Time to move forward! Life and times of a city girl in the country

Breeze_Hill

Crazy day today, 220 miles of driving, then all the usual household chores. I am shattered. I need to live in a modern house in town, and get a nanny for days like this. (There is nothing money saving about that but I am not going to be able to cope otherwise!!!)

Breeze_Hill

Pigs will fly.
Anyway, think I will be well over the petrol budget this month with all the driving. Will get paid some mileage though so will try and pay credit card off with it before saving.
Got to sort out this house issue!

Breeze_Hill

Managed about 6 hours of broken sleep - both of the girls are ill with colds. Am going to force myself to go to bed no later than 10.30!!! Might help the thinking!
Have realised there are a lot more properties to buy here than to rent, and that a mortgage would offer better value than renting. Also have a ton of stuff saved to put on eBay, but it is so late by the time i can get to it and having already been on the go for 14-15-16 hours it is difficult...have a ton of washing again tonight, need to get DD1's stuff ready for school tomorrow, lunchbox for DD2. A tidy up would be good...and washing to put away. Single parenting is sooo tiring!!! On the plus side, a pilot I met through work offered to fly me to my far away meetings!! ;)Oh how I would love to take him up on that!:j

Breeze_Hill

Beanielou - bless you for wading through this, it is a very boring diary. Along the lines of 'shall I, shan't I, I am so tired and I have so much housework to do' :rotfl:
I am not in bed, but am about to go. That would be at least an hour earlier than usual. House is like a fridge. Took an electricity reading - definitely well over the estimated readings, so there is a big bill coming there. Sigh. STILL mulling over small house, think I am taking a long time on this as it is not ideal.
I have moved at least once a year for the last 6 years - wish I could resolve my issues and move for once and for all into a family home with no more moving. It just seems an impossible task to me! It's been like this:
1. Bought flat. Soooo happy - didn't ever want to move.
2. Ex moves in, we have baby, it is too small, we move out
3. Happily renting, discover baby 2 is arriving, realise we can't afford current flat - relocate to cheaper flat
4. Relocate to the sticks as old office closed after I went on maternity leave
5. Ex behaves intolerably, he wouldn't move so I had to
6. Now in current freezing digs, that are on the market so short term anyway.
There seems to be a theme here of no long term plan and just reacting to what is going on. And I can only see more of that sort of thing if I don't sort myself out. Ideally it should be one move, save money, return to city/ environs of, buy family home. But will then be without current permanent employment so not sure how easy that will be. Or how much equity is really in current flat which was bought at height of the market.
Ok. Am going to bed.

Breeze_Hill

Checked again for other alternative accommodation and there is nothing doing. So I am going to bite the bullet tomorrow morning and take the small flat (if it's still available). Need to be in town for a million reasons anyway - it will immediately be cheaper, easier to pick up/ drop off girls etc etc. Need a lead to connect to camera so can do some urgent ebaying to clear all the stuff I have been meaning to sell asap before we move. Will have to try and find somewhere to store extra good stuff that's not for sale.
Am going to do a round up of this month's spending at the end of the month to look at how things are going, but I know this is a duff month. Not because of overspending budgeted anmounts, but because of doing that last month.
On the plus side - have business trip to London next week - I can't wait!!! :j:j:j

Breeze_Hill

:wave: Well, still I haven't gone for that house (groan), but when i got home tonight, and the fire wouldn't burn nicely, and the calor gas needed changing and I couldn't get the cap off and the girls were freezing, I was about ready to march out to the estate agent then and there!
Talked to a local friend about the whole thing, and apparently there is a local group that buys, swops and sells cheap stuff so that might solve some of the furnishing issues at least.
Bought a camera cable so I can get ebaying. :T
I think my BT contract is up at the end of May, so I may just hang in with that one and then cancel, even if I have to move beforehand. So could make some savings there.
Only 3 more days to month end - :j - going to do my absolute best to not spend everything this coming month.

Aamberle

Hey Breeze - Just catching up on your diary ( hope you don't mind). Wow your life is just go go go..I know it may not feel like it,but you are doing really well! Just a thought - is it worth looking on RM and see what type of value your flat is going for - I know you get rent from it, but maybe you if its has enough equity in it - maybe you could use that as a deposit and get yourself a house ( that has heating) so you and your girls can settle down in..just an idea. Or if the flat cant/wont go - then can you look around for a permanent place to go/buy..
Anyway enough questions from me - really wanted to drop on and say Well Done your doing great and I will be reading from a distance X

Breeze_Hill

Hey Aamberle, thanks for the message!! :wave: Thanks so much for the encouragement
I had a quick look at the stuff for sale in the same development as my flat and I think the prices have gone up. They are certainly back to their original level :j. Agree the flat will have to go...just not quite ready to part with my London foothold at the moment. There might be scope to buy something locally here that would be fine and hang onto flat...still mulling that one over too...
Can't stop too long tonight, got to drop girls off by 6.45am tomorrow and have a ton of stuff to get ready, but I'll BBS.
Do you have a diary for stalking?

Aamberle

Hi Breeze - I know that one. I moved from London 5 years ago to what everyone in my family deem as the country. I think they expected no electric and no running water when i said I was moving. But to be honest it was the best thing I could of done. Yes I do find it hard sometimes, there are no tubes running until early hours, and going out in the evening ( other than to a pub) involved military precision - But when you look at the quality of life, and the lack of hustle and bustle I think its worth it.
We did look to go back a few years ago - but when looking at houses being £100k plus more expensive and most of the time smaller did we really miss it that much? We decided No - It was a hard decision but we still feel the right one...Anyway enough rambling.
Hope your week is going well - Catch Up soon x

Breeze_Hill

Yes, the city/ country choice is all about what one wants at the end of the day. Nice to talk to a fellow ex-Londoner! Hope you're having a good week too.

Girls were tired today. Got home and had all the usual rush of make dinner, feed everyone, tidy up, put on washing, put washing away etc etc, and when it came to bathtime and I found I had run out of hot water and had to bail water and boil kettles/ pots, I was not impressed!!:mad: Really don't need it! I love old buildings, but really at this time of my life just want something easy, practical and warm.

Have discovered life assurance people have got the DD wrong again too!! :mad: Another extra thing to do.

Still nothing new on the housing market...I haven't even had time to talk to the agent during working hours, didn't even manage a lunch break today. Got to phone them tomorrow.