The Happiness Fund.

MovingForwards

Can you break your garden into sections rather than having one big garden? Lawn area, patio area, flower area etc
Well done shrinking everything down and making sales 🤗

savingwannabe

Hi MF I do have several areas. The problem is that it is a bit big it's great in the summer but v hard to manage. I will learn to do this though. I might have to get green waste collection so that my parents don't have to do tip runs and I researched it is only £44 a year which means I can garden as I go along.

Im just tidying the house now parents have gone. Next month's credit card bill has come £210 I have all that in my xmas fund and I have £40 left in bank and £50 in cash to spend.

MovingForwards

Garden membrane or cardboard boxes over the soil, cut a hole in where you plant and in theory no weeds can grow, but you then need chip bark or something on top to hide it. Target a bit of the garden at a time and it will all get done. Either that or put a small / low fence up part-way down, scatter wild flower seeds and abandon it to nature!

The green waste collection is a good price, or you could have a compost bin. Takes up a bit more of your garden 😉

Payday will soon be here and you've a good budget to get through.

savingwannabe

MF are you a twin of the man who knew everything from the 39 Steps? Brilliant idea Steve also suggested the same thing two days ago. I have only lived here for 14 years and had no idea this could be done and now two of you have suggested it in two days!!!!! I am very seriously thinking about this for next summer's project!!! Still there is a whole year to think of it. 
 I am so happy things are falling into place. The house is decluttered. I keep popping in and out checking out the rain situation as I want to line dry to reduce my costs. I am turning into a real cheapskate but this is the only way I can save. 

Skint_yet_Again

If you still want a green waste collection maybe see if any of your neighbours already have one / want one and go halves on the cost. Me & my neighbour do that so only £22 each 😊

MovingForwards

It's a fresh pair of eyes seeing your problems and finding solutions, the whole two heads are better than one etc. When we live our lives we do see options as we are too emotionally invested in it.
Or the truth is that's what my OH has been doing to the growing part, perhaps I should go into detail about what he does then others can pick the ideas up!

You are not being a cheapskate, it's hard trying to maintain a home and garden on a single income and have to find cost effective ways of doing it. 

savingwannabe

Thank you ladies bless you. My neighbours don't have the green bin service as they drive to the tip I think and compost which is another thing I don't have time for. Dad just rang and said not to pay for the compost bin as he is going to take it to the tip every time he comes. I am planning to learn my highway code this holiday so hopefully I will drive in the next year or two and then I can do all the things normal people do. I have felt queasy all day so I did about 3 hours of work this evening but am still feeling a bit dodgy mum and my brother are shattered too as we did 12 weeks of gardening in one go!!!

MovingForwards

Driving will open up so much and you will wonder why you never did it years ago. Exciting times!

Skint_yet_Again

Hope you are feeling better SW. Almost the weekend, almost the holidays & almost payday 🤗

Lovely of your lovely dad offering to do the tip run every visit 😊

savingwannabe

hello tummy bug still here so currently eating crackers and trying not to puke. lol. I am not working today as too tired but am going to try to sit in the garden now the sun has come out. Hairdresser coming tomorrow so hope I am better by then. 
I have another credit card who I owed money to as I switched my dd bank and it turns out they told me last month but I didn't get a letter so today I had a scary letter in the post and am £38 poorer!!! I bought some things on social media sites yesterday spending £30 some of its for me and other bits for xmas presents. Then I bought an iron which is arriving next week for £24.00 a bargain price I think as my old iron has cracked! (the last two days have cost me £92. Did I say I was trying to cut my spending. A good job I am not going on hols anywhere lol Still it was stuff I needed.