Is it ok living in bare minimum?

Hippymam

You sound like you're a great mam getting everything together may take a little bit of time but you will do it, we did

There have been some great ideas on this thread, but one thing I haven't seen mentioned is local auction houses. We have one about 5 miles from us and we have picked up some great bargains including a leather sofa and chair for a fiver! I'm sitting on it now and it is very comfy and you would never think we paid so little for them! Obviously the auctions are hit and miss, but the one near us often has things like washing machines, wardrobes, sofas etc for not very much money at all. We bought a beautiful dresser for our kitchen, it was a bit battered and scratched but we painted it and it now looks fab. We have also been lucky to receive quite a lot of things from free cycle (couch, dishwasher (!), chests of drawers, bedside cabinets) and we have painted them so that they "match" and visitors to our home often compliment me on how lovely it looks, sort of shabby chic style lol

Curtains etc we got from charity shops and car boots. I deliberately looked for thick, heavy ones (velvet ones are fab!) because they trap the heat in and have never paid more than about a fiver for a pair. I also have a sewing machine (picked up from the auction house for a tenner) so I can make cushions, curtains etc very cheaply. They are really easy to make (if I can do them, anyone can!) and add a bit more comfort to a room for not much money at all.

You can make your home really lovely, it might take a little time, but you will do it and it will feel fab knowing you haven't got yourself into trouble with money to do so. Good luck xxx

minimoneysaver

How about carpeting just the lounge where your child will be playing on the floor then? You can use rugs in the bedrooms. x

Just_Peachy

When I moved into my HA flat a few years ago, I got a decorating allowance from the HA as the flat needed redecorating. I think it was about £60 and I had to show that I'd bought paint etc with it, it helped me out massively. Maybe your HA does something similar, it is worth asking your housing officer

Corelli

Hi, just wanted to say how good it is to see you have a proper home at last for you both. You've had masses of good advice about sourcing stuff as cheaply as possible but one thing no-one has mentioned is paint. If you can't carpet for a while and the floor boards look awful, scrubbing them clean, sanding if necessary and covering with a coat or two of paint makes a lot of difference. Don't forget, work towards the door, or the expression 'painting yourself into a corner' could sudddenly make a lot of sense.

Good luck with it all, you've a lot on with moving, commuting, studying, and your son but you have got a good future in front of you now.

wiggywoo9

Thank you all for your help, it is very appreciated. I found reuse centres quite good and freecyle/freegle has been a blessing. I could not get a washing machine so I think I'll pay weekly with Littlewoods over the year (no interest) for one as it's only £3 a week and I won't miss that little amount.
I've knocked my moving costs down to £100 and I've had some donations of things- the lady I'm staying with has given me her armchair and some old dinner things!
The idea of painting the floorboards is very good- can you just use normal paint for this and will it need something under before just painting it straight on?
I did get a voucher for decorating but it is just for paint and nothing else. I will have to learn to DIY!

Corelli

I've used normal paint before. Tbh, it does wear but I quite like the look as it fades away, more in places of high wear of course. You can get special floor paints but the colours are less interesting.

You need to make sure the floor is clean, any patches of grease in particular will mean the paint lifts off that area. Sugar soap is the classic decorating cleaning product, make sure you wear gloves when using it.

Other things that will mean the paint lifts off are areas of dust, old flakey paint, sort them out and knock back (with a hammer) and dangerous sticking out nails. Think about ventilation too when you do this, maybe when your little boy is asleep you could do it with him in another room (yay! all that space to yourself) and have a window open in the room you paint. If you feel artistic you can do nice effects with paint and stencils.

If you can get hold of this book I highly recommend it, full of good ideas how to make a home nice for very little money. All of her books are inspiring.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3235536-the-pauper-s-homemaking-book

duchy

Wiggywoo I'm so pleased things are working out for you.

peachyprice

wiggywoo9 wrote: »

Thank you all for your help, it is very appreciated. I found reuse centres quite good and freecyle/freegle has been a blessing. I could not get a washing machine so I think I'll pay weekly with Littlewoods over the year (no interest) for one as it's only £3 a week and I won't miss that little amount.
I've knocked my moving costs down to £100 and I've had some donations of things- the lady I'm staying with has given me her armchair and some old dinner things!
The idea of painting the floorboards is very good- can you just use normal paint for this and will it need something under before just painting it straight on?
I did get a voucher for decorating but it is just for paint and nothing else. I will have to learn to DIY!

Well done, what a difference you've made in just a few short days.

Violetta_2

Good luck in your new home, also I don't think I've seen it mentioned but it may be worth doing a search on ebay for local item's using your postcode. Seem's like most of the basics have been covered but I had a bean bag when my dd was little & it was great so might be worth picking up 1 if you see it.

embob74

When I moved into my HA house I found a huge rug as cheap as could be for the living room. I didn't manage to carpet for a couple of years due to the expense with it being such a big room. The kids were happy playing on the rug though :-)
I would have thought it was better to let the HV see how you are struggling as they might be able to nominate you for various schemes to help furnish.
I have a George Forman grill that OH used in his single days but we don't use now - I'd be happy to post it up to give you something to start off. I waste far more than the £3.99 postage on rubbish anyway!
Also people get rid of fridges that still work just because they are rusty. Years ago my mum got me an old fridge and sanded the rust spots then sprayed it yellow and blue (spray cans) to match my kitchen. It was very cheap and everybody commented on how individual it was and that they wanted one!