What do you spend more on now you're older?

Plants for the garden, we keep Wyvale in business, and 99p deal of the day books for my Kindle. Drum paraphernalia for DH.

Books - always buy from
Charity shops as I don't keep after read then pass them around

Well there are several of us who spend on their gardens. I am in the middle of a revamp so I need all the decent plants I can get. I fear I may be becoming a plant snob I am increasingly looking out for the more unusual ones.

Whereas we tended to do everything around the house and garden ourselves, we now get people in to help us with heavier jobs because we physically can't do them any more. Also spend more money on eating out.

Far too much on the garden as I am continually replanning it.

As much as possible on holidays and eating out and leisure of all sorts including the theatre which isn't cheap. Clothes, books, music. We are so lucky to be able to do it.

At the moment though we are saving for a new kitchen, so that has clipped our wings this year.

More meals out

Workmen gardener etc cos we can't

Days away

Newer cars

Of course. G kids

Bank of mum and dad still exists at our house

I just LOVE getting my nails done, no more messy home varnishing sessions for me!

Me/us
Having funded DDs through uni and given them substantial amounts towards property, have no compunction in spending on us for a change .I have been 'careful'all my life (raised that way)but the recent premature death of a beloved younger brother has reminded me you can't take it with you
So
Lots of nice holidays
Lots of lunches out
Renovations to the house to make it easier to stay here and more pleasant as we get older
The garden
No grandchildren as yet but lovely to be able to spoil my girls neither of whom earn much

No, It's my birthday next week and I wont be holding my breath with gifts off my DS (he has got a card). So no treating me there even thogh he's just got some money. But, he has done the garden today so it is sorted now for a while. So I'm still a happy bunny.

Still, I have bought myself some lovely birthday gifts, although the chocolates have already been opened!

Newly retired (6 months), but find that I'm spending a lot less on everything except paracetamol. (That's because I'm doing a lot of heavy work in my new garden that is very overgrown). Now I don't need a professional "polish", and have moved far from civilisation, I no longer bother with : smart clothes, new shoes, hairdos, lunches with colleagues. I plan to buy no more new clothes, shoes or accessories- ever- (well, until I'm ridiculously shabby), eat out only once a month or so (too far into town), grow all our own food and live the simple life. I'm revelling in the bare feet, shorts and teeshirts, having time to do physical work in the house and garden, breathe clean air and sleep soundly under the brilliant stars.

More on travel. We do more of it and like NanaandGrampy, we upgrade for comfort and pleasure. Secondly, our garden. We're in it more than we would be when working and it brings us great pleasure despite the limited summer weather.

That sounds fantastic Boadicea, if only society would take a leaf out of your book then there would be a lot less people being obsessed over what they looked like and what other people thought about them. Good on ya. I admire you, I really do.

I also think it's sounds fabulous BoadiceaJones. I salute you ?

For me it's got to be shoes can't just wear anything like I would have done when I was younger ,wine ,pillows and bedding.

Eating out; running a nice car and not having to worry about filling it up; weekends away in nice hotels; indulging, in my case, an expensive fishing hobby! Treats for our only grandson. We aren't profligate spenders, but we don't think twice about indulging ourselves these days. It's been a long haul to get to the position where we can!

* BoadiceaJones* your post is a breath of fresh air amongst all the reported spending. . ( flack jacket zipped on ).

Thanks for the kind comments, GNers. I was fortunate to travel extensively during my working life, and have visited most of the world I really want to see. There are a few places Mr J and I would like to revisit/visit because we have been able to read loads since retirement and have become excited about them. Oh, actually, I should confess that we do spend spare pension monies on books..about 1 a week, since we have a long trip to the nearest big library. The Amazon or Book Depository parcel is a real treat.

My father always insisted on picking up the tab no matter what, and, to a certain extent, it became oppressive. We did pay sometimes but it required us to be quick witted and fleet footed.

With DC, the one deed that showed they were grown-up and independent was when they, individually, took us out for a meal somewhere nice and paid for it. I still remember it clearly. Now there is an unspoken agreement that we share costs. Last weekend when DS and family visited, I bought the advane ticket for a family visit to Marwell Zoo, it was part of DGS's birthday present, but when we got there DS paid for all the incidentals, guide book, lunch, drinks/ices and souvenirs.

Since I retired have stopped spending money on work related items like clothes and Diesel and no longer need a cleaner or someone to do the ironing as I do it all myself. I have time to source bargain goods online and now bulk buy when things are on offer. I buy good coffee, Prosecco, shower gel, shampoo etc. for bargain basement prices. (Yesterday I bought 12 tubes of toothpaste for half price.) I also pursue cheap amusements like walking, baking and reading. The DH likes the cakes so much that he has often eschewed the freebie teas I have got tokens for in favour of coming home to have coffee and walnut cake in the garden.

I have spent some saved cash on having two areas of the garden that I can no longer manage myself lawned and landscaped so that all I have to do is put stripes on the lawn with the self propelled mower and sit back and enjoy it. I even do the decorating myself these days.

I have found that planning ahead for meals and shopping online saves cash but I do an actual shop 'sweep' to pick up the knocky- downy bargains in the fancy food aisles so that we live like kings and pay like beggars.

Lilyflower our post has reminded me of the early days of my retirement, when released from the stresses and strains of working life, I had boundless energy, redecorated the whole house, reconfigured the garden, started writing my (still unfinished) book, redoubled my political activism and charitable work, signed up for modules at the local Uni, crossed Canada on a shoestring, went on a Cruise. A truly Golden time.

Then there was a complete change as both daughters moved from the city to nearby and presented us with 3 DGC in 3 years. Our lives became very busy with childminding, helping renovate their cottages and gardens, shared holidays - another exhausting but wonderful time until....

2.5 years ago DH had an accident, was recovering and then had a total breakdown/collapse so our lives changed dramatically again. My three different phases of retirement (so far) are reflected in various responses to the question posed in this thread. Another example of how you cannot lump all retirees together when their ages, finances, health and circumstances are as variable as those of the working population. Makes for a very interesting thread.

..Crun.

What do you spend money on, if you're over 60 its all free,

I remember you when you used to steer tug boats and you were ill then, .

I was taken out for afternoon tea yesterday and several people were still finishing lunch. A table near us had 3 couples all of GNers age. Their table was covered with empty wine glasses of different sizes so I thing a good time had been had. This proves a lot of us agree with eating out and eating well. Another party,all ladies came through and I heard one say to the waiter " have you got the diary out for next month? " it would seem to be a regular thing.

I spend on books as I now have time to read, Ican actually buy as many as I want, its brilliant!

I spend on books as I now have time to read, I can actually buy as many as I want, its brilliant!

Gononsuch what are you talking about - Free eye tests led to £400 worth of glasses for us both, Free Hearing Test led to £2000 of hearing aids for DH, Free Prescriptions don't cover mouth ulcer pastilles (=£7.00!), Vit. D tablets, seasonal antihistamines, not to mention chiropody, dentistry, etc.