Hi Carol
You see? You got a reply from me reasonably quickly. I would hate to see you left behind like a pork pie at a Barmitzvah ........... no offence intended anyone.
I just got the impression you were easing yourself out from BS, but if that is not the case - I am definitely still around, just not as much. I really don't feel I have too much to offer now that is pertinent. That said, I reply when tagged and I am a very good replier, just not a very good instigator (it's that lazy thing again). I think I told you before, that living for many years as an expat I got used to making friends quickly and losing them - sometimes just as fast.
Carpe diem!
Your sad little scenario of being all alone with the shrivelled balloon
almost had me, but not for long. The independent and hard hearted person in me soon kicked in!
Brilliant idea to use the 'wedding suit money' for yourself - I'd go with something elegant to wear and a knock out piece of jewellery if it was me. Clothes will eventually date, but a bauble to keep would be a lovely memento of The Day (plus it sounds loving and virtuous).
Your spreadsheet gift sounds ominously like the sort of thing my husband plays with on a daily basis (heh heh). He spent years advising the uber wealthy how to spend their money in business, and old habits die hard. He has scheduled replacement cars, house refurbs etc until we are about 90, tracks our investments, income, you name it, it's on there. Mind you, I have all the investments in my name - again for tax reasons (so he has to be nice to me!) Perhaps his spreadsheet obsession is to check I am not fuelling my bad shopaholic habits with our hard earned dosh?
Without going into too many details, the Mansion Tax thing will get us by the short and curlies if it is a cumulative assessment of property owned. We have 2 very lovely homes, jointly owned and I own 2 investment properties. Ouch! As I understand one of the mansion tax scenarios, each household would get a tax free allowance (a bit like the amount you can earn tax free with income tax) and then the tax kicks in. Married, we would get clobbered for an awful lot if all our properties were lumped together. Single, we would put our 2 houses into individual names and independently claim the tax free amount. We would each still have to pay something - but a whole lot less. Just hope it doesn't happen. Too much like hard work. High end property would magically drop in price as only the truly loaded could afford to buy anything over £2m and happily afford the annual tax, so how they could prove the true value of a property? I just don't know.
Wont change this into an Investment debate - unlike yourself, I find finance and money discussion, the biggest turn off ever (as hubby has found to his cost!) - but I don't blame you being cautious with Inheritance Tax too. It is evil and ridiculous in this day and age. Just like CGT - it is taxing items bought with post-tax income. We have disinherited ourselves from our immediate relatives, so inheritance from them goes directly to our daughter. Thankfully we don't need it, so we don't want it coming to us first, and being taxed, only to be taxed hugely
again along with everything else, when we pop off. We have also put in our Wills that she inherits half our joint estate when the first of us snuffs it - but cannot exercise any control over it, until the second death. There will be plenty of tax to pay, but considerably less than leaving it in one big dollop. Just don't get me started on our attempts to protect her inheritance if she decides to marry and it all goes pear shaped. There is so little that is 100% guaranteed.
The Inland Revenue itself is rubbish. HMRC just sent my hubby a non-payment for nearly £3000 ................ in error. He owes nothing and just had a rebate! Our tax advisor crawled all over it and noticed the NI number and address were right, but the UTR and husband's title were wrong (no, before you ask, he is not Lord Dogwheels!) It was a computer glitch which is evidently very common. Arrrggh..... I despair.
Hope you enjoyed the last couple of paragraphs
and all this finance stuff was better than someone talking 'dirty' to you!
Mention of Warfarin was a wee slipup on my part - the supposed gastric problem I mentioned a few months back has cardiac implications. I have not mentioned it on BS as I don't think it is appropriate. Hopefully a procedure in Harley St at the end of the month will sort it. I have everything X'd - whilst taking a cocktail of Granny meds.
Get one body part sorted and another goes wrong. Getting older sucks!
Take care Carol, hope the knee becomes less painful and promise to be in touch soon.
Chris XX
United Kingdom
May you have many years of wedded
In my case then I'm in for celibacy
