A whole new world, for now

beanielou

I love Holby.
If only I had someone to feed me when it was on :rotfl:

in_need_of_direction

So, got the estimate for the building work. Definitely no mortgage ops or savings. The initial bit came out at £1k more than our wee windfall. The final bill will be twice the initial estimate. £5k plus for stuff being repaired. I could and probably will cry. We also have the 4 legged fiend to worry about while it’s all going on. Today will be a heavy day while yesterday showed me that no matter what you try to do for some people, they will always want more. Right, I’m trying to get motoring. Need to get back to the corporate clothes today.

Today I am grateful for
Being out of test strips for my bs. It wouldn’t be good!
Me having chased an invoice
OH fixing the wardrobe hang rail

HairyHandofDartmoor

Sorry the building work is so expensive . What exactly needs doing?

I wouldn't pay £700 just for hearth tiles if I could avoid it. What about a simple hearth made of slate or marble? It wouldn't match the tiles but wouldn't clash either. Or pick one colour from the tiles down the sides of the fireplace and have plain tiles in that colour. We have a similar arrangement to this where our Edwardian fireplace has tiles with a red flower pattern. The hearth has plain red tiles in the same shade as the flowers and it works really well.

I think being self-employed can be very unrewarding sometimes and customers can really take the mickey, (wanting things for free, paying late or not at all, asking for detailed quotes and never getting back to you, etc). I would rather be self-employed than in a terrible job but I would choose a nice job over self-employment any day.

It can be awful to look back at money wasted in the past. I don't have a pension at all apart from the one I took out three months ago and as I only work seven hours a week I dread to think how much I will get from that! DH's pension was drawn out to pay off our debts, but we'd have only got about £300 a month from it anyway, although that would have helped obviously. So we have no pensions, 40K left on the mortgage, an uncertain income and the house needs a lot of repairs. It doesn't seem much for a lifetime of hard work does it?

However we need to look forward not back. How long until you are 67 INOD? I'm planning on working until I'm 67 so that I can accumulate as much money as possible as I don't want to retire and be on the bread line, but at least I enjoy my work.

jwil

How frustrating about the estimate. Have you had other quotes too to check they are in the same ballpark?

Cherryfudge

Hoping for a better day for you today, INOD. And for the four-legged friend. x

doingitanyway

Sorry to hear of builder woes.

I hope today was a good day.

An update on the dog? Please let the dog me okay...

doingitanyway

HairyHandofDartmoor wrote: »

I think being self-employed can be very unrewarding sometimes and customers can really take the mickey, (wanting things for free, paying late or not at all, asking for detailed quotes and never getting back to you, etc). I would rather be self-employed than in a terrible job but I would choose a nice job over self-employment any day.

It can be awful to look back at money wasted in the past. I don't have a pension at all apart from the one I took out three months ago and as I only work seven hours a week I dread to think how much I will get from that! DH's pension was drawn out to pay off our debts, but we'd have only got about £300 a month from it anyway, although that would have helped obviously. So we have no pensions, 40K left on the mortgage, an uncertain income and the house needs a lot of repairs. It doesn't seem much for a lifetime of hard work does it?

However we need to look forward not back. How long until you are 67 INOD? I'm planning on working until I'm 67 so that I can accumulate as much money as possible as I don't want to retire and be on the bread line, but at least I enjoy my work.

Really good points made her HH and gave me food for thought. As you say there is time to make a difference. Also there is evidence that working longer may give us all health, financial and social benefits as long as we are well enough to do it

in_need_of_direction

So,most importantly, the furry one is doing well for her age. She’s as daft as a brush and I’m anticipating a little dance of joy when I pick dd up this afternoon.

Next up, the builder is someone who we always use and who lives across the road from us. Our front windows face the side of his house. My children grew up playing with his and I can trust him with my keys and my dog. Whatever he says the cost is will be a keen price. He’s an electrician by profession, a generalist by experience and project manages anyone else he needs to engage. I live in dread of his retirement.

I’m currently 51 so have a few years to retirement. However being self employed means that I have to keep healthy. This week I have not eaten well and bar running between meetings, have not been active. I am also annoyed with my gp. He was quite prepared to give me repeat prescriptions for diabetes meds but is limiting the bs test strips that keep me focused on self management. I am going to ask the pharmacist if I can purchase over the counter.

Yesterday I was in Dublin all day. I got good feedback from a client. I also went for lunch with a friend and visited a consignment store where I’d left stuff ages ago. Three out of four items had sold and the other was returned to me along with euros that’ll cover my spends when I’m down there. I came home via the cheap petrol station saving me just over 10p a litre which is beside an Aldi where €30 was spent. This included extra low fat mince plus cooked meats for lunches along with fruits and veg.

The next pit stop was at an outlet where I didn’t get what I needed but did get things that I can use as a new baby gift, etc.

It made for a long day and left me with a sore head. It was my own fault for trying to cram too much in.

Today I am trying to find the to do list I made out last Saturday! I have work to get through as one piece has a Monday deadline. We are still clearing the kitchen contents as work will start on Monday.

Today I am grateful for
Confirmation of money coming my way.
Being able to spend €6.50 of my consignment money on a treat appreciated by dh
Catch up with a friend

Cherryfudge

Your builder sounds like gold! Also possibly the sort of person who doesn't retire completely but still keeps his hand in with chosen jobs... (here's hoping).

Yesterday does sound heavy, though the money was a nice bonus, and all this preparation will take some of the busy-ness out of other days. Good luck with the kitchen... that sounds like hard work but for what it's worth, a finite and measureable task (so long as you can find tea, kettle and enough cups afterwards).

Did you find the list? The most important bits are probably still in your head.

P.S. Can blood sugar tests be bought online?

milann

How silly limiting bs testing stuff. Surely it’s more cost effective to monitor and self control rather than keep visiting the gp.

Your builder sounds a gem - ours lived at the back of us and was doing ‘little jobs of his choosing’ until he was in his late 70s. He started on the dot of 8, nipped home for a 20 minute break at 10.30 lunch at 12.30 and finished at 4....you could set your watch by him:rotfl: he looked at the extension he built for us every day - so we knew he’d do a good job. That was about 13 years ago and he’s sadly no longer with us and sadly missed.