Rolling Down the Green Hill Towards REtirement 😊🌄💚💜

killerpeaty

I love bhajies, can I have some?  Genuinely can you freeze bhajies? I might try it 

Can totally see why he doesn't like the job centre but, also can totally see your frustration on missing out on the cash.

Love your colour coding the jobs system, might steal it!

savingholmes

I think on getting the 'stamp' thing - you never know when they will change eligibility rules again - always better to have more years credit in the bag.

Debsnewbudget

Can he look at getting employment through an agency? That way he doesn't have to stay if t doesn’t suit?

greent

Evening all

KP - I freeze bhajis - I warm them in the micro and then pop in oven to crisp up. They're never as good as fresh, but still tasty!

sh - he's definitely currently got enough years (38 + this year to come - and he's paid a lot of NI this year already) He's thinking about it......

Debs - I'm honestly not sure he'd consider that! He is a bit of a job snob when it comes to himself - he has a minimum value in his head and that's it.... sigh..... Anyone else can do anything they want, with no judgement.


Have just submitted his tax return ( I no longer have to do one since we sold the rental property - yay!) - and paid the bill of £2300!!! Eeeeekkkkk!!!!!! His employer had him on a higher-than-it-should have-been tax code (due to HMRC - who did it because of a large extra payment to pension plan the year before and me not completing the 'one off' box on his tax return, I think) However, I will allow myself that minor slip, seeing as I sent his tax return off last year a week after my final chemo and the notification of code change came just after that. Plus I was still get child benefit and therefore it was all subject to the HR child benefit tax charge, so it wasn't really a surprise! (still ouch, though! ) It's been a somewhat spendy day - DH's car also went in for MOT and had its brakes done (just shy of £400 in total...)

We've started the Xmas-removal today - I've packed up the Xmas glasses, mugs and teatowels so far (and the unused Xmas kitchen paper towel and 2 unused snowman shaped washing up scrubbies...!) - oh, and the cards have come down and been sorted (keep/ recycle at work for charity/ make into tags) I'll do a bit more each day - it's DS2's 18th bday at the weekend, so it all needs to come down by then!! I shall enjoy the twinkly lights, sparkly things and frankincense and myrrh candles in the meantime

Pre-back-to-school haircuts for the boys tomorrow. Stew is planned for dinner tomorrow night (YS beef picked up just before Xmas), with dumplings and I shall bake a white and a brown loaf, which should see us ok for a handful of days We still have plenty of chocolate and sweets around, half a large tub of profiteroles and the remains of a Pat Val chocolate Xmas cake - and an unopened tin of shortbread biscuits (and cheese - still around 6 sorts of cheese!!!) I did finish off the pate at lunch, though (with HM fig chutney (made by a friend) - yum!)

I've done very well at ignoring the pile of work I brought home! There are a couple of jobs I'll get DS1 to do (I'll pay him - he has a casual contract) as he is quicker (and cheaper) than me and I'll make sure I've got everyone's hours from December sorted ready for payroll on Monday morning (should take maybe 30 mins) and that might just do (and I'll claim the 30 mins (or whatever) for sorting the pay) I might do that tomorrow, whilst DH takes the boys to the barbers

Right - I really should think about taking some stuff and myself upstairs, ready for bed! NIght all!

greenbee

I had the same problem with my tax code after a one-off lump sum payment into my pension, so it’s not you, it’s HMRC who allow one-offs for donations but don’t (or didn’t!) for pensions.

killerpeaty

I'll give the bahjies a go, I think I have a recipe somewhere ..

HMRC is just a pain. Don't worry too much if you did do something wrong, it's just as likely that they did. We got a letter last month telling us that they can't work out where our carried back loss claim is coming from, but we didn't submit one! Must have gotten one company  confused with another.

Suffolk_lass

I just lost my post welcoming you back and suggesting you look very carefully at your DH's state pension position. I fell foul of my qualifying years including a massive lump in my DB occupational scheme where I opted out of SERPS (as it was called then), paying a lower NI contribution rate up until George O changed the rules in 2015, further disadvantaging me for a decision I could not have foreseen 31 years previously (the other decision was moving my SPA out by four extra years with less than ten to go).

The point being the differential between the Basic State Pension (for those years in the OPS, opted out) and the New State Pension - specifically this financial year this difference is £156.20 (BSP) versus £203.85 (NSP) or £47.65 a week. So although he has 38 years, if the majority count for the BSP he could still lose out if he does not increase the number of qualifying years. I have bought four at over £800 each (voluntary class 3) and (tax excluded) they pay for themselves in about four and a bit years. 

The SP forecast tool on Gov.UK  presumes you will continue paying so look carefully at accrued to date, not projected pension. Sadly my birthday is before the end of this financial year and despite 50 qualifying years, I fall short of a full NSP by one year. 

Here is a link to a tool that Steve Webb (the former pensions minister) developed with Royal London before he went solo, the amounts are out of date but the method applies, to help you calculate.

Happy 2024!

greent

greenbee said:

I had the same problem with my tax code after a one-off lump sum payment into my pension, so it’s not you, it’s HMRC who allow one-offs for donations but don’t (or didn’t!) for pensions.

That's good to know - thanks!

I'm not too bothered kp - everything's declared, the bill has been paid -  all is good


Stew last night was lovely - dumplings were fluffy with a nice crust - and there's leftovers! I made a large seeded wholemeal loaf and 2 small white loaves (1 for freezer) and they were both yum, too. The profiteroles finally got finished off after dinner, and the last of the cake went at lunchtime (it *was* poor DD's lunch - she had a 'mare of a day wfh and just grabbed the last of the cake and a 5 min break instead of a proper lunch break) - the fridge is now looking much better! (Although it has a large pot of stew in!) However, we need more milk and apple juice, at the very least, so a smkt trip will be in order today.

I'm meant to be going shopping with DS1 today and taking DS2 for driving practice. However, I have a horrid scratchy sore throat (went to bed with it last night) and lots of green mucous, so we shall see what my patience level is like for either task! Covid test was negative, but I may do another tonight if I still feel rough, as both times I've had it it started with a sore throat and me feeling drained of energy. In the meantime I shall dose up with paracetamol and hot squash 😃

As well as the £64 and pence I unexpectedly found in PayPal a couple of days ago (I mentioned it on Watty's thread) Dh had DS1 try on some of his Levis yesterday (too big for DH due to weightless last year and have been sat in a drawer since) - possibly an extra inch needed on waist size for DS1 for total comfort (has more of my build than DH's) but they looked good (his current jeans are awful) - and £80 was found in a pocket!!!

Ooh - PBs - I didn't win anything this month after winning £500 in Dec (my return last year was 4.something % - as int rates were  low at the start of the year I'll take that as a decent return- especially as it's tax free 😄 DH won £50 this month and DS2 £25. Far from being our best month (which was Dec, with £650 being won between us) but better than nothing!

I've tidied up all our pension paperwork/ got up to date values/ projections (including for DH if he retired this year on his old DB one - not bad, actually - I was impressed! Not that he really wants to go just yet, but he could take that one and access both his SIPP and latest company one later this year if it came to it - which would see us ok enough) 

newgirly

I think I’d be going through all of his pockets after finding £80 😆

greent

So the Nectar 2023 update might not be out yet, but Tesc0 have also done the same thing this year...... 🙈🙈🙈

I don't drink semi skimmed milk, eat bourbons and only eat dorit0s v occasionally in a fajita for added crunch....