As The Workhouse Approaches....How To Do Everything To Avoid It, the Old Style Way

ChocClare

Apparently it's a well-known fact that people regret things they DIDN'T do, rather than things they did.

So I'm on the "go for it" side as well, I think!

If you're paying $6000 in service charges, that gives you $500 per month towards your new mortgage without your having to go out to work.

Of course, there are agents/solicitors/duty fees to be paid when you buy and sell a house, and I don't know what those are in Australia.

But it does seem a very good opportunity. What is the difference in rates? Would it cost more to heat? What about water/sewage costs? I'm sure these are all things you're taking into account, but your service charges are SO HIGH.... I would have thought you'd got a bit of a headstart there!

grandma247

softstuff it sounds a good idea to me too. The lodgers or foreign students idea sounds good too.

I remember when we were in germany years ago they had regular curbside collection and my brothers who were very young at the time spent ages looking for "treasures". A friend told me they did this in Holland as well.

Gintotmelinda

Hi all

Softstuff-go for it. Sounds wonderful to me. Do you have NF? My husband and children do.

Best of luck.

gintot

juliethemuse

carboot season is upoin us again :T i just LOVE carboots,
now we have moved house we are literally 5 mins from one,
i got a lacoste T-Shirt for £2, i tried to get it for less, i always do, then realised what i was doing, and told myself to stop being so stingy, £2 for a lacoste shirt is a bargain! it has sequins on it, i tried it on straight away when i got home, then whipped it off quickly as it smelt musty,
son said 'for gods sake, at least wash them before you try them on!'
he has more sense than me! also got DVDs and PS2 games for the ungrateful rabble, and 2 home made apple pies from a lovely old lady,
i asked her if she had made them all herself and she said she had, she had scones and cakes and loads of things for salle, she must spend all her time just baking and nothing else,
i havent posted here in sometime, but i am being very MSE, i have about £60 in my penny jar, about the same in my sealed £2 pot,
a £15 voucher from Toluna, and i also won a £75 toysrus voucher,
all for christmas, i'm not getting caught out like last year, with absolutely nothing saved for it, i got myself in a right old state and didnt have anything saved at all, the £75 toysrus voucher is a win,
gailey, congrats on the baby, i'm going to have a read over the posts
i think, hope everyone is well:)

Seakay

Softstuff: I too sense a little guilt about the size of the property you are looking at, but it's not your fault that the land you want doesn't come with a smaller house, and the difference in mortgage payment could well be covered by not having to pay the maintenence bill on your current place.
I'd check with a couple of Estate Agent sites to see how places similar to yours are selling, and then get valuations from at least 3 (you still don't have to make a commitment to selling at this point) giving as little away from you as possible and finding out as much as possible about what they are offering. If you make timed appointments for one day then you may find that Estate Agent fees become reduced - depends what competition and the market is like at the moment.
Anyway, if youu take an average of the prices you are quoted then you'll be in a better position to make a decision.

Someone asked about crabapples (sorry, been reading through this fab thread and can't remember who); crabapples are edible but are far too sharp to have raw. You can use them to make crabapple jelly, herb jellies etc and also use them as a great source of pectin to add to other jams eg strawberry - you would cook crabapples in water, strain off the fruit and use the liquid instead of plain water to make jam, or puree the fruit to get rid of pips and skins and use the puree to make fruit butter or cheese or again to add to another (perhaps more expensive or less easy to set) fruit for jam.

gailey_2

Afternoon guys.

Every task I manage to do at moment seems like an achievement.

So im sat here pleased I managed to clean the bedding on 2 beds hate changing a kingsize duvet and to change bedding on eldests midsleeper I have to get on it not good plus changed bedding on 2cots.

This may not seem huge but been up most of nite with small boy.
hubbysworking
2girls destroying lounge as usual but happy.
small boy whinged so much this morning resorted to trying a pink dummy!:rotfl:

Hes growing fast think he might be big enough for cloth soon:j
Thankgod im breastfeeding as he feeds alot.

Been invited to take part in medical trial less immunisations for children not sure if to take part sadly no payment.

Well got mince and steaks defrosting in fridge.

Due tostart jaimie olivers beef stew soon.
also going to try make chicken pasties fromlast nights roast chicken and spag bol for tommorow night.
Kitchen needs good clean
got so much dirty and clean laundry to sort out.

congrats softstuff in win.

Flowertotmum-Definatly dont get taken forgranted. My mates sister dumps her 2 on both sets grandparents all time shes a nitemare.
She doesnt work and her house even worse than mine.:eek:

sammy k-hope you get house hun and dont feel guilty about going out with mates everyone needs a break sometime its been tough hectic few months for you.

I too want to watch that coupon programme on discovery as seen it advertised. some woman buying tonnes of stuff and getting to till saying they saved 101%im intrigued plus she had coupon folder .

Not sure how well would work in uk.

Sometimes in sainsburys the till prints off coupons small amounts of money off specific products , petrol or money off if you spend so much which annoys me as usually after a big shop which means cant do a nother shop up to that value by that date:mad:

Clubcards coupons only come once a year.
noticed all the free mags in boost and supermarkets have coupons at back well tesco, sainsbursy and morrisions do extra sent if you join their parenting clubs.

The only one I really play system is boots thanks to grabbit board.
I have a special purse for advanatage card coupons and try stock upon best deals as 3 for on lot of things and regular vouchers .

The tesco/asda price gurantee looked ok but looked bit complex couldentget my head around it.
Thinking of being online food tart and doing few online shops with free delivery and 10quid off first order:D

Only other way youcan get coupons is actually to buy magazines. sometimes you join company online and can print some off.mcain did that recently.Our printers broke at moment despertaly need to fix.
Already use discount codes with online stuff.

Hubbys checked bank acount we skint until thur so will be imaginative with foodthis week as got stuff there.
Cant wait to stocktake what we have and think need to mealplan better, do more lists and get back intoswing of maybe batchcooking on hubbys day off so he can watch kids and I can cook as nights when hes working we both sooo tired.

Thinking getting a cheap pushbike so can get to couple nearby carboots as want to get pressies for christmas and clothes for kids ect.Hubby sadly works most weekend and bank hols.

Think need to sell at one as well as nothings clearing on netmums have so much to shift would like to get some money for it.

Hope everyones having nice weekend.

Had lovley time friday aslocal shop invite us to royal wedding party free food and drink, kids got ballons. just nice to see community come together and I go in corner shop a lot for milk,paper ect.
No street parties on my estate.

BitterAndTwisted

gailey wrote: »

Every task I manage to do at moment seems like an achievement.

Good Lord, woman! Anything you manage to get done with a newborn plus other kids IS an achievement.

I'd say just brushing your teeth and getting out of your nightie every day warrants a fanfare.

GreyQueen

Wotcher Softstuff, read your post and thought that maybe your Lucky Ship is coming into port on all fronts.

I know squat about buying property in Australia but, like you, I'd be sorely-aggreived to fork over so much money every year in charges and have such a small amount of freedom in how I could use my home in return.

Re your poorly leg and having abstained from a surgical solution at present but might have to go that route in the future......is the worst possible outcome loss of all or part of the use of that limb? If you ended up being unable to drive/ walk/ climb stairs, that would impact on what kind of home was the best for you. Or would the worst case scenario be a long recuperation? Only you can know (don't intend to pry into your private business, btw).

I'd want to look at the location of the prospective home in relation to the things which were important to me; shops, libraries, employment, the doctor's, your inlaws, the garden centre, whatever forms the network of the things you value. Oz being developed in the era of the car, would your relocation render car use essential? Are there viable alternatives should health or wealth fail at some point and make a car unaffordable?

What sort of equivalent to Council Tax do they run in your part of the forest and would you be paying much more than you do at present? Would the higher utilities of a whole house rather than a small unit be defrayed by not having those blasted charges?

Ultimately, only you and your OH can decide what is right for you but it certainly sounds as if you have ambitions for an OS-type life which won't be possible in your present home.

Congrats on the killings at the grocery store. I'm all stocked-up with fruit and veg and may just get the blanching pan out and freeze some carrots and broccoli as I may have been a bit over-ambitious......:rotfl:


Ladies, it is now May 1st. I have given up chocolate. Again.:o But this time I really mean it as I want to be able to get into the clothes which don't fit right now and look better in the others. Anyone else out there want to climb on the choc-free wagon and share (im)moral support?

ChocClare

GreyQueen wrote: »

Anyone else out there want to climb on the choc-free wagon and share (im)moral support?

GreyQueen, I feel I OUGHT to: I gave up biscuits for Lent and lost 3lb, which probably speaks volumes on the amount of times I just reach for a biscuit :eek:

For Easter, my little darlings gave me two HUGE bars of Dairy Milk. I have just started the second one, so the first one's lasted me a week, and DH has made fairly serious inroads into it.

However: my boobs weigh about six tons at the moment (always put on weight there - and NO, IT'S NOT THAT GREAT) so I got on the scales this morning and discovered I seem to weigh 5lb more than when I last got on. Admittedly, I didn't weigh myself until lunchtime, and I think I must be at the maximum weight retention part of my cycle but STILL!!!!!!

So the answer is very possibly. Definitely have to do something - I've got a college reunion in July and want to fool myself that I still look 21 for that...

GreyQueen

ChocClare I have a set of bathroom scales. I have them under the bed because I really really don't want to know. My weight is static at tooblimmingheavyborderingonomigawd........:rotfl:

However, thinking about it rationally, if my weight is static with the extreme chocolate consumption which I have been indulging in, surely it should go down if I quit?

The only blessing is that at my height, it's not too obvious that I'm far too heavy but I have a hot date in November with a hospital consultant who sees me every 2 years for a chronic health problem and WEIGHS ME! Arrgghhhhh! Wanna be lighter than I was last time for then as I really don't want to get ticked off.

Plus my knees hurt.

Eat your chocolate in good faith (I ate my giant Easter bar of Galaxy from Mum) and then we can go forth together.