tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5339317216265636215.post1312801221088694157..comments2024-03-12T07:50:58.760+00:00Comments on Frugal in Norfolk: Moving On...Dchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02490191919855219024noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5339317216265636215.post-64281814894453200722013-08-25T16:47:32.176+01:002013-08-25T16:47:32.176+01:00I'm sure your winter weather is far worse than...I'm sure your winter weather is far worse than ours but putting in a wood burner has made a huge difference. We live in a bungalow (one storey house) so have no upstairs to benefit but the heat from it in a house would rise to make the bedrooms warm (ish). Also, if a power cut is happening, we can boil a small camping kettle or heat food on it. Not much room above it unfortunately but it can be done! If your government is anything like ours, they keep putting up the retirement age so save hard in case you feel the need to retire earlier than planned.Dchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02490191919855219024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5339317216265636215.post-77217062884693014362013-08-25T15:57:28.218+01:002013-08-25T15:57:28.218+01:00A well written post, that's certainly somethin...A well written post, that's certainly something to think through and keep in mind!<br />We are in our early 40s, it's still a while untill our retirements, but we are trying to pay off the house mortgage as quickly as we can. <br />We have reisolated the house and installed a wood burner to keep the heating bills down. There's a lot more to think about and plan, and that will follow.Hildehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11224506888263486522noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5339317216265636215.post-71212912766613276872013-08-24T18:33:17.107+01:002013-08-24T18:33:17.107+01:00DB kept telling me last year, tongue in cheek some...DB kept telling me last year, tongue in cheek sometimes, that at his age,the digital read out in the house stated he needed help! I handed him some fingerless gloves and told him to put on another jumper:) Whilst we are still mobile, we can do things to keep us warm. It is when he/we reach 80+ or suffer ill health, that our savings will really be needed to heat the house and feed us. We reckon a bowl of hot porridge for breakfast, warm soup for lunch and again for tea if really necessary, is all anyone really needs to keep body and soul together. My heart really goes out to those who don't know even how to do make these basics. There again though, I taught myself to cook from library books, years before the internet!Dchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02490191919855219024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5339317216265636215.post-87105712842069059222013-08-24T17:14:58.236+01:002013-08-24T17:14:58.236+01:00Brilliant post - I keep being told overand over th...Brilliant post - I keep being told overand over that I could die tomorrow, it's more likely that I will live to my mid 70s or longer- we both have work pensions and are working hard to pay off the mortgage and know we will lays have to be frugal. We heat one room only and put the heating on for one hour a day in the winter. We are also topping up our pensions as we'll need more heating when we are older. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10555001676886354389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5339317216265636215.post-68076564886597078822013-08-24T16:35:38.808+01:002013-08-24T16:35:38.808+01:00I am quite a few years away from getting my govern...I am quite a few years away from getting my government pension. Private pensions, at the moment probably £20 per month!, don't pay for another 5 years or so, if then. They keep moving the age up!Dchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02490191919855219024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5339317216265636215.post-50886275877169542392013-08-24T15:40:11.521+01:002013-08-24T15:40:11.521+01:00A well written post DC and I echo your sentiments ...A well written post DC and I echo your sentiments entirely. We both have private pensions and have both paid full state pension contributions. We will also have savings and intend to downsize so hopefully will be ok. Holidays are our greatest expense and while we are both working we want to travel and see what we can while we are still fit and able to. It annoys me that so many people choose not to provide for themselves (but could do so) and that so many are happy to sponge off the state as they (in a lot of cases) will have done most of their lives.We are still hoping to retire in about 7 years, fingers crossed!Annehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00462752559193522943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5339317216265636215.post-65885243224156435652013-08-24T15:09:51.141+01:002013-08-24T15:09:51.141+01:00I believe you said your son? or other family was l...I believe you said your son? or other family was living in your house whilst you live on the boat. Does that mean one day that you hope to sell your house? Sorry for being so nosy.xDchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02490191919855219024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5339317216265636215.post-35606707306873255802013-08-24T15:08:57.142+01:002013-08-24T15:08:57.142+01:00I too would hope to receive half of DB's pensi...I too would hope to receive half of DB's pension but it would not be enough to live on.Dchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02490191919855219024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5339317216265636215.post-27102227004908213202013-08-24T14:08:15.982+01:002013-08-24T14:08:15.982+01:00You are so right. This is one of the main reasons...You are so right. This is one of the main reasons we have been building the barge to live on. Our mortgage would not have been paid off until we were seventy and neither of us wanted to work that long ( now I also have to wait until I am 66 and 9 months before I get my state pension). The barge (and allotment) has enabled us to bring down our outgoings considerably and bring forward our retirement day xxxFranhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08117681021989984923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5339317216265636215.post-28438450600158548832013-08-24T13:39:40.622+01:002013-08-24T13:39:40.622+01:00A very sensible post and I hope one that gets some...A very sensible post and I hope one that gets some folks thinking, really thinking about what they have planned and organised for the future.<br /><br />I hope we HAVE been sensible, we have life assurance policies, a new policy one that will pay off our new mortgage on the death of either or both of us. Wills in place with instructions for the executors to make things as easy as possible for them and as few belongings as we need.<br /><br />If LH goes before me I will continue to receive his Navy pension but at half rate and I hope I have a small pension payment to come from the employers I used to work for. I have always paid National Insurance, taking a break whist the boys were small but making sure that I applied for the credits allowed to cover that period. Of course I pay full contributions now as a full time worker, as I always have.<br /><br />Hopefully we have thought of most things to make a hard time slightly easier for either one of us that survives the longest or those around us if we go together.<br /><br />It's NOT nice thinking about these things but it IS necessary, and that is why this is such a good post.Suehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04177854521955532744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5339317216265636215.post-19494826936084030872013-08-24T12:04:06.916+01:002013-08-24T12:04:06.916+01:00Whilst I appreciate we are not as hard up as some ...Whilst I appreciate we are not as hard up as some we know (and read about on blogland) just because we have saved up hard to lead our lives now, doesn't mean we can spend, spend, spend and fritter it all away. Yes, we know you can't take it with you but having something to fall back on should dire circumstances arise, helps us sleep better at night. Well, DB anyway, my sleeping is as bed as ever!<br />We also get similar comments. A bit like my last post, someone always wants to lead someone else's life instead of their own!Dchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02490191919855219024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5339317216265636215.post-26436218016104921802013-08-24T12:01:01.728+01:002013-08-24T12:01:01.728+01:00We saved to bring my NI contributions up to date a...We saved to bring my NI contributions up to date and continue to do so in case the goal posts change yet again. I should have received 2 mini work pensions a few years ago but they didn't arrive. Instead I got letters thanking me for being willing to wait another 5 years!!Dchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02490191919855219024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5339317216265636215.post-62028074606484999202013-08-24T11:50:43.247+01:002013-08-24T11:50:43.247+01:00I agree - there are plenty of us out here living w...I agree - there are plenty of us out here living within meagre means and choosing not to apply for top-ups by way of housing or council tax benefits despite being 'entitled' to them. There are plenty of us out here who earn beneath the threshold for paying National Insurance but we choose to do so, anyway. I get told by many I'm weird and morbid for even mentioning such things.NYK in Frugaldomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01702184851369212088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5339317216265636215.post-44410382210500034892013-08-24T11:28:07.988+01:002013-08-24T11:28:07.988+01:00What a great post, Dc, and thems my sentiments exa...What a great post, Dc, and thems my sentiments exactly. We led a fairly frugal-ish life even when we were both at work - NHS - but both paid our insurance, our taxes and our pension funds. Every time J had a rise ..it would go into a little pension fund. So we didn't have the new cars and foreign holidays our contempories had, but oh boy, now we are retired and living comfortably (to us!) some of the comments we hear. Because we thought ahead and provided for ourselves, we are sometimes seen as 'having it cushy' and 'nhs pensions are a toll on us tax payers' excuse ME! Iam a tax payer too! We urged our boys to take out pensions and insurances who knows what may happen to the house when we are elderly and needy? It may not come to them the way things are going. So yes, I'm in full agreement with you. And live within your means. Simple, isn't it??Lynnehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15385150635938870512noreply@blogger.com