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Escape to the country & living off savings

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Comments

  • Ah ha, so they COULD issue a cheque for £4 in the end! Scoundrels and crooks these blooming faceless organisations,  a plague on all their houses i say👾
  • Lovely sunny morning. Towels washed & hung out. Quick trip to asd@ for final milk, salad & cold meats for DS & gf arriving at the weekend. 

    Had a lovely lunch out at a fancy garden centre with my friend. Turkey, stuffing & cranberry roll with roast potatoes and pot of gravy plus cold drink £14.45. We each paid for our own today. I also bought 2 more gifts for b-in-law as his bag seemed rather empty. Yorkshire chutney to go with the Christmas tree shaped cheese truckle I bought him and some wild duck crisps. £6. So now everyone has had roughly the same spent on them. 

    2 bags of gifts left to wrap. Will do those tonight. One chair left to go upstairs. Have begun clearing stuff into the cupboard under the stairs away for when the dogs arrive. 

    Remaining in current account £59.83. Will use £50 for petrol to my sisters. Am planning on paying for our meal out on Tuesday. I will borrow from one of my pots and put it back from my budget in Feb or March when I have 2 council tax free months (I pay mine over 10 months). 





    ❤️Mum 2018
    0% credit card £1360 & 0% Car Loan £7500 ~ paid in full JAN 2020 = NOW DEBT FREE 🤗
    House sale OCT 2022 = NOW MORTGAGE FREE 🤗
    House cash purchase completed FEB 2023 🥳🍾 & left work. 🤗

    Retired at 55 & now living off the equity £10k a year

    ❤️Dad 2025

    Previous Savings diary https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5597938/get-a-grip/p1

    Living off savings diary
    https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6429003/escape-to-the-country-living-off-savings/p1
  • Sya, i would love to get your bil's gift,  sounds right up my street!
  • doingitanyway
    doingitanyway Posts: 10,578 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Mortgage-free Glee!
    I would also enjoy BIL's pressie. I love consumables as gifts  :)
    I had forgotten about the 2 free CT months! 
    If you have built castles in the air, your work should not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them

    Emergency fund 350/1000
    Buffer fund 100/100
    Debt Free (again) 25/07/2025
  • Skint_yet_Again
    Skint_yet_Again Posts: 8,772 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Hung up my suit! Mortgage-free Glee!
    edited 19 December 2025 at 7:30PM
    Thanks Tresinia and dia ☺️

    He now has cheese truckle (aldee £2.69) chutney & wild duck crisps (garden centre £6), gift set 3 mini bottles port (b n m £5) chocs (his favourites) £3.49. We usually spend £15-£20. It used to be £10 but everything has gone up 
    ❤️Mum 2018
    0% credit card £1360 & 0% Car Loan £7500 ~ paid in full JAN 2020 = NOW DEBT FREE 🤗
    House sale OCT 2022 = NOW MORTGAGE FREE 🤗
    House cash purchase completed FEB 2023 🥳🍾 & left work. 🤗

    Retired at 55 & now living off the equity £10k a year

    ❤️Dad 2025

    Previous Savings diary https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5597938/get-a-grip/p1

    Living off savings diary
    https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6429003/escape-to-the-country-living-off-savings/p1
  • Tresinia511
    Tresinia511 Posts: 313 Forumite
    100 Posts First Anniversary Name Dropper
    edited 20 December 2025 at 11:14AM
    Crazy how a packet of crisps costs more than 3 little bottles of port! But still the best gift I've seen this year!
  • Lol Tresinia that’s £6 for the Yorkshire chutney (2 small/medium jars) and the crisps. 

    It’s been cold damp and foggy here today. Just a few items washed & dried on clothes rack with dehumidifier on. Treated myself to fish & chips & mushy peas for lunch £6.50. 😋 

    Have just been watching junk on tv & finished wrapping 🎁🎄
    ❤️Mum 2018
    0% credit card £1360 & 0% Car Loan £7500 ~ paid in full JAN 2020 = NOW DEBT FREE 🤗
    House sale OCT 2022 = NOW MORTGAGE FREE 🤗
    House cash purchase completed FEB 2023 🥳🍾 & left work. 🤗

    Retired at 55 & now living off the equity £10k a year

    ❤️Dad 2025

    Previous Savings diary https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5597938/get-a-grip/p1

    Living off savings diary
    https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6429003/escape-to-the-country-living-off-savings/p1
  • doingitanyway
    doingitanyway Posts: 10,578 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Mortgage-free Glee!
    Once again our weather is the same as yours. I will be washing a load and drying it using the dehumidifier too. 
    I think I might invest in a heated clothes rack at some stage.
    I hope you enjoyed your F&Cs treat
    If you have built castles in the air, your work should not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them

    Emergency fund 350/1000
    Buffer fund 100/100
    Debt Free (again) 25/07/2025
  • The only thing with a heated airer DIA is that the water evaporates into the air so you still need the dehumidifier on. F&C were nom nom 😋 thanks ☺️ 
    ❤️Mum 2018
    0% credit card £1360 & 0% Car Loan £7500 ~ paid in full JAN 2020 = NOW DEBT FREE 🤗
    House sale OCT 2022 = NOW MORTGAGE FREE 🤗
    House cash purchase completed FEB 2023 🥳🍾 & left work. 🤗

    Retired at 55 & now living off the equity £10k a year

    ❤️Dad 2025

    Previous Savings diary https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5597938/get-a-grip/p1

    Living off savings diary
    https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6429003/escape-to-the-country-living-off-savings/p1
  • Ah I thought the crisps were very artisan chutney and wild duck flavour😆😆,
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