Turning Straw into Gold: Creating Long Term Security & A Solid Home

FootyFanDan

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82030724#Comment_82030724

🤣 I give up lol. I’m going to throw caution to the wind and 75 year old me can get used to my garden and beans on toast haaaa!

MillQueen

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82030735#Comment_82030735

I fear it's going to be 1.2 billion needed, by the time we get there @FootyFanDan

I'll see you on here in the year 2062 and we can work on cutting back our bills together 😂

We might at least be debt free by then 😁

foxgloves

While I obviously think it's important to plan financially for the future, I do think some of these 'comfortable retirement' figures are getting ridiculous. Defining a 'comfortable lifestyle' is very subjective. Some of the figures I've seen are way in excess of our current income, yet having paid off our mortgage, having no consumer debt, pretty much everything we need & the capacity to save modest amounts each month, I would definitely describe our current situation as 'comfortable'. Others may look at our lifestyle & think it too modest or simple. Once the basics are covered, the rest of it, in terms of needs/wants is pretty subjective.

MillQueen

@foxgloves, your diary always makes me think you have a really nice life you have made for yourselves - it's very wholesome and I think you do very well with whatever you have... A good example of how to live. I think the key will be in paying off my mortgage and debts before retirement and that will make the difference.

I just had a look at the employee benefits platform we have at work and there are a lot of cashback offers, so I am going to start doing an online grocery shop each week using that or sprive (whichever has the highest %). It also offers 10% off gym memberships, though sadly not the one I have joined. I am most excited by the 15% off Benefit Cosmetics, but I have put myself on a makeup buying ban as I have loads already.

MillQueen

I have woken up early despite not setting my alarm, as I have got my gym induction at 8am.

I haven't been particularly good this week, as I spent on my new gym membership, and I also bought some t-shirts and a swimsuit for this new fitness effort (although I used a voucher for some money off), and I bought some food shopping rather than eating what I already have.

Probably just going to break even this month rather than save anything.

ETA: It's made me feel a bit sad that those are the crazy wild things that have sent me to the end of the month with nothing at all, just going to the gym, getting a couple of cheap basics from a supermarket own brand clothing range, and doing a food shop. Because I remember the days when I had money left over!

MillQueen

I've paid £34.45 extra on my gas/electricity, as a round down, So now I only owe £850 on there. My smart meter keeps not sending the readings for months and then hitting me with a large bill, so I am gradually paying it off as and when I can and currently trying to use as close to zero power as I can manage.

ArtyJ931

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82033353#Comment_82033353

likewise I had to unexpectedly look after my grandchildren and take them to a supermarket cafe for tea and bought them a couple of little treats and that’s pushed my budget over. Annoying. I’m amending my budget because what’s the point if you can’t actually live?

MillQueen

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82033424#Comment_82033424

I hear you - it's demoralising when a couple of little treats breaks the budget! I am on a salary I always dreamed of (in reality it's not that far above average but it's taken a lifetime of working and training to get here) and I actually feel worse off than I did 15 years ago when I was earning much less.

It makes me think of my mum when I was a little kid in the 80s, and she would write it down in a notebook how much the basics cost in different shops so she could save a few pennies on each purchase. It's good that I learnt that, but I didn't expect I'd still need to be thinking like that in my 40s on an apparently good salary.

MillQueen

I’m going out for a walk for an hour now, because it’s freeeeeeee. Then I need to do domestic things. I’ve been spending the weekends sleeping and working and it’s become hard to get cleaning done. I think I’ve been a bit depressed since not getting that promotion and it’s time to stop caring about a workplace that doesn’t care back (I say this whilst still caring deeply). At the very least it’s time to take my time back and do things that benefit my health and well-being. I’m cancelling all rubbish workplaces that give no reward or recognition.

Chocolatefund

Sorry to hear you are feeling a bit down. Work wise it sounds like a bit of 'quiet quitting' is in order. I've stopped saying yes to everything now at work simply because it's exhausting in the long run.