I am sure the next two days will be bearable... At least you can see the other side.
I have a meeting with the big bosses tomorrow - I am on 3 months notice, so maybe if I hand it in, I'll live to be a 100? :D
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I am sure the next two days will be bearable... At least you can see the other side.
I have a meeting with the big bosses tomorrow - I am on 3 months notice, so maybe if I hand it in, I'll live to be a 100? :D
I had to do 3 months notice once, in a job I hated. That wasn't too bad as I was part-time, but it was still bad. They let me go a day and a half early.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alex_UK
If you want a long life just resign from your job every Monday and then retract it on the Friday.
That's it. Clocked out for the last time at 1728 - I am done. A life of leisure awaits.
I bet you couldn't have imagined thirty years ago that not working might be a good thing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Macca
I don't know. I quite enjoyed being on the dole, most of the time, but it's not so bad when you're young and everyone else you know is in the same boat.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pigmy Pony
I know what you mean - we were pretty poor when I was a kid, but it was the same for most of our friends and neighbours so we didn't really feel it.
I never recall being bored, there was always something going on. Plus I had a fantastic girlfriend at the time.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pigmy Pony
Only thing is you know you can't carry on like that forever but it was a good couple of years. Then the economy improved and suddenly you could get work. Crap work, but work.
Congrats on your retirement, Martin!
We're about the same age, but sadly I'll probably be working until I drop down dead!
Sure you probably sorted for pensions and that? I never bothered which was daft really as could have done this a lot sooner. I always had money left at the end of the month and I should have been putting it into my pension. That's cost me thousands. I'm too much of a live for today type.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alex_UK
Now I'm only 4 years off minimum retirement age I wish I had put more in but at the time it seemed so far away.
Yes, I have saved very heavily in pensions ever since I was able to, 30 plus years, and have a decent amount of funds, but I also left it until late in life to have kids, so realistically the next 10-12 years I will still be supporting them until they get through Uni, so I doubt I will be able to consider retirement before then. We do plan to downsize the house which would then clear the mortgage, but again, I wouldn't want to do that until the kids have grown up. We'll see - to be honest, I think I would be bored shitless if I retired, and either I would kill my wife or she would kill me!Quote:
Originally Posted by Macca
At least when you do retire you will be very comfortable.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alex_UK
The boredom thing may get to me too but have to see how that pans out.
Congratulations on retiring Martin. What are your plans for the immediate future?
Whatever you decide to do, have a great time! :)
Day one of retirement - 'All alarms are off' says my phone.Quote:
Originally Posted by Barry
waking up at 0900 instead of 0630 - can't fault it.
9am saw me arriving at job 30 minutes late, thanks to rubbish commute. Combination of schools traffic, something bad happening on M61, and pop-up roadworks. They do my head in - you know where they are so you choose a different route. Only to find roadworks have popped up on your alternative route :steam:Quote:
Originally Posted by Macca
You're pension pots probably bigger than mine, which is zero, I'll be working till I drop.Quote:
Originally Posted by Macca
Its paying off the mortgage that makes all the difference - me and you have that money pit called rent payments :( I do have a paid off house, but my ex missus lives there, so that'll end up with the kids.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mikeandvan
No I sadly neglected that although did have more in them than I thought but not a lot.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mikeandvan
Just let cash build up in current account for years which was daft. Have now stuck a chunk of it on the global unregulated casino and am living off the rest.
As Steve says no rent or mortgage helps a lot, don't run a car, can eat well on £100/month, council tax band A, don't pay insurance for anything. It's do-able although won't be any painting holidays in Provence or whatever other wholesome things you're supposed to do in retirement according to the pension ads.
Viking river cruises seem to be popular, but uber-pricey and no way do I want to spend a week sharing a boat with them smug old farts. I'd rather go Butlins.Quote:
Originally Posted by Macca
How do you "eat well" on £100 a month? About ten to fifteen years ago I could easily manage on £30 a week, but not now!
Are they the ones where they think not having a casino on board is actually a feature?Quote:
Originally Posted by Pigmy Pony
I just eat the same things every day:Quote:
Originally Posted by Barry
1st breakfast - 2 waffles with butter and syrup - 20p
2nd breakfast - 2 rounds of toast with jam - 10p
Lunch - bacon sandwich 2 rashers - 40p
1 glass full fat milk (one third pint) 30p
Tea - spaghetti bolognaise - with a half pound of mince, I make my own sauce - £2
£3 per day times 30 is £90 plus a tenner a month for anything extra like a bar of chocolate.
That wouldn't do for me: not only is it unvaried and boring, but is not particularly healthy. Where are the vegetables and fruit?Quote:
Originally Posted by Macca
But each to their own, suum cuique.
There's tinned tomatoes in the Bolognese!Quote:
Originally Posted by Barry
No I agree it's not that healthy but it's about getting enough protein and calories on a minimal budget. And not being hungry.
You literally eat that same menu every day??? I love a spag bol, but not every week, let alone every day!
yes, last time I managed 10 weeks, 70 spagbols. Not had one since though until Saturday just gone. By the time it gets to 1700 I'm hungry, I'll eat anything.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alex_UK
Plus my spagbol is outstanding I bet I could charge forty notes in a flash restaurant, they'd come back for more. That's all the practice I've had I think :D
I don't know about that but I wouldn't be surprised. The adverts say shit like "On a Viking river cruise you spend less time getting there, and more time being there", and "Exploring the world in comfort" The only thing about it that appeals to me is the unlikeliness of getting seasick.Quote:
Originally Posted by Macca
I think that's a different one to the one I'm thinking of.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pigmy Pony
Really a proper Viking river cruise ought to involve some birds and some plundering, but I bet it doesn't.
Now if you had Tony and Kirk along you might get some action
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hyk9UScz4_8
River and sea cruises are the most polluting forms of holiday pastimes. That aside, would you want to spend your holiday in a floating block of flats?
I don't know. Is there a casino?Quote:
Originally Posted by Barry
I don't know. Many, many years ago I did a Rhine cruise with my parents, but I don't remember there being a casino on board.
The only birds of interest to Vikings would be ravens. :lol:Quote:
Originally Posted by Macca
Surely you're due some of that?Quote:
Originally Posted by Pigmy Pony
You can always do some part time work, if you want.Quote:
Originally Posted by Macca
Do you use only beef mince? try 50/50 beef/pork, pork is half the price, and the results are twice as tasty! And the authentic Italian recipes use it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Macca
I can but there's no hurry, not strapped for cash.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mikeandvan
Good idea that I'll see what they have.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mikeandvan
To hell with authentic recipes! When I make a risotto, I will use either white or brown long grain rice rather than the traditional arborio rice, which I find too 'pudding'-like.
I will also use mince which has no more than 5% fat, despite the fact that mince with a higher fat content has more taste.
The high fat stuff is almost half the price, too.Quote:
Originally Posted by Barry
Not around here, it's only about 5-10% cheaper.
I'll check that again when I go in tomorrow but I'm almost sure 5% was over a pound more than 20%Quote:
Originally Posted by Barry
LOL, 'when I make a risotto, which is nothing like a risotto'.Quote:
Originally Posted by Barry
On the subject of home economics, I'll have a roast chicken on a sunday, then chicken soup (bulked out with bulgar wheat or something, and stock made from carcass) for the next 4 days. But I'll then spend £10+ daily in cafes, makes no sense economically, but I just like making use of leftovers. I think if you make food in bulk it really saves money, and time. I use 500g each beef/pork for a ragu, then that last about 4/5 days, break it down and quite a cheap meal individually, and around 200g protein in each serving (raw meat anyway). Mind you when you factor in good quality pasta, cheese, a bit of wine (for the ragu not to drink) it probably adds up, to be honest I don't pay too much attention to cost, I just like simple food.
Personally I can't tell the difference between cheap pasta and the really expensive stuff.
I don't have a freezer so can't bulk-buy meat.
When I was working I'd spend a fiver on a cooked lunch (never made a 'packed lunch' the night before, not once in my life). The way I see it, if I'm working all day, I can pay someone else can do the cooking.
Hot meal for lunch then in the evening I'd just have cold cuts of meat with some bread and cheese. I only had 4 hours between getting in from work and going to sleep so not going to spend an hour of that at the stove.
Who cares? I'm eating it, so I'll make it as I dam-well like.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mikeandvan
I was having lunch with a friend in an Italian family-run restaurant. Not recognising anything on the menu, plumped for the risotto. When it arrived I realised my mistake - it had been (correctly) made using arborio rice, and I didn’t enjoy it.
I've just has a look at the price for 450g minced beef in my local Co-op:Quote:
Originally Posted by Macca
£4.50 for 5% fat and £3.35 for 15% fat content. So the fattier mince is 25% cheaper, or as you say just over £1.
The figures I had in mind were for 5 and 10% fat levels, but the Co-op now no longer offers the 10% option.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Barry
I'll let the good people of Manchester answer that, though I gather they weren't too thrilled.
https://i2-prod.manchestereveningnew...-23rd-2024.jpg
No, I let the ex keep that, knowing that it would end up with my daughters anyway. I would never have considered selling the house from under her, I couldn't live with myself if I'd done that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mikeandvan
Yes Anita does exactly the same - as you say less tasty but way more healthy.Quote:
Originally Posted by Barry