The Retirement Thread
1 lurker |
174 watchers
16 Jul
10:03pm, 16 Jul 2024
87,028 posts
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Diogenes
Ah, 15 years ago. Still, must have been a stretch
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16 Jul
10:08pm, 16 Jul 2024
23,271 posts
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geordiegirl
It was on paper but in reality it wasn’t that bad it was down to what we had left - I have my spreadsheet for what we earned and our outgoings. Not long after we moved house I got a new job which was technically a promotion by salary but appreciate this journey there is no bigger salary coming so need to be more realistic on what we have and need. |
16 Jul
10:09pm, 16 Jul 2024
28,069 posts
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TROSaracen
I remember living on £7 a week after bills. Couldn’t afford the bus to work, 90 minute walk instead. It really was hand to mouth, back in the day when wages were paid in cash in a little brown envelope on Thursday lunchtimes. I’d wash myself, hair and my clothes altogether in the bath with a bar of soap. Things did ease a bit when I got some nightshifts. Still better than going back home….. |
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17 Jul
12:36am, 17 Jul 2024
23,273 posts
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geordiegirl
Those times of difficulty have to make us resilient to future lower income too. My first house I bought earning £75 a week, my waste of space now ex didn’t work and it was all down to me. We did it and I eventually left leaving everything I’d bought & paid for but there’s no price on freedom. Our move to this house was nowhere near that we just worked out what we needed to do to buy it (it was always the pension house) we’d moved from a house with a large disposable income to one that tested our finances and on paper it was out of reach but reality showed it to be comfortable. Just hope retirement is the same. |
17 Jul
7:40am, 17 Jul 2024
3,159 posts
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Shades
It's amazing what you can achieve if you budget for it. I always write a budget every year and about 12 years ago when I was on a mission to pay off my mortgage my food budget was £17 a week and I managed on that. Cooking from scratch and batch cooking and I still do that now, don't waste money on ready meals etc. Now my food budget is £40 a week which is more than adequate and have a bit of surplus on year to date figures. @geordiegirl I have no doubt that with your history of having to budget when necessary that you'll have no problems when you retire. |
17 Jul
7:49am, 17 Jul 2024
8,106 posts
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Jaks
geordiegirl wrote: 😲 In comparison we normally spend about £30-£40 a week now. (Without wine/beer which we buy when it’s on offer) I must be shopping in the wrong places, our weekly shopping bill is £100 + 😜. I’m loving being retired this time around. |
17 Jul
7:59am, 17 Jul 2024
43,076 posts
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Ness
I'm not sure what our food bill is a week. Mr Ness does all our food shopping. He did mention that he's switched to buying wine from Aldi recently because it's cheaper than Asda and the quality is reasonably good. We still have our Wetherspoons breakfast once a week. The price of that has gone up so I think it's about £15 now for our two breakfast and coffee.
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17 Jul
8:02am, 17 Jul 2024
3,162 posts
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Shades
I don't drink so there's no alcohol on my food shop bill 😉 I don't like soft drinks either, coffee and water for me. A lot of coffee.
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17 Jul
8:26am, 17 Jul 2024
47,937 posts
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.B.
Coffee and water are about all we drink too. Definitely need coffee in the budget  though our food bill is way higher, maybe need to check out Aldi.
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17 Jul
8:29am, 17 Jul 2024
32,787 posts
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Johnny Blaze
I do a balance sheet every 6 months. And I track our energy usage. I chart it as well. Zzzzzzzzzz |
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