Hi Bay, we ‘crossed’ before!

Yes we are also lucky to have children with their own real estate and I didnt mean to criticize the next generation. I guess its just the way the world has changed in our lifetimes. Big banks were not as hungry and as you say, we saved for things or made do with second hand furniture etc. Hopefully this has rubbed off on our boys as neither has a credit card, but with the general expectation of higher living standards, plus starting their families much later than us, I do fear for their retirement funds. With most young girls having a career and working almost non-stop, even with babies, it seems that the extra income (that we didnt have) often gets eaten up with the lifestyle expectations. But you are so right, we are so lucky to be alive today, in countries without dictators or war!

Cheers!

Thanks Bay and Nama all great points my Grandpa always said “the young ones of today want to start where I have finished” and also he loved the “Well you can’t put an old head on young shoulders” Yep Bay totally agree this WOL is flexible enough to accommodate holidays for sure and careful choices is the tool of choice yes Bay point taken I still have them proving the point that from little things big things grow 😉 ok team.I am getting ready for a show down go you mighty crows
Peace RT

Hi Everyone,
I love this conversation. I think fasting and budgeting money go together. It seems that we are watching very carefully where we put our resources. I did not start working until 10 years ago and will be 67 in 20 years. My husband only works a seasonal job due to his disabilities. We are so blessed to have an income. What we do with it is important. The same with the food we eat and what we do with our bodies.
Nama and Bay, I really think we are alike thinkers. RT- I look forward to another joke.
AO- I am so glad you are doing better. Jo Jo- hope you are having an awesome time.
Wee- I am here.
Also, I finished my 15th day of fasting yesterday, I fasted Wed and Friday, tracking my calories on non fast days. Woke up this morning 1 pound below my goal weight. This is working. I ate over my calories today.. but I know I will be fine.
You guys are awesome to be here and share your lives.

Morning/evening all.

RT, I worked in the NHS for the whole of my adult life and until a few years ago, they had the best occupational pension scheme in the land, where you are automatically in it and you have to opt out, which IMHO is very sensible, because when I started age 17 I had no idea what superannuation was, I just knew it was deducted, and I doubt I would have opted in. 40 years service meant 50% of final year salary or one of the previous 2 years whichever was highest, and a tax free lump sum x3 of expected pension ie if someone earned £40,000 the pension would be £20,000 and the lump sum £60,000.The pension is also index linked, so there is a small annual increase.
I didn’t have the full 40 years, but had invested in some AVCs (additional voluntary contributions) over the last 15 years I was working, so when I retired at 58, I was able to pay off my mortgage and invest the remainder of the lump sum. As I no longer have monthly mortgage repayments and all the associated costs, plus the costs of travelling to work parking fees etc, and have no debts I am actually better off than when I was working. I also inherited a large number of shares that my father opted to receive annually rather than a cash bonus every Christmas. I easily save 15% of my monthly income which is my holiday fund. Over the years I worked in the health service, I worked nights, weekends, Bank Holidays, missed family birthdays and gatherings due to being on call etc, and at one stage when I tired of night duty so swapped them with a colleague for weekend shifts, I was working 6 or 7 days, 3 weeks out of 4. It was hard sometimes, but I look back now and am so pleased I did it as overtime was lucrative.
It also means that going out to the cinema, for dinner and away on holiday whenever I please is such a thrill.
I will receive the state pension in addition to this in just over 4 years, so am able to look forward to a comfortable future.

It is a BH weekend here and we have BH weather………….chucking it down!

Hi Fters
I am resting after a day in the garden. I feel great as I would have been incapable of doing that hard gardening work a year ago. But I have not respected the 19:5 non FD today. I found myself trembling from low blood sugar a fter all that hard physical labour.
Your retirement situations present and future are very interesting.
Yes, RT, how can we gad about Europe like we do? I worked in France for about 22 years, and during that time I worked about 150-175%, which gives me an average retirement. I will qualify for a bit in NZ, but basically, I depend on the goodwill of France to feed me. What Bay said is quite correct, airfares are cheap in Europe and we plan our trips a couple of months in advance and fly on Tuesdays or Thursdays.
In France we live on 5000 square metres of hillside and when we are here we basically work outside. We spend nothing here on a daily basis as we are very isolated (20km to the nearest supermarket). We both like to occupy ourselves with music, nature, and I do MOOCs (online courses) to stimulate my mind. OH speaks no French, so our friends are Anglophones and they are sparse on the ground.I am the only NZer living in this part of the country. France is not really an expensive place to live in. Electricity costs 8 Eurocents a unit, land taxes are cheap here, so no problem. My OH is self employed and can work from anywhere in the world as long as he has Wifi. So his work doesn’t much constrain us. We have to travel to get away from this rural area and so we travel. Ironically, the airfares to NZ each year are not much more than the heating bill here if we stayed all year. Going to NZ gives us a lot of stimulation. However NZ is also very expensive especially when you earn Euros.

It must seem a bit like like having your cake and eating it. But we are quite prepared to live at 14° in the house, heat with wood we grew and cut ourselves, and eat as little as possible to maintain this lifestyle.
One great bonus of this WOE is that we avoid restaurants except when travelling.
Must finish the raised garden beds before dark.

Happy days/nights
Wiwi

Hi Fast Trackers
Nicky Emel comespring and Aussie O in South Australia Nama & Keirra in Victoria Bay in ACT PVE in NSW WiWi in France & Barata in NZ and Jojo SAMM HappyNow Amazon Herm Lizzy Ply Tartan lass Smiffy Lor_PA CakeyWakey and Hello World (You know Who You) 😉

Employers have to pay 9.5% of the workers gross in Australia into an industry super fund. My work super contribution is topped up to 10% of gross wages if I contribute 4.5% of my net so clearly I am all over that thank-you and I have always paid myself 10% of my gross and put that into a private super fund and both will be headed to a pension scheme generating a indexed fortnightly income. Amazon your dedication to your work and subsequent financial security is a credit to you I/ we have only ever had one income mine. Y-fee her choice has always been a stay at home mum and a relationship counsellor taxi driver nurse career advisor caterer financial counsellor fashion stylist life coach time management coach great late night coffee drinking companion after a night out turns to S***T and when a last minute laundry service provider when sporting gear mysteriously appears on game day to our 5 sons good times 😆 Wiwi how amazing your life is oh yes and loving the mystery and intrigue of OH work just have Wifi and can work anywhere around the world that is sensational..Ok its Monday lets get the fast on I intend to close the window by 1 hour today to 20/4 Nama I am not talking footy today !@#$%^&*()_+ bugger have a great day everybody

“It is easier to avoid eating than to stop eating once started”

Peace RT

Hi and well done to all the many losers. Sorry to hear about your pain disrupting your Turkish trip, Jojo. I hope that improves. Miss you Samm.

Bay, I totally agree. I would easily put on weight again if I wasn’t vigilant. It is SO easy to eat too much, but it is also easy, now, to monitor my intake and control my urges.

We are about to go on our big trip and, like you Bay, I will consciously refrain from eating during the actual travelling so that I can enjoy good food at the destination. We have just had a big eating weekend (it was raining and we were booking accommodation on the ‘net), but we skipped many meals and will fast properly today.

RT, we married young, bred (some would say excessively), bought, renovated and sold houses, and did no overseas travel. Our holidays were cheap camping trips with the kids. A lot of fun and don’t regret it at all.

I was 42 before I left these shores. We are now making up time as we realise there IS a limited window to be able to travel and enjoy being fit and active. Absolutely right Nama, once the kids leave home expenses change, and so do priorities.

We leave in 1 week. Flu shots today, gear and ‘to do’ lists scattered all over the house 🙁 Somehow we’ll get this “bus” on the road. See you soon Ply 😉
Cheers Purple

Go, Purple, go! Hope you have lots of fun!

They turned out well, so no excessive breeding. Hey, that was pretty impressive in the 70s when the pressure was on us all just to have 2 replacements. Also, five for RT and Mrs RT. Well done, team. 😉 And this was well before the treasurer asked us to have one for each other and one for the country.

Oo! The sun is out again. Another lovely day for a dog walk by the lake.
Cheers, Bay 🙂

Hi Everyone,
Nicky and RT I also agree that it easier to not start eating than to stop. It is 8:00 sunday night and I am so thankful, I did not over eat this weekend.
And I too raised my boys by going camping at least three times every summer and one road trip everyother year. Thankfully my mom took the family to Disneyland or they would of never had that experience. When my husband was injured the boys were two and three and we barely squeeked by. Thankfully we survived. and usually had enough of what we needed but have always been on a tight budget until I started working four years later. Life is so good now and I am so blessed to of have what we need.
Have an amazing week fast trackers.

Hello all,

Isn’t it interesting how so many like minded folk have ended up chatting on the same thread! Like Purple, we married young and had our boys reasonably young, then bought houses (and renovated them) when property was still relatively cheap here. We also camped for family holidays, tho lashed out on a Jayco Camper trailer when they were teenagers – such luxury, a sink, a stove and a fridge! We were only able to buy our cottage at Jamieson with inherited money and fortunately husband has had a lot of OS travel with work, so pre school kids, we tagged along for minimal expense. Though I did vow never to travel with babies again after one son fell off a bed in California and broke his collar bone! I am happier exploring the far reaches of Australia lately, no desire at all (or too lazy) to head further afield!

RT your wife would have been stretched to work with 5 sons to take care of anyway – I only had 2 sons and I still found working p/t shift work nursing demanding enough. I only ever worked 20 hrs /wk. As Nicky says, she is lucky to have you! I have so much respect for full-time working mothers, they deserve medals.

Nicky get yourselves some Seniors Cards, if you or your husband are not working f/t you will qualify – you can get into the movies for $10 any night of the week! It took me ages to get one, (too proud to be ‘old’), but have saved a fortune with it at various events. $40 off a premium ballet ticket!

I agree with you Bay and Nicky. I never want to have to depend on the Government for a pension. The taxes we have paid are to run the country! Obviously everyones circumstances are different and I dont judge anyone who needs one. I consider myself very lucky to be born when we were, with post depression parents instilling the values they did. My husband would not have gotten to uni without a scholarship, (we were pre Gough Whitlams reforms and his family could not have afforded uni fees.) but he took full advantage of the opportunities he was given.

I hope all the Monday fasters are doing well. I just caved and had some cherry tomatoes – I could feel the sides of my stomach rubbing together! But soup for dinner, so all good. I am impressed with you all doing 18/6 or similar – I find if I attempt it I feel like I am fasting or DIETING (Horror) every day. I have tried it and failed several times so have decided its not for me, except on fast days of course.

Jojo your holiday sounds wonderful, so glad its turned around. Just have massages every day – heaven!

Purple I hope you pop in to say goodbye! You must be getting very excited! Hope your arm ok with flu shots. Ply you are going to love her!!

Sorry to go on so long,
Cheers XX

Morning/evening all.

Something I forgot to mention is that I travel free, as all Londoners who are over 60 but not old enough for state pension can buy a card for £10 which is valid on all trains, tubes and buses in the London area. Museums and galleries are mostly frree in London, aparrt from special exhibitions, so if I go out for the day the only expenditure is food, and as you know I don’t eat every day 😉
My Kew Gardens membership is great value, £64 per annum. The entrance fee is £14 or £15 and I’m there 3 or 4 times a month. I have a club card for the cinema and we pay senior and go early afternoons for the cheapest entry fee, and loyalty points ensure a couple of free tickets every 6th or 7th visit.
Most of my big trips are with the same company and as a regular customer I receive 10% discount on every trip. I’ve not really been very savvy when it comes to paying less for things and it is something I’ve been working on since giving up the day job!

SAMM, I hope you are OK.

It is a BH here today and a miracle has occurred as the sun is shining.

Hi Fast Trackers
Nicky Emel comespring and Aussie O in South Australia Nama & Keirra in Victoria Bay in ACT PVE in NSW WiWi in France & Barata in NZ and Jojo SAMM HappyNow Amazon Herm Lizzy Ply Tartan lass Smiffy Lor_PA CakeyWakey and Hello World (You know Who You) 😉
6.33km in the morning and again tonight gives 15826 steps managed a 23/1 and had a lovely bowl of Indian cauliflower and chickpea curry with rogan josh to break fast happy Monday
RT

Hi Fast Trackers
Nicky Emel comespring and Aussie O in South Australia Nama & Keirra in Victoria Bay in ACT PVE in NSW WiWi in France & Barata in NZ and Jojo SAMM HappyNow Amazon Herm Lizzy Ply Tartan lass Smiffy Lor_PA CakeyWakey and Hello World (You know Who You) 😉
WOW ply take a bow that is awesome 12.2 pounds since April is indeed fantastic and 8lbs to goal keep on keeping on. My father was not a particularly good money manager and in his 80th year and second wife who is 60 they have zero savings no options are on the Government pension and are often waiting for that to arrive in the bank to go grocery shopping and put fuel in the car which is ¾ knackered with 600.000 on the clock as new 😉 Medicare is their health fund but he does own their own home but that would not be worth $100k top dollar it’s all a tad depressing and sad really so he is my inspiration for change and I have put the measures in place and have been very proactive in the education process of the boys who have got their own plans in place. Our first home was $45000 a timber frame ex housing trust home for my SA friends or housing commission for the rest of Australia we were renting it and got the offer to buy it when the state Government was selling off some of their properties a great opportunity that we eagerly took up. On the subject of breeding Purple y-fee has 2 sisters who each have 5 and 4 children so 3 daughters had 14 children I don’t think we will see that in our own family 😆 and like you we married young and the rest is history ok fast trackers have a groovy day.
Peace RT

Good afternoon fast trackers:
Emel, AO, RT and comespring in South Australia
Nama in Victoria
Bay in ACT
Purple in NSW (for now)
Barata in NZ
Jojo, Smiffy, HappyNow, Amazon, Hermaj, Lizzy, Wee and CakeyWakey in UK
Wiwi in France
Applepie in Spain
Ply, SAMM, Lori, HealthCoachB and Sarah103 in USA
DJ in Canada;
To those I’ve missed, “you know who you are.”

Nama, thanks for suggestion regarding Seniors Cards. Unfortunately OH is ‘too proud’ and I don’t qualify because in SA you need to work less than 20 hrs/week. Life’s not that tough or else I’d be encouraging OH like a shot.

RT, you clearly learned a good lesson from your father. It’s sad to see people who are forced to live from hand to mouth. It must be pretty joyless to always feel under so much pressure.

We too married young and finished breeding by 30. Built our first house, lived in company-owned subsidised-rent one in Alice then bought a partly finished house in Brisbane when we moved there. We paid less than $15,000 including land for our first one in 1971. Each time we buy, the mortgage has been bigger than the previous purchase price but we just knuckle down and pay it off ASAP. Having been brought up by Depression-trained parents, we still know how to be frugal, don’t buy things unless we have the cash (except for houses) but still have money to spare for good food, books, music and magazines. Life is good!

Made a fantastic discovery today: stopped at the fish shop at lunch time to get some garfish for dinner and was tempted by a special price for oysters. Thought ‘how awful can they be?’ in terms of calories so bought 6. As I had only had black tea since getting up at 6am I broke my fast with 2 oysters at 1pm. When I arrived at the second worksite where I hold a plant clinic on Tuesday afternoons I learned from MFP that 1 medium oyster is only 43C!!! 😆

Take care all and keep up the good work. n xxx

Ah Nicky, you are eating the wrong oysters! Beautiful Sydney Rock oysters…28 cals each. I discovered them when I first had to have a girls lunch in the city within weeks of starting 5:2. A plate of 6 on lettuce with iced water at a swish oyster bar. I was still able to enjoy the outing AND the fast 😆 P

Applepie

Well done in using the property ladder to fund retirement. It’s a clever way to build equity.

Cheers, Bay 🙂

Hi all,

5pm here and just home from a busy day – swam first, then podiatrist, then grocery shopping. Podiatrist has decided my achilles isnt going to respond unless he does something drastic, so today I had “shock wave therapy”, a treatment for chronic pain! It nearly shocked me off the couch, wow it hurt! I was rewarded (by receptionist) with a Lindt chocolate ball (on the counter for Mothers Day!) and Bay, I can tell you it was sickly rich! The last hospital I worked at was very “private” and the nurses were regularly given Lindt balls and I used to gobble them up easily, but I promise you it really tasted sickly! So dont let your brain play tricks on you Bay – you are nearly there! Being out of the house from 10.30 made it easy to go all day on a mandarin and water, now I am home I am so hungry and had to resort to a spoon of peanut butter! But that will keep me going til dinner!

Happy with scales today, despite fun filled weekend (wine and cheese on Sun night) I managed to maintain the loss from last week. Hopefully I can add to it this week. Must hide the peanut butter!

Nicky I was so like your OH re the Seniors card, but when I saw my OH buy two movie tickets on Sat night in the city for the grand total of $20, I renegged! Even getting into places like the Zoo is so much cheaper! Happy to privately fund my own retirement, but its still nice to get a bargain!

Bay and Nicky we bought our first house when we were very young too, $18,000 for a 3br brick house, we doubled our money in 4 years! Cant see our kids doing that, we were just lucky, despite the high interest rates! Applepie I have a brother who is self emloyed and never organized his superannuation, but he started investing in real estate aggressively when he turned 50 and it will turn into a comfortable retirement for him. Cant lose. Guess I better start on dinner….

Cheers!

What’s for dinner Nama? I’m baching tonight 😉 P

Mmmm….maybe I’ll just open and bottle and wack on a steak and mushrooms. Enjoy your ribs. 🙂 P

Thanks, Purple, I am really enjoying my ribs too, but they aren’t spare, Nama. I haven’t seen them in years!
Sorry inapproprite remark. Bon Appetit, Nama and Purple.
We are on our way to Lisbon in 30 minutes.

XX Wiwi

HI Wiwi, Not inappropriate at all! I am a nurse – we discuss body parts/functions much worse than ribs, over dinner too! Have a wonderful time with your family xx

Have a great time Aussie 🙂 P

Hi Fast Trackers
Nicky Emel comespring and Aussie O in South Australia Nama & Keirra in Victoria Bay in ACT PVE in NSW WiWi in France & Barata in NZ and Jojo SAMM HappyNow Amazon Herm Lizzy Ply Tartan lass Smiffy Lor_PA CakeyWakey and Hello World (You know Who You) 😉

Happy Hump Day Fast Trackers
The Golden Years
Several days ago as I left a meeting at a hotel; I desperately gave myself a pat down. I was looking for my keys. They were not in my pockets. A quick search in the meeting room revealed nothing.
Suddenly I realized I must have left them in the car. Frantically, I headed for the parking lot. My wife has scolded me many times for leaving the keys in the ignition.
My theory is the ignition is the best place not to lose them. Her theory is that the car will be stolen. As I burst through the door, I came to a terrifying conclusion. Her theory was right. The parking lot was empty.
I immediately called the police. I gave them my location, confessed that I had left my keys in the car, and that it had been stolen. Then I made the most difficult call of all, “Honey,” I stammered; I always call her “honey” in times like these. “I left my keys in the car, and it has been stolen.”
There was a period of silence. I thought the call had been dropped, but then I heard her voice. “Idiot”, she barked, “I dropped you off!”
Now it was my time to be silent. Embarrassed, I said, “Well, come and get me.”
She retorted, “I will, as soon as I convince this policeman I have not stolen your car.”
________________________________________
Peace RT

Cheers Purple you are right absolutely with 6 males and 1 female mostly it’s been a tough gig she does tell me this every opportunity she gets 😉 I politely always reply “the doors aren’t locked you know you can go whenever you like” and yet after 32 years she is still here 😆 I do tell her always you think I’m funny now look out when I get older 🙄
Happy Days

Hi Everyone,
Bay, I bought a fit bit and love it. Except I do not have any friends to join challenges with. If you decide to get one all you have to do is add my email to invite me.
I have been hula hooping for two weeks now 5 min everyother day. My core feels so different and my jeans fit better.
I have tried to do 19 and 5 on non fast days, did not like it. On fast days I am comfortable at 17 and 7, am going to try 18:6 this week. What ever I am doing is working and I feel fantastic. An amazing thing is I stopped craving chocolate.
RT- I have heard your joke done by a comedian. It always makes me laugh. Congrats on the 32 years.
Night you all.