Preparedness for when

Karmacat

Doveling wrote: »

Morning all, will have to go back for read and catch up.
Good news! Brother off life support and breathing on his own. Still not regained consciousness but CT scans show no significant brain damage. Just got to play the waiting game now. Staying positive .

This is great news! I'm chuffed for you!

More good news - going to have lots more time with Mr. Doveling:D
The bad news is this is because he is being made redundant due to business re-location.

We have 12 months to organise and no debt apart from mortgage.
One son to get through Uni in a couple of years time.

Could do with ideas on areas to prioritise in case another job doesn't materialise.
Answers on a postcard please - failing that, here will do:rotfl:

Ouch! Think MrMoneyMustache, well, think extreme dfw/mfw ... cutting costs, refinancing to a lower rate mortgage, getting a smaller car, using bikes, growing your own, can you rent a room out?
What about proper jobs online? I've got a seminar this evening on what newcomers to elance can do to get their work accepted (as writers) ... virtual assistant?

Sorry, you may not have been serious about answers on a postcard ... this sort of thing is on my mind all the time at the mo

moneyistooshorttomention

Frugalsod wrote: »

I think caravans offer mobility as well, as long as you can tow them to a new location. If I had the money I would get myself an airstream caravan. You could live in relative luxury where ever you are. Even a small tear drop caravan can be towed by a small car, and will give you somewhere warm to sleep at night. It really all depends on your circumstances. If floods are expected then you can move to higher ground and wait it out.

I was certainly thinking I would like one of those Tiny Homes on wheels. It would double up as guest bedroom (instead of using my lounge) and emergency "2nd home" if need be. Slight snag to that being I'd need someone plus their car to tow it for me if it had to go "off site".

I was thinking more Tiny Home than caravan because of the custom-designing to maximise use of space and the higher level of insulation etc than caravans have as I understand it. But its true that a cheap secondhand caravan would be WAY cheaper than a Tiny Home and much easier to get hold of one currently...

Doveling

Just read back. You lot can't half talk.

Karmakat - all suggestions and advice gratefully received.:)
(Did you think that BB & GQ disappearing offline together might have had a whiff of Gretna Green about it?;) Or are we just a pair of old romantics?:rotfl:) Are you worrying about work at the moment? Don't answer if you don't want but problem shared and all that jazz:)

Daz - so glad you sorted your Dad's water. Let's hope they revise his bill big time.

GQ - the weimar book is fascinating and scary at the same time. I can see parallels happening now.:(

MTSTM - will your friend in California be able to sell the house she's in, in order to re-locate, if things are really bad?

1tonsil - give us a wave please.

Sorry if I've missed anything out - hard to keep up sometimes

Mortgage is due for renewal soon so may enquire whether worth using some redundancy to pay off a chunk.
A greenhouse is already on plan for this summer and we already grow herbs, rhubarb etc. but may consider a couple of raised beds. Outlay versus return needs to be weighed up.
Local college always wanting accomodation for students but we have our grandchildren too often to give up space at the moment. Will have a nosy on the mortgage free board.
Lots of things to think about - I love a challenge!

nuatha

Doveling wrote: »

Morning all, will have to go back for read and catch up.
Good news! Brother off life support and breathing on his own. Still not regained consciousness but CT scans show no significant brain damage. Just got to play the waiting game now. Staying positive .

God grant me patience, but grant it now
Being patient is the hard part, fingers crossed there continues to be more good news (and that it doesn't take long to occur)

More good news - going to have lots more time with Mr. Doveling:D
The bad news is this is because he is being made redundant due to business re-location.

We have 12 months to organise and no debt apart from mortgage.
One son to get through Uni in a couple of years time.

What are your skillsets? Does the business relocation leave an opportunity to service some local customers that Mr D could capitalise on?

Could do with ideas on areas to prioritise in case another job doesn't materialise.
Answers on a postcard please - failing that, here will do:rotfl:

KarmaKat makes some useful suggestions. I tend to work from the basis What can I do and What do I want to do, and try to find some intersection between them and then some demand for the service that I can offer.

chiram2015

daz378 wrote: »

i would go to official government advice sites.......as with these new rules..they will attract conmen and dodgy websites..... dont be taken in with a flashy website...... though i expect on here im preaching to the converted........... Im on a late today and early tomorrow awful combination .... then a couple of days off.....take care

I was careful to check them out and they are totally independent.


Their LifePlan tool has made a real difference to how I think about my finances. I am sure that many people thinking about cashing in their pension pots would think twice if they use a plan like this as it relieves the fear of not knowing when your cash could run out. Beats my old xls any day.

moneyistooshorttomention

Doveling wrote: »

MTSTM - will your friend in California be able to sell the house she's in, in order to re-locate, if things are really bad?

I hope so. This is obviously one of my worries for her - though not a particular aspect of this I wish to raise with her (as I don't want to get her any more worried than she already is iyswim).

She's slammed into moving mode much faster than I thought and we are already discussing where she should move to and I've got some house details from her to have a look at and see what I think that I shall be studying in a minute to give my thoughts on.

So far I've sent back my thoughts on the 2 locations she is considering at the moment.

She knows I've recently been in analogous situation myself with my recent move from England to Wales and variety of reasons (some financial, some to do with Society as a whole - ie the same sort of situation as her then) - so we're "on the same page" discussing the ins and outs of this.

All I can do is give my thoughts on how I see things from the "outside" and keep my fingers crossed for her that things work out.

**************

BTW - re your own decision on whether to use some redundancy money to pay off a chunk of mortgage = my basic feeling is to always take whatever chances arise to pay off any mortgage capital possible BUT that has to be tempered (in your case) with what the unemployment benefit situation will be for your husband if worst comes to worst. If he is due for benefit money then he could be seen to have "voluntarily deprived" himself of whatever money he uses to repay mortgage capital. I know...I know and it doesn't make sense does it? Not knowing the ins and outs of what your financial position will be if the SHTF there its not really possible for us as outsiders to see clearly the best avenue to take. Fingers crossed he will have another job ASAP and then...yep...go hell for leather repaying that mortgage if so.

Karmacat

Doveling wrote: »

Karmakat - all suggestions and advice gratefully received.:)
(Did you think that BB & GQ disappearing offline together might have had a whiff of Gretna Green about it?;) Or are we just a pair of old romantics?:rotfl:) Are you worrying about work at the moment? Don't answer if you don't want but problem shared and all that jazz:)

Thanks Doveling! Erm, I'm not quite a romantic, but lets say there was a synchronicity

As far as my own problems right now - omigod, I share them endlessly, if truth be told - click on my name, look at my diary "Breaking through, travelling on", and "the millionaire thread", I can rabbit about potential solutions fit to break the bank, but I had another good suggestion for income replacement today on the Millionaire thread - Kaya suggested buying a camper van (thats a dream I have) and renting it out for weddings etc. Brilliant :j It'd be a very posh BOV too

Mortgage is due for renewal soon so may enquire whether worth using some redundancy to pay off a chunk.
A greenhouse is already on plan for this summer and we already grow herbs, rhubarb etc. but may consider a couple of raised beds. Outlay versus return needs to be weighed up.
Local college always wanting accomodation for students but we have our grandchildren too often to give up space at the moment. Will have a nosy on the mortgage free board.
Lots of things to think about - I love a challenge!

I think flexibility is the most important thing, to look at what all our options, and all our resources, are. As for the outlay of gardening, freegle is your friend!

nuatha wrote: »

What are your skillsets? Does the business relocation leave an opportunity to service some local customers that Mr D could capitalise on?
KarmaKat makes some useful suggestions. I tend to work from the basis What can I do and What do I want to do, and try to find some intersection between them and then some demand for the service that I can offer.

I like those questions, nuatha - again, flexibility!

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

I hope so. This is obviously one of my worries for her - though not a particular aspect of this I wish to raise with her (as I don't want to get her any more worried than she already is iyswim).

She's slammed into moving mode much faster than I thought and we are already discussing where she should move to and I've got some house details from her to have a look at and see what I think that I shall be studying in a minute to give my thoughts on.

I've been reading quite a few Guardian articles about Miami recently - the way high tides are seeping into the drains and sewers on a regular basis, and seawater is filtering into the underlying rock, so that the city is gradually drowning, even as lot of new building work is going on, and property prices are rising. The same effect may hold true for California - if your friend gets out *now*, that crazy suspension of disbelief might last long enough for her to get a proper-ish price for her property, as opposed to nothing at all. I hope so, anyway.

thriftwizard

I worry for my friend in Las Vegas, where the water supply is only "guaranteed" for 4 hours. Not a situation I'd be happy with, but she loves it there & has complete faith that their Government will look after them in a disaster... she is not unintelligent, but I can't help thinking she may be far too trusting. And there's no question of being able to grow things in the garden - it's a desert - but her asthma has been very much better since she moved there, so she's not budging.

GreyQueen

thriftwizard wrote: »

I worry for my friend in Las Vegas, where the water supply is only "guaranteed" for 4 hours. Not a situation I'd be happy with, but she loves it there & has complete faith that their Government will look after them in a disaster... she is not unintelligent, but I can't help thinking she may be far too trusting. And there's no question of being able to grow things in the garden - it's a desert - but her asthma has been very much better since she moved there, so she's not budging.

I have concerns about the situation in California and Florida, for opposite reasons. The Cali drought is looking like the permanant reversion to the mean average rainfall which this region usually enjoys; these past 100 years have been anomalously wet for this desert region.

And Florida is a reclaimed swamp with saltwater ingress into the freshwater drinking supplies, and perpetual risk to life and property from hurricanes. Which have been becoming more ferocious and more frequent.

Both areas have had property bubbles and incredible price appreciation on homes. Millions of people probably feel pretty rich and happy sitting on a lot of equity and enjoying the climate. But, should the drought in SoCal and the other problems in Fl continue, you will rapidly have a situation where you cannot sustain life for millions of people.

It's very easy to see what will happen; abandoned settlements, inter-state and inter regional brawls over water supply, evacuation of large parts of those states, and once-valuable homes and farmlands reverting to desert.

If I was a property-owner in either region, I'd be looking to get out now before the penny drops with most people, and take the money from the greater fool who bought my property into a more-habitable region. If you get caught on the wrong point of that curve, you will end up walking away from your life with no equity and re-starting again from scratch. Possibly do-able if you're 30, not so easy if you're 50+.

I think thriftwizard's friend in Las Vegas is crazy. She could get most of the same health benefits in other parts of the South West without exposing herself to the shortage of water which that city is continuing to 'enjoy'.

moneyistooshorttomention

Karmacat wrote: »

I've been reading quite a few Guardian articles about Miami recently - the way high tides are seeping into the drains and sewers on a regular basis, and seawater is filtering into the underlying rock, so that the city is gradually drowning, even as lot of new building work is going on, and property prices are rising. The same effect may hold true for California - if your friend gets out *now*, that crazy suspension of disbelief might last long enough for her to get a proper-ish price for her property, as opposed to nothing at all. I hope so, anyway.

Woo! I didn't know that.....

Still getting my head around California isn't all "California Dreaming....on such a winters day" and "Lets go to San Francisco...." etc etc - or have I got my geography wrong and S.F. isn't in California? I still recall my teenage ideas of California was THE place in America to be....:cool:

I know exactly what you mean about "crazy suspension of disbelief"...as in "THEY wouldn't/THEY couldn't....you what!!" but have done an element of "running up the beach to keep away from the incoming tide" in some ways myself...but it does take a lot of doing to get your head round things like this I know personally and coping with it (either emotionally or practically) is NOT easy for sure.

I hope she can indeed get a reasonable price for her property. I look back at the level of housing I've come from (ie starter Victorian terraces) with a level of disbelief that a two-tier housing market seems to have emerged in some parts of the country (including that one) and those starter houses don't seem to have gone up in line with house price inflation on the one hand v. Forever Home houses have done so and "been on a gallop" from what I can see. I worked out this was what would happen and why I thought it would....but still cant quite believe my eyes about it and I got out in time personally.

To think of being on the receiving end of something a good bit more drastic than loadsa starter homes prices going down the swanee for climate change reasons rather than societal reasons is mind-boggling I feel.