+++ Whoops! Here comes the cheese! +++

Viking_mfw

Very late catching up and I am so sorry for your loss. There are no words really and I'm so impressed by how you're keeping going. 

redofromstart

Thank you.

Rudely woken by a furry alarm clock but I have at least slept and the power is on. Things you normally take for granted!  As I drove out of the village I noticed the local power company are doing emergency work just down from us which is probably where the problem has been so hopefully a permanent fix underway. It's only been affecting 100 houses so a fairly local problem. 

I haven't actually done much for the last two days with driving and then being very tired yesterday so I do need to get back to it today. The real motivator will be when the big bins arrive on Wednesday I think. 

I am waiting for WBB to pay out and need to try Z again and see if I can get the referral to work. I have downloaded Vinted too and need to have a look at that. It isn't just the coats, he bought spares of things he liked so there are brand new with tags trainers and jeans etc. 

first job this morning though is to drop my car off for 4 new tyres and brake pads, needs doing whether I keep her or not as was advisory on MOT. I must also run the engine on his car for a bit.

peb

Advisory doesn't actually mean needs doing, I mean if you know and trust your garage and they say to do then fair enough.  Mine usually gives me an indication - helps that as I mainly WFH I do very little mileage 

greenbee

I think it’s wise not to take risks with brakes. And clearly needing to use the tyre inflator suggests the tyres were a good idea - particularly with the current weather, winter on the way and the potential need to drive longer distances on your own.

Cheery_Daff

We've had a lot more power cuts since living in the middle of nowhere. Mostly just a few hours, but on one memorable occasion about 3 years ago, we were out for about 4 days in the snow when a powerline came down in our field - only serving two houses 🙄 It was VERY cold! Ever since, when we come down the drive and see a light on (we always leave one on, there are no streetlights and it's very dark) we always say 'oh good, at least the lights are still on!' 😂

When we were doing up the old house we had to take the floorboards on the landing and in the bathroom. Obviously it was DIY, and it took about 6 weeks to fix whatever it was, during which time we had to balance on joists to get across the landing and to the loo. I spent months being grateful for floorboards after that! 😂 Back to taking them for granted now though 😂

redofromstart

One of the many cheerless tasks coming out of this situation.  I have four pension pots currently - and have managed to change the beneficiary to the boys on two of them.  It appears that for the payment protection fund the pension dies with the pension holder unless they have a spouse. I should get a half pension for Mr Redo, but my pot would end if anything happened to me.  This may be the same for USS too as that is a DC pension. Things to think about when my head is not full.  

Have you nominated your beneficiaries for any pension or life assurance cover?  Including through work? 

redofromstart

I agree Peb, but in this case even I could see the cracks on the tyre walls, one was close to the limit, one had a very slow puncture and Mr Redo had said it needed doing but hadn't organised it.  I did cross check the prices and know the village garage did me a good deal as usual.  Not looking forward to wet walk to fetch it though.

Cheery_Daff

Urgh, you don't need complicated pension admin right now on top of everything else 😕 

We've nominated beneficiaries, but only each other, so that's probably not much help to you. Be interesting to see what other people have done though.

rtandon27

I've nominated OH and Mom for a portion each of the pension and have been know to log on and change the amount due each of them every so often.  My work also has a death in service amount due OH and the mortgage would be paid off in full and the house would be all his as well.  I often say that financially he's set if I go, but if he goes first his will just gives me everything which is basically cash and would include the right to a court battle with his ex for his interest in some property!

redofromstart

I have had to deal with death in service for work on a depressing number of occasions and the hardest ones are always the 'no indication of wish' forms, particularly unmarried. I think half the time they didn't realise we provided life cover.