Away From The Madding Crowd

bluenose1

Thanks for taking the time to post your fab update @Humboldt and hope your DH enjoys his retirement. Wish we had a Lidl by us. All we have is a Tesco Express and a Co-op which at least price matches a few Aldi items. Aldi are supposed to have applied for planning permission to build on a disused pub/ shops near us so really hoping that materialises.

Congratulations as well @KintsugiWhippet. Two years later I still wake up every day and am so thankful haven’t got to go to work. The only frustration for me at moment is I am one of those ex civil servants still waiting for their Pension. I applied in January and should have received it in June.

Been buying a lot of stuff I don’t really need online at moment just because it’s been a good offer, which isn’t really a reason to buy, though have enjoyed the heated mattress cover I bought for our bed, never had one before and love it.

Humboldt

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82183237#Comment_82183237

Huge congratulations on your retirement @KintsugiWhippet. I am so pleased that you enjoyed your leaving drinks and what a lovely retirement gift to receive. Thank you for the kind wishes re my DH's retirement, which I will certainly pass on. Should you wish, please feel free to share any tips on how you are stretching your new budget. I gain so much inspiration and useful information from others on this forum and it's often reassuring to know that we are not alone in our endeavours.

Humboldt

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82183245#Comment_82183245

Hi @louby40 for what it's worth, I think that the majority on the forum are resourceful people, who can adapt and cut their cloth accordingly. No amount of money bought a second of time - enjoy!

Humboldt

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82183278#Comment_82183278

Hi @bluenose1, I was sorry to read about the delay in you receiving your pension and hope that things are resolved soonest. Thank you for your kind wishes re my DH's retirement. He is about to apply for his work pension, opting to receive it in the new tax year. We have put some contingency money aside to tide us over until then, so fingers crossed all goes smoothly.

Today's simple pleasure - not having to be woken by DH's alarm clock for work.

Humboldt

Hello and welcome.

Motivational quote of the week.

Often when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else – Fred Rogers.

Money saving.

Our monthly grocery budget for me and my DH is £300. Week 4 spend for October was £76.07. Total for October is £272.49. £27.51 underbudget this month.

November’s premium bond win was £0. (2026 total to date is £325).

October’s interest from various savings accounts was £138.58.

Total V!nted sales in October was £18. Monies added to our birthday/Christmas account.

Took advantage of a preferential rate offer in my Sp@rk’s App when purchasing travel money for our holiday.

DH bought a pair of jeans in M+S and reduced the cost by using £8 earned via his Sp@rks App. I used £5 earned via my Sp@rks App when buying a bottle of Bucks Fizz and a pack of peppermint & chocolate wafer rolls, reducing the cost to just £1.25.

Took advantage of a B0ot’s £10 Tuesd@y offer, saving £8, and the 3 for 2 offers on Christmas Gifts. Saved £21.50 on products, £6.75 because I spent over a set amount, plus delivery was free.

We have earned enough points for several hours free electric this month by using more of our electricity at greener times (outside 4pm – 7pm) during October.

Freebies

Having downloaded the L!dl app, my welcome offer included several free items – a low GI loaf from the bakery, a punnet of fresh blueberries and a pack of whole-wheat spaghetti. This week I have been offered a free Mister Ch0c item, so will probably buy a pack of Tw!x dupes.

A free hot drink in the M+S café via my stamp card.

DH and I both won a free M+S bakery item via our mobile network provider. This morning, we enjoyed a very yummy pain au chocolat with our coffee.

This week’s main menu.

Monday – Roast chicken dinner – I changed a few meals around last week, so this is a ping meal, i.e. we had the same on Sunday.

Tuesday – Creamy spaghetti with bacon and courgette (from one of my scrap books). Another meal swap from last week.

Wednesday – Leek and potato soup (slow cooker recipe), with homemade wholemeal sourdough. Chicken stock is homemade and from the freezer.

Thursday – Pumpkin, spinach & coconut biryani (W@itrose recipe). I will replace the pumpkin with a butternut squash, and serve with a dollop of natural yogurt and M+S spicy mango chutney.

Friday – Ping meal (as above) – cook once, eat twice – saves on time and energy costs.

Saturday – Spanish chicken (H@iry D!eters recipe). I will replace the new potatoes with carrots and sweet potatoes. I had half a chorizo sausage in the fridge to use up.

Sunday – Pork chop, mashed potato, carrots, peas, homemade apple sauce and gravy. Pork chop was reduced in price and frozen until required.

Healthier lifestyle.

Last week’s step count was 33,947.

Completed 0 free online workouts last week.

Completed 5 free online meditations last week.

Simple pleasures.

A new series of G0ne F!shing. Such a gentle, good-humoured watch.

An early Christmas shopping trip to M+S. All purchases paid for via the Birthday/Christmas account (mainly funded from V!nted sales). DH needed a break from proceedings, so we treated ourselves to lunch in the café.

This year’s JL Christmas advert. It brought back such wonderful memories of a family member who as a child had the same toy dog, which they dragged everywhere.

My DH has now officially retired and will receive his work pension in the new tax year (should there be no delays). Until then we will stretch our budget accordingly and use contingency savings if required. Over the next couple of months, we are looking forward to going on holiday to celebrate and hosting a family Christmas. My posts maybe a little intermittent during this period, but I will pop in now and again to provide an update. I always enjoy reading how others are stretching their finances and enjoying life’s simple pleasures, so feel free to comment.

As always, thanks to all those who have commented, given thanks, and take the time to read my diary.

bluenose1

Lovely update @Humboldt. Hope your husband is enjoying retirement as much as rest of us.
In my last year of work I put my taxable earnings in a cash SIPP with Hargreaves Lansdown as the return for every £8k is £500 for tying your money up for 6 weeks or so. We continue to do it but now limited to only putting in £2,880 with a return of £180 after tax. Not bad for less than an hours work per year.

Seems to be mixed reviews about the John Lewis advert, I thought it was ok. And I like the grandmother as she is in Slow Hoses, a series we love.

I went to Iceland yesterday for some bread and fruit and got the over 60 10% discount. Good to know there is an Aldi app, will download before our next visit
As a family of 3 adults we spend £600 a month on food, though I have reduced it as we were actually spending more!!! We do eat a lot of fresh fruit which is not cheap and don’t shop around as much as we should. And I am definitely not organised like you on meal planning front, though I have introduced a few ping meals, which I love as don’t enjoy cooking.

I finally got paid my civil service pension, so to celebrate we got a fish and chips takeout and opened 4 regular savers between us for this higher interest rate, we know how to live😂.

I am doing well decluttering and now doing a get rid of 20 items a day. Good to get rid of all those old wires I haven’t a clue what they were for.

Enjoy all your family celebrations, we are off to Rome on Monday so need to start thinking what I need to take. Off for my morning jaunt in the woods with the dog now, husband is at golf so I walk at a much more relaxed pace, looking at the leaves falling and examining the mushrooms…..

Humboldt

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82192744#Comment_82192744

Hi @bluenose1, my apologies, I had stated in my latest post that I had downloaded the Ald! app, when in fact it was the L!dl app 🙄 Sorry for any confusion. Thanks for the reminder about the 10% offer for over 60's in Iceland. We have a Iceland Warehouse near us, but I have only visited it a couple of times since it opened. Perhaps I need to check it out again.

So pleased to read that you have finally received your work pension. Takeaway fish and chips is a great way to celebrate.

The thought of decluttering a set amount of items per day sounds quite motivating, I think that I will give it a go. I am also going to research the SIPP that you mentioned.

DH is enjoying retirement thanks. He has played an extra game of golf this week and been for a morning run.

Have a fabulous time in Rome.

Today's simple pleasure - I have been wanting to try a new planting scheme in one of the garden borders. Today DH and I removed the plants, dug it over, and replanted it with the plants that I wanted to keep. It would have taken me a couple of days, but together we had it finished in a few hours. I now need to plant some spring bulbs and research where I can buy some smallish bark at a decent price to mulch the border.

Yorkie1

Congratulations @bluenose1 on the CS pension!