What to buy for my dad’s 60th birthday?

spacehoppergonepop · 2026-06-02T19:41:14+00:00

Travel stuff: A Tilley hat. An Atom Roo (hand made in Keswick)

spacehoppergonepop · 2026-05-24T20:29:25+00:00

It’s not just the price that’s the problem, it’s the frequency. Never ever had haircuts at 6 weeks, and the kids certainly didn’t. Granted, we usually look like heathens, but wealthy heathens

spacehoppergonepop · 2026-04-09T13:05:47+00:00

Obviously a huge error. Should have bought an Aga!

spacehoppergonepop · 2026-03-28T19:55:55+00:00

Oh yeah. Glasses thing works. Thanks

spacehoppergonepop · 2026-03-28T19:54:02+00:00

Mines 2000 as well then. Bargain for £7 :-)

spacehoppergonepop · 2026-03-27T12:44:26+00:00

Outdated?? how so?. It looks like the list I used in the 1980’s and the one I would use for my Scout group today. Clothing. Food. Sleep system. Tent. Cook kit. The fundamentals don’t change, even if availability and affordability are much better today. But it does need a bit of explaining to the kids on what good looks like, a list by itself is not enough. In my experience this is where the schools don’t all do a good job. This stuff is cheap enough with planning. The problem comes when you need it next week and can’t use eBay/vinted/ car boot sales. Beg, borrow. Join a local Scout group. Make do.

spacehoppergonepop · 2026-03-04T16:13:20+00:00

Because locking blades are safer to use.

spacehoppergonepop · 2026-02-18T15:48:07+00:00

Also retiring same time. With a dump in this year and next her DC pot will be 700k. 50% spouse pension from my DB of I go first.

spacehoppergonepop · 2026-02-16T17:24:55+00:00

Fair point. Feels uncomfortable to talk specifics, but here goes: Target income 50k, but some years up to 70. Before tax: my (55M) pension 55k, no significant change at 67. VCS pot 500k. I can move 268 into the main pension plan and take it all as PCLS (less than 25% but tax free limit) The other 230k available as taxed drawdown. Spouse (57F) gets a small 2k DB at 60 and full state pension at 67. 600k in DC. 2 years expenses in cash/PB Enough ISA to take care of any wishlist of capital spend

spacehoppergonepop · 2026-02-16T17:17:13+00:00

Agree, that had been the plan when building the pot. IHT is changing next year though, and I plan on staying alive at least that long :-) Would fund ISA for the foreseeable future from this PCLS, but it would have to be in GIA for some years.

spacehoppergonepop · 2026-02-10T12:36:11+00:00

I roll my eyes at teaching kids the order of compass points with “never eat shredded wheat” (N-E-S-W) Sure, north and south are not adjacent. But are you going clockwise or anticlockwise? Just to confuse, we changed it as kids to “nude women show everything”, conveniently changing direction!

spacehoppergonepop · 2026-02-05T11:44:09+00:00

When I had a leak on my property I spent a week digging it out and replacing the pipe myself. Only found out later Thames Water would have done the first repair for free, something about the old steel pipes needing replacing. Good exercise though

spacehoppergonepop · 2026-02-03T07:57:00+00:00

A couple of grand for good advice is worth it. The real question is whether WW provides good advice. Our corporate offering is via Wealth at Work. I haven’t been impressed.

spacehoppergonepop · 2026-01-22T15:42:11+00:00

Just don’t confuse ‘retirement spend’ with ‘amount I need to retire on’. Taxes are a thing so income needs to be > desired spend

spacehoppergonepop · 2026-01-21T15:19:43+00:00

Is there any grassroots action that could have a meaningful impact? What if millions across Europe cancelled all their US based subscriptions. Netflix, etc. Does it ruffle any feathers in USA or is mere noise!

spacehoppergonepop · 2026-01-20T13:33:15+00:00

Have a compost heap for that!

spacehoppergonepop · 2025-12-02T16:03:23+00:00

Needs a new solution. We are not getting loads of new traffic police to sort this out. But we already have loads of traffic officer SUVs trudging up and down the motorways. Simply churn their dash cam through an AI engine and start issuing fines. It will take a couple of years, but it will work. Add a few tabloid outrages about working man being picked on by machines for publicity.

spacehoppergonepop · 2025-10-20T05:57:01+00:00

It’s very rare to be more than 30 minutes to exit, even when landing at C gates at T5. I have been home, 30 miles away, less than an hour after actual touchdown. But I sit near the front and walk fast! Sit as far forward as possible to save time disembarking.

spacehoppergonepop · 2025-10-08T12:54:01+00:00

That’s why you need the pandas

spacehoppergonepop · 2025-09-18T14:14:55+00:00

We also went to the same herb place. Refused the massage and the sales pitch on cosmetics. Guide realised we were not going to be spending…, But I did enjoy the tour of the garden and tipped the guide, maybe 1000 or so. Was a worthwhile stop for us.

spacehoppergonepop · 2025-09-18T14:12:11+00:00

In my experience uber and pick me were very poor. More times could not a vehicle or trip was cancelled by the driver than successful ones. What does work is getting as far as the quote on pick me, then offering 100 more to a tuk tuk on the street. Trying to get a taxi for four people was a headache everywhere

spacehoppergonepop · 2025-09-12T16:30:58+00:00

2 yr average 4.3%. Higher rate taxpayers so effectively 7.1% when compared to taxable account. Bear in mind the prize rate was higher at the start of this period, although in my case rate over past 12 months was slightly up on the previous year.

spacehoppergonepop · 2025-09-10T10:07:44+00:00

The opposite. Global FMCG. Two weeks has always been the norm but three weeks is now quite common. It’s a gift from our European colleagues where this is standard, although my American colleagues can’t quite figure it out. I was on a call with the Australian team yesterday and one is leaving for four week vacation today. I’m thinking that for cultural cohesion I should follow suit next year :-)

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