How much could (do) you live on?

But you cant do it forever, your a victim of your own mortality, ability wanes with age. Youd like to think not but it does. The whole point is getting to a comfortable stage whereby you can work if you want, and are able, but dont have to. Thats just a recipe for an early bath!

 

True, but at least you could fix your own tap....

 

and if I'd taken the sage advice of those who said follow your dream, I'd be going to work, naked on a pogo stick, whilst all my teeth fell out, wondering why Lionel Blair was wearing my duffle coat

 

Youd think wouldnt you. Irony is ive spent all evening (about 3 hours) doing revision questions for a qualification i dont actually need but might do should my current job go south. The taught bit is a three dayer so i will do the same tomorrow night. It just gets me to a point i was at nearly 20 years ago. I know you cant go back but i rue the day i decided to climb the ladder. Was happy where i was.

Normal service will be resumed following sleep!

 

You too! Spooky.

 

Trouble is, you'd never know unless you tried, which you did...and made a good fist of it...plus, if you hark back to your previous, I'll wager there were plenty of times that you thought 'I could be doing more than this?' The move must've made sense at the time, and you've gained some great experience (good and bad)...

 

One thing good with france ,there is always stuff to do if you buy a old property ,one of my retired clients was on his last legs when he came here ,he was overweight and loads of heath problems ,always in and out of hospital ,sitting at home watching tv ,his wife suggested he renewed the shutters ,at first he was reluctant (living in a flat in London he did'nt have much diy experience)...

10 years on and he has nearly finished them (25 pairs) ,but he has more plans ,he has lost 4 stone and is much healther and 78 years young..

Not a isolated story ...

I cannot retire and not to anything ..

 

That was me, able to do everything time served apprentice etc and active runner, rock climber, cyclist, so pretty fit too, but after my hip replacement 4 months ago I struggle more than I ever had. Being 52 I'm glad I don't have a manual job that I've got another 14 years of before retiring.

I'm still going to see if I can replace the bathrooms here, with help from a friendly plumber ... day rate agreed up front

 

Like hand jobs?

 

FTFY

 

They never last long those jobs do they

 

This is true. I'm 40 this year and can't see myself plastering in 10 years time. My feet are knackered, arms fallen off and me back gives up big style at least once a year...

 

You just jumped too soon, like I did. Only I started in office, hated it, went "on the tools", found it didn't pay, went back to the office, hated it for 20 years, back on the tools and at 55 it can be hard work. Ideally we should have mucked about on the tools until we were 45-50, then on to a cushty warm office job before retiring on a huge index linked pension - should have worked for the council!

 

It's the rock and roll bed that's donee back in.

 

You got there first....

 

When we kitted out the poptop kitchen I found the environmental health people at the council were very helpful, I think they were pleased we wanted the advice to be honest. They ran through what we needed and where it would go in order to get the 5* hygiene rating. Followed their advice and it all went well, I'm sure with a building background you'll find it easy but it is worth talking to them ahead of time so you can see what needs doing to hit the regs.

 

Removing rent from the equation about £85 a week, though thats without going anywhere or doing anything.