make do and mend for tougher times

danetastic

Thanks mardartha - I decided buying was best for me as it cost less than renting . I love my home and the freedom it gives me . I have 6 dogs smallest is chihuahua and largest is Dane others in between . Yes they cost a lot but also keep me sane . I have depression ( horrible ) and there has been many times if it wasn't for them I wouldn't be here . My GP has been excellent . He realised hospitalisation was not an option but kept a close eye when it was at its worst . Now I'm on happy pills ( when I remember to take them ) . Every day I look at things that I'm glad for - the trees as they change colour , the smell of a good cup of coffee and many other things and that helps .
The debt is a result of spending during the " bad" moods as short term it helped me feel better but now I'm dealing with the consequences and have to wear a sencible hat .
Do you think it suits me lol

fuddle

I'm a bit weird in my thoughts about buying v renting. I so want my house for the security aspect of it but having had my house repo'd I know it's no more secure than renting privately.

I awoke to an email from BT telling me the landline is going up 85p per month in Jan. I thought, could have been worse. I then clocked that British Gas are upping their prices effectively adding £12 per month to my direct debit. I'm cross, it's too much but they won't be getting it from me. Like mentioned above... i'll be watching TV in my coat! :mad:

All these houses HAD to convert to gas, HAD to be smokeless fuelled, HAD, HAD, HAD. Now I live in a property with a blocked in fireplace and blocked off chimney that could warm all the downstairs. I'm livid right now and that's on top of a toilet that doesn't flush properly, and now has water trickling constantly costing me water rates because I'm on a meter. Cry? I'm past bloody caring! :mad:

EDIT: It won't be as much as £12 as it's 6% rise not 8% like I thought.

[Deleted User]

Morning Toughies, what a difference a day makes, today we have brilliant sunshine and clear blue skies, It's amazing how much better that makes me feel. Off to town on the bus this morning for Mr.T and the 99p shop, will end up at Aldi and He who knows will come to collect me when I am finished.

On the rent vs buy debate, DD1 has just purchased her first house, she is 34 and has been in rented accomodation since 20 when she first started teaching, although 3 years of that was spent as a boarding house mistress so she didn't pay rent then. Her last flat finally was costing her £925 a month, having started at £725 five years ago. Currently her outgoings are some £250 less than that after paying the mortgage, utilities, council tax etc. so she's overpaying the mortgage every month and hopefully will own the house outright in about 5 years. The time in boarding did enable her to save a substantial deposit so she was fortunate that the opportunity arose for her. So in her case the decision to buy has actually saved her quite a lot of money each month. I know not everyone is in the same position and the lucky break that was the boarding position was at just the right time in her career to help her achieve this.

Have a lovely day all, my house smells amazing at the moment as I am drying some slightly over ripe bananas in the dehydrator as snackage for DH and it's very exotic here!! Cheers Lyn xxx.

grandma247

We bought at the right time and in the right place ( prices were so low you could buy a two bed house for around £6000) just over 8 years ago and our mortgage payment is less than half what people around here pay in rent. We overpay a bit and that will be raised shortly.

A lot of the houses need work done on them. We are trying to do as much as we can to upgrade our house so it will hopefully sell quicker. Dh was a joiner in a past life so he does most of the work.

Tawny75

Well I am 37 and only moved out of home two years ago due to varying circumstances. I rent a flat for my dd and I and I know I will never own my own home. Luckily I have a lovely landlord so I am okay. I have come to terms with the fact that I am the only one in my family who doesn't own but I also am lucky in that the only debt I have is a credit card and that is now reducing. I waited 11 years for social housing and didn't get anything, my flat is bigger than most HA flats anyway so we are doing all right.

fuddle

DH and I are now in the preliminary stages of discussing moving in with my mam (3 bedroomed bought house) to save money for a deposit. DH doesn't think he can live with my mam and I'm not even sure I could. She's erm... not very clean and likes alcohol a bit too much. It could be a real goer re: money and saving but I don't know whether our lives would be as calm as they are now... not sure if it's worth it.

I've been on the council site as the new houses are up. They've ben there since midnight, they already have 89/104/37 etc people putting in for them. We are just never ever going to stand a chance.

I feel so trapped.

I've got to go to work now. I hope I can plaster a smile on my face in 20 mins time/

nuttyp

We owned our own house, but due to unemployment we also were repossessed and eventually got local auhority housing. Ive moved once and now live in a small village. Only downside everyone wants to know your business - can be very annoying at times. Im very lucky that we dont have any debts, maybe having being declared bankrupt, but again ive kept to saving and then spending when i have it.

Currently converting the outbuilding into a conservatory syle dining room witht he washing machine and tumble dryer in. Our local council are ok, as long as you pay the rent on time type of landlord.

I too wish i owned my own house, but i dont and cant... but we have a nice cosy home. I source thing from flebay, buying secondhand has always been our way.

Just about to extend some curtains, by adding a row of colourful ribbon and then adding a contrasting panel at the bottom. Bargain charity shop find.

Hope i havent bored everyone.

VJsmum

Possession wrote: »

I have stayed in some horrible places in my university days though.

Raises head above parapet - I am a university landlord <<ducks quickly>> we have 2 houses bought with what would have been our pension, we could see that the pension was going nowhere and most was frozen due to different companies changing hands, so these houses are our pension and they have to work for us as we have little other pension provision. The thing with students is that they tend to only hang around for one year, so our houses are on the market every year and so, because we want them rented, we have to take care of them. They are deep cleaned every summer and any repairs, repainting, refurnishing done then. Our own house went to the dogs a little this summer as we spent so long getting the student houses up to scratch Also I, too, have lived in some right old holes as a student. People / parents won't put up with it now.

I am off to yoga in a minute - first time for over a year. May not be able to walk tomorrow

mardatha

Life hasn't changed much for the better has it? If you look at the Victorian years, then WW1, then the hungry thirties, then WW2 - the best time was when I grew up (so its all thanks to moi, I hope yer all grateful. send sweeties if you are) - the 50s and 60s were the best times out of the lot I think. In the 70s things were very depressed and it went downhill fast from there. I think, anyway.
I was born in 1950

Possession

VJsmum wrote: »

Raises head above parapet - I am a university landlord <<ducks quickly>> we have 2 houses bought with what would have been our pension, we could see that the pension was going nowhere and most was frozen due to different companies changing hands, so these houses are our pension and they have to work for us as we have little other pension provision. The thing with students is that they tend to only hang around for one year, so our houses are on the market every year and so, because we want them rented, we have to take care of them. They are deep cleaned every summer and any repairs, repainting, refurnishing done then. Our own house went to the dogs a little this summer as we spent so long getting the student houses up to scratch Also I, too, have lived in some right old holes as a student. People / parents won't put up with it now.

I am off to yoga in a minute - first time for over a year. May not be able to walk tomorrow

There were always good LLs too, but in any big university town there are always a few LLs who own 50+ properties. It's those which were awful (and probably still are). I was in Nottingham and in those days there was a shortage of accomodation so it was a LL's market.