Frugal in retirement

Good morning everyone,

It's a beautiful sunny morning here in a lovely village near Reading where I am visiting my eldest son and his girlfriend. They live on the very edge of the village and looking outside I feel as if I'm surrounded by fields. I live in an ex mining village back home but no views like this as I'm surrounded by houses.

It is now 4 weeks since I sold the car and I have no regrets at all mainly because I disliked driving so much. I have adjusted my life a bit to compensate for not having the car but this causes me no difficulty. Each Tuesday morning I go by bus to one of two nearby towns to stock up on perishables. One town has a large Asda near the bus stop while the other has an Iceland. I very rarely visited these shops before but I am now a convert.

I did have an awful journey last week when visiting youngest son and his family. This journey takes approximately 2 and a half hours and 3 buses each away. Three of the buses were late and it was a damp, freezing day. My feet felt like ice but totally my fault as I should have been more prepared and worn warmer socks. Lesson learned . I don't drive to this son's so having the car would not have changed the outcome as I would have still gone by bus.

Re the posts on NI contributions. When I retired in 2015 I was shocked to discover that although paying NI for 42 years I had not paid enough for the full state pension as I had been contracted out when in the NHS pension scheme. I had never heard and did not know anything about being contracted out. In April 2016 I became a self employed sole trader and started a little sewing business. I pay voluntary class 2 NI contributions of £12.35 each month.

The business is very slow mainly because I am totally NOT a business person. My charges are too low and I don't advertise or push myself enough. But I love sewing and making memory cushions and quilts from baby clothes. I also enjoy the chat and interactions with my customers. My annual takings are always under £1,000. In 2017 HMRC changed the rules to allow income up to £1,000 to be earned without the need to declare it to them. I think it's called the Trading Allowance. Twice I have phoned HMRC to check that it is ok for me to continue as a sole trader when my income is so low and both times they have confirmed that it is ok. I plan to keep my little business going till April 2021 ( unless the rules change) when my voluntary class 2 NI contributions will entitle me to the full state pension.

I'm having a very lazy time at my son's but doing lots of walking as they have a retired greyhound that can still walk for miles and miles xx