Have you got to this stage of life ?

And no towbar on a hearse!

DHs Attendance Allowance pays for companion care which allows me time away from home to recharge my caring batteries.
It also gives DH a change of conversation. It took a little while to come to terms with paying for what seems so little, but in fact is a lot.

I surrendered my licence last year, applied for and got Attendance Allowance which I had intended to use on taxis but with difficulty I reached the bus stop,

One cold, dreich day I wondered why am I doing this so now most short journeys I go by mini cab. I live in London, and it costs £7 to go to the nearest town to meet friends for coffee. Being Scottish doesn't leave me!

I know exactly what you mean * nanna8* and if the money is there then why not spend some on yourself and not cast around for bargains?

I make sure I am comfortable i.e. clothes that fit, shoes that I can walk in, a bed I can lie on, and a chair I can sit it. Taps. toilets, showers, etc that work. Those are my priorities.

I reached that stage after I became a widow, luckily it was transient and then I returned to common sense. I gave to four charities, gave good amounts to my AC, went on a saga cruise

After that stage I returned to reality, I had no other way to earn extra money and getting old requires differences in food, living, help. I am not at those stages but I can see me living a long time so I need to make sure I have the resources for that and meantime I prep however I can,

I am not frugal, I am generous but careful. I have several lovely hobbies and have plenty of stash for my homely hobbies ie sewing, knitting, spinning. I cook from scratch from choice, we are what we eat, have done since the year dot. I grow veg and flowers, organically and am very happy in my skin

I treated myself to the best equipment for my hobbies and for bread-making, just one-off purchases but I do sleep on my decision first. I treated myself to a lovely new house, my biggest spend but that is the cocoon that surrounds me and makes my life cosy, it accommodates all my hobbies as well as fitness in winter and with room for guests

I won`t be splurging on anything else and will continue as I am. It would be different if I was not widowed but we did go on some lovely holidays while we could, now it is all about safeguarding my own future

I don't have an extravagant lifestyle and I like to help my family with money which is my pleasure.
I live in a lovely countryside area so I enjoy walking in the hills.
I have savings but don't worry too much about the future. I would pay if I needed a care home.
I will buy myself things I want or need without thinking of the cost now. At nearly 80 it's really not worth it to me to worry about money.

I am minded of the phrase there are no pockets in a shroud

I've lived on the breadline for years and managed by not having a car or holidays or treats, but it's been fine because living in Cornwall is a daily joy in so many ways anyway. The beaches are free. However, a strange turn of events means I now have some extra funds so I can afford to take trains to places, go to the cinema and buy decent shoes and M&S salmon. 😂

If you need a carehome grandMattie, you will get one, whether you have savings or not.

It might not be the one you would choose if you were paying yourself, but you won’t be on the streets.

We are not rich, but if future care is needed for DH or myself (or both) of us, I know full well we shall be funding it ourselves.

So yes, after years of working, saving, being ‘careful’ with our money, I now think if we would like something and can afford it, why not?

We visited family in Australia last year after not going for several years, and we flew business class. Expensive, but worth it.

DH changed his vehicle for one he really liked, not brand new, but more than we usually pay.

Things like this, just don’t see the point of doing without now we are in our 70’s.

I had, a rather substantial sum of money for holidays, meals out etc.
A couple of years ago, I idiotically handed it all over to spammers. The financial ombudsman decided it was all my fault, the bank behaved impeccably…
So now, I’m managing on my pension with enough not to struggle, but I feel rather like a student, watching (almost) every penny. It can be very tiresome.
What will happen when I need a care home, goodness knows?

It depends on how we want to die. In the UK, it’s possible to have care at home but at a price. In the UK, means testing is a process which can take months as local authorities are badly resourced to handle the volume of forms.
Even a moderate contribution to care at home results in bills being paid every 4 weeks so all income can be wiped out for a month with 2 payments.
Plus of course the concept of tax in advance so it’s a real minefield trying to budget for the very elderly in the UK.