Living on our Pensions

[lobeydosser]

I served my apprenticeship in the printing trade and that was a well-paid profession. It took me through several Glasgow firms and then to England for a few years, then South Africa and finally back to Glasgow.

Then I got the chance to buy a cottage in the country and looked about for work close by. Nothing doing in the printing trade, but I got a job with the MOD in a nearby Navy Base.

The work was boring and the pay was poor, but the Job Security was good as was the Pension.

My missus got the chance of a job locally where she had her own department so we moved.

I stayed with the MOD for 27 years, taking early retirement at 50.
The missus stayed longer and retired at 59.

All our married life we have not been “well off” and often it has been a struggle to pay the mortgage and have holidays, but we managed. However, always at the back of our mind was would we be able to manage on our OAP Pension and the Works Pensions.

Having to cut our cloth to suit our costs has meant that we only bought what we could afford.

Well with the Mortgage paid for and no more Travelling Expenses to work and back, we did manage, but there was not a lot left over for holidays or any for nights out.

That was until I found Vaping!!!!

Almost overnight, well within a few months anyway, there was money in the Bank and our savings, instead of slowly dwindling, were starting to grow.

We have always been wary about taking on new hobbies, simply because of the expense in doing so, but in changing from smoking to vaping, we are now in the fortunate position to enjoying ourselves and trying new hobbies, getting involved in local projects and, at the same time, improving our house and garden.

Vaping is just something I do. However the extra benefits that it brings in terms of financial gain is way beyond anything I could have ever dreamed about.

Ofcourse, old habits die hard and we are still careful about spending and are forever looking for bargains, but thankfully our worries over living on our Pensions are a distant memory.

[Phoenix .]

lobeydosser, like you ,I have more disposable money in the bank since vaping than I ever had when I was working.

[mowjo]

How come I'm always broke then since I started Vaping?? we are both on pensions and always broke! Oooh! hang on just worked it out! now I'm saving all that money by not smoking the Mrs is spending it all on new clothes, you know I'm sure I had more money when I smoked,,,,,,


Mow,,,,

[lobeydosser]

It was strange, but the guys I worked with while in the MOD, were always looking for overtime and shift work, anything to boost their wages and they would squabble and fight for extra shifts.
Personally, after 8 hours of the same old, same old, the last thing I wanted was more of the same.
This has now worked to my advantage because having learned to live within our means we can now live rather well on our pensions.
I sometimes meet the same guys that used to work with and have now themselves retired.
I meet them in shops or hotels where they are now working part time to make some extra money. I have even met my ex-boss who is now a van delivery driver. I bet he is wishing he was back behind a desk!
When, if ever, will they actually retire?

Ofcourse retirement isn't a complete life of Butt Sitting, says he completely knackered from cutting both back and front lawns today, but at least I will have a week of admiring my handy-work before the grass comes up at a hundred miles and hour and will need cut again.
Strange though. I have not been paid for this work, but I enjoyed it and I enjoy being tired from it and I will be able to enjoy it for quite a few days to come.

In the weeks immediately following my retirement I had cause to drive past my former place of work and ofcourse I looked at it and wondered what my ex-workmates were doing that day.
Then on retirement + day 10, I drove past it, got to the other end of the road and realised I had not even noticed the place.
Now I only think of it when writing stuff like this or meeting up with ex-colleagues.

If Scotland goes independent, that place will close for good.
It will not be missed by me.

[lobeydosser]

yES mowjo, I can just picture you. Mrs dressed to the nines while you trail along 20 yards behind her in your charity shop clothes, shoes with the toes sticking out and the pole over your shoulder and your red spotted handkerchief on the end containing all your worldly goods!

Maybe time you were smoking again!

Or maybe time you gat to the clothes shop first.