Renovations and Repayments.

Roof is done. Pleased we no longer have tradesmen here but also rather annoyed about how much it cost and the fact our personal savings are now looking woeful. Can't say I feel it's been good value for money as we've lived with it for a long time and become accustomed to putting up with the house being as it is (was). Wife asked about stopping the overpayments and putting our surplus money into saving for the bathroom to be replaced. :mad: To be honest, I'd rather overpay; I don't much care about the place.

Have also spent a lot of money on the MGB (c.£2,000) which was a little unexpected, one job turned into another. Really don't think we're going to have any overpayment / surplus amount at all this month.

After the pencil incident, I've had a bad day trying to make my mind up whether to tell the school I'm leaving or not.

newgirly wrote: »

Sorry to hear that Alex, did you see the child take the pencil?

I didn't see it happen, no. There's a chance of it being one of two children (used the pencil during child a's lesson, couldn't find it during child b's lesson). However, I would be extremely surprised and upset if it were child b: have taught for a few years, works very hard, really enjoys playing violin and I have gone above and beyond to help this child achieve. To date I have spent significantly more on this child than I have received back in lesson payments (I bought child b an instrument suitable for the higher grades because her parents have very little money and school could only provide a basic instrument, also bought sheet music and books about music for the pupil, accompanied for free, paid exam fees and lots of unpaid time prepping for exams, theory work and improving general musicianship). Therefore, to my mind there is one suspect only.

edinburgher wrote: »

House finished bar some carpet and the kitchen, which will probably get a mini makeover late next year.

Sorry to hear about the pencil, children can be total kleptomaniacs

You certainly don't hang around with the house renovations.

It appears so.

Watty1 wrote: »

sorry about the pencil. try not to let it spoil the whole picture. Easier said than done I admit

Certainly is easier said than done, Watty.

tootallulah wrote: »

For once I am with Mrs K making where you live water tight and comfortable would be important to me too. So sad about the pencil, and hard to accept too but what a shame for your good student if you leave. Just look at the bigger picture Alex, 3 years ago how could you have paid for the MGB? Times have changed for you so much, and in a very short time too.

The roof is now done. There is nothing wrong with the bathroom other than it being over 50 years old and in a vile colour scheme. My wife wants new and a walk-in shower.

I do have some good pupils at that school but quite a few are not so nice. It's a strange set up as I do some paid and some voluntary work there. I don't really get the opportunity to choose whether or not I teach someone.

You're right about the fact I would not have been able to pay for everything I've bought for the B from our own personal finances.

maman wrote: »

Don't you think it's rather strange to be annoyed at spending money on your roof and refuse to refurbish your bathroom but accept it's fine to spend £2000 on a car which is part of your hobby and not even essential transport. That's a really difficult logic to understand. I suspect you're back to feeling that if the house isn't as big and impressive and valuable as your parents' home then it's not worth caring about. The house your live in now is your family home Alex not a metaphoric castle in the air.

The pen incident is unfortunate but it happens I'm afraid. As a volunteer then it's your choice whether to return but what if something similar happened when you were employed? Something to think about maybe. And while I'm having a moan at you (:o) I don't think it's wise to pay so much from your own pocket for that pupil. It's very kind and understandable but unless the school was prepared to find the money from somewhere then you'd be on a hiding to nothing if you took that mindset into a teaching career.

Anyway, it's Friday!!:j I do hope MrsK is fully recovered and you've got something nice planned as a family for the weekend.:)

Maman, I don't find myself personally satisfied by the new roof and whilst I would like to replace the bathroom at some point, I know it's something that has survived for over 50 years and if left would likely survive another 50 years. However, I do derive some personal satisfaction from owning, driving and maintaining classic cars. Therefore, I cannot see where the fault in my logic is?

My wife seems to think if we went through the place, replacing the bathroom and kitchen and redecorating, it would change my thoughts. Regarding my reasons for not caring an awful lot about the house, I suppose it not being the place I wanted to live in for a long time and raise a family in plays a part but I've also gone through some very difficult times whilst living here. It is rather humiliating to be in the position I am financially; reliant on either my wife or parents. This place never ceases to remind me of my failures to achieve. I don't feel like that about my childhood home as my parents have always expected me to be it's eventual custodian.

Children stealing things is one thing but staff refusing to investigate the crime is another. To buy a new version of the pencil that was stolen would cost £275. That pencil has sat in my violin case for almost twenty years and holds a lot of sentimental value. We aren't talking about a 10p throwaway pencil that would clearly hold no sentimental value. If I were one of the powers that be, it would have been dealt with as a criminal matter. I'm going to stay until I decide whether I ought to leave or not.

Regarding money spent on the pupil, you're right. I've spent quite a lot of money on pupils, I shouldn't do it and it's almost like being a substitute parent at times there. To be honest, I couldn't work in a school like that as a permanent member of staff and fully acknowledge that. This is a school which has meetings about pupils with ill-fitting and worn out shoes and children who are not eating properly at home. I know I could not deal with that without spending my own money should the school not help. I've had pupils taking Music who I give extra tuition to as they approach their GCSE so have recommended revision materials to parents who won't purchase despite their child being keen to revise the subject. I cannot stand by as the pupil doesn't get the grade they want or need for the sake of £10 or so. Who could, really? Not asked school for the money back, they only get so much funding as I'm sure you are aware. Ultimately, it should be the parents responsibility but a lot of these children don't have parents who value their child's education.

My wife is fine now, thank you. We went out with my wife's brother and his family last night to an Indian restaurant. Over the past year or so I've not been able to eat Indian food without feeling rather ill until around lunchtime the day after but this is the first time I've actually been sick. Don't think there was anything wrong with the food, just with me. Anyhow, I won't be eating it again and our plans for today have been knocked back a week. Mrs K took our son to my cousin's for his riding lesson and cousin managed to get her on a horse for five minutes (wife is quite scared of the idea of horse riding).

Not had a great day today. Really questioning the future and some of the choices I've made which directly impacts on my income. To be honest, I'm making even less money as of late and spending more. We won't overpay this month and I've no motivation to try to make some money to be put into our non-existent savings. Tried to bring up potential time scales for selling the house but that wasn't one of my wisest moves. :rotfl:

SingleSue wrote: »

I always told my children not to take things into school that they couldn't afford to replace or would be very upset if they went missing. Maybe you should also think about that approach to prevent losses in the future.

I know it is not a nice thing to have happen and you should have the freedom to have quality items around you whilst you work but there has always been and always will be, little tykes around.

I'm afraid to say, I am also with your wife on the bathroom thing, to be honest, I would be mighty peeved if I was being told we couldn't afford a new bathroom suite only for the other person in the relationship to then go out and spend 2k on a non essential car. It may still be functional but a new suite may be even more functional, look nicer and possibly be more efficient (and improve the saleability of the house in the future).

2k for me would have bought me an entire car and would have been posh for me until I got my motability one, the last car I got was £750, I had it for 2 years doing thousands of miles and my brother has owned it for the last year, doing even more miles than I did! A 2k repair bill would have seen me scrapping the car, I understand it is a classic car and things are different with these but did it really, absolutely, need to have all the repairs done right now? Is this your main car you drive and it needed to be done to keep it legal on the roads? If not, why did it need to be done all at the same time?

Maybe a balance is needed, an agreement of splitting the money so that if there is 1k spare, £500 goes into the bathroom fund and £500 into the fun car fund....you both get what you want then.

I understand where you're coming from re. school. Beyond what happened, I'm unimpressed by the way it was handled by the school. That has concerned me as much as the crime itself.

The MG isn't everyday transport but I have only just bought the car. After buying I decided to do a little work to make it drive better and some work to the interior trim. If I'm honest I've allowed myself to get a bit carried away with it. Have gone back to searching and buying parts for the cars to improve them / keep potential upgrades in stock etc. Do need to stop doing it to this extent as it's starting to get a little out of hand again.

Renovating the bathroom would cost the purchase price of the MG plus the c.£2,000 I've spent on it. To be honest, it seems like a lot of money to spend on this place again.

newgirly wrote: »

I agree with sue, also I don't see why your wishes are more important than your wife's to be honest. If you are not bothered about the house, why not let her get on with it? You have your cars, let her make the house as she wants it!

When have I alluded to my wishes being more important?

Let my wife make the house as she wants it? No thank you, NG. I am here a lot more than she is and her ideas for the house are for the most part ghastly. I've every intention to finish the house but it is not my main priority and at the moment we cannot afford to finish the house even if we wanted to.

gallygirl wrote: »

Hmmmm..........that IS what is wrong with it .

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

My point was to illustrate it still functions perfectly well. As this is the money SAVING expert, do you really think it is worth replacing for those reasons?