We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum... Read More »
Debate House Prices
In order to help keep the Forum a useful, safe and friendly place for our users, discussions around non MoneySaving matters are no longer permitted. This includes wider debates about general house prices, the economy and politics. As a result, we have taken the decision to keep this board permanently closed, but it remains viewable for users who may find some useful information in it. Thank you for your understanding.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
Nice people thread part 8 - worth the wait
Comments
-
Immersion will have a thermostat,hopefully the tank is lagged, the extra cost of having it on all night and thus losing some extra heat will be what may be up to 8 units £1 - I think probably worth it to have a hot shower especially in the scheme of how much building work costs but what do I know?
I have a dual immersion Megaflow on E10 and it is really cheap to heat. Essentially I leave the cheap rate on all the time and only use the second immersion if I use most of the water in the tank (normally this only happens when we both get up late because we have a day off and the cheap rate has switched off). I would estimate it costs about a tenner a month to run, though that is with cheap electricity.Please stay safe in the sun and learn the A-E of melanoma: A = asymmetry, B = irregular borders, C= different colours, D= diameter, larger than 6mm, E = evolving, is your mole changing? Most moles are not cancerous, any doubts, please check next time you visit your GP.
0 -
This immersion stuff is really interesting.
I wonder if I have to keep my system if I could have an immersion like viva's fitted? The immersion supplied is ineffective because of the size of the tank, and only takes the chill off the water.0 -
The thing is that all this lifestyle stuff is relative. We are all living in abject poverty by the standards of the billionaire jet-set, and in unimaginable wealth and luxury from the POV of the global poor. Your friend is spending more than £8k a month on average. To me, that seems huge. I'm sure that to others, it seems paltry. In objective terms, it is a lot more than median for this country.
We live on a very tight budget as I would like to pay off the mortgage asap so that we are free to take decisions over how much we earn and how much we spend. The car thing is annoying as it is frustrating this lots of money going out the door but no tangible benefit as it is just getting us back to where we were before and it is causing a lot of hassle. With an offset mortgage and liquid savings we have literally hundreds of thousands of funds to draw on should we need it so cashflow is not the issue.
I also dislike the feeling of being ripped off - we got a quotation that was inline with other quotes but the bill was 50% higher than the quote, had they quoted that we would have gone elsewhere. Having a relationship with a garage you trust is worth its weight in gold.
I also have a nasty cold which probably isn't helping my mood
I think....0 -
We live on a very tight budget as I would like to pay off the mortgage asap so that we are free to take decisions over how much we earn and how much we spend. The car thing is annoying as it is frustrating this lots of money going out the door but no tangible benefit as it is just getting us back to where we were before and it is causing a lot of hassle. With an offset mortgage and liquid savings we have literally hundreds of thousands of funds to draw on should we need it so cashflow is not the issue.
An offset mortgage is a wonderful thing. If I had a commercial mortgage, I would want one of those. Just this week, I have been trying to predict how much I'm going to need to spend on my house over the next few months, so as to decide how much to put into my ISA before the end of the tax year, and how much to keep where I can get at it more quickly. An offset would eliminate that uncertainty. However, for me that's outweighed by the security (and feelessness) of borrowing from my dad, and also I'm happy to help him out with a place to put his money that pays him a decent interest rate that won't keep dropping to almost nothing after a temporary bonus runs out.
Nobody on the planet could accuse you of being irresponsible with money, michaels, or of taking on so many big ticket items that it was necessary for you to budget strictly to keep out of debt crisis!! But of course the thing about you and budgeting is that you've told us before that you enjoy being a professional shopper as a hobby that's fun for you rather than putting you under extra stress and pressure. The rest of us are somewhat in awe of what you achieve along those lines, but we don't want to put in the kind of effort that you do. We just enjoy hearing you explain what you've been up to, and occasionally pick up some useful tips that we feel we can apply in our own lives.
Do you do the whole "mortgage free wannabe" board thing? Again, that's something that would attract me if my circumstances were a bit more conventional. However, my motivation to put in loads of effort in that direction is diminished by knowing that at some point in the next decade or so I'll get compensation for LNE's accident that will almost certainly be enough to pay my dad off completely. It's not that any amount of money could make up for watching my kids suffer through the loss of their dad, but since nothing is going to bring him back, I might as well appreciate the money.I also dislike the feeling of being ripped off - we got a quotation that was inline with other quotes but the bill was 50% higher than the quote, had they quoted that we would have gone elsewhere. Having a relationship with a garage you trust is worth its weight in gold.
Totally agree with that. Of course they might have genuinely found that it took a lot longer than they honestly thought it would, but it sounds suspiciously underhand, doesn't it?
I am still getting my car dealt with at a garage that's close to where I used to live, but is totally the wrong side of town for where I am now. A few years ago I tried going to a different garage because it offered a courtesy car, whereas my usual garage doesn't, which is troublesome, especially since I've no partner to give me lifts when I take my car there and get it back. However, I felt I was being ripped off by the new place, and went back to the bloke I trust, regardless of the logistical inconvenience. I hope you find a similar trustworthy mechanic near you soon.I also have a nasty cold which probably isn't helping my mood
How annoying. I may be joining you in that - I have suspiciously "just about to get a nasty cold" symptoms this morning. Here's hoping you get better soon. Do you know anyone who's bereaved? Point them to https://www.AtaLoss.org which does for bereavement support what MSE does for financial services, providing links to support organisations relevant to the circumstances of the loss & the local area. (Link permitted by forum team)
Tyre performance in the wet deteriorates rapidly below about 3mm tread - change yours when they get dangerous, not just when they are nearly illegal (1.6mm).
Oh, and wear your seatbelt. My kids are only alive because they were wearing theirs when somebody else was driving in wet weather with worn tyres.0 -
Apparently Danny Boyle is going to direct the film version of Porno - with the same cast as was in Trainspotting.
Every time I had to go to Mile End, the Pulp song of the same name came into my head (from the Trainspotting soundtrack), which wasn't exactly encouraging!
This has always been mooted, but has only really been seriously talked about recently. Plus Macgregor fell out with Boyle when he cast Di Caprio in The Beach. They appear to have made up.
I know so little of london. Considering returning there for a few days this year. I've spent less than a week in London in my life!It's getting harder & harder to keep the government in the manner to which they have become accustomed.0 -
But of course the thing about you and budgeting is that you've told us before that you enjoy being a professional shopper as a hobby that's fun for you rather than putting you under extra stress and pressure. The rest of us are somewhat in awe of what you achieve along those lines, but we don't want to put in the kind of effort that you do. We just enjoy hearing you explain what you've been up to, and occasionally pick up some useful tips that we feel we can apply in our own lives.
Totally agree with that. Of course they might have genuinely found that it took a lot longer than they honestly thought it would, but it sounds suspiciously underhand, doesn't it?
I'm rubbish at getting the best deals, but love reading michaels 'wins' - it makes me feel virtuous by internet osmosis.:o
I would ask the garage why it was higher - it's not unreasonable as lir suggested that there is a genuine reason. Unfortunately running 20+ vehicles + trailers, means that you learn ( frequently) that mechanical problems can be greater than originally thought. Or they could be ripping you off.
Yesterday's high point was a meeting see if Mr bugslet could/would qualify for CHC (Continuous Health Care), ie the state picks up the bill for his care home. It looks like he is too healthy - can't walk unaided, has no rational thoughts, could not operate an oven or similar appliances, is suspicious of all attempts to get him to take his tablets and I'll save you the continence issues. But on the plus side he can feed himself, and skin integrity is good. Still, it's a nice home and the staff seem genuine and caring and he seems reasonably happy.0 -
I think there are a lot of influencers in this country who do not realise how much better off they are than average as they just don't see how many people there are who live in those dull and slightly intimidating bits of towns and cities that are not destinations to visit.We did it together and it was scary as they don't have what I would consider a wizzy flash lifestyle at all yet 101k was the spend and I know they spend more than that as the holiday estimate was way under.
We cut 2k pcm straight away getting rid of cr*p. Even they were shocked.
I think these 2 posts highlight many issues we face. Firstly, I see people daily who have so much (materially) and both take it for granted, and expect more, yet percieve themselevs as being not well off.
In addition, I'd suggest that around 80% of people have no idea where there money goes. Or don't concentrate on it enough. A recent survey for example, showed that of 16-25 year olds, 90% would spend their money on their phone rather than food.:eek: Poor prioritisation is having a big knock on effect.
It also saddens me that material things are the marker for wealth for too many people. The things I personally value most can't have a price tag attached to them.It's getting harder & harder to keep the government in the manner to which they have become accustomed.0 -
Yesterday's high point was a meeting see if Mr bugslet could/would qualify for CHC (Continuous Health Care), ie the state picks up the bill for his care home. It looks like he is too healthy - can't walk unaided, has no rational thoughts, could not operate an oven or similar appliances, is suspicious of all attempts to get him to take his tablets and I'll save you the continence issues. But on the plus side he can feed himself, and skin integrity is good. Still, it's a nice home and the staff seem genuine and caring and he seems reasonably happy.
First off, get written reasons for the decision.
Next step, challenge the decision. I don't know the intricate details, but I'd be arguing his level of care needs qualifies him.
Tip - if you have legal protection on your car insurance, or household insurance, you can use that to access legal advice/representation on your/his case. People think it only relates to car accidents or similar, but it doesn't!It's getting harder & harder to keep the government in the manner to which they have become accustomed.0 -
Yesterday's high point was a meeting see if Mr bugslet could/would qualify for CHC (Continuous Health Care), ie the state picks up the bill for his care home. It looks like he is too healthy - can't walk unaided, has no rational thoughts, could not operate an oven or similar appliances, is suspicious of all attempts to get him to take his tablets and I'll save you the continence issues. But on the plus side he can feed himself, and skin integrity is good. Still, it's a nice home and the staff seem genuine and caring and he seems reasonably happy.
That sounds awful, bugslet.
I think that a care home where the staff are genuine and caring and the resident is happy is rather like a mechanic who's trustworthy. There are plenty of them about, but working out which ones they are isn't always easy upfront. I'm so glad you've found one for Mr bugslet.Do you know anyone who's bereaved? Point them to https://www.AtaLoss.org which does for bereavement support what MSE does for financial services, providing links to support organisations relevant to the circumstances of the loss & the local area. (Link permitted by forum team)
Tyre performance in the wet deteriorates rapidly below about 3mm tread - change yours when they get dangerous, not just when they are nearly illegal (1.6mm).
Oh, and wear your seatbelt. My kids are only alive because they were wearing theirs when somebody else was driving in wet weather with worn tyres.0 -
then to garage who had charged 120 quid more than their quotation/estimate (which we accepted as it was similar to other estimates) and refused to refund as apparently it took longer than they expected.....
Normally I read from where I left off to the most recent post, this time I worked backwards and have just spotted that.
That shouldn't be your problem - there's a fixed amount of hours for each job on a vehicle. So Fiat clutch ( or whatever) would read as 3 hours for example. If it takes longer, then unless there's a very specific reason, it's down to them not having the experience or not the tools.
Wish I could quote for a job and then charge more because that crash on the M5 meant the job took longer.....0
This discussion has been closed.
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply
Categories
- All Categories
- 351.3K Banking & Borrowing
- 253.2K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 453.7K Spending & Discounts
- 244.3K Work, Benefits & Business
- 599.4K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 177.1K Life & Family
- 257.7K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16.2K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.6K Read-Only Boards