What are you all up to

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  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,374
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    edited July 2017 #6962

    Lovely day here in central Nottingham. Sat in Wollaton Park, waiting for our time slot to see the Dinosaurs in the Hall.

  • Malcolm Mehta
    Malcolm Mehta Forum Participant Posts: 5,660
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    edited July 2017 #6963

    Yes, I do pay much more than the minimum payments. However, I only have to pay the minimum payment to keep the 0 per cent deal. Nevertheless, if I pay more, it shows up on my payment record which to the card issuer means that I'm comfortably affording a higher payment. That means that I would still fulfill the minimum payment on a higher borrowing. The buffer is the other 50 per cent available to me within my credit limit.

    It's the best I can do. If I want to have savings in the bank, I would have to reduce my payments to the card companies. This information would then be passed to the credit reference agencies that update entries every 4 to 6 weeks. I could then lose the excellent score which is based upon the percentage of borrowing against the amount available. If it's way over 50 percent, the rating can go from excellent to good and when it goes to 90 percent or over, it can drop from good to fair. Further borrowing can still be possible but not on such good terms.

    Even from a fair credit rating, recovery towards good and excellent can still be achieved, provided the level of borrowing is reduced subsequently.

     

  • RJLJ
    RJLJ Forum Participant Posts: 148
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    edited July 2017 #6964

    I lost the will to live reading that!!!!!

    where has the promised rain gone?

  • taffyY
    taffyY Forum Participant Posts: 326
    edited July 2017 #6965

    Malc, have you not heard of not buying anything unless you save the money for it first?  That is the way I was brought up and the way we brought our sons up too.

  • milliehull
    milliehull Forum Participant, Forum Participant Trusted Posts: 4,829
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    edited July 2017 #6966

    Have a lovely holiday brue.cool  Where are you off to?

  • Tammygirl
    Tammygirl Club Member Posts: 7,960
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    edited July 2017 #6967

    Never a lender or a borrower be. Sage advice from my Dad when I started work. Its been good advice that has worked for me over the last 50 years.

    We do of course have credit cards which as the good Martin Lewis will tell you "pay off in full every month" Mortgage of course but that was paid off early many years ago. Nowadays we don't have any debts, no car loans nothing. Just 2 children and 4 grandchildren wink hopefully we will be able to leave them something when we go to the campsite in the sky laughing but that won't be for many years to come (with a bit of luck)

    We've always managed to put something away every month ever since the Army messed up OH's salary on our first posting after we got married. It was Christmas/New Year so couldn't get pay office to sort it out as it was closed for the holiday. Money was very tight I remember but we managed and it was a very good lesson. Since then we have always had a reserve just in case. I wouldn't like to live like that now, waiting for payday, it must be so hard for some folk.

  • KjellNN
    KjellNN Club Member Posts: 8,728
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    edited July 2017 #6968

    The way we do things too.

    We do usually keep a 0% credit card for really big purchases, it means we can keep the money in the bank and earn a small amount of interest, but we never buy anything we could not actually afford to pay cash for!

    Malcolm, available credit, even on a 0% card is not a buffer if you are spending money you do not actually have.  It is OK as a short term solution, say a month or two, but not as a long term solution.

    A buffer is money in the bank.

    Have you heard of a website called Money Saving Expert?  Take a look on there for ideas on how to improve your situation.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176
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    edited July 2017 #6969

    Sounds good, especially if the weather is the same as here, sweltering!

    Millie, we're of to East Devon, so only just over an hour away, nice easy drive. Have a safe journey yourself, a fair old drive from your area but worth it. Hope you all like the cottage and see all the sights! It's surprising the difference between between packing the van for a holiday and packing the car for a cottage.

    I think we're nearly ready now, just some things to sort in the garden, someone will be here to keep it all going....I hope! 

    Too hot just now, stopping for a lunch break in the shade. smile

  • Tammygirl
    Tammygirl Club Member Posts: 7,960
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    edited July 2017 #6970

    On a happier note, the early rain has stopped and it looks like its going to stay dry for the rest of the day.laughing

    Wish we had a bit of warmth like down South, however I have got lots of work done this morning while OH was out helping his friend to re-wire his caravan 13 pin socket, he had not lifted the cable properly when he last towed and it dragged on the road and rubbed through the wires.

    Just had the last of 3 firms to give us quotes for a new back porch, now need to sit down and think about which one is the best for the money. Which isn't as much as we had thought it was going to be smile however to replace the 2 Velux in the attic its going to be more than we thought frown oh well 'its only money' we keep being told laughing 

    Off out after lunch for a look at our nearest dealership, need a few things for the van.

    MillieH have a good time in St David's hope the weather behaves for you.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176
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    edited July 2017 #6971

    Have a good day all of you, sunny or not....when it goes from here hopefully it will come your way. wink

  • moulesy
    moulesy Forum Participant Trusted Posts: 9,412
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    edited July 2017 #6972

    Very hot again here today! Just about to start putting a few things in the car ready for a 10 day trip to Cornwall - not towing this time! Mrs M will doubtless be back shortly to make amendments to the clothes I've put out! wink Hoping to meet up with both her sisters and OHs for a mini family reunion. When we were all working we'd get together each year down there - at one time we had 4 generations together on site - this will be a smaller but equally "sociable" meet up.

    Have a great time in St Davids, Millie, lovely area though some years since we were last there and enjoy Devon brue. smile

  • Goldie146
    Goldie146 Club Member Posts: 2,493
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    edited July 2017 #6973

    Re savings.

    One way to save is not to tell your OH how much is in the account. Then he doesn't get any grandiose ideas about spending!

  • SELL
    SELL Forum Participant Posts: 398
    edited July 2017 #6974

    So what about from 7th November to 16th March each year, plus

    the cost when you have to leave your Seasonal pitch every 21 days ?

     

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,156
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    edited July 2017 #6975

    After a lovely start to the day we now have thunder and lightening and its throwing it down.  Glad I put the roof of the car uplaughing

  • Whittakerr
    Whittakerr Club Member Posts: 3,486
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    edited July 2017 #6976

    Very warm and humid here in sunny Salford. Just had a cheeky walk to the pub at lunch time (don’t tell the boss), the walk back to work was uncomfortable, my shirt is a bit damp!

  • Malcolm Mehta
    Malcolm Mehta Forum Participant Posts: 5,660
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    edited July 2017 #6977

    Gatwick Club site do seasonal pitches from 7th November to 16th March for £420 which is even lower cost but there's a waiting list. We're due to leave our seasonal pitch for two nights on Sunday and will be staying at Lancing Fruit Farm CL at a cost of £12 per night, so total £24.

  • Malcolm Mehta
    Malcolm Mehta Forum Participant Posts: 5,660
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    edited July 2017 #6978

    It's not just warm here, Tammygirl, it's hot! I've been in the air-conditioned caravan most of the day today but on the few occasions that I have stepped outside, it's like walking into an oven.

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,374
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    edited July 2017 #6979

    The Dinosars from China Exhibition at Wollaton Hall is well worth a visit for anyone visiting Nottingham or the surrounding area, before the end of October. One is unbelievably large and only just fits in the main Hall. All are fairly recently found and remarkable in there state of preservation. The remains of feathers are clearly visible on some of the fossils. These remarkable specimens provided the first hint that many species of the Dinosaurs would have been  feathered, and some brightly coloured.

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited July 2017 #6980

    Sadly no longer able K. I will phone dealer tommorow and see if I can get it done in August 

  • Malcolm Mehta
    Malcolm Mehta Forum Participant Posts: 5,660
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    edited July 2017 #6981

    I have a car loan on the Smart car of 48 months at 0 per cent interest. I pay £191 per month but I use it for the deliveries, so I get a profit out of it as my monthly pay is much greater than the monthly finance payments.

  • Goldie146
    Goldie146 Club Member Posts: 2,493
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    edited July 2017 #6982

    I'm assembling all the stuff we need for our next trip away tomorrow. No roughing it in a caravan (not that caravanning is roughing it) - but three nights in a rather swish hotel.

    Fifty years ago I left school and in the September started a Teacher Training Course at Edge Hill College in Ormskirk.  I was allocated a room in Clough Hall and that was the start of a lifelong friendship with a wonderful group of girls. The twelve of us have kept in touch since then, meeting up whenever possible, but this will be the first time all of us plus husbands will be together. It's usually us, as farmers, who are missing.

    I suppose we could have stayed in Ormskirk, but as our second year was spent in digs in Southport that's where we're going.

    There will be drink drunk, talk talked and memories remembered.

    I'm in the group photo below (on the college steps in 1967) but hidden at the back. But to prove I once had legs the other was taken the same year.

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Club Member Posts: 10,224
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    edited July 2017 #6983

    Gave the caravan cooker a deep clean today and while I was on a roll I did the same with cooker indoors. That should earn me some brownie points. Did a minor repair to one of the window blinds, as well so feeling quite pleased with myself.

  • Malcolm Mehta
    Malcolm Mehta Forum Participant Posts: 5,660
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    edited July 2017 #6984

    Yesterday, I completed my online tax return in which I put my last date of self-employment as 1st April 2017 being the date that I finished working as self-employed for dinner2go. I am now on PAYE which they already have record of through my employment with Pizza Hut. So that's the end of having to do online tax returns.

  • Malcolm Mehta
    Malcolm Mehta Forum Participant Posts: 5,660
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    edited July 2017 #6985

    Nice photos, Goldie. I remember those days. I was 16 in 1967 and still a school pupil. How life has changed since then!

  • cariadon
    cariadon Forum Participant Posts: 861
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    edited July 2017 #6986

    Weather has been very hot these last few days, might only might have rain. Enjoy in God's country.

  • Malcolm Mehta
    Malcolm Mehta Forum Participant Posts: 5,660
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    edited July 2017 #6987

    I know, cariadon,I'm trying not think how hot it's going to be in the Pizza Hut kitchen this evening. Thursday evenings are usually busy so hopefully, I'll be out in the air-conditioned Smart car doing deliveries most of time. 

  • cariadon
    cariadon Forum Participant Posts: 861
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    edited July 2017 #6988

    Don't believe in air con, not very good for the lungs, cold air bad for Asthma sufferers, give me shade under a leafy tree or parasol any day. Is your constant use of aircon the reason pitch prices have gone up due to increase in electricity.

  • KjellNN
    KjellNN Club Member Posts: 8,728
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    edited July 2017 #6989

    Not necessarily.......your state pension ia taxable, as is any other pension you get, plus you have tips to declare, and did you not say you get something towards petrol?

    Against that, if you have enough in total to pay tax, you will be able to claim tax relief on up to 45pence per mile of business use.  I take it you are recording how far you drive making deliveries? 

    To pull all that together, the easiest thing would probably be to do a tax return, otherwise you would need to write to HMRC with all the details.

    Tax returns are not just for the self employed!

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,374
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    edited July 2017 #6990

    Don't forget that it is also depreciating at an alarming rate, especially in the first year.☹️

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176
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    edited July 2017 #6991

    I've got photos like that Goldie..eek, same era! Have a great get together, nice to round everyone up and see them. smile