Only freedom will do

edinburgher

If I do this right peeps, it's not actually that cheap at all... Haven't been able to find a chainsaw course for less than £300 (2 day course), even assuming free use of a chainsaw (can get this), I'd need to buy or rent PPE and a stump grinder, plus dispose of the wood. I'd estimate £500-600 all inclusive, vs. a quote of £1,000. I don't have enough leave left to take a week off and in terms of salary, it costs me £600 to take a week off!

I'm not making excuses, I just don't think that the numbers add up. I'd rather buy leave to put up a fence, as that will probably cost twice as much and could be quite cost effective.

Karmacat

Cost benefit analysis

I thought it was £3k, Ed, not £1k - the numbers are a lot closer, absolutely.

Think of it this way: we just want the best for you

edinburgher

£3k is remove trees + stumps + pay someone to put up a 6' high ranch style fence and repair the low walls around the property!

Thanks KC, that's what I love about this community

edinburgher

Having a good sit - boy do I deserve it!

7 hours of housework and gardening (we're away next weekend, so important to get the place spick and span).

• Tidied the kitchen
• Emptied the dishwasher, cleaned it with white vinegar, reloaded it
• Cleaned the burnt copper pan with B@r Keeper's Fiend. Not quite good as new as 'less burnt'!
• Processed 2 loads of laundry
• Cleaned out both tumble dryer filters, the filter basket and the heat exchanger
• Polished shoes
• Made lunch for tomorrow
• Charged Fitb1t, phone, laptop, baby monitor, power bank thingy
• Hoovered
• Mopped bathroom and kitchen
• Submitted meter readings (under £20 again this month)
• Strimmed the lawns
• Cut the grass
• Completely weeded the heavily weeded driveway and gave it a good sweep
• Took out the bins for tomorrow

Like this :j, but knackered!

mrsp1987

Reading this has made me tired!

edinburgher

mrsp1987 wrote: »

Reading this has made me tired!

My reward was DD waking up from 0000-0420. Children

AlexLK

You need to chill out! I don't think you've even lived in the house a year and it seems you've done more to it than we've done in getting on for a decade in a house that was sold derelict as a "renovation project". To be honest, I think you're both making life very difficult for yourselves and have somewhat unrealistic expectations of time scales. Ultimately, if the place you live in is safe, dry enough and provides enough space for your family, that's all you need.

Regarding the trees: Unfortunately, you've been forced into dealing with this matter. DIYing will give you skills and tools you can use again but contracting out will give you back some time. Your house, your decision.

Regarding the wife: Surely saying she'd like something doesn't mean there's an expectation (of you to do it)? However, if that is the case, perhaps she needs to also get her hands dirty (from what you write on here she doesn't).

Regarding the skills with fabric: Buy a sewing machine, start learning how to make things yourself (you or wife, doesn't matter), it's not difficult and you'll save money. This generation doesn't have skills with fabric or other apparently 'lost' skills because this generation seems to put little effort into acquiring such skills. :mad: I'm not annoyed with you, Ed but am annoyed by the general attitude of our generation to acquiring practical skills (such attitudes they are now passing on to our children).

miss_corerupted

Hello. Just reading your diary

On the tree issue £1k is a very good price knowing the amount of work Leylandii cause.

edinburgher

Regarding the skills with fabric: Buy a sewing machine, start learning how to make things yourself (you or wife, doesn't matter), it's not difficult and you'll save money. This generation doesn't have skills with fabric or other apparently 'lost' skills because this generation seems to put little effort into acquiring such skills. I'm not annoyed with you, Ed but am annoyed by the general attitude of our generation to acquiring practical skills (such attitudes they are now passing on to our children).

I'm not taking offence and I generally agree that skills die out because people don't take the time to work at them. But it's not that simple.

For example (and it's only an example, don't take offence), you don't have a full-time job, so you have more time to learn DIY skills (rebuilding windows etc.) that are beyond the reach of most of us.

In our household, I work full-time hours over 4 days, my wife works 3 days and we have a fixer-upper that's been poorly maintained for 30+ years and a 1 year old to consider.

Compare that to a couple of generations ago, where my grandfather worked full-time, earned enough money to afford a nicer house than we can afford between us and that was after he had to take a step down in terms of his relative financial status after his business went south! My grandmother had every one of the traditional homemaker skills - she was creative, could sew, use a sewing machine, cooked well, baked, gardened and raised a lovely daughter (my mother). But she only worked for something like 2 of her 80 years on the planet. I'm aware that there are more gizmos and things to waste our money on these days, but my grandparents were probably quite flash for their day - big TV, nice car, a microwave before we even knew what that was

AlexLK

I do understand where you're coming from, Ed. Your full time work and one year old are the main reasons I think you should try to chill out about the house a little. If it's safe, that's all that really matters, the rest is 'tinsel'.

When I was a bit younger than my son, my parents bought the house they still live in today. It was an absolute mess of a place and had been seriously neglected for a very long time. It took them many years to make it into a nice place to live inside and for the first year or so had no mains power. Whilst I don't remember that, the point I make is that you don't need to have a nice looking modern bathroom or a brand new oven, or even a means of powering your electronic gadgets, all of that is 'tinsel'.