Do you save money?

[MARYROSE02]

I didn't have the years of working in resorts, thought about it plenty of times though. I left school and did an apprenticeship with the NCB, so I was always lucky enough to have enough money to go abroad, to Spain, Greece, Portugal or somewhere nice, probably 3 or 4 times a year while I was in my teens and 20's. I went back to Uni when I was 31 and spent everything I had saved. First time I'd been without a car as I couldn't afford to run it on a grant. Got a job aged 33 on a graduate training scheme, got married to my long term girlfriend and had to start from scratch at that age.

 

Your mates in their 40's must be getting to the age where it's getting a bit embarrassing and harder picking up the young chicks. Lets face it, that's one of the main reasons for living that lifestyle too. If they can come back to reality, get a decent job, settle down, they should still be OK and will have had a great life with a lot of fantastic memories most of us will never have.

 

You only live once and I can't blame people who have the guts to go and live like that for as long as they can.

 

When I was 19, in Benidorm, in 19??! (Oh you are SO last century!), I envied those guys and girls handing out the cards for discos and bars, spending their summers in the sun, but now it just looks to be a drudge. And people of my age who have the money can spend their lives in those resorts without working!

[MARYROSE02]

Trust me as a little grey haired old granny! retirement is much more fun if you have made provision to be comfortable when you retire.

some of us are still fit enough to get out of our arm chairs and live life to the full. We are off to the Kimberlies for 3 weeks shortly and then Vietnam and Cambodia later in the year. Had a great lunch out yesterday in a group of over 50 like minded retirees..

Car treasure hunt at the weekend etc etc. so there is still a life to lived when you retire and it's made more enjoyable if you have been a bit sensible and provided for your retirement.

 

I envy you. I've become a 'stick-in-the-mud', not been on a plane for five years, though I am a nervous flier. I find that I'm just starting to think about things that I did NOT do!

[MARYROSE02]

A young person's attitude for sure! What no one expects when they're young (I certainly didn't) is that when you get to fifty or sixty, you'll still have the same attitudes and desires that you had at twenty - you won't be content to sit in your cardigan and slippers watching the world go by. So that means you need money - and if you haven't put anything aside, then that means you have to go on and on and on working to earn it.

 

Now that I'm sixty and am fed up of work but still fit and active enough to want to enjoy life, I'm very glad I did put some money aside so I can actually have a retirement.

 

Have you just turned sixty this year? I had my birthday on Anzac Day! $2.50 to get to work in Penrith now instead of $9.20, though I miss my Opal card which I only got to use for about two months.

 

In a way, I have been 'practising' for retirement since I came back to OZ at Xmas 2008 because I've had to get by on my own income and savings, interspersed with casual work when I can get it. My Royal Mail pension kicking in at 60 has made a difference to my income, boosting it by a couple of hundred of dollars a week I think. (I hope the pound stays strong(er) against the dollar!?)

 

I've also had to find things to do. Sometimes I'm quite content to walk, drink coffee in cafes, go to the beach, go to the pub. Other times, I'm not so sure. That's why I like to do a job.

 

I don't mind my job, though I wish it was not as far out as Penrith, but in some ways it's like getting paid to listen to James Valentine and Richard Glover, four hours in the arvo, and when I'm working, I don't touch my UK income, which then builds up for holidays, or my recent operation.

 

There's a poem I know called '68th Birthday' I think, but can't remember who wrote it.

 

'As life goes on, the road grows strange,

With faces new, and before the end,

The milestones into headstones change,

'Neath everyone a friend.'

 

I've probably misquoted it!

[Paul1Perth]

When I was 19, in Benidorm, in 19??! (Oh you are SO last century!), I envied those guys and girls handing out the cards for discos and bars, spending their summers in the sun, but now it just looks to be a drudge. And people of my age who have the money can spend their lives in those resorts without working!

 

To be honest Maryrose, even if I had the money I wouldn't want to be living in those resorts at my age. They are a young, single persons dream but if I had got a job there (I considered being a windsurfing instructor for a few years) I would have been a raving alcoholic, sex addict and been dead by 35.:wink: What a life though.

[Paul1Perth]

Have you just turned sixty this year? I had my birthday on Anzac Day! $2.50 to get to work in Penrith now instead of $9.20, though I miss my Opal card which I only got to use for about two months.

 

In a way, I have been 'practising' for retirement since I came back to OZ at Xmas 2008 because I've had to get by on my own income and savings, interspersed with casual work when I can get it. My Royal Mail pension kicking in at 60 has made a difference to my income, boosting it by a couple of hundred of dollars a week I think. (I hope the pound stays strong(er) against the dollar!?)

 

I've also had to find things to do. Sometimes I'm quite content to walk, drink coffee in cafes, go to the beach, go to the pub. Other times, I'm not so sure. That's why I like to do a job.

 

I don't mind my job, though I wish it was not as far out as Penrith, but in some ways it's like getting paid to listen to James Valentine and Richard Glover, four hours in the arvo, and when I'm working, I don't touch my UK income, which then builds up for holidays, or my recent operation.

 

There's a poem I know called '68th Birthday' I think, but can't remember who wrote it.

 

'As life goes on, the road grows strange,

With faces new, and before the end,

The milestones into headstones change,

'Neath everyone a friend.'

 

I've probably misquoted it!

 

I was 60 last December and my wife is still waiting for me to grow up.:laugh: I still feel like I did when I was 20 and try and do as much as I can. I do triathlons, adventure racing, ski paddling, mountain and road bike riding, swimming, I had a game of squash for the first time in a couple of years 2 weeks ago (felt pretty bad for a couple of days after). The people I hang around with (mostly the guys tbh) are the same, most are younger than me but a few not by much. I guess that's what keeps us going, doing as much as we can. As far as retirement goes I know it's sort of sneaking up on me and I think about it. I'm thinking about looking into the transition to retirement scheme, I think you can save yourself a lot of tax and end up with the same take home pay.

 

I like my job but wouldn't mind an extra day off a week or something. I love where I live now and have a blast every weekend. I know I wouldn't have been doing the same things if I had stayed in the UK, we didn't live near the coast for a start and the people I hung around with there were not into the type of things I do now.

 

You have to keep going as long as your body lets you I reckon.

[LKC]

I was 60 last December and my wife is still waiting for me to grow up.:laugh: I still feel like I did when I was 20 and try and do as much as I can. I do triathlons, adventure racing, ski paddling, mountain and road bike riding, swimming, I had a game of squash for the first time in a couple of years 2 weeks ago (felt pretty bad for a couple of days after). The people I hang around with (mostly the guys tbh) are the same, most are younger than me but a few not by much. I guess that's what keeps us going, doing as much as we can. As far as retirement goes I know it's sort of sneaking up on me and I think about it. I'm thinking about looking into the transition to retirement scheme, I think you can save yourself a lot of tax and end up with the same take home pay.

 

I like my job but wouldn't mind an extra day off a week or something. I love where I live now and have a blast every weekend. I know I wouldn't have been doing the same things if I had stayed in the UK, we didn't live near the coast for a start and the people I hung around with there were not into the type of things I do now.

 

You have to keep going as long as your body lets you I reckon.

 

This is what my grandma tells me. She says that those of her friends who retired and then sat in an armchair listening to the seconds tick by are all dead, whereas those who got out and enjoyed life are still alive and mostly healthy and active. She is 87 now, and her body is starting to fail because she is an old woman by anyones standards. When she was 82 she came over to Australia on her own to visit us and had a ball! Many years ago, when I was about 16 and she was in her mid sixties, her second husband died so I went to live with her for a while. As a 'Thank You' for my support she took me on holiday to Egypt. We did all sorts of things, including riding a camel - she only went and fell off it and ended up with a broken arm! It was all a big adventure for her though, and I think that her attitude is what has kept her going. Her mind is still sharp as anything, and I am certain it is because she is always busy learning new things and going to new places.

[MARYROSE02]

To be honest Maryrose, even if I had the money I wouldn't want to be living in those resorts at my age. They are a young, single persons dream but if I had got a job there (I considered being a windsurfing instructor for a few years) I would have been a raving alcoholic, sex addict and been dead by 35.:wink: What a life though.

 

I never fancied retiring to any of those places, but I thought it might be nice to have one of those '100 nights for 1,000 pounds' hoildays I used to see advertised for the UK winter.

 

I made a bit of an attempt to learn to windsurf back in the 80's, mastered the basics, but never got up to 'beach start' level. I like to swim, but I'm timid on any kind of boat.

 

I met bloke down the pub who lives in Thailand, and was waxing on about how great it is, though he just seemed to play golf and drink and... I think I will just be staying in Sydney.

[MARYROSE02]

I was 60 last December and my wife is still waiting for me to grow up.:laugh: I still feel like I did when I was 20 and try and do as much as I can. I do triathlons, adventure racing, ski paddling, mountain and road bike riding, swimming, I had a game of squash for the first time in a couple of years 2 weeks ago (felt pretty bad for a couple of days after). The people I hang around with (mostly the guys tbh) are the same, most are younger than me but a few not by much. I guess that's what keeps us going, doing as much as we can. As far as retirement goes I know it's sort of sneaking up on me and I think about it. I'm thinking about looking into the transition to retirement scheme, I think you can save yourself a lot of tax and end up with the same take home pay.

 

I like my job but wouldn't mind an extra day off a week or something. I love where I live now and have a blast every weekend. I know I wouldn't have been doing the same things if I had stayed in the UK, we didn't live near the coast for a start and the people I hung around with there were not into the type of things I do now.

 

You have to keep going as long as your body lets you I reckon.

 

So you are the same age as me!? Which part of Perth? I only really knew Scarborough and Cottesloe Beaches. I miss my cycling and walking in The New Forest. Still not been back on a bike since I left England in 2008.

 

I've vowed to start going to a gym once my hernia is repaired. I will buy that bike too! I like working but I don't want to work full time.. I've always lived by the sea which is why I sometimes thought it would be nice to live in a little town surrounded by countryside.

[bell123321]

Have only read first page but we generally only save when we are saving for something specific which is normally holidays to Australia as it takes a while to save for that. My partner saves a pension with his current work place as they put in same amount as he does, but its not that much each month. I don't have a pension, I do think about it but think I may not even be around at that point. Also think the pension might be worth nothing anyway or might vanish. I Know that probably sounds silly but I am a live for each day and only save for something bigger if it is going to bring me happiness. Maybe not the right attitude but hey.

[Guest The Pom Queen]

Trust me as a little grey haired old granny! retirement is much more fun if you have made provision to be comfortable when you retire.

some of us are still fit enough to get out of our arm chairs and live life to the full. We are off to the Kimberlies for 3 weeks shortly and then Vietnam and Cambodia later in the year. Had a great lunch out yesterday in a group of over 50 like minded retirees..

Car treasure hunt at the weekend etc etc. so there is still a life to lived when you retire and it's made more enjoyable if you have been a bit sensible and provided for your retirement.

Sounds wonderful, I hope I stay around and can enjoy a life like yours when I'm older. The kimberlies are lovely and if you need any info on the area ask @Bobj he makes a superb tour guide.

[Bobj]

Sounds wonderful, I hope I stay around and can enjoy a life like yours when I'm older. The kimberlies are lovely and if you need any info on the area ask @Bobj he makes a superb tour guide.

 

Heard he tries to lose beaut pommy families to save on fuel:wink:

 

Cheers, Bobj.

[MARYROSE02]

Sounds wonderful, I hope I stay around and can enjoy a life like yours when I'm older. The kimberlies are lovely and if you need any info on the area ask @Bobj he makes a superb tour guide.

 

"Of course it's safe to swim here! Crocodiles? They are all in Africa!"

[ramot]

I promise I won't dangle my hands in the water out of a boat! It's an organised trip, but Bobj has kindly given me some advice when we go to Katherine on our own for 2 nights at the end of the trip.

[Guest The Pom Queen]

I promise I won't dangle my hands in the water out of a boat! It's an organised trip, but Bobj has kindly given me some advice when we go to Katherine on our own for 2 nights at the end of the trip.

Umm yes I've seen the size of the crocs out that way. Lovely animals though and wonderful to see them in the wild. I still haven't seen one around Cairns despite going out of my way to find one.

[Paul1Perth]

Umm yes I've seen the size of the crocs out that way. Lovely animals though and wonderful to see them in the wild. I still haven't seen one around Cairns despite going out of my way to find one.

 

First time I've heard a croc described as a "lovely animal".:laugh:

[surfndirt]

I have a question for those who say they don't want to leave anything to their children. And by asking this I am in no way criticising what you feel or do, I am just interested in the answers.

 

Do you think that if you raise your children in the right way, to respect and understand the value of money and hard work, that they will change and become lazy and expect everything handed on a silver platter, if you help them out once in a while if you can, or leave them something when you die?

 

I don't expect or want my mums money, and would rather she spent everything she had and had a more comfortable life. However if she did leave something to me it wouldn't change me as a person. I am careful with money, and if I were to inherit something it wouldn't change that - it wouldn't make me think that I could spend willy nilly, or be handed everything on a silver platter. OH and I work hard, and always have, and I would hope that I am raising our daughters to respect money, to understand that they have to work hard to achieve anything in life, and not to expect everything to be given to them. I would hope that they carry these values on in to their adulthood, even if we do help them out with uni fees and a deposit for a house and such.

 

OH and I first got on to the property ladder 12 years ago, about the same time that OH purchased his first business. We were fortunate enough to be able to sell that house (and the two subsequent ones) and his business for far more than we bought them for, after working very hard and renovating the houses ourselves, on top of building up a business that often meant that OH was working every day for weeks on end. That left us in the enviable position that we had a huge deposit for our house here. I shudder to think what the situation will be like in 15 years time, when our girls have (hopefully) finished uni, are just starting out on their careers, and looking for their first home. The way that property prices are, they may just about be able to afford a tent in our back garden. Realistically, we and our parents have had it pretty good. Our children, not so much, and we do intend to help them out a bit where we can. That said, we would only help them out if they demonstrate the same core values that I possess, and won't be bailing them out because they spent too much on clothing on a credit card.

 

Hya LKC,

 

Just want to make sure you are aware that the largest credit expansion in recorded history occurred in the ~ 15 years preceding 2008? There are approx 2 distinct generations that benefited from this. First is the baby boomers (not all of em, but a good chunk) and the second is the generation after them. Not specific to you and yours but in general the western world (very evident in Australia) is now full of complete and utter financial wizz kids........ I see this constantly in my line of work and it is one of the drivers for the continued downward spiral of productivity. "I made $500,000 on three houses in 6 years, now live in Vacluse - I am a complete and utter legend in finance, I'll tell you how to run this business". No idea that they have basically just been at the right place at the right time to benefit from an unprecedented loosening of fiscal policy by the central banking cartel, nothing else.