Blockhead

I'm more a stacker than collector but I am proud of this. 
Its precious metal content is relatively low at just over 15g of Sterling silver, but its historical context is interesting and makes it my only truly numismatic coin. 

A boss from a previous job got me into silver a couple of years back, and I stacked that for a while. The most I had when stacking silver was a fraction over 5kg but most of that has been sold gradually. I haven't made a loss on any of it and don't regret selling it, although occasionally I think about those 10ozt Pamp bars wistfully! 
I am more into gold now, and not bothered about collecting or condition, I am just after building a modest supplement to my pension when that comes in about 25 years. (If I even make it to that age!) To that end I try to buy CGT exempt coins or at least low premium. I rarely buy outside the forum. In the past I even have been perverse enough to buy coins I don't particularly like, just so I have no compunction over selling them whenever the time comes! But I confess a few beauties have accidentally made it into the pot 🤐
I have a 'humble' background too. I don't work in emergency services or armed forces, and I don't have any friends or relatives into gold (and most have no idea about this aspect of me).
Life has been a bit unconventional for me. I've had two long term partners (at separate times I hasten to add) who have developed illnesses and the financial and emotional strains this has put on them and me has meant I never got on the property ladder and instead built up debts while trying to support them (which I am paying back without ever missing a payment). I guess I've been unlucky but not as unlucky as they have. 
This has also meant no kids of my own, but if I am brutally honest I have never really wanted kids, and I wouldn't be able to afford them anyway. I can afford to rent a modest place and pay its bills, and like the fact that if I do have another change of circumstances I can move with a month's notice and don't have to fork out for a new boiler etc. 
I do think, however, that I would not want to be enslaved by a huge mortgage even if I were earning more. Most people see it as security and that renting is money down the drain, but the only way I could afford even a dump of a place would be to get into a big mortgage which overstretched me and then be stuck to a particular location doing a job I hate just to pay for that dump. Then there's all the costs and hassle of maintenance and home improvements to consider... What I think suits me obviously doesn't suit everyone, or even most people, and many will have the means to make their property nicer and live more comfortably. I am going for what best suits my circumstances rather than trying to bend and stretch to conform to what I am not really comfortable with. It does seem to me that Britain is all about having the house, the car, the holidays whether or not you can really afford it. This digression is only really here because I have seen discussions on here where people seem to agree that it's generally best to avoid getting into debt if possible, especially if the primary motivation is keeping up with the Joneses or trying to live like people do in TV commercials for kitchens, holidays, car adverts.... 
 
I got made redundant earlier this year and now have a much more modest income. I wanted a change of direction and not to live with so much stress. I have the six months cash savings that people often suggest (based on my minimum realistic outgoings) and it has been hard not to buy loads of gold (very, very hard!) and hard not to make bigger payments to my debt, but I am trying to stick to that 6 month cash reserve rule. Having a few extra grand in the bank seems to me to negate the negligible £50, £100 a month saving, since my debts are on long term low interest offers. 
So far I've held on to my gold - almost three ounces - and not had to sell anything, but will need another job or a supplement to my income in the next few months, after I help my partner sort out a few personal and health issues. 
 
Good luck with your journey! 

A boss from a previous job got me into silver a couple of years back, and I stacked that for a while. The most I had when stacking silver was a fraction over 5kg but most of that has been sold gradually. I haven't made a loss on any of it and don't regret selling it, although occasionally I think about those 10ozt Pamp bars wistfully! 
I am more into gold now, and not bothered about collecting or condition, I am just after building a modest supplement to my pension when that comes in about 25 years. (If I even make it to that age!) To that end I try to buy CGT exempt coins or at least low premium. I rarely buy outside the forum. In the past I even have been perverse enough to buy coins I don't particularly like, just so I have no compunction over selling them whenever the time comes! But I confess a few beauties have accidentally made it into the pot 🤐
I have a 'humble' background too. I don't work in emergency services or armed forces, and I don't have any friends or relatives into gold (and most have no idea about this aspect of me).
Life has been a bit unconventional for me. I've had two long term partners (at separate times I hasten to add) who have developed illnesses and the financial and emotional strains this has put on them and me has meant I never got on the property ladder and instead built up debts while trying to support them (which I am paying back without ever missing a payment). I guess I've been unlucky but not as unlucky as they have. 
This has also meant no kids of my own, but if I am brutally honest I have never really wanted kids, and I wouldn't be able to afford them anyway. I can afford to rent a modest place and pay its bills, and like the fact that if I do have another change of circumstances I can move with a month's notice and don't have to fork out for a new boiler etc. 
I do think, however, that I would not want to be enslaved by a huge mortgage even if I were earning more. Most people see it as security and that renting is money down the drain, but the only way I could afford even a dump of a place would be to get into a big mortgage which overstretched me and then be stuck to a particular location doing a job I hate just to pay for that dump. Then there's all the costs and hassle of maintenance and home improvements to consider... What I think suits me obviously doesn't suit everyone, or even most people, and many will have the means to make their property nicer and live more comfortably. I am going for what best suits my circumstances rather than trying to bend and stretch to conform to what I am not really comfortable with. It does seem to me that Britain is all about having the house, the car, the holidays whether or not you can really afford it. This digression is only really here because I have seen discussions on here where people seem to agree that it's generally best to avoid getting into debt if possible, especially if the primary motivation is keeping up with the Joneses or trying to live like people do in TV commercials for kitchens, holidays, car adverts.... 
 
I got made redundant earlier this year and now have a much more modest income. I wanted a change of direction and not to live with so much stress. I have the six months cash savings that people often suggest (based on my minimum realistic outgoings) and it has been hard not to buy loads of gold (very, very hard!) and hard not to make bigger payments to my debt, but I am trying to stick to that 6 month cash reserve rule. Having a few extra grand in the bank seems to me to negate the negligible £50, £100 a month saving, since my debts are on long term low interest offers. 
So far I've held on to my gold - almost three ounces - and not had to sell anything, but will need another job or a supplement to my income in the next few months, after I help my partner sort out a few personal and health issues. 
 
Good luck with your journey! 

Apologies for the photo quality but here is my collection so far (started two months ago). 
 

I also drive a Skoda Fabia! Mines coming up to 5 years old. Great car compared to my previous ones (Ford Mondeos, Peugeot 405, Hyundai Matrix, Rover 400)

A boss from a previous job got me into silver a couple of years back, and I stacked that for a while. The most I had when stacking silver was a fraction over 5kg but most of that has been sold gradually. I haven't made a loss on any of it and don't regret selling it, although occasionally I think about those 10ozt Pamp bars wistfully! 
I am more into gold now, and not bothered about collecting or condition, I am just after building a modest supplement to my pension when that comes in about 25 years. (If I even make it to that age!) To that end I try to buy CGT exempt coins or at least low premium. I rarely buy outside the forum. In the past I even have been perverse enough to buy coins I don't particularly like, just so I have no compunction over selling them whenever the time comes! But I confess a few beauties have accidentally made it into the pot 🤐
I have a 'humble' background too. I don't work in emergency services or armed forces, and I don't have any friends or relatives into gold (and most have no idea about this aspect of me).
Life has been a bit unconventional for me. I've had two long term partners (at separate times I hasten to add) who have developed illnesses and the financial and emotional strains this has put on them and me has meant I never got on the property ladder and instead built up debts while trying to support them (which I am paying back without ever missing a payment). I guess I've been unlucky but not as unlucky as they have. 
This has also meant no kids of my own, but if I am brutally honest I have never really wanted kids, and I wouldn't be able to afford them anyway. I can afford to rent a modest place and pay its bills, and like the fact that if I do have another change of circumstances I can move with a month's notice and don't have to fork out for a new boiler etc. 
I do think, however, that I would not want to be enslaved by a huge mortgage even if I were earning more. Most people see it as security and that renting is money down the drain, but the only way I could afford even a dump of a place would be to get into a big mortgage which overstretched me and then be stuck to a particular location doing a job I hate just to pay for that dump. Then there's all the costs and hassle of maintenance and home improvements to consider... What I think suits me obviously doesn't suit everyone, or even most people, and many will have the means to make their property nicer and live more comfortably. I am going for what best suits my circumstances rather than trying to bend and stretch to conform to what I am not really comfortable with. It does seem to me that Britain is all about having the house, the car, the holidays whether or not you can really afford it. This digression is only really here because I have seen discussions on here where people seem to agree that it's generally best to avoid getting into debt if possible, especially if the primary motivation is keeping up with the Joneses or trying to live like people do in TV commercials for kitchens, holidays, car adverts.... 
 
I got made redundant earlier this year and now have a much more modest income. I wanted a change of direction and not to live with so much stress. I have the six months cash savings that people often suggest (based on my minimum realistic outgoings) and it has been hard not to buy loads of gold (very, very hard!) and hard not to make bigger payments to my debt, but I am trying to stick to that 6 month cash reserve rule. Having a few extra grand in the bank seems to me to negate the negligible £50, £100 a month saving, since my debts are on long term low interest offers. 
So far I've held on to my gold - almost three ounces - and not had to sell anything, but will need another job or a supplement to my income in the next few months, after I help my partner sort out a few personal and health issues. 
 
Good luck with your journey! 

A boss from a previous job got me into silver a couple of years back, and I stacked that for a while. The most I had when stacking silver was a fraction over 5kg but most of that has been sold gradually. I haven't made a loss on any of it and don't regret selling it, although occasionally I think about those 10ozt Pamp bars wistfully! 
I am more into gold now, and not bothered about collecting or condition, I am just after building a modest supplement to my pension when that comes in about 25 years. (If I even make it to that age!) To that end I try to buy CGT exempt coins or at least low premium. I rarely buy outside the forum. In the past I even have been perverse enough to buy coins I don't particularly like, just so I have no compunction over selling them whenever the time comes! But I confess a few beauties have accidentally made it into the pot 🤐
I have a 'humble' background too. I don't work in emergency services or armed forces, and I don't have any friends or relatives into gold (and most have no idea about this aspect of me).
Life has been a bit unconventional for me. I've had two long term partners (at separate times I hasten to add) who have developed illnesses and the financial and emotional strains this has put on them and me has meant I never got on the property ladder and instead built up debts while trying to support them (which I am paying back without ever missing a payment). I guess I've been unlucky but not as unlucky as they have. 
This has also meant no kids of my own, but if I am brutally honest I have never really wanted kids, and I wouldn't be able to afford them anyway. I can afford to rent a modest place and pay its bills, and like the fact that if I do have another change of circumstances I can move with a month's notice and don't have to fork out for a new boiler etc. 
I do think, however, that I would not want to be enslaved by a huge mortgage even if I were earning more. Most people see it as security and that renting is money down the drain, but the only way I could afford even a dump of a place would be to get into a big mortgage which overstretched me and then be stuck to a particular location doing a job I hate just to pay for that dump. Then there's all the costs and hassle of maintenance and home improvements to consider... What I think suits me obviously doesn't suit everyone, or even most people, and many will have the means to make their property nicer and live more comfortably. I am going for what best suits my circumstances rather than trying to bend and stretch to conform to what I am not really comfortable with. It does seem to me that Britain is all about having the house, the car, the holidays whether or not you can really afford it. This digression is only really here because I have seen discussions on here where people seem to agree that it's generally best to avoid getting into debt if possible, especially if the primary motivation is keeping up with the Joneses or trying to live like people do in TV commercials for kitchens, holidays, car adverts.... 
 
I got made redundant earlier this year and now have a much more modest income. I wanted a change of direction and not to live with so much stress. I have the six months cash savings that people often suggest (based on my minimum realistic outgoings) and it has been hard not to buy loads of gold (very, very hard!) and hard not to make bigger payments to my debt, but I am trying to stick to that 6 month cash reserve rule. Having a few extra grand in the bank seems to me to negate the negligible £50, £100 a month saving, since my debts are on long term low interest offers. 
So far I've held on to my gold - almost three ounces - and not had to sell anything, but will need another job or a supplement to my income in the next few months, after I help my partner sort out a few personal and health issues. 
 
Good luck with your journey! 

A boss from a previous job got me into silver a couple of years back, and I stacked that for a while. The most I had when stacking silver was a fraction over 5kg but most of that has been sold gradually. I haven't made a loss on any of it and don't regret selling it, although occasionally I think about those 10ozt Pamp bars wistfully! 
I am more into gold now, and not bothered about collecting or condition, I am just after building a modest supplement to my pension when that comes in about 25 years. (If I even make it to that age!) To that end I try to buy CGT exempt coins or at least low premium. I rarely buy outside the forum. In the past I even have been perverse enough to buy coins I don't particularly like, just so I have no compunction over selling them whenever the time comes! But I confess a few beauties have accidentally made it into the pot 🤐
I have a 'humble' background too. I don't work in emergency services or armed forces, and I don't have any friends or relatives into gold (and most have no idea about this aspect of me).
Life has been a bit unconventional for me. I've had two long term partners (at separate times I hasten to add) who have developed illnesses and the financial and emotional strains this has put on them and me has meant I never got on the property ladder and instead built up debts while trying to support them (which I am paying back without ever missing a payment). I guess I've been unlucky but not as unlucky as they have. 
This has also meant no kids of my own, but if I am brutally honest I have never really wanted kids, and I wouldn't be able to afford them anyway. I can afford to rent a modest place and pay its bills, and like the fact that if I do have another change of circumstances I can move with a month's notice and don't have to fork out for a new boiler etc. 
I do think, however, that I would not want to be enslaved by a huge mortgage even if I were earning more. Most people see it as security and that renting is money down the drain, but the only way I could afford even a dump of a place would be to get into a big mortgage which overstretched me and then be stuck to a particular location doing a job I hate just to pay for that dump. Then there's all the costs and hassle of maintenance and home improvements to consider... What I think suits me obviously doesn't suit everyone, or even most people, and many will have the means to make their property nicer and live more comfortably. I am going for what best suits my circumstances rather than trying to bend and stretch to conform to what I am not really comfortable with. It does seem to me that Britain is all about having the house, the car, the holidays whether or not you can really afford it. This digression is only really here because I have seen discussions on here where people seem to agree that it's generally best to avoid getting into debt if possible, especially if the primary motivation is keeping up with the Joneses or trying to live like people do in TV commercials for kitchens, holidays, car adverts.... 
 
I got made redundant earlier this year and now have a much more modest income. I wanted a change of direction and not to live with so much stress. I have the six months cash savings that people often suggest (based on my minimum realistic outgoings) and it has been hard not to buy loads of gold (very, very hard!) and hard not to make bigger payments to my debt, but I am trying to stick to that 6 month cash reserve rule. Having a few extra grand in the bank seems to me to negate the negligible £50, £100 a month saving, since my debts are on long term low interest offers. 
So far I've held on to my gold - almost three ounces - and not had to sell anything, but will need another job or a supplement to my income in the next few months, after I help my partner sort out a few personal and health issues. 
 
Good luck with your journey! 

Many years ago I use to work abroad, it always amazed me that bullion was readily available to buy from banks, airport and pretty much most jewelry shops. I spent a couple of years collecting random bits not even knowing of the term stacker. I slowly went from buying 999 to pre decimal, I felt this was a better way of accumulating some weight at close to spot as far as my budget allowed. After doing this for ten years alone, I found the silver forum and Yes I probably am a stacker.
My budget... When work decided to sort the pension out, I had a option. Basically if I put 5% in they will put 10%. I could put 10% in but they will still only put 10% in. A lot of lads put the full 10% but I decided that every payslip I would match the 5% and put it into a separate account (metals account). So that's my budget, very low and ultimately a kind of long winded exercise to tell a story down the pub when I retire.
Metals account... This is linked to PayPal, eBay and Etsy. The money doesn't go directly to metals, it ends up as metals. It's the only way a could achieve any kind of weight. I have a missus's who works days, I work nights, I have two kids under 4 and one is disabled and money is tight, we have a massive mortgage on a house. My missus is a Amazon addict, every day some guy comes to the door delivering some piece of useless plastic cr*p. We came to a agreement that once it's not being used that I could recycle it all through eBay and turn it into gold and silver. I basically sell the clutter. I carboot regularly and flip a few bits, and do a bit of upcycling (when time allows). All of these things top up my metals account. 
I've tried many things over the years to save or invest and usually end up getting burnt. Recently I've started regularly putting into crypto and you can imagine how that's going. I'm going to persist with it but only small amounts of money every month (cost of a Friday night out). 
To sum up, I treat all my bits as a hobby, not a investment, this way there is no expectations. It all depends on what you want out of it? Money? Security? Hobby? Or just a story to tell down the pub.
 

I’m pretty new to the world of gold and silver. Only started a couple months back. I’m in my mid 30’s and rent in London, so it’s a bit of a struggle trying to save up a deposit. During the pandemic my mrs got made redundant and so therefore had to find any job that she could get. Luckily she found a job round the corner but it was a minimum wage job working at the local bakery. Prior to this she was actually earning much more than me and had saved up quite a bit. Me on the other hand, I’ve managed to carry on working but I was only on an modest wage in comparison with a credit card to pay off so was unable to save. Due to working from home I was able to pay off this debt and start saving properly. Although I’m debt free I don’t have the 3-6 month cash reserves, I think I will defo have this as a priority now tho 🤙. 
 
Anyway in the past I had looked at stocks and shares, Isa’s, crypto etc and do regularly put towards them. I was wondering if there were other ways of saving for a potential deposit. Then randomly whilst on youtube a video by @backyardbullion popped up on silver. Found myself watching that and got hooked watching a few vids by him. It was then I took the plunge and just bought a couple of oz of silver off gold.co.uk. Just wanted to test the water a bit and then I thought I’ll get a bit of gold so thought I’d go easy and get a half sov. Since then I’m pretty hooked but I’ve really got to make sure I stick to a plan now as I know when you first get into it, it can get quite addictive and the shiny stuff does look good too 😉
I think reading this thread is pretty fascinating as everyone is doing it for different reasons. I’m doing it as another form of saving with my main focus on CGT coins in case I ever need to sell them in future. But whatever peoples journeys are, I’m glad I’ve joined this forum as I’ve managed to get some great tips and bag some great deals that I would never have found prior. Just wish I got my first coins off here! Live and learn I suppose, hopefully one day I’ll have a good looking stack 🤙

A boss from a previous job got me into silver a couple of years back, and I stacked that for a while. The most I had when stacking silver was a fraction over 5kg but most of that has been sold gradually. I haven't made a loss on any of it and don't regret selling it, although occasionally I think about those 10ozt Pamp bars wistfully! 
I am more into gold now, and not bothered about collecting or condition, I am just after building a modest supplement to my pension when that comes in about 25 years. (If I even make it to that age!) To that end I try to buy CGT exempt coins or at least low premium. I rarely buy outside the forum. In the past I even have been perverse enough to buy coins I don't particularly like, just so I have no compunction over selling them whenever the time comes! But I confess a few beauties have accidentally made it into the pot 🤐
I have a 'humble' background too. I don't work in emergency services or armed forces, and I don't have any friends or relatives into gold (and most have no idea about this aspect of me).
Life has been a bit unconventional for me. I've had two long term partners (at separate times I hasten to add) who have developed illnesses and the financial and emotional strains this has put on them and me has meant I never got on the property ladder and instead built up debts while trying to support them (which I am paying back without ever missing a payment). I guess I've been unlucky but not as unlucky as they have. 
This has also meant no kids of my own, but if I am brutally honest I have never really wanted kids, and I wouldn't be able to afford them anyway. I can afford to rent a modest place and pay its bills, and like the fact that if I do have another change of circumstances I can move with a month's notice and don't have to fork out for a new boiler etc. 
I do think, however, that I would not want to be enslaved by a huge mortgage even if I were earning more. Most people see it as security and that renting is money down the drain, but the only way I could afford even a dump of a place would be to get into a big mortgage which overstretched me and then be stuck to a particular location doing a job I hate just to pay for that dump. Then there's all the costs and hassle of maintenance and home improvements to consider... What I think suits me obviously doesn't suit everyone, or even most people, and many will have the means to make their property nicer and live more comfortably. I am going for what best suits my circumstances rather than trying to bend and stretch to conform to what I am not really comfortable with. It does seem to me that Britain is all about having the house, the car, the holidays whether or not you can really afford it. This digression is only really here because I have seen discussions on here where people seem to agree that it's generally best to avoid getting into debt if possible, especially if the primary motivation is keeping up with the Joneses or trying to live like people do in TV commercials for kitchens, holidays, car adverts.... 
 
I got made redundant earlier this year and now have a much more modest income. I wanted a change of direction and not to live with so much stress. I have the six months cash savings that people often suggest (based on my minimum realistic outgoings) and it has been hard not to buy loads of gold (very, very hard!) and hard not to make bigger payments to my debt, but I am trying to stick to that 6 month cash reserve rule. Having a few extra grand in the bank seems to me to negate the negligible £50, £100 a month saving, since my debts are on long term low interest offers. 
So far I've held on to my gold - almost three ounces - and not had to sell anything, but will need another job or a supplement to my income in the next few months, after I help my partner sort out a few personal and health issues. 
 
Good luck with your journey! 

A boss from a previous job got me into silver a couple of years back, and I stacked that for a while. The most I had when stacking silver was a fraction over 5kg but most of that has been sold gradually. I haven't made a loss on any of it and don't regret selling it, although occasionally I think about those 10ozt Pamp bars wistfully! 
I am more into gold now, and not bothered about collecting or condition, I am just after building a modest supplement to my pension when that comes in about 25 years. (If I even make it to that age!) To that end I try to buy CGT exempt coins or at least low premium. I rarely buy outside the forum. In the past I even have been perverse enough to buy coins I don't particularly like, just so I have no compunction over selling them whenever the time comes! But I confess a few beauties have accidentally made it into the pot 🤐
I have a 'humble' background too. I don't work in emergency services or armed forces, and I don't have any friends or relatives into gold (and most have no idea about this aspect of me).
Life has been a bit unconventional for me. I've had two long term partners (at separate times I hasten to add) who have developed illnesses and the financial and emotional strains this has put on them and me has meant I never got on the property ladder and instead built up debts while trying to support them (which I am paying back without ever missing a payment). I guess I've been unlucky but not as unlucky as they have. 
This has also meant no kids of my own, but if I am brutally honest I have never really wanted kids, and I wouldn't be able to afford them anyway. I can afford to rent a modest place and pay its bills, and like the fact that if I do have another change of circumstances I can move with a month's notice and don't have to fork out for a new boiler etc. 
I do think, however, that I would not want to be enslaved by a huge mortgage even if I were earning more. Most people see it as security and that renting is money down the drain, but the only way I could afford even a dump of a place would be to get into a big mortgage which overstretched me and then be stuck to a particular location doing a job I hate just to pay for that dump. Then there's all the costs and hassle of maintenance and home improvements to consider... What I think suits me obviously doesn't suit everyone, or even most people, and many will have the means to make their property nicer and live more comfortably. I am going for what best suits my circumstances rather than trying to bend and stretch to conform to what I am not really comfortable with. It does seem to me that Britain is all about having the house, the car, the holidays whether or not you can really afford it. This digression is only really here because I have seen discussions on here where people seem to agree that it's generally best to avoid getting into debt if possible, especially if the primary motivation is keeping up with the Joneses or trying to live like people do in TV commercials for kitchens, holidays, car adverts.... 
 
I got made redundant earlier this year and now have a much more modest income. I wanted a change of direction and not to live with so much stress. I have the six months cash savings that people often suggest (based on my minimum realistic outgoings) and it has been hard not to buy loads of gold (very, very hard!) and hard not to make bigger payments to my debt, but I am trying to stick to that 6 month cash reserve rule. Having a few extra grand in the bank seems to me to negate the negligible £50, £100 a month saving, since my debts are on long term low interest offers. 
So far I've held on to my gold - almost three ounces - and not had to sell anything, but will need another job or a supplement to my income in the next few months, after I help my partner sort out a few personal and health issues. 
 
Good luck with your journey! 

A boss from a previous job got me into silver a couple of years back, and I stacked that for a while. The most I had when stacking silver was a fraction over 5kg but most of that has been sold gradually. I haven't made a loss on any of it and don't regret selling it, although occasionally I think about those 10ozt Pamp bars wistfully! 
I am more into gold now, and not bothered about collecting or condition, I am just after building a modest supplement to my pension when that comes in about 25 years. (If I even make it to that age!) To that end I try to buy CGT exempt coins or at least low premium. I rarely buy outside the forum. In the past I even have been perverse enough to buy coins I don't particularly like, just so I have no compunction over selling them whenever the time comes! But I confess a few beauties have accidentally made it into the pot 🤐
I have a 'humble' background too. I don't work in emergency services or armed forces, and I don't have any friends or relatives into gold (and most have no idea about this aspect of me).
Life has been a bit unconventional for me. I've had two long term partners (at separate times I hasten to add) who have developed illnesses and the financial and emotional strains this has put on them and me has meant I never got on the property ladder and instead built up debts while trying to support them (which I am paying back without ever missing a payment). I guess I've been unlucky but not as unlucky as they have. 
This has also meant no kids of my own, but if I am brutally honest I have never really wanted kids, and I wouldn't be able to afford them anyway. I can afford to rent a modest place and pay its bills, and like the fact that if I do have another change of circumstances I can move with a month's notice and don't have to fork out for a new boiler etc. 
I do think, however, that I would not want to be enslaved by a huge mortgage even if I were earning more. Most people see it as security and that renting is money down the drain, but the only way I could afford even a dump of a place would be to get into a big mortgage which overstretched me and then be stuck to a particular location doing a job I hate just to pay for that dump. Then there's all the costs and hassle of maintenance and home improvements to consider... What I think suits me obviously doesn't suit everyone, or even most people, and many will have the means to make their property nicer and live more comfortably. I am going for what best suits my circumstances rather than trying to bend and stretch to conform to what I am not really comfortable with. It does seem to me that Britain is all about having the house, the car, the holidays whether or not you can really afford it. This digression is only really here because I have seen discussions on here where people seem to agree that it's generally best to avoid getting into debt if possible, especially if the primary motivation is keeping up with the Joneses or trying to live like people do in TV commercials for kitchens, holidays, car adverts.... 
 
I got made redundant earlier this year and now have a much more modest income. I wanted a change of direction and not to live with so much stress. I have the six months cash savings that people often suggest (based on my minimum realistic outgoings) and it has been hard not to buy loads of gold (very, very hard!) and hard not to make bigger payments to my debt, but I am trying to stick to that 6 month cash reserve rule. Having a few extra grand in the bank seems to me to negate the negligible £50, £100 a month saving, since my debts are on long term low interest offers. 
So far I've held on to my gold - almost three ounces - and not had to sell anything, but will need another job or a supplement to my income in the next few months, after I help my partner sort out a few personal and health issues. 
 
Good luck with your journey! 

I watched this and it was utter tripe.  Nothing to do with mining, geology or metallurgy. 
Just more BBC force feeding anti-company, “workers are good, bosses are bad” junk.
Vile, but I expected nothing less.  
I don’t often express opinions here but we should remember that when Jimmy Savile and other “stars” were abusing children, the BBC management ignored the behaviour.  This was at BBC TV centre.
Today single mums are sent to prison for failing to pay the licence fee.  I have personally had bullying BBC licence fee collectors at my door tying to intimidate me for failing to pay a licence fee that I had already paid.
The BBC is morally bankrupt and cannot create a programme without perverting the content to match its own woke view of the world.
Best
Dicker
 

I was working for a German investment bank in 1998 / 1999 when they 'fessed up to finding large number of gold bars that were Nazi in origin.  I cant remember if it was EUR60M or EUR200M in value but it was a lot for the bank to have 'found' after all those years.
The same bank regularly published 'from the archive', but curiously the archives from 1939 - 1945 were never explored or published.
I attach an article from the Bank of England internal magazine from 1997.  Worth a read.
Best
DickerOld Lady article on Nazi Gold.pdf
 
 

As someone with only a small amount of gold I was very pleased to receive this from @Gypsytoday, effectively doubling my total gold holding by weight. Beautiful coin and a pleasure to deal with. 

Here are a couple of treasure wreck coins from the Dicker collection. 
Relatively inexpensive to buy but with a wealth of history.  
 
These are old pics and these are in the bank vault so sorry I don’t have better pics.  
 
Best
Dicker

We just re-photographed a 1967 Tonga palladium set:

Hau did we manage that?

...and the edge inscriptions:

Historically the first palladium coinage.
 
 
 

The first physical cash machine for gold bars is now in the Czech Republic
And today, Peter Spina of GoldSeek.com reports that the Czech Republic's first physical gold bullion ATM has opened in central Prague, with more plans to be added in the near future.
...
The machine offers three options, but only two were in stock. A 1 gram gold bar, a 10 gram Argor Heraeus gold bar, and a 1 troy ounce bar.
The machine only accepts cash, euros or Czech crowns and you do not need to register your purchase with ID or registration of a phone number. However, there is a limit to purchasing anonymously. 250,000 CZK or 10,000 euros. Similar to the laws in the US ($ 10,000).

The prices were very competitive with the 10 gram gold bars in other large Prague gold shops (10 gram for 14,300 CZK or 563 euros).
The purchase was quick and easy. You select the desired gold bar, then feed the machine with banknotes and press "Buy".
https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&u=https://uncutnews.ch/der-erste-physische-geldautomat-fuer-goldbarren-steht-jetzt-in-der-tschechischen-republik/
Just imagine: "Honey, when you go shopping, please don't forget the salad and the 1g Heraeus", again!" 

I’m a vintage nutter - my new acquisition - 1940’s HM MINT BOMBAY (SO MUCH HISTORY & CULTURE) 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 

As always, apologies for the poor photos. Also apologies for not getting everything out (ooh err) as I was pushed for time. 

Bought this 1994 5 coin set over 20 years ago. The  coins came wrapped in a plastic strip, but as they were bullion/ proof-like I found this old box to keep them in... Reminds me of my 2011 visit to Chendu, the Panda breeding centre in China!.  As I only paid £440 for the set, there may be benefits for collectors/stackers to think about the medium to long term as an investment, whatever gold coins you collect.  It has certainly worked for me. Not keen on the newer 30g Pandas with 1.1gr less gold though.
 

I most definitely have the fractionals bug again. Picked up this element card. Now wishing I hadn’t sold my combi 1gramers lol 😂 7 needed to complete sigh. 

Give it to someone who needs it. 

Following on from my old thread where I asked if my gold coin was genuine, I finally received my Kickstarter phone-attachment microscope and have been able to delve into some of the details of the coin. All of these are genuine photos and not CGI!
First off a picture of the actual whole coin:

Here's a picture of Britannia's face:

 
And Elizabeth II on the other side:

 
Here's a nice photo which encompasses some of the security features of the coin, including the hologram where you can barely make out the trident, and also the teeny weeny text at the top middle - "DE":

 
Here's a close up of some of that tiny text:
 
 
 

 
And also a close up of that hologram:

 
I haven't exactly treated the coin with kid gloves (handling and ping tests with metal tweezers etc.), so there are some scratches and nicks evident:

 
Here's a close up of the '2' from the year 2021 written on the coin:

 
Here's a close up of part of the shield. I like the mottled effect surrounding it:

 
Here's a close up of that mottled effect background:

 
Finally, I couldn't resist zooming into the edge of the coin:

 
And a close up...

 
And zooming in again!!

 
And one last further zoom!!