Saving into summer!

[SnugglySnerd]

New frugal thread.

laska I don't think you'd ever regret having a longer retirement if you can afford it. Time is the most valuable thing of all.

Good luck with it Laska.

I had an interesting dilemma yesterday. Dh and myself left our usual church recently because they've bought stupid big screens that hurt my eyes. We thought that leaving had solved the problem but yesterday I had to go and run a Scout advertising stall at an open day and they had the stupid screens on. Dh had to come down to watch ds while I sat stupidly in the porch alone.

Any I got really cheesed off and ask several people in authority if they would just turn the screens off, and they all said "It's nothing to do with me" and scuttled away. Finally DH went in and told them he was turning the screens off and just turned them off at the wall. Then I went in and had a lovely chat with all my old friends. It was good.

I can see why it's a massive decision laksa. To have done the numbers and can manage it. Do to have a bit of leeway in your numbers for unexpected spends?
You do sound very disillusioned. Don't you have to give 3 months notice for mycsp anyway?
Long work day. Food shop needed. £150 ish

Laska you've always said you wanted to retire early you just didn't know how soon it would be possible. I think you should do it. What's to stop you getting a small part time job in the future of you want to?

Ds has his last pre school sports day today. I can't go because I'm working his childminder is taking him though.

Laska totally understandable that you are going round in circles! You'll make the right decision for you though.

I'd forgotten how much paraphernalia comes with a baby. Cut down loads from when we had the Caglets but still plenty to buy! I also need to find 'old' lucozade (they've changed the amount of sugar and the new one isn't suitable for the glucose tolerance test) which I really should've been doing in advance.

Seacow my friend has had the same problem with the nappies and school. Her little one was born at 24 weeks and has massive developmental delays. :(

laska , be kind to yourself it is a big decision.

So glad I'm on holiday this week

Apparently DD2 had a cry in the night but self soothed and went back to sleep until 6am (I slept through it). Please let this be the start of better sleeping for her again!

Hoping for a NSD. DP may just pick up bread, fruit, milk this week and then I will food shop on Thursday.

Morning all!

My plan is a Nsd 😬 or at least a Lsd.

Laska your at a transition point in your life, it's completely understandable your taking your time to make that change. Be kind to yourself. You sound like you've done your homework.....to help you make that change, perhaps write down all the questions and worries you have. Bullet point in. Then put that list to the side and come back to it several hours later. When you do - address each bullet point. Is it a practical question, do you need to find out more info to be able to answer that question. If it's an emotional bullet point, then acknowledge it and remind yourself....

If you find that retirement doesn't work for you....you can return to work. I work with two people who have returned from retirement mad buggers. Above all, be kind to yourself

You could always do match betting Laska, you'd have the time.

laksa take your time making the decision. It's a big one but it has to be right for you.

Hoping for nsd today. Day off. I woke up at about 530 but drifted back off to sleep. Woke again at 830 and dh had gone off to work. Leaving me with a pot of fruit a glass of juice and a flask of tea. Yay!

Making veggie lasagne today for dinner as I have time and will also be meal planning for this week.

I think wheely has brilliant advice Laska. It's such a massive transition, your emotions will very likely change a lot. But I agree, take your time.

Just applied for and been accepted a Halifax credit card, the one MSE recommends all the time to use for foreign transactions. Frighteningly simple, accepted in less than 5 minutes.

I'll then take Euros too.

Thought today was going to be a NSD but I forgot I have done a Tesco order to collect at lunch time. Annoyingly I forgot to go in and edit it after I bought lots of soya milk in Aldi on Friday and I have 6 more soya milks coming. I'm hoping this and eating out the freezer will tide us over to a week on Friday. I am using YNAB and trying to move our spending 1st-1st and we are at the end of the grocery budget for July. Actually I am at the end of most of my budget! But we have more money in our account than we have for months, it is allocated for long term things, but it's there!

Ps, pleased with the courgette recipes, I'm just about to have a glut.........thank you.

Picking my lovely fresh peas this afternoon though, as they a getting a bit battered anyway with the weather.

Just about to take DD for an interview for weekend work, wish her luck

Ooh exciting stuff need fingers crossed for her!

Thanks all. Wheely thats such great advice will be doing that definately ..I really appreciate it. and everyone's responses.

Yes , a huge life change!!

Life I think I have to give two months notice, I am going to check this out with HR today.

I think it is mainly emotional. I know that if i left it until December its hardy any different financially anyway ,and to be quite frank even If i stayed until I was 66 it wouldnt be a heck of a lot more given that the benefits have risen by less than 1% p.a on my deferred pensions over the last few years.. (bnless we have a massive post-Brexit financial surge, but somehow I cant see that happening can you? )

I am 'working at home' this morning (see how I care? ) - have just called the last deferred pension provider for details of accessing it at 60 (rather than taking it a 62 when it matures)

Need that courgette recipe is easy and really good. Dont bother with the red peppers though unless you are growing them yourself , it makes no real difference to the final thing.I use the ones that have turned into marrows just take out the seeds and slice finely . I found that about 2kg fitted into 2 large jar and one small. .

Here is the pickle. I used red onions and sprigs of dill from garden also.
Nationwide credit card is also good for using abroad. No transaction on withdrawals if you have thier plus account.
fluffy how are you doing with matched betting? I havent really looked into it but see there is a huge thread..

Those are 2lb Kilner jars

Just sent an email of complaint to the agent who lets the flat above ours. Bloody noisy giant heavy footed tenants and their stampy jumpy children (and bloody noisy washing machine which is on all night!!!!) aaaah.

Feel much better now. Email was straight to the point. Noise is unacceptable. Is causing nuisance. We are being denied our right to quiet enjoyment blah blah blah. Top floor flat not suitable for a family of elephants

Bring back either of the two previous tenants: noisy weekend afternoon porn star shag lady (either that or she was a very vocal religious lady "oh God oh God oh God give it to me Jesus!") or obsessive hoovering lady who liked to (I'm assuming) Hoover with headphones in whilst listening to power ballads. Either would be preferable right now.

Don't get me wrong, I get kids make noise. Am fully prepared for that. But to jump stamp so loudly that our light fittings shake and our glasses rattle in the cupboards = not acceptable. Sigh.

Thanks laska, I love a kilner jar, there's something so traditional about them. Don't grow peppers, so good to know that they are not needed.

Sat outside camping shop, waiting for DD. Weirdly emotional, these things are all the next stage for my DC.

£40 feed shop but blagged a coffee and a chat from them, as they know me so well.

No more spends today.

Oh I love Kilmer jars too. I have dreams of having things in my kitchen all lovingly decanted into jars. And beautifully labelled. Sort of like this.

I'm taking a box of wet cat food to the place we got catface from today. Was a freebee from Amazon as an order I placed ages ago was misplaced so they sent 2. Now we're only feeding her the wet stuff occasionally I'm not going to need 160 pouches. So half will go to the shelter.

Also going to take a bag of stuff to charity shop and then meet parents for a pub lunch. Yay! Looking forward to a icy cold pint (of blackcurrent and lemonade) and a steak sandwich. Mmmm. Or maybe falafel. It is meat free Monday after all.

Whilst at charity shop warehouse I might look for more Kilner jars.

Dh has been saving jam jars under the sink. He seems to think that come September we'll be able to go blackberrying and I can make jam again. He has this idea that I'll be huge preggo by then and I can go in the brambles first. Like an ice breaker boat. To clear the path for him its bloody lucky I've got a good sense of humour.

em cat food to shelter is a lovely thing to do. When mil's v v old cat died she gave me all his huge stash of food, which my cat refused point blank. I gave it to our local shelter too (and managed not to come home with six more cats, a rabbit and a goat somehow).

laska I think your siatica might be linked with the tension of making this epic decision. My mum has tinitus, and she struggles so much more when stressed (I think she needs to see an osteopath, but she refuses point blank), I get skin rashes when I'm struggling, which is def stress. I hope it settles right down once you've got your mind sorted about retiring. And yes, reading your pp I was saying, "she's done, burnt out" - and then you wrote just that. Go for it!

Dropped dp at the shop, took ds to the proper ye olde fashioned hardware shop, he'd not been in there before, his eyes were like saucers, you can buy everything in there! And a trip to the coop, so £15 all in.

Home now and staying put, going to fill lots bin bags in the bedrooms today.

cag something I've done, item of unwanted furniture, a telly once, out on the front with a sign saying "this tv is free, it works, please help yourself, no need to knock" it was gone in 3 hours. You could do it with the bed frames as "scrap wood" anyone with a log burner would quickly snaffle wood, especially nice soft pine as it's great for kindling. No transaction, and unwanted bits gone.

Fridge if you don't want the milk just ask them to take it back they won't mind.

Ok, so I swear this lot weren't there two days ago!!

Off to look up courgette filo pie. How nice are pickled cucumbers??

The big "courgette" which should be the size of the little round ones will go for tea tomorrow, stuffed marrow, I have lamb mince in the freezer.

need that's the card we have just applied for too for our holiday. Don't forget it is fee free for cash atm withdrawals too. Definitely scary haow easy it is to apply for. Good luck to your dd.
laska it's such a huge decision, you're bound to feel emotional and have spells of self-doubt.
lonely I'm at your courgette haul. My seeds germinated and grew really well but since planting them out they have looked rather pathetic! I'm trying your interval training approach to tidying and cleaning today & am liking it. Obv I'm on a recovery break now

That's an idea, we don't get much footfall here (quiet boring culdesac) but worth a try.

Done the tesco order but this time actually remembered that the Caglets and I are at mum's from Thursday evening so don't need as much. Have an idea of what we will actually use on each mealtime until then which is an improvement for me. Also off to Asda shortly, as we have literally nothing in for lunch/dinner today. Will also get a few baby things if they're cheap (thinking muslins and towels and I'll see if they have stuff like bouncy chairs to check out prices).