Gilligansyle's outside her comfort zone

gilligansyle

Payday this weekend, and Feb is going to be a bit tight, as some big stuff goes out. But should be doable now that I'm not shelling out for £200 petrol each week.

Spending so far this weekend

Big shop -£27.44
Butchers £3.50
Cheap shop for DS drinks £11.50 - enough drinks for 3 weeks (all I could carry!)

I'm going to keep a more accurate check on the gas and electric as we seem to be using a lot of it!

Tomorrow I've got someone coming to give me quotes for Double Glazing. I can't afford it, but need a rough idea of the accurate cost. One of DS mates has offered to do it for me if I get the windows from a warehouse, and he will do them one at a time as I have the money. Last time I got a quote it was £1800 for just the front.:eek:

savingholmes

Hi Gill - where've you gone? Are you okay? Did you start a new thread or something?

gilligansyle

Hi SH
I'm still here, just been really busy with work so have been reading but not posting.

Had a silly afternoon with the quote thing, started at nearly 10 grand! Eventually came out at "well you can have the better quality for the same price as the cheaper ones if you let us put a sign up" even though I'd told him at the start that I only wanted a quote and had no intention of buying today. He kept doing the whole interest free credit thing, and wouldn't listen, and I got really cross and told him to leave. I *know* that it makes sense to go for interest free while you are saving, but I don't trust myself to do it, and won't qualify for interest free anyway. And... it's none of his business!

Money stuff, managed to spend less than 20 quid in Asda yesterday, with a fiver in the butchers. Still need to get some stuff today, drinks for DS etc, as I'm away most of the week again.

Karmacat

Didn't realise you were doing that - I *loathe* the tactics of double glazing people - when I had to have it done (partially) a year or so ago, I went with a mid-price firm who said, "this is the price, we don't negotiate" - sooooooo much better.

gilligansyle

KC - you'd think they'd realise by now, that people understand the game. I've already had a quote from a local firm who just say "here it is, take it or leave it", but then they don't employ sales people and have to pay commission to all and sundry for every sale. You know full well that when they are playing with figures, its their own commission they are cutting into and that really annoys me.

Of course the other thing is that I really hate upvc and only want it done for the energy efficiency and because I'll never sell the house as it is.

Ah well, that's life.

Karmacat

It is, I'm afraid ... my auntie has a timber conservatory, and its never been completely watertight for more than a couple of years at a time ... do you have any firms round you that will quote for *coloured* upvc at least?

gilligansyle

...unfortunately on a 1900 terraced house, coloured upvc looks horrendous!

I used to like the way everyone had a different coloured front door, now they're all white.

savingholmes

Hi Gill - I know what you mean about salesmen but if you need it you need it. Are you sure you do need it tho - will you get the amount back that you are spending on it? Are you planning on selling then or are you just talking in the longer term?

gilligansyle

I need it because the downstairs windows are soft wood, so they are getting past the point when they can be patched up any more.

And no, I won't get the amount back that I'd spend, but without it I doubt anyone would even look at the house. I'm not planning on selling yet, but have no plans to stay in this house forever.
It's just something I'm pondering about. If any of my windows go completely, I *have* to replace them with double glazed.

Get paid on Monday, so have drawn £30 out of the bank and that should last until then.

gilligansyle

Payday Monday, in bank today -:j