Live on £4000 for a year - Part 3

Frugaldom

lingojingo wrote: »

ex OH wants his share of equity in the house then and I can't afford to buy him out (nor he me), but 1/2 a house doesn't buy a whole one elsewhere!

Been there! What a nightmare. Ours was mortgaged to the hilt with a home improvement loan secured on it, so it took an extra 2 years to scrape out of the negative equity pit before selling. Half the proceeds didn't even amount to a deposit on another house - still renting, but it means I'm mortgage free. :rotfl:

Off to the postie now, it's 'the place to be' for all the news; chances are, they'll have heard what's happening to our house before we have! :rotfl:

Marru

bails wrote: »

I'm off to hang my washing out and then get my head down for a bit so have a fab afternoon everyone x

It is going to rain soon - NOW actually.

Heading out now myself...

Brighton_belle

These gdn pictures are very inspiring. Trouble is, I fail big time on regular watering. So I know how ever committed I am at the beginning, the watering goes to pot and things just die, or don't grow much. What I need is an integrating watering system but that doesn't work with pots.
Whitewing - I can't imagine from the quality of people on here that anyone is anything other than delighted for you going on your wedding moon. We've all had tough times and it's good to rejoice when we see others have good times who deserve it too.
Ridiculously excited by the approach of the end of my first month accounting for every penny. By the 31st I will be able to see clearly what I spend my money on, and from then beable to set mini targets to reduce each colum as possible. Although my pay has gone in my bank today, I'm really trying hard to hold off buying any more food (other than a bit of milk and a few bits of fruit) til the 31st. I want to totally use up stuff that has been hanging around too long in my freezer. I think my food bill is the first thing I want to reduce and am confident with all the tips I get here I will do. I am wayyy over the challenge spend for this month. Can't bring myself to say how much:o but again, knowledge is a great starting point.
Two good frugaling events this week:
today, after much effort on my part, I have secured a £1,300 rebate for my OH's overpaid council tax (his finances are a complete mess and I am gradually untangling them). It's all got allocated to other necessities straight away, so no 'having fun spending it, but it takes a bit of pressure off as his temp contract ends mid sept and no other work lined up yet. And in acknowledgement of my wonderfulness he is my slave for the day now. The other good thing is OH has taken his car off the road as he has finally recognised he can't afford to run it and it makes much more sense to share mine.
Eager learner - thank for the tips re vouchers - 'll go and see if anything like that would be useable for us.

wendywitch

Think I just got conned by a gardener. He'd been round to give me a verbal quote for cutting down my over grown garden (front and back) which I agreed to but I think I must have miss understood
He and his workmate have done the front and have charged me nearly then same as what I thought the whole job was costing
I asked him again how much it will cost to do the back garden and it's over doubled in price :mad:
Can't afford it so I'm back to square one with an over grown garden which will keep growing that I know I can't sort out on my own
Anyone got a goat they'd lend me??? :rolleyes:

Burlesque_Babe

out of interest wendy - how much did he quote/charge? I have awful hayfever and hate the sun so often think of getting someone just once in the summer to mow the front and back (small) lawns and giving everything a really good weed.

awful though that they have changed the price

Frugaldom

Have to share this picture with you all... how cute is this little house?
Now if only we could find 2 bedroom detached properties like this in the UK then I could easily be tempted to first in line to pay the $12,000 asking price! :eek: :T Pity it's so far to Indiana! Can you still get $2 to the pound? Can you fly there from Prestwick? What's the cost of living like in Indiana? I love this little house, I can just see the soup pots and salad baskets all around the veranda, peas and beans growing up the window trellis and me sat there on the laptop using satelite broadband to send my work files.

Honest, I wasn't surfing eBid again, err, umm... I don't think?

Welcome back Keren, nice seeing you again, must have a look at your link and see what you've been up to these past few weeks. I'm intrigued. :cool:

wendywitch

He told me he charges £12 per hour but OAP's and mates £10 an hours (he recognized from school years ago so I got mates rate).
He said it would take 5 hours = £50.
Him and his mate started at 9am finished at 10 and charged me £40 .
I'm not good with confrontation so didn't argue about it. It's about the only time I miss having my husband around.

Burlesque_Babe

ooooooooh, now that is a cute house!!!

there are loads of properties across the eastern parts of Europe - bulgaria kind of way and east again which are ramshackle farmhouses going for virtually nothing - but they are run down and I guess too far out of civilisation to be snapped up by people wanting holiday homes.

Hi Nyk - it feels good to be back

wendy - that seems very, very unfair, particularly as he said youcould have a mate's rate. Maybe give him a ring and just say you had been thinking about it all and wondered if he could explain why it came to £40?

wendywitch

That house is so sweet! Can I come and sit on a rocking chair on your veranda? Home made lemonade anyone??

Marru

Sorry about popping in and out so briefly today but Bails has put me to work hard. I can confirm that tasks for today are finished!!!

Off now to pick up DD from nursery. Has been NCD (and only one bisquit) and got some nice whoopsied veggies and plums from Mr S today. I got big lot of mushrooms for under a pound but they need to be cooked tonight. Can't wait. :j

Cheerio... Love the house!!!