OS Singlies - We Do It Our Way!

moneyistooshorttomention

Byatt wrote: »

MTSTM, I've noticed funnily enough, now I'm older, more people offer to carry things for me! :rotfl: :eek:

Just smile and say "Thanks". There have got to be some advantages to getting older to counterbalance the down side (ie things like losing your looks).

Other advantages hmmm....I guess the "been there/done that/got the teeshirt" thing helps as well. As in "Damn and bl*st at so-and-so happening to me:mad:" tends to rapidly followed, in your own mind, by "That type of situation has happened to me x number of times and how did I handle it then?" and not getting quite so upset by it as the first time it happened.

Case in point = the first time I was made redundant I went totally ballistic and couldnt understand how/why that had happened to me (as it was on the list of "Things that will never happen to ME"). I was very angry indeed, very upset indeed, very worried indeed and totally puzzled. It then happened again a couple of times and I was still angry/upset but was able to be a bit more "detached" about it and the last time it happened I sat down and thought "I have to work out why this has managed to happen to me each time and how I can prevent it ever happening again" and made out a strategy in my mind as to how to prevent it ever happening again and planned accordingly. It worked and it never did happen again and I had quite a few other job problems, but that particular one never happened again. Times have continued changing and I'm not sure the best strategy in the world would prevent it happening to me again, but it did help then.

I also realised at one point that I had suffered several thefts from my home and sat down and several "blows" in that respect later was able to relatively calmly work out a strategy for that to prevent it happening again (which failed during the removal process...as the removal men stole some items from me:mad:...but I've made mental notes how to prevent thieving removal men doing that to me again should I ever move again). Strategy in that case = never pay them to pack for you. MUST do it myself and figure out ways to literally "follow the van", so they don't have any time the other end to rifle through my things either and do damndest to pick a firm that is so small they would worry about employing pickpockets inadvertently (well...I thought I did...and hadn't realised Little Firm had been taken over...note to self to check in future in case of "mergers").

That's one of the pros to getting older, you get better at dealing with the "They aint gonna do that to me ever again" stuff.:cool:

moneyistooshorttomention

lostinrates wrote: »

Its happened to me too, A very light wardrobe not a not a bookcase, I definitely thought I'd be ok, and wasn't. . I was stuck upstairs till DH came home. AT that time the loo was down stairs and I had NO JUG

Edit....lesson learned.....I am much stronger pushing than pulling. I know this, I know this well, not sure why I tried other.....

:rotfl: I shouldn't laugh...sorry LIR.

...and the lesson to be learnt for all women who think we might just try and shove furniture up and downstairs ourselves would seem to be "Buy a shewee first" :rotfl:

Thinks "now I never thought of that as being an advantage to having just bought a bungalow...".

Byatt

MTSTM, I'm going to lose my looks?! :eek::rotfl:
I tend to say no thanks, because I figure it's the only "workout" I have, being averse to exercise in all its guises.

My bathroom is downstairs (300 yr old cottage), but I do have a camping loo thingy in the bedroom.

spirit

Going back to super-singly hols, I hope this link is useful.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/solo-travel/10604222/Solo-travel-the-best-tour-operators-for-singles.html

I fancy going somewhere this summer (or late spring) as am mightily fed up at the mo.

metherer

cornishchick wrote: »

Hi just wanted to post this link. My SIL has this book and said it's brill. She is redoing her own flat with just a little help from trades like electrics..

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Womens-Home-DIY-Owners-Workshop/dp/1844259730/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391303479&sr=1-1&keywords=diy+for+women

Thanks for this, I've added it to my list. The more we can do ourselves, the better.

groatie_queen

http://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2014/feb/02/sara-maitland-how-to-be-alone-interview

This interview is worth a read. The comments below the line, if you ignore some of the flippant ones, are as interesting as the article itself. I know we had this discussion about the restorative qualities of solitude, versus loneliness/isolation, and when the finances permit, I'll buy Sarah Maitland's book.

This hasn't been a great weekend, energy wise, and the work schedule this week coming is likely to be quite demanding. So my plan is to make sure that I have a total rest next weekend, and would like to watch some entertaining DVDs which will make me laugh, charm me, uplift me, or be sheer escapism and enjoyment. Anyone got any particular recommends?

moneyistooshorttomention

Any singlies feel they have a different financial strategy for managing their income to anyone else?

We do the things everyone else does, eg shopping around, bulk-buying, own brand buying, etc, etc. But there's only pretty small levels of savings to be obtained from all that.

I've always worked out that there was Basic Income on the one hand and that is what covers bills/weekly living/etc. Then there's Other Income (anything extra I can earn/sizeable chunks of money from anywhere/etc).

I'm currently using spare savings personally for my house renovation. Those spare savings came from a couple of chunks of Other Income. When it's used up I've divided up what's left to finish the house into things cheap enough they will come from spare Basic Income (ie when the rest of my pension starts up and I have some spare income again:cool:) and things dearer than that have just gone onto a Hope List (ie I'm still looking-out for ways to get further chunks of income...though I wonder whether opportunities for that might have dried-up now:(...but theres always "cross fingers and hope for a premium bond win":rotfl:).

I've not heard of anyone else managing their money in the same way...so maybe it's a bit of a strategy I've operated on over the years because of knowing that, as a singlie, there just wasn't much spare Basic Income coming into the household and anything at all dear had to come from "further chunks of income" somehow.

Any thoughts?

Byatt

MTSTM, to be perfectly honest, I've never had a strategy, mostly because I have bailed out family members, had a husband who thought that dropping an income did not mean dropping lifestyle, so have tended to go along with a wing and a prayer. Combine that with the shock I went through on separation and losing my home, well, I have managed, but with difficulty at times.

This year however, I have a plan, although my plans seem to go awry as soon as I have a bit of money :eek:. I am saving my self -employed earnings, not treating them as income and living on WTC and a small Occpension, so I hope to have a tidy sum by the end of the year.

I don't have worries about house maintenance as I rent now, but do need to have a car as very rural plus more importantly it's used for my business.

sas79

A couple of years ago I had my bedrooms recarpeted and although I moved out all the nic knacks I didn't and was not expected to move beds or wardrobes, then just last month I had a new living room carpet, the shop said could I empty the room, I said I'll move what I can but obv not the settees and that was fine they could work around them. And as it was I'd unplugged all technology and moved set top box, etc but I could not move the TV alone, the thought of dropping it :eek: but they moved it out and back in afterwards :T

Also this had made me think when I first moved into my house, my settee's etc were in my mum's garage and I just had family helping me move, the males said they couldn't get the larger settee in because of positioning of doors and hallway, they went outside to discuss removing windows :mad: So me and SIL (she 6 mths pregnant) angled it and with abit of a shove in it went!! :rotfl: yes come on girls you can do it xx

Byatt

sas79, you go girl! :T