Enjoying Retirement
Discussion
GT3Manthey said:
I always use the comparison sites and was astounded by the cheapest quote. I’m thinking next time around I’ll see if I can multi car policy if this makes things cheaper.
I get older, I have full no claims , the cars are worth less each year and we pay more !
My wife insures our C Class and we couldn't beat the September renewal after shopping around. My Alfa renewal in May could be beaten by a small amount, but then they added some more on due to a windscreen claim(!) on my previous Ka so it made the renewal cheapest again. I did a re-quote for mine recently just so I know I'm putting enough away each month ready for next year and it's about 10% more, so will see how that holds over the next 6 months.I get older, I have full no claims , the cars are worth less each year and we pay more !
I need to insure the RS but the agreed value part needs photos which is very difficult. Without agreed value it's £84 and an extra £15 to process the photos to confirm it's value. To take photos I'll need to push it outside and wash it, which means clearing the garage door of weeds and grass that prevent it opening, which makes it more secure. Also means that it might get spotted while it's outside and at the moment very few people know it's in there which is why I've been lazy in not insuring it for the last 25 years...
OldSkoolRS said:
My wife insures our C Class and we couldn't beat the September renewal after shopping around. My Alfa renewal in May could be beaten by a small amount, but then they added some more on due to a windscreen claim(!) on my previous Ka so it made the renewal cheapest again. I did a re-quote for mine recently just so I know I'm putting enough away each month ready for next year and it's about 10% more, so will see how that holds over the next 6 months.
I need to insure the RS but the agreed value part needs photos which is very difficult. Without agreed value it's £84 and an extra £15 to process the photos to confirm it's value. To take photos I'll need to push it outside and wash it, which means clearing the garage door of weeds and grass that prevent it opening, which makes it more secure. Also means that it might get spotted while it's outside and at the moment very few people know it's in there which is why I've been lazy in not insuring it for the last 25 years...
My 1600e is £90 a year, fully comp, 5k miles and agreed value using A Plan. The accepted some pictures from inside the garage when I first did the policy.I need to insure the RS but the agreed value part needs photos which is very difficult. Without agreed value it's £84 and an extra £15 to process the photos to confirm it's value. To take photos I'll need to push it outside and wash it, which means clearing the garage door of weeds and grass that prevent it opening, which makes it more secure. Also means that it might get spotted while it's outside and at the moment very few people know it's in there which is why I've been lazy in not insuring it for the last 25 years...
skeeterm5 said:
My 1600e is £90 a year, fully comp, 5k miles and agreed value using A Plan. The accepted some pictures from inside the garage when I first did the policy.
Bargain motoring plus you get to drive a very cool car. I do wonder what the longer term future is with old cars but seems plenty of buyers still around judging by the sales achieved at the NEC.
Often try and think of an everyday older car for fun drives too .
Keep coming back to MX5’s
Seeing as the subject of cars, mostly quality Fords, has come up.....
My wife has a Ford Fiesta 1.6 TDi diesel Zetec S. It was first registered in December 2010 by the local Ford dealer, then used as their demo car. Wife bought the car from them in January 2011, mileage 1701, cost £11,995. Road tax is £20 pa. It has been fully maintained (wife has a service contract), it lives in the garage etc. Has now done 16,000 miles in almost 13 years! Googling suggests similar but higher mileage cars are priced getting on for £6000! She thinks it is a keeper...proved by it's history of single ownership I suppose. I suspect when the time comes for it to go, it will be moved to someone inside the family, rather than sold.
R.
My wife has a Ford Fiesta 1.6 TDi diesel Zetec S. It was first registered in December 2010 by the local Ford dealer, then used as their demo car. Wife bought the car from them in January 2011, mileage 1701, cost £11,995. Road tax is £20 pa. It has been fully maintained (wife has a service contract), it lives in the garage etc. Has now done 16,000 miles in almost 13 years! Googling suggests similar but higher mileage cars are priced getting on for £6000! She thinks it is a keeper...proved by it's history of single ownership I suppose. I suspect when the time comes for it to go, it will be moved to someone inside the family, rather than sold.
R.
GT3Manthey said:
Keep coming back to MX5’s
This year I've moved from a V8 Lexus barge to a 2006 Honda Jazz...actually a great little car. The retirement car plan is to add an NC MX5 with a BBR 200 kit - enough grunt to have fun, enough Japanese-ness to be reliable and cheap to run.
Roll on May 2026
We'll! I've finally gone and done it.
I've "retired" twice before, once at 55 and again at 59.
60 glorious years old yesterday and it's definitely permanent this time.
We don't much in the way of cash reserves or a very big income, but everything we've done over the past few years has been to prepare for the life we want at a cost we can afford.
We've built a house that we'll be comfortable in well into our dottage in a place we want to be almost all of the time.
We bought the property and built the house with cash reserves, so no mortgage. It's super insulated and with a heat pump and solar gain and plenty of free firewood for stoves so very cheap to run.
I extended a one bedroom bothy to build the house so we are on band (a) £800 per year council tax .
We have cut back to three cars (and a tractor) all older, but all paid for and cheap to run.
We have enough land to feed ourselves easily as long as we are able. If we were 20 years younger, I reckon we could be entirely off grid and self sustaining, but even as decrepit as we are and are likely to become, we should be able to produce most of our food ourselves.
Always a slight niggle as to whether we'll have enough cash as time goes on, but we could always sell up and have a very comfortable life somewhere warm and cheap if things go awry. Has anyone else taken this approach?
I've "retired" twice before, once at 55 and again at 59.
60 glorious years old yesterday and it's definitely permanent this time.
We don't much in the way of cash reserves or a very big income, but everything we've done over the past few years has been to prepare for the life we want at a cost we can afford.
We've built a house that we'll be comfortable in well into our dottage in a place we want to be almost all of the time.
We bought the property and built the house with cash reserves, so no mortgage. It's super insulated and with a heat pump and solar gain and plenty of free firewood for stoves so very cheap to run.
I extended a one bedroom bothy to build the house so we are on band (a) £800 per year council tax .
We have cut back to three cars (and a tractor) all older, but all paid for and cheap to run.
We have enough land to feed ourselves easily as long as we are able. If we were 20 years younger, I reckon we could be entirely off grid and self sustaining, but even as decrepit as we are and are likely to become, we should be able to produce most of our food ourselves.
Always a slight niggle as to whether we'll have enough cash as time goes on, but we could always sell up and have a very comfortable life somewhere warm and cheap if things go awry. Has anyone else taken this approach?
Desiderata said:
We'll! I've finally gone and done it.
I've "retired" twice before, once at 55 and again at 59.
60 glorious years old yesterday and it's definitely permanent this time.
We don't much in the way of cash reserves or a very big income, but everything we've done over the past few years has been to prepare for the life we want at a cost we can afford.
We've built a house that we'll be comfortable in well into our dottage in a place we want to be almost all of the time.
We bought the property and built the house with cash reserves, so no mortgage. It's super insulated and with a heat pump and solar gain and plenty of free firewood for stoves so very cheap to run.
I extended a one bedroom bothy to build the house so we are on band (a) £800 per year council tax .
We have cut back to three cars (and a tractor) all older, but all paid for and cheap to run.
We have enough land to feed ourselves easily as long as we are able. If we were 20 years younger, I reckon we could be entirely off grid and self sustaining, but even as decrepit as we are and are likely to become, we should be able to produce most of our food ourselves.
Always a slight niggle as to whether we'll have enough cash as time goes on, but we could always sell up and have a very comfortable life somewhere warm and cheap if things go awry. Has anyone else taken this approach?
Congratulations! That couldn’t be further away from my retirement. We are very risk averse and wanted big cash reserves to fall back on. But, seriously, with a 50:50 chance of a global hot ww3, global inflation and the country going to hell in a hand basket - your approach might well be the safest bet. Very impressive.I've "retired" twice before, once at 55 and again at 59.
60 glorious years old yesterday and it's definitely permanent this time.
We don't much in the way of cash reserves or a very big income, but everything we've done over the past few years has been to prepare for the life we want at a cost we can afford.
We've built a house that we'll be comfortable in well into our dottage in a place we want to be almost all of the time.
We bought the property and built the house with cash reserves, so no mortgage. It's super insulated and with a heat pump and solar gain and plenty of free firewood for stoves so very cheap to run.
I extended a one bedroom bothy to build the house so we are on band (a) £800 per year council tax .
We have cut back to three cars (and a tractor) all older, but all paid for and cheap to run.
We have enough land to feed ourselves easily as long as we are able. If we were 20 years younger, I reckon we could be entirely off grid and self sustaining, but even as decrepit as we are and are likely to become, we should be able to produce most of our food ourselves.
Always a slight niggle as to whether we'll have enough cash as time goes on, but we could always sell up and have a very comfortable life somewhere warm and cheap if things go awry. Has anyone else taken this approach?
Well congratulations this time around Desiderata. 
Sounds like you've got your outgoings reduced nicely, I'm especially jealous of the Band A council tax as that's now our biggest monthly bill. We've done the super insulated and solar set up big enough to cover a good chunk of our gas bill (dependant on future tariffs), also three cars if I include the RS. Our home grown produce wouldn't feed us for long though, but generally we've cut our bills to give us more spending money, seems to have worked out well, though also bolstered by the better savings rates we wouldn't have had even two years ago.
Thanks for the A plan tip Skeeterm5 I'll have to see if I can clear the garage enough to get some photos. I have got some taken years ago in the garage, though maybe that's cheating but honestly the car looks no different other than the removed nose cone and more dusty.
MX5 is of course the standard answer on PH so maybe that's a good call GT3. I actually enjoy whizzing about in my Mito despite it only being the 105HP version. It's the 2 cylinder engine that makes it sound more exciting than it really is, but I like to imagine I'm like James Hunt who used to drive around in an A35 so he could cane it, but not risk breaking any speed limits. Of course I'm no where near his skill level, but I can dream.
The C Class is nicer for long journeys, but not as much fun for the local stuff.
That Fiesta will be a great car for someone in your family Leaper.
Sounds like you've got your outgoings reduced nicely, I'm especially jealous of the Band A council tax as that's now our biggest monthly bill. We've done the super insulated and solar set up big enough to cover a good chunk of our gas bill (dependant on future tariffs), also three cars if I include the RS. Our home grown produce wouldn't feed us for long though, but generally we've cut our bills to give us more spending money, seems to have worked out well, though also bolstered by the better savings rates we wouldn't have had even two years ago.
Thanks for the A plan tip Skeeterm5 I'll have to see if I can clear the garage enough to get some photos. I have got some taken years ago in the garage, though maybe that's cheating but honestly the car looks no different other than the removed nose cone and more dusty.
MX5 is of course the standard answer on PH so maybe that's a good call GT3. I actually enjoy whizzing about in my Mito despite it only being the 105HP version. It's the 2 cylinder engine that makes it sound more exciting than it really is, but I like to imagine I'm like James Hunt who used to drive around in an A35 so he could cane it, but not risk breaking any speed limits. Of course I'm no where near his skill level, but I can dream.
The C Class is nicer for long journeys, but not as much fun for the local stuff. That Fiesta will be a great car for someone in your family Leaper.
Desiderata said:
We'll! I've finally gone and done it.
I've "retired" twice before, once at 55 and again at 59.
60 glorious years old yesterday and it's definitely permanent this time.
We don't much in the way of cash reserves or a very big income, but everything we've done over the past few years has been to prepare for the life we want at a cost we can afford.
We've built a house that we'll be comfortable in well into our dottage in a place we want to be almost all of the time.
We bought the property and built the house with cash reserves, so no mortgage. It's super insulated and with a heat pump and solar gain and plenty of free firewood for stoves so very cheap to run.
I extended a one bedroom bothy to build the house so we are on band (a) £800 per year council tax .
We have cut back to three cars (and a tractor) all older, but all paid for and cheap to run.
We have enough land to feed ourselves easily as long as we are able. If we were 20 years younger, I reckon we could be entirely off grid and self sustaining, but even as decrepit as we are and are likely to become, we should be able to produce most of our food ourselves.
Always a slight niggle as to whether we'll have enough cash as time goes on, but we could always sell up and have a very comfortable life somewhere warm and cheap if things go awry. Has anyone else taken this approach?
Many congrats. I've "retired" twice before, once at 55 and again at 59.
60 glorious years old yesterday and it's definitely permanent this time.
We don't much in the way of cash reserves or a very big income, but everything we've done over the past few years has been to prepare for the life we want at a cost we can afford.
We've built a house that we'll be comfortable in well into our dottage in a place we want to be almost all of the time.
We bought the property and built the house with cash reserves, so no mortgage. It's super insulated and with a heat pump and solar gain and plenty of free firewood for stoves so very cheap to run.
I extended a one bedroom bothy to build the house so we are on band (a) £800 per year council tax .
We have cut back to three cars (and a tractor) all older, but all paid for and cheap to run.
We have enough land to feed ourselves easily as long as we are able. If we were 20 years younger, I reckon we could be entirely off grid and self sustaining, but even as decrepit as we are and are likely to become, we should be able to produce most of our food ourselves.
Always a slight niggle as to whether we'll have enough cash as time goes on, but we could always sell up and have a very comfortable life somewhere warm and cheap if things go awry. Has anyone else taken this approach?
I love and admire your approach to life in retirement.
Wish I could say my wife would embrace the same although as she’s a foodie she may well get into this idea somewhat.
Pls keep us posted with how it’s all going
GT3Manthey said:
Bargain motoring plus you get to drive a very cool car.
I do wonder what the longer term future is with old cars but seems plenty of buyers still around judging by the sales achieved at the NEC.
Often try and think of an everyday older car for fun drives too .
Keep coming back to MX5’s
Yep.I do wonder what the longer term future is with old cars but seems plenty of buyers still around judging by the sales achieved at the NEC.
Often try and think of an everyday older car for fun drives too .
Keep coming back to MX5’s
As it happens we also have a newish MX5 with a 2.0 engine. It is an absolute blast to drive, build quality is great and it handles brilliantly,
Biggest issue with it is that there is a real lack of in cabin storage for odds and ends but it is a small price to pay. The boot is easily big enough for a couple of decent sized squashy bags.
tombar said:
This year I've moved from a V8 Lexus barge to a 2006 Honda Jazz...actually a great little car.
The retirement car plan is to add an NC MX5 with a BBR 200 kit - enough grunt to have fun, enough Japanese-ness to be reliable and cheap to run.
Roll on May 2026
We have a 2.0 ND and honestly it has the perfect amount of power, IMHO it really doesn’t need the additional grunt of the BBR kit.The retirement car plan is to add an NC MX5 with a BBR 200 kit - enough grunt to have fun, enough Japanese-ness to be reliable and cheap to run.
Roll on May 2026
skeeterm5 said:
tombar said:
This year I've moved from a V8 Lexus barge to a 2006 Honda Jazz...actually a great little car.
The retirement car plan is to add an NC MX5 with a BBR 200 kit - enough grunt to have fun, enough Japanese-ness to be reliable and cheap to run.
Roll on May 2026
We have a 2.0 ND and honestly it has the perfect amount of power, IMHO it really doesn’t need the additional grunt of the BBR kit.The retirement car plan is to add an NC MX5 with a BBR 200 kit - enough grunt to have fun, enough Japanese-ness to be reliable and cheap to run.
Roll on May 2026
Congrats to the music makers on here - it resonates not because of my lack of musical talent but because my middle son is in a band ( sometimes ) and I know how difficult it is to get your music heard !
Also because I have now started on the Executor role for my Aunts estate I am dealing with various companies that pay her royalties from her late husbands estate - he was a songwriter / musical arranger who died in the late seventies.
Also because I have now started on the Executor role for my Aunts estate I am dealing with various companies that pay her royalties from her late husbands estate - he was a songwriter / musical arranger who died in the late seventies.
As regards Car Insurance I thought we had done pretty well on here not to reiterate what seems like daily posts elsewhere.
Car Insurers have not been making a profit for some while and in fact even when they did said profit was in single digits.
As with most things you get what you pay for so cheapest isn’t necessarily best especially you are unlucky enough to have to claim.
Comparison sites are all well and good but tend to cater for individual circumstances and in which case a broker might be better to do all the work.
Restricting mileage , additional named drivers can work out cheaper overall.
A Plan are usually pretty competitive as a broker.
I use Nowell and Richards who are excellent albeit not necessarily the cheapest.
Car Insurers have not been making a profit for some while and in fact even when they did said profit was in single digits.
As with most things you get what you pay for so cheapest isn’t necessarily best especially you are unlucky enough to have to claim.
Comparison sites are all well and good but tend to cater for individual circumstances and in which case a broker might be better to do all the work.
Restricting mileage , additional named drivers can work out cheaper overall.
A Plan are usually pretty competitive as a broker.
I use Nowell and Richards who are excellent albeit not necessarily the cheapest.
Desiderata said:
We'll! I've finally gone and done it.
I've "retired" twice before, once at 55 and again at 59.
60 glorious years old yesterday and it's definitely permanent this time.
We don't much in the way of cash reserves or a very big income, but everything we've done over the past few years has been to prepare for the life we want at a cost we can afford.
We've built a house that we'll be comfortable in well into our dottage in a place we want to be almost all of the time.
We bought the property and built the house with cash reserves, so no mortgage. It's super insulated and with a heat pump and solar gain and plenty of free firewood for stoves so very cheap to run.
I extended a one bedroom bothy to build the house so we are on band (a) £800 per year council tax .
We have cut back to three cars (and a tractor) all older, but all paid for and cheap to run.
We have enough land to feed ourselves easily as long as we are able. If we were 20 years younger, I reckon we could be entirely off grid and self sustaining, but even as decrepit as we are and are likely to become, we should be able to produce most of our food ourselves.
Always a slight niggle as to whether we'll have enough cash as time goes on, but we could always sell up and have a very comfortable life somewhere warm and cheap if things go awry. Has anyone else taken this approach?
Third time “ lucky “ then - many congrats on your birthday and retirement. I've "retired" twice before, once at 55 and again at 59.
60 glorious years old yesterday and it's definitely permanent this time.
We don't much in the way of cash reserves or a very big income, but everything we've done over the past few years has been to prepare for the life we want at a cost we can afford.
We've built a house that we'll be comfortable in well into our dottage in a place we want to be almost all of the time.
We bought the property and built the house with cash reserves, so no mortgage. It's super insulated and with a heat pump and solar gain and plenty of free firewood for stoves so very cheap to run.
I extended a one bedroom bothy to build the house so we are on band (a) £800 per year council tax .
We have cut back to three cars (and a tractor) all older, but all paid for and cheap to run.
We have enough land to feed ourselves easily as long as we are able. If we were 20 years younger, I reckon we could be entirely off grid and self sustaining, but even as decrepit as we are and are likely to become, we should be able to produce most of our food ourselves.
Always a slight niggle as to whether we'll have enough cash as time goes on, but we could always sell up and have a very comfortable life somewhere warm and cheap if things go awry. Has anyone else taken this approach?
scot_aln said:
Insurance wise does noone else use or try Saga for car insurance? I accepted the over 50 part relatively recently and for the last 2 years noone has got close to them on quote or renewal (<10% up in October vs next nearest >50%).
I'm with SAGA , but my renewal was quite steep this year.I'm with them as they are by far the best for European cover - it's unlimited - whereas just about everyone else is 30 days or some maybe 90. I spend most of my year in Europe, so SAGA works for me
scot_aln said:
Insurance wise does noone else use or try Saga for car insurance? I accepted the over 50 part relatively recently and for the last 2 years noone has got close to them on quote or renewal (<10% up in October vs next nearest >50%).
I've moved our 3 to Saga, they've mirrored NCB, cheaper than direct line. I claimed on one a couple of years ago, very good too, a stress free experience. Gassing Station | Finance | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff