Early Retirement Extreme Forums

I don't think there's much to worry about wrt food and water. The problem will be fresh vegetables and fruit, which we don't produce enough of. We will have enough calories, and water isn't an issue. It's just that we are used to having a huge variety of fresh food that doesn't grow in this country...

I would second finding a critique group, but it doesn't have to be a real-life group. An internet group can be easier because you don't get into the personality likes and dislikes so much. But internet groups usually come out of taking an online writing course that you pay for, in my experience. So ...

I scored 22 on the original quiz. I automatically had a No for any questions asking if I'd lived in an American whatever, and I didn't understand some questions, eg "In secondary school, did you letter in anything?" Despite watching a lot of American movies growing up, I still have no idea...

Sometimes people are right that their vote doesn't count, as I think you have basically the same situation we have, where you are voting within a region. If you know you are in the overwhelming minority for your region (a Labour voter in a safe Tory seat, a Democrat voter in an always Republican sta...

Does this involve putting your money in accounts in her name? I hate to throw cold water but don't forget to guard against the relationship breaking up.

Thanks, Wolf and Bankai. I'm kind of semi-independent now - I'm self-employed, I don't have a job. If my income suddenly went to zero, I might need to get a job for 7 or 8 years, but probably not more. This is because I am in my late 40s now and I could live on the UK state pension which I will get ...

I want to get back into this. I have been tracking, and I've been saving, but my income hasn't been so high and I've been spending more than I'd like. My net worth end of March 2018 was £56,055. So it has increased by just under £10K in the 17 months since I last posted. That's not as much as I'd ho...

I suggest you use fresh vegetables instead of frozen. There is a little more preparation time, but a lot more taste. You can still freeze the finished product. Are you including onion? Onion is tasty. Begin by frying the onion in 2 teaspoons of oil on a low heat until it is slightly transparent, the...

@Wads to go back to your first post, if you are still here

Have you considered the concerns some people have about storing and reheating rice? I wouldn't keep cooked rice more than 2 days. In fact, in your situation I'd make the veggie/beans combo in big amounts but cook rice fresh each day.

October 2016 Income (after tax): £1,323 Fixed work gig: £400 Variable self employment: £906 Misc (used book sales): £17 Expenditure: £935 Housing: £235 Utilities: £0 (paid quarterly) Insurance: £250 (paid annually) Groceries: £112 Household: £53 Health/personal care: £140 Transport: £6 Entertainmen...

Thank you, Noedig. I am in my forties, so not very extreme. I think I have changed the thinking, but I am still struggling with some aspects of consumption. I'll post October's figures now. November is actually going pretty well. I have cut out alcohol, which makes a big difference, not only because...

My parents have said they'd help me buy a place of my own if I got a girlfriend or something, but I'm not sure what "help" means and am too tactful to ask. I'm intrigued by the "or something". Or a boyfriend? Or a cat? Welcome to the forum :D ETA: Just read your other post. Sorr...

September 2016 Income (after tax): £2,634 Fixed work gig: £400 Variable self employment: £2,164 Misc (used book sales): £70 Expenditure: £1,377 Housing: £235 Utilities: £404 Groceries: £151 Household: £89 Health/personal care: £327 Transport: £35 Entertainment: £122 Clothes: £0 Gifts: £15 Surplus/s...

I guess they would have cancelled those tickets. The person they were addressed to would surely have called to say they hadn't arrived, and had them reissued to his/her correct address. I think you were right to call before doing anything. It would be terrible to sell them and your buyer show up for...

I switched out of employment to be self-employed. I have done a semi-ER while still working. My definition of "work" has become so vague, it is hard to say how much time I spend on it, but let's say I aim for 4 hours a day but often do less. This could have been a massive fail financially,...

I had a hard-living, hard-drinking uncle who greatly enjoyed his life and I'm sure would have agreed "he would prefer to be dead in 5 years after 5 years of good living, than removing some of his pleasures and perhaps (but not necessarily) living into his dotage". He suffered a stroke and ...

I have been reading about historical disasters (mostly massive volcano eruptions, e.g. 1815-6) and I see the reasoning for storing 6+ months of food. But it seems to me it makes sense to buy regular pack sizes and keep it in the packs it comes in, which are generally sealed. Maybe this depends where...

What really bugs me TBH is not people's comments on my lifestyle, but their whingeing about their own. Maybe this is something that happens later. It's the "I could never afford to buy my own place" while they look at mine as if it has been gifted to me by angels. From people whose salari...

Yeah, I tend to get this a lot. As in: "You only have ONE car? For two people?" "Your house is...spartan." "You don't have cable TV?" Laugh it off. It's your life and you get to live it how you want. I get this kind of thing. I grew up with one car for 5 people...but a...

After I posted yesterday, I realised that I could and should do a more accurate calculation of tax and NI, and subtract it before I post income. I can't spread it evenly over the year without knowing what my income for the rest of the year will be, but I can calculate it month-by-month on the basis ...