to remove this reserved right from future scheme members. I had not taken the paying off of your student loan into account.

I did not mention FIT for me (I know it has ended) but rather for you, should you wish to explore storing what you generate (in my case, what I buy overnight). My understanding re SEG (FIT successor) is that the meter records what you generate, not feed in. So you appear to be able to use it and get paid for producing it (albeit and a measly rate). Our plan is to explore powerwall ahead of any solar here (if even possible on our roof) as the savings would be potentially great for us. The Solar together scheme here saved the 500 or so participants about a third of the installation and purchase costs because there were lots of them doing it.

Re washing temperatures - I do wash bed linen on 60 (all white) and towels on 60 or 95. Down here in hard water land it stops the build up of soap scum and limescale in the machine. I run a machine-cleaning cycle periodically with a powder cleaner (the e-spares one) or white vinegar, and use about a third of the recommended detergent dose. As I say, all clothes on cold now - it works well.

Did we know DC2 was a DD? Congratulations (I may have missed that), hopefully a bit easier with a second the same gender.

killerpeaty

It sounds as though you've very thoroughly thought all of this through. With curtains, I have found some in charity shops but I've mainly bought them on sale. You can get thermal as well as blackout ones. I am not sure if ponden homes is still around but theirs are lovely.

The paying off your student loan makes a big difference doesn't it. 

Watty1

just catching up after a time in lala land.  Nice to read you know DC2 is also a dd.

edinburgher

We had a lovely/exhausting Easter break surrounded by family

Back to work now and I have picked up line management responsibilities for a member of the team, it's supposed to bolster my CV, which can only be a good thing. Bolster my CV in a positive way, not bolster my CV as in I'm getting the sack

Builder was out today to let us choose fire doors and handles, he will confirm final quote once these are ticked off the list. We also have the kitchen painters coming next Monday as far as we know (a wee bit too quiet for my liking, have emailed them today to double check it's still on).

No immediate financial news, but during our big family trip my parents suggested that a share of the value of an elderly relative's home would be written into trust for us once it was sold to help with care costs. It is an immensely kind gesture and very much the sort of thing said relative would have done had they retained their faculties. No specifics, wasn't appropriate to ask in the circumstances, it has been a tough year for them helping to secure the right supports for the relative in question and I know it has been one of the hardest things they've had to do  

@Suffolk_lass - one of the DB schemes is my current scheme - if they change the rules significantly I guess I'm rooked and will work in M0rrison's or as a lollipop man!

Today I have switched Mrs EE into a default fund with her pension provider (c. 80% equities). Less risky than her current 100% equities, with a slug of bonds and fixed income to soak up a little volatility. Plan is still to switch out to SIPP every time she reaches £10k, first partial transfer will be in c. 2 months. I am lucky that I have a trusting wife who lets me try my damndest to help her enjoy retirement as well as me and I suppose she's lucky that I try 

edinburgher

Builder starting on 27th June, kitchen units getting painted on Monday, rest of kitchen getting painted in a fortnight 👍

1. I like my new Ch@se account. App-based, 1.5% interest, 1% cashback, 5% interest on Tilly Tidies ("Round-ups")
2. Phoned Tesco bank yesterday as they have been pestering me for 7 years about a closed credit card, turns out they owe me £26 
3. Set up £99 DD for ISA from May
4. Set up £99 DD for OP from June, I even get to specify that it's paid to the slightly more expensive part of the mortgage
5. Got £20 from a Redd1t referral that took a while to come through
6. Spending like a sailor on shore leave - mostly DD birthday party 🎉 stuff, bit skint but Mrs E paid in 5 days

Busy weekend. Back to my class on Friday, built a tall Ike@ M@lm for DD2 clothes storage, emptied and moved the aquarium today in advance of kitchen painters and spent 3 hours gardening. Nothing too fancy - cutting the grass, deadheading daffs, clearing out old growth from last year and spraying a little weedkiller on driveway and perimeter wall. 

Blowing a hoolie all day, got 4 loads of laundry dry bar a wee 10 mins in the tumble dryer this evening. Solar dial ticking up quite quickly.

Happy weekend all

Karmacat

Uh oh, spending like a sailor on shore leave doesn't sound good  but you've got a fantastic run of very mse stuff before that.  

Congratulations on the date for the builder!

savingholmes

Karmacat said:

Uh oh, spending like a sailor on shore leave doesn't sound good  but you've got a fantastic run of very mse stuff before that.  

Congratulations on the date for the builder!

Could not put it better 🙂