Not enough to go around

What a bloomin cheek ! Mayze has pinched my chair. When I am sat on it she jumps on my knee and tries to get round the back to push me off. If she doesn't succeed she then waits for me to get up for something and immediately jumps in my place. Then I have to fetch the other chair from downstairs. She is a cheeky madam.


I spent this morning trying to understand if HM Revenue and Customs have worked out my income tax correctly, it seems rather a lot. I did my self assessment on line last month and I have the statement, I have to pay some money by the end of January. Luckily my friend Carol was able to give me some guidance, because this sort of thing is her job.

So, the sums are, state pension plus small private pension, less the personal allowance of £6475 (the rate for 2010 - 2011), less £210 tax already paid on the private pension, and 20% of what's left is the amount I have to pay.

They talk about pensioners having to continue working or going back to work to make a decent living. This would probably be a good idea if you were on a much reduced pension, and could top it up with a part time job. If your pension is really low all you do is claim every benefit you can which will top it up. Because my income is slightly more than the tax allowance, if I went back to work I would be paying 20% of everything I earn.

The personal allowance for 2011 - 2012 goes up to £7475, so if my pension hasn't gone up by much this year, I should not have to pay as much tax next year. In fact I could probably work it out now because I know what my income will be in this tax year, I won't bother though, I'll wait till next January.

When I rang HM Revenue and Customs up to querie my account I did get a bit of good news. When I reach age 65 I won't have to pay income tax, whooopeeee, can't wait ;o)

Another bill landed on my doormat this week, car insurance. My broker has managed to find me a company with a more competitive premium, £54 less than last year, so I'll go with that. On top of that I've just paid the car road tax, £165. In December it was gas, electricity, and water to pay. It's all flippin bills at the moment. The winter fuel allowance of £200 was a help, but it's not going to be used for soley for that, my gas bill is not expected to be very much at all.

Oh well, the scrimping continues, there's no let up. If I want to have my cheapo mini holidays the money will have to come from somewhere, and that is my day to day living. Cutting back on everything, and accounting for every penny. Doing without. No heating. One bath every fortnight, washing in a kettle of water in between. Shopping at night for the reductions. Cherry picking at all the shops for the best prices. Growing my own. No new clothes, I can manage with what I've got. No buying food out, take it with me. Using the bus pass, or walk, or cycle, whenever I can. It's a good job I don't mind my own company, I can't afford to socialise.

I'll do a bit of tidying in the garden, the brown bin gets collected tomorrow.

Toodle pip.