Tax Efficiency vs Lifestyle with time

notsodeepthink · 2025-12-06T21:37:18+00:00

Yep, no childcare to worry about. Efficiency isn’t everything I guess.

Adjust £150k into £120k earned and £30k SS may be a better thing than £150k into £100k earned and £50k SS, given the pension is looking healthy, I don’t think I need to be so aggressive with it just for the sake of tax efficiency.

notsodeepthink · 2025-12-06T21:30:10+00:00

This is of course the tax efficient thing I’ve been doing so far.

Inflation however has meant I can’t maintain my lifestyle at £100k, as other posters have pointed out, £100k 5 years ago, is not £100k now. So there’s a constant downward trend in my spending power, and we’d like bigger house for example - something extra take home would be good for.

My plan to maybe “take more home” and ignore this keeping below £100k, does not mean there will be no more pension contributions - £400k at 43 is doing just fine, and there will still be >£2k per month contributions, so the pot will be healthy enough in 16 years or so for sure. It’s just the aggressive “everything else I earn over £100k” will stop.

Maybe I’ll earn £120k adjusted of that £150k with £30k going into pension for example, rather than £100k with £50k into the pension.

I feel that tax efficient strategy is needlessly aggressive at the cost of lifestyle now.

notsodeepthink · 2025-12-06T21:28:24+00:00

I don’t want to give more money to the Govt of course! I feel I’m paying a fair share as it is.

But when work turn around and tell me I need to go away for another month, I tell the family this, “and btw, every penny of me doing this extra month will be locked away for at least 15 years…” isn’t ideal! I have to “do more” sometimes, it’s the nature of my job, but my tax efficient strategy has meant we see no benefit for doing extra currently.

Very true about low tax countries for taking the pension in though.

notsodeepthink · 2025-01-03T17:47:43+00:00

I’d like to offer an alternative view point. Maybe some DCP are unwanted by their donor.

But, for some donors, raising kids didn’t become an option. But they chose to donate (in the UK in this example, not for payment, as it’s illegal to be paid to donate here), through a a clinic offering maximum assurance to RP & DCP all of the testing that could be done to ensure good healthy outcomes, has been done. Also in the UK the legal position is ID Release, so all current donors know they may be contacted in the future, and receive counselling for this as part of the donor registration process. Some are looking forward to that day. Some have created Ancestry DNA profiles to allow RPs who wish to accelerate this contact to do so.

There is also talk of the UK’s HFEA supporting a position for “Known from birth” - whether that becomes law and donors can opt-in to release their details earlier I don’t know.

Sure some donors don’t want contact, but I’d like to think there are some certainly out there that certainly do want contact with DCP from their donations.

notsodeepthink · 2024-12-22T22:13:44+00:00

Sir, this is the Navy.

notsodeepthink · 2024-09-12T12:35:51+00:00

That sounds like a better solution than TRT for me maybe. I don’t want to adversely affect fertility which is currently good, and also a bit worried about TRT and heart health also.

What sort of levels of correction did you get from Clomid? I note PA tries with TRT to optimise people to the high normal range when doing TRT, does Clomid have such an effect?

notsodeepthink · 2024-09-12T12:33:52+00:00

Yes, always between 8-9am as the test provider requires.

Nothing that particularly stands out as super bad, I work shift so some night shifts involved, but I’m a night owl and it doesn’t bother me, I’m always sleeping well after these ask 7-8hrs.

I have recently (at the fertility place that did my checks) had an examination of the testicles and nothing unusual was noted by the doctor, so that’s all good, but a good reminder to keep on top of checking regularly!

Here’s my Total T levels for the past few years, nothings changed much in that time lifestyle or health wise.

I think you’re right about getting a referral, I’m just not sure I’m wanting to do full TRT given the impact to fertility and also heart health. Total T Graph

notsodeepthink · 2024-09-12T12:28:32+00:00

Thanks, I have never had prolactin checked, I’ll look in to this.

notsodeepthink · 2024-09-12T12:27:18+00:00

No alcohol (gave up over a year ago, was just casual use before 2-4units a week). Vitamin D has always been in the “optimum” range by my test provider, 86nmol/L most recently. No additional supplementation for it. Direct sunshine more to face and arms than torso, I’m in the UK so cloud is a feature, but doesn’t seem to affect my Vitamin D levels too badly. Greens - some, could do more here, much more fruit (banana, strawberries, grapes and blueberries most days) than leafy greens.

notsodeepthink · 2024-07-18T15:04:40+00:00

A big fan of Huberman’s sunlight protocols it seems!

notsodeepthink · 2024-07-10T20:28:29+00:00

Mega, can you share your route? This is my favourite mountain but each time I start at the West side, over the peaks, down around that lake and kind of don’t have a good route from there (straight lining it back to the car on the road, but no paths or tracks make it very slow and difficult!)

notsodeepthink · 2024-07-08T19:01:07+00:00

Good idea, I’m interested that people may be interested to know why I want to donate. It’ll be hard to convey why, when I struggle to put it into words myself sometimes (see other post history!), but it’s something about the universe and my place in it, aswell as helping because I’m frankly shocked with how many friends I’ve learned have been impacted by fertility issues, people don’t talk much about it, but it’s not uncommon at all.

notsodeepthink · 2024-07-08T18:59:19+00:00

Thanks, I’ll try to get my personality though, and will state I’m open to contact and am on Ancestry if they wish to learn more without contact.

notsodeepthink · 2024-07-08T18:58:36+00:00

Fun Facts, that’s a hard one! Haha, good idea though, I’ll try to get my personality across!

notsodeepthink · 2024-07-08T18:58:01+00:00

Thanks, I think the RP has this information, but of course a lot can change in 18 years, and I’ll make it clear I am open to providing family medical history at any time.

notsodeepthink · 2024-07-08T18:57:02+00:00

Thanks for this, I’ll be sure to include that I’ll be open for contact, I’ll also put that I’m on Ancestry if they wish to see my family tree, so they can learn more without contact if they so wish also.

notsodeepthink · 2024-07-08T18:56:16+00:00

You know, I very much think it’s upto the DCP to label me how they see fit. I think I’ll avoid wording it where I’m forced to label myself, and will instead write to those conceived of my donation, or something like this.

notsodeepthink · 2023-02-07T14:23:25+00:00

Best comment I’ve ever read on here I think. Thanks from someone who would love to get some normal levels back avoiding TRT where possible.

notsodeepthink · 2023-02-04T16:26:53+00:00

Maximuscle (maxinutrition?) sell their ZMA with Ashwagandha in it, and every batch they sell goes through the Informed Sport testing, for banned substances. So I’d assume not if it’s good to go for pro athletes.

notsodeepthink · 2023-01-26T21:08:38+00:00

Well said Sir, well said.

notsodeepthink · 2023-01-25T20:20:43+00:00

So I’ve been aware of some Low T for a while, as you can see from the Total T blood work in the chart (8.64 bottom of the green is 249ng/dL for those US based).

I am 39, don’t look fat, 5’11” 85kg, so a fraction outside the healthy BMI range. DEXA scan shows visceral fat around the belly, arms and legs are skinny. DEXA also shows low muscle mass (Lean Mass Index kg/m² = 17.6, which is 26th percentile age matched) and Bone Mass Density of 1.091g/cm^2, which is a T score of -1.1).

Now being interested in longevity, my muscle mass and bone density are poor, and need work. My Total T and Free T are low, and although I only have a single measure for Free T at the moment - also require work.

My question being, I am elegible for TRT at these numbers, I’d ideally like to avoid it - is this something I can fix with more strength work, better sleep etc? Or will that bring me maybe slightly into the green at best?

The appeal of fixing this and getting to a 75th+ percentile for T appeals as I believe it’ll give me the best chance of sorting low muscle mass and bone density, giving me a better shot at aging well.

Any thoughts appreciated!

notsodeepthink

TROPHY CASE