MONEY

It would seem so Martin although in my later years at the council working in a technical department (with Architects, Surveyors & Engineers) we were under constant threat of being externalised via compulsory competitive tendering (I was a key player in helping us swerve that one) & various flavours of partnering with external companies which ultimately did happen but all under our terms so the partner got all the crap work we didn't want

I have been self employed for 20 years now. It would be a huge shock to have to take orders from a boss. Love doing my own thing.

I fondly remember being unemployed. It's much simpler budgeting when you have a certain amount of cashmoney to get you through the week, and no long-term commitments. I never brewed my own beer, though. I'd buy a bottle of cheap sherry like some old wino and spin it out as long as possible.

My very first job, in the early '70s, was in the Youth Employment Service in Liverpool. Even back then there were few jobs to be had. Two that stuck around were a trainee french polisher at an undertaker's, and a job repairing false teeth. Both paid about £8 a week. We had lads signing on who'd been laid off from working at Stanlow pipe-laying, who'd been on £30 a week, so not surprisingly they weren't interested. What was odd was how territorial the lads were; my lot were from South Liverpool and there's no way any of them would have gone to North Liverpool for a job. Some were reluctant to go into Central Liverpool, even. The North Liverpool lot had a separate signing-on day. One week, for some reason, both lots arrived on the same day. We had to get the police in.

I gave up work at 58. Mortgage was paid off, no other debts. My only regret is not packing it in earlier; the last couple of years weren't very pleasant for various reasons. My wife still works part-time, because she enjoys the work, but we don't need the money and she could quit whenever she wanted to. 

I suppose if they are on interest only mortgages they'll still owe £300K when they are 78. But if the pensions are so good there then no problem to carry on servicing the debt after retirement.

I wouldn't fancy it though.

I am in my late forties and have two mortgages, but it does not worry me, as it is perfectly manageable.
My pension from the U.K. was frozen, and has now been invested in an offshore scheme, so when I retire, I will have my state pension, money from my French pension and from my invested pension.

Then I plan to sell half my garden (about an acre) for development purposes, shortly followed by the house and move out of Toulouse.
Things should be ok.

At that point I will be too old to invest in a decent HoFi as it will be pointless, due to hearing loss, so I will just enjoy life, which should be relatively cheap and trouble free....
.

Different approach to me.
I plan to sell this house when I retire, and move to my place in the country.
My apartment will go to my daughter. I will retire with a large wad of cash in the bank, and an income from three different pensions.
Retirement should be comfortable, and the most important thing is that I will have given my daughter an awesome start in life.
She will be pretty much mortgage free, and all the money she earns will be hers.

That is much more important than me being debt free at 50.

If she has an apartment, she can buy her own car. I am not giving her everything.
I have thought about renting her the apartment when she wants it, so she learns the value of money. The idea is that I stash all of the cash away, and give it to her if she ever needs it.

I spent a shitload last month, wiped out everything I saved during the previous four. Getting a new front door next week, that's another £650 right there.

Yeah I only spent what I had saved in the four months. About two and half grand. The Krell was a big chunk of that mind.

wow wow wow
what an incredible month..i earnt 4.5k this month plus 1.6k me own jobs
marie earnt just under 7k

so around almost 13 000 quid this month lol
8000 quid after tax in total..gonna save about 5 grand tomorrow...will have over 30k in the bank next month..i need a bigger garage for all the cars i'm gonna end owning when i retire...would be nice to have a triple garage with 3 tasty cars i rekon lol

just keep the hard top on, added to which with the hard top on people won't automatically assume you're a hairdresser.

What colour you going for? really there's only 3 acceptable colours with an MX5 - Black, British Racing Green and Mustard.

I think Hucker has left the building. But, anyway, I lived with huge debts for ten or so years. Fortunately, my health was good and I kept my job, though it could all have gone horribly wrong.