When planning for my retirement there are some things I sort of forgot to realize. These fall into the category of ‘things I have had so long I thought they were mine’.


First there is the company car, the 2.0 Volvo Sports – leather heated seats, cruise control, air co, satellite navigation, etc. now becomes a Renault Clio although my wife is keen to point out that this is her car and I can only use it when its not required. Then there is the fuel card. Have you any idea of the cost of petrol? When the petrol pump now shows 40GBP to pay it is my own cash from my own bank account! I think petrol cost less than a pound a gallon the last time I bought any.
Then comes the mobile phone, I felt sure this was mine but no. Things continue to get worse: The Laptop has to go even though it has all my personal files on it, the broadband connection at home is no longer to be paid for, the wireless modem also goes, it just goes from bad to worse.

The Company Barclaycard goes and the four times salary life insurance for employees also ceases as of the next day.


I start to replace these by looking at mobile phones. For many years I have had the company mobile which simply makes phone calls but when you set out to buy your own it’s not that easy. Do I want to take pictures? Have colour screens, receive iTunes, have pop songs for ring tones? Do I need a ‘pay as you go’ or a yearly contract? As it’s coming up to Christmas there are lots of offers at all stores, BOGOFs etc and I decide that seeing as my wife already has a mobile phone we will just use hers for a while. Although she does point out that it is her phone and I can only use it when it’s not required.


The surprising thing (or maybe not) is that all my phones calls were business calls and now I am at home all day on a land line the mobile never rings. Three months later I wonder why I thought I needed a mobile in the first place.