So here's to you, Mrs R....

beanielou

Sounds great
So true its not a rehersal.

mrs_robinson_3

Thanks BL!

"It's not a rehearsal" is one of my mantras.....

and so is.....

"If you never did, you should. These things are fun, and fun is good"

That one's Dr Seuss. But it says a lot.

Mrs R

BEAT_THE_DEBT

hello. hope your ok.x Lovely sunny weather.xx

mrs_robinson_3

Hi all - am fine. Just busy busy busy. So, quick update:

Plodding on, debt-wise. Have now split that £4.6k between Virgin (£2700- ish at 0% for 14 months, but then all being well, won't need the 14 months, so it should be my last ever BT - and fee!).

The rest is still with RBS at 3.9% - as am going to pay at £400 p.m, think will clear it in Oct and will still be on track to finish with Virgin in April.

All of which means won't have the hurrah! moment of knowing have cleared another, with what would have been my final payment to RBS next month, before I did the BT from Egg to RBS this month, hotly followed by the subsequent one from RBS to Virgin. Yes, it's been a busy month on the BT front - had to mentally write off the £119 fee to RBS as was my own silly fault for not pursuing Virgin's initial refusal sooner......but sometimes this stuff happens I guess on the path to DF glory......

Finding budgeting my personal weekly spending much harder at present - as Mr R and I are both not working in the formal sense at the mo, we keep having "days out" (though we always take vouchers like the good little DFWs we are, for lunch and the like) and our summer social life is more costly than our winter one......but bank a/c still surprisingly healthy. This week have spent £65 so far, when my budget is actually £30 - luckily the cleeaning takes up the slack......though one client is leaving me (temporarily) for building works, so will need to start racking up more NSDs, which won't be a hardship anyway as my garden is lovely just now.....

And speaking of cleaning, have now decided I really want to make more of it and am going to launch a new business (have run a v modest enterprise in the past).

Am still feeling my way with it, and want the summer to research for a September launch, but think it might be a good move to position it as "housekeeping services".

So as well as cleaning, we could (for example) file people's on-line shopping orders, take delivery, wait in for stuff generally, pick up parcels, declutter, help people plan parties, suggest menus etc (am something of a cook, am told). Am thinking that, other than the cleaning, it would be hard to price a lot of this stuff indivdually, so a monthly subscription would be good, for which people buy a set number of hours etc....think this is how the big agencies like Quintessentially work, but need to assess the market for such things here.....has anyone got any views?....I do think this would be perfect for me......

And as for a name to the enterprise, well I need to have a play with that...

But am thinking of something like The House Mistress

Toodleoo

Mrs R

hypno06

I think it is a fab idea :j:j:j

mrs_robinson_3

Thanks Hypno - am really excited about it and itching to make a start. Seize the day!

Mrs R

hypno06

I really do think that as people like me work longer hours, with children etc to take up their time outside work, that there is more and more of a call for housekeeping type services.

For example, just having someone available to accept a delivery - much better to pay someone for an hour or two, than to have to take a day's holiday, surely!

mrs_robinson_3

Yes, that's what gave me the germ of the idea - thinking about all that I do in a day now that I'm not *out* at work, and how others must need someone else to do all that stuff.....and whilst I know there are many such services nationally, am pretty sure there's nothing local to me. Plus am a cheerful sort, with a CRB check, rave reviews, and a winning way - yes, there's no stopping me now, once I get the bit between my teeth - am gone.

Mrs R

macgirl

I love the idea too! :T
It's a service I would definitely use rather than use precious holidays. I often say I could do with a wife, so The House Mistress sounds like a plan.
All the best with it, I'm sure it'll be the start of a lucrative venture!

makeup

Hi Mrs R

I've not been on your thread for a while so was remiss in answering your question about doing a book swap for the Robert Mapplethorpe / Patti Smith biographies.

Sadly, I was v. MSE when reading Robert Mapplethorpes biog. At the time I worked in an art gallery, the show at the time featured some of his work so the book was in the shop. The show was very very quiet so I took the opportunity to work my way through the book, reading a bit more each shift. It did mean that towards the end of the show I was panic reading the last few chapters and my customer service skills may have suffered as a result but at least I didn't have to pay for it!!!

So I don't have the book to do a swap - which is a real shame!

Re: Hot pink nail polish - my Summer colour of choice is Nars 'Schiap' - I love it because it is named for the 30's designer Elsa Schiaparelli, it is hot hot pink, it is properly opaque (I hate to see the nail through it) and it has no shimmer. In fact, I'm feeling inspired to do a mini-pedi tonight with it!!!

Re: Eurocamp - I was a courier for them back in 1998 - what an amazing time. I don't think you will find the space a problem. Most families spend their time outside - hopefully your site will allow BBQ's and just about everyone had their meals outside and I'm sure the boys will be off as soon as they get up to head to the pool or beach or on bikes or whatever. The new mobiles are amazing - really good facilities and full of mod cons!

Re: House mistress - totally agree - fabulous idea. I know that some of the big businesses in London (city types) offer this as a perk to their staff (which is kind of back handed as it means their staff have no reason to take a day off for deliveries etc so can work their fingers to the bone). Might there be some companies in your neck of woods who might consider doing this for their staff. Other things you could do is hold keys (although guess there are security implications in this) to save people from having to call out locksmith. Also emergency services, like sort out a plumber for a leak, sort out boiler repairs that kind of thing.

Anyway it all sounds like you are really on top of things and I hope you have an amazing holiday!