SKI-er or Sk-ater. We know how to enjoy ourselves

Savvy_Sue

margaretclare wrote: »

DH is of the opinion that we should leave all the grandchildren out of our wills, his and mine, and just leave everything to each other. That way, whoever is the survivor can make a decision based on what is the situation at the time. I told the solicitor that if I die first I can trust DH to make sure it goes to the right people, but I can't guarantee that I will die first, can I?

You may be able to trust each other, certainly atm, but what you can't rely on is that the survivor will be in any fit state to amend a will in a timely fashion. Especially if you both go together, so personally I want (we're working on revising ours atm) to have provision for both going together, and for the highly unlikely event of the boys not surviving either of us.

margaretclare wrote: »

DH agrees with me that neither of his 2 GC are likely to need anything beyond a token, from us. Daddy is a high-flier, put it that way.

That's as may be, but again, while that's the situation atm you can't rely on it being the situation long term.

I can't understand my mother's provisions in her will, to the effect that if one of us dies before her, then our children don't get our share, it's divided between the surviving siblings. None of us understand it. If my boys have been unfortunate enough to lose me, then it seems like a slap in the fact to get nothing from her.

Anyway, back to ski-ing. We've had a wall built, and have another holiday in the Canary Islands booked. But we have two boys at home for at least the summer, so anything that would be going on skiing currently seems to be disappearing into the food budget! They EAT! DH and I eat very little, but they are gannets!

margaretclare

Thanks for this, SavvySue, and apologies for hijacking the thread. We have an appointment to see our solicitor next week and I've no doubt that he'll point out all the pros and cons, all the pitfalls, to us, and we can work out something appropriate.

He's the guy who dealt with the legal side when we did equity release about 9 years ago now, and we were told to inform all family members because it might affect their inheritance and they might be upset about it. Not one of them wanted to know. 'It's your money, do what you want' was the general consensus from all sides.

seven-day-weekend

Going to be SKI-ing with a vengeance very soon. Our trusty Seat Alhambra, which has just had its fifteenth birthday and clocked up 198,000 miles, is showing signs of wanting to gracefully retire. So we are looking at buying another car.

We don't want a tiny little 'Pensioners' hatchback' as we like our cars to be able to take things to the tip, carry bikes, boats and camping equipment, and have a relatively high driving position. We don't want anything quite as big as the Seat, nor with seven seats. So a five-seater MPV seens about right. We are looking at 07-08 registration.

So far we are considering a Skoda Roomster and a Citroen Berlingo Multispace. The Roomster is favourite as it is in the VW group (same as our old Seat) and we would prefer that to the French car.

http://www.skoda.co.uk/GBR/newcars/roomster/Pages/default.aspx?gclid=CPbigvn-4bECFUQPfAodEngABQ

http://info.citroen.co.uk/new-cars/car-range/citroen-berlingo-multispace/offers/?i=rally

We have one or two lined up to look at.

Watch this space!

margaretclare

Ours is a Ford Fiesta Titanium, 7DWE. It has to be automatic because DH can't do manual any more. We changed it just before last Christmas.

seven-day-weekend

margaretclare wrote: »

Ours is a Ford Fiesta Titanium, 7DWE. It has to be automatic because DH can't do manual any more. We changed it just before last Christmas.

We did look at a Ford Focus Titanium yesterday and liked it very much. However, it won't do what we want from a vehicle at the moment. May be our next car in about ten years' time.

pollypenny

We've got a new Astra and my Corsa - we usually end up taking the Corsa as it's easier to park.

If we buy something in the US one of them will have to go.

seven-day-weekend

pollypenny wrote: »

We've got a new Astra and my Corsa - we usually end up taking the Corsa as it's easier to park.

If we buy something in the US one of them will have to go.

Our other vehicle is a beautiful, gleaming, sexy, retro Triumph Bonneville motorcycle.
http://en.triumph-club.net/gallery_detail.php?id=499

FATBALLZ

margaretclare wrote: »

It HAS cost them dear, did they but know it. I have emailed GD for the last time and I have told her just WHY I asked (1) and (2). I said it was not out of idle curiosity nor yet in hope of an invitation - I knew that wouldn't happen - but about a nice wedding present. Not a couple of tea-towels, something worth having. And (2) the possibility of a decent amount on a mortgage deposit. So she will know just what she has done, what it has cost them, and who knows, that young man - who seems a nice uncomplicated sort of a guy - may be wondering what the h*ll he has walked into. Daughter, a few years ago when we were still speaking, thought he 'wasn't good enough, her horizons will always be wider than his' meaning that he had a fairly routine industrial job and she wanted to work in Travel and Tourism - that didn't happen, she works part-time picking internet grocery orders for one of the big supermarket groups.

I've just arranged to take annual drawdown from my SIPP. It's not a lot, approx £440 every October, but I'd been leaving the fund there to grow and had planned to assign it 50/50 to both GDs on my death. Now, I've changed the assignation to eldest GD 100%. Next thing, to change both our wills - again.

Deary me, you really do have a !!!!poor attitude don't you? Trying to use your bulging finances to exert a hold over family members who don't want anything to do with you (and those that do, as evidenced by your will changing shenanigans), and rubbing their faces in it when they've already made it clear they don't want to know.

Considering how badly you are portraying yourself despite your biased viewpoint, it's not surprising your family don't want to know.

margaretclare

FATBALLZ wrote: »

Deary me, you really do have a !!!!poor attitude don't you? Trying to use your bulging finances to exert a hold over family members who don't want anything to do with you (and those that do, as evidenced by your will changing shenanigans), and rubbing their faces in it when they've already made it clear they don't want to know.

Considering how badly you are portraying yourself despite your biased viewpoint, it's not surprising your family don't want to know.

Thank you for completely, completely misunderstanding me. It was not about money at all, except that I would have helped them, in the same way that I've helped others. Their faces have not been 'rubbed in it' because, as I clearly stated, they have never known anything about it, except when we were advised to inform them about the equity release. My finances are in no way 'bulging'. Thank you for adding to the heartache and heartbreak that I am already struggling to cope with. Fortunately there are a few people who do understand, who have actually met the people concerned and who know of some of the traumas there have been in the past, things that were done not only to me but to my late husband and late daughter, none of which involved money.

If this is all you have to say then maybe you should say nothing.

Errata

MC I'm aferaid when you post about personal matters on a public forum you have to accept you may not get the response(s) you seek.
That's the nature of the beast.