50 something man seeking to save to retire before 60!

Katiehound · 9 August 2018 at 7:48PM

Just a thought about the CCs. Wonder if you could take one or 2 new ones with 0% balance transfer. Just had an offer from Mr T today for 12 months- but I've seen others which are longer.
I don't know how to 'play the game' as I pay mine off monthly. I know there is a way to earn a bit of interest in the intervening gap.

I also know it's only peanuts but having various different current a/cs earning monthly interest / cashback/ whatever can mount up and of course switching bonuses.

crv1963 · 9 August 2018 at 8:03PM

Hi Katiehound,

I'm thinking I'd rather clear the cc's, I know logically applying for cards at 0% makes sense but if I haven't cleared them by Christmas I should look into it.

Also moving money between accounts makes sense so will look into that at Christmas too when I have a clear idea of what my new earnings will look like, and if the commute is working okay.

CRV

Katiehound · 9 August 2018 at 8:23PM

Free will making here- this month only
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?p=74639883#post74639883

I forgot to say - good luck with your plans. No pockets in shrouds.
I have been to Botswana & Zim several times : The Okavango Delta & Victoria Falls both amazing

crv1963 · 12 August 2018 at 8:50AM

Hi

I like ShyAndRetiring methodology of keeping track:- Spending, Saving, Sorting, Other News and Simple Pleasures. I think I might become a plagiarist and copy it! For the simple reason it's easy to follow and look back on. My saving will include our monthly retirement savings, hopefully we'll see them grow as time goes on. I'll start that when we start our additional pension savings as currently I pay 9.3% salary into DB and Mrs CRV pays 3% into Nest, all from our wages before we get our take home pay so I won't count mine as I already know roughly what I'm forecast to get on my current salary and it shouldn't go down!

Spending- My weakness! But kept myself in check yesterday an only £1.10 on a bottle of milk, today got to get sister a Birthday Card.

Saving- 0

Sorting- 9 hours gardening, 6 hours burning hedge trimmings, branches cut down two weeks ago when we built the hen run, loaded the car ready for a tip run today- kept bigger branches for my brother in law and his chimnea!

Other News- Lab biopsy came back as benign so no expensive bills to look forward to yet, cat thyroid results came back as okay, so to carry on as we are with dose and feeding. Border Collie got into hen pen so got to get some stronger wire for it, if she can get in so can Mr Fox!

Simple Pleasure- Enjoyed a Malt Whisky when Mrs CRV went to work (she can't stand the smell and I can only have one or I'm up all night!), while sitting in the garden enjoying the setting sun.

Have a great day.

MrAPJI · 15 August 2018 at 7:59PM

Pleased to hear the biopsy came back fine

. Years ago I remember taking our cat for his annual check-up and jabs. After a lot of pushing and poking the vet then told me that she had discovered a hard mass in his stomach which would need further investigations. So out came the card and the tests began. We had quite a wait to discover what exactly was wrong because it was xmas time. Eventually results day arrived and I made the call, only to be told ''your cat's fat'' and there wasn't anything wrong at all! I was left absolutely speechless. Needless to say, we didn't return to that Practice again. As for the cat, he died aged 18 and other vets had never proclaimed him fat

.

ManofLeisure_2 · 15 August 2018 at 8:26PM

MrAPJI wrote: »

I was left absolutely speechless..

I know what I would have said lol

crv1963 · 16 August 2018 at 6:15PM

Mr APJI,

It is horrible waiting for results. I'm glad you found a vet that you trusted, our vet is very good we think, although having one having had Oral Cancer, another Diabetes and the cat Thyroid problems has led us to get to know them well!

Some tell us "I would just have put the dog down!" but don't understand that as well as getting attached to them you also care about their welfare and their quality of life. They also of course give us endless pleasure.

Sometimes you do have to ask- is this prolonging life needlessly or will it improve it? Luckily for us with a previous dog our vet was honest and up front, telling me I won't let you let her live simply for life, but will tell you when I think she should be let go.

sukysue · 17 August 2018 at 6:01PM

Had a look at the Sea horses on You tube ,ahhh so beautiful and serene.

crv1963 · 19 August 2018 at 8:46AM

Hi,

Just an update so I can keep track.

Spending- Bought lunch once a reduced price sandwich so only £1 and a bottle of milk £1.10, must be my best week of keeping spending in check for a while!

Saving- 0

Sorting- More gardening, cleared the remaining branches from when I cut trees and bushes back for the new Hen Pen, took them to Brother in law so he can use them for his chimnea. Tidied up and threw out some bits stored in the conservatory.

Other News- Been a very hectic week at work, being peak holiday season less of us around but the workload doesn't drop. Most days it's been 9-10 hour days but of course we only get paid 7.5 hours. Still only 2 weeks left to go before I've finished working my notice! Not that I'm counting but that equates to 8 working days as there's the bank holiday Monday and that week I also have the Friday off.

Results week and our niece got the grades she wants and the university, she's now having a gap year before her course starts. Her 18th Birthday yesterday so a good get together.

Simple Pleasures- Collecting 4-5 eggs daily now the hens have started laying, spent a bit of time just sitting with Mrs CRV watching rubbish TV and relaxing.

Have a great week.

crv1963 · 25 August 2018 at 9:00AM

Hi

Another busy week at work, but have turned down working any "extras" this weekend, but have had to bring the laptop home to catch up on some paperwork at some point over the weekend.

Spending- Another successful week I think, £3 over 2 days for lunch, 10p on some veg reduced to clear for the hens. 0 spent on cigarettes!!!!

Saving- 0

Sorting- Cleared pots and rubbish bags away to tidy up, trimmed the lavender bed filling 2 sacks of dead flowers. Lawnmower finally died, so there's a necessary purchase to make on payday. Managed to not mess up the kitchen which was sorted by Mrs CRV!

Other News- My leaving do from work today- group of us going to a local city to hit the pubs, either Mrs CRV or I will have to not drink until the evening though as one of us(aka me probably or with a 3pm start I'll be asleep in a corner by 6pm!) has to come back to feed the dogs and give the insulin- part of the downside of a diabetic dog. Tomorrow another party for a colleague, then Monday downtime probably be ironing day!

Nephew got good GCSE results so off to college in a few weeks, eldest son got news he's got an interview for a promotion, youngest son can't make it up for the weekend as his boss is taking him out to do some networking and discuss career progression/ planning.

Better news for him- I possibly am being given a car from a colleague as she has just got a lease car and her own car MOT expires next week, so if it wont cost too much to pass it he can have it. He's checked and can afford to insure it. So fingers crossed. It's 12 years old but I thought very MSE way for him to start motoring and I used to enjoy bangernomics- get an old car service and MOT it, then at the end of the year repeat, had a car that cost me £50 last me 4 years and 120k miles with just regular servicing and MOTs. It might have to be an early Christmas present if it costs too much to go through MOT though.

Simple Pleasures- A few this week, some happy moments at work amongst the chaos, made a colleague a cuppa when they were really busy and stressed, was simple but made a difference to their day. Had an appointment cancelled by someone who is getting on with life, a pain from a paperwork point of view but glad they're doing something positive.

Hens loving their run, made the cursing putting it up worthwhile, the cat after years of being totally a feeding machine decided to spend an evening being a lap cat gone from one that wouldn't stay in the house to best friends, only taken 9 years!

50 something man seeking to save to retire before 60!

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