Finally Debt Free After 34 Years, But Still Need to Live Frugally

[Deleted User]

HairyHandofDartmoor said:

It's one of those days where it's too hot to sit in the garden as we don't have any shade 🌞 . I don't like sitting in the hot sun and there isn't room for our sun shade as our bench is against a wall. I wonder whether you can get small oblong sun shades because the round ones don't work for us ⛱. We don't have room for a tree in our garden as it's really just a back yard and it's a bit of a sun trap.

A sun trap sounds good,, better than a dark and sunless sitting-out area but I can appreciate your predicament.  My huge kitchen window faces south west and when I'm preparing our evening meal I can barely touch the stainless steel sink as it's red hot! Plus, I'm almost blinded by the sunlight.  We've investigated blinds etc but the cost was exhorbitant for a window this size.  Something for the future maybe?  OH only ever buys what he can actually pay for, he's never owed a penny in his life apart from the mortgage which has long been paid off.  I'm the opposite, that's why I've been a yo-yo debtor and ended up with a lot of financial stress over the years.  I'm tempted just to go ahead and make improvements and put it on the credit card but I've been well and truly burned over the years by 'flashing the plastic'  and I'm hoping I've learned my lesson the hard way (at long last).

I think I saw an ad for a sort of sun canopy thingy that screws to an outside wall.  Maybe something like that would be good for you

Bubblesmum

Hello

We have a wall attached sun awning which is brilliant, ours is manual and you wind it in an out but a friend has an electric one. We like you have a sun trap patio and these really do keep you out of the sun. Just did a quick search and there seems all sorts for all budgets, it’s on our list to Devin at Ely replace as we have a tear in ours, I would say no idea how long it has been there and we we’ve been here 14 years........

milann

Last year we were looking at a corner sun shade in IKEA....not sure how much it was as we said we’d look properly this year when we were ready. We still aren’t ready and don’t know if ikea is doing things on line?

Chrystal

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/528539706270682871/

Some of these may be useful HH. X

Onebrokelady

My patio is the same Hairy,I couldn't sit out there today because it just gets too without an umbrella and I need a new one, evenings out there are lovely though and I quite often sit out there at dusk and watch all the bats flying around, I am going to buy a new umbrella and then try and remember to bring it in over winter so it doesn't get wrecked like the last one 😳

[Deleted User]

Just wondering, HHOD, whether something like a small pop-up gazebo would fit the bill.  They are available in all sorts of sizes and price-points.  Places like Argos sell them I think.  Or maybe something like a caravan awning type of thing that your DH could adapt/fix.  The gazebo would be useful because you could site it elsewhere in the garden whenever you fancied a change of scene.  Not an issue today if your weather is anything like ours.  Lots of rain in the night and really windy and gloomy at the moment.  Hasn't deterred the hikers though!  Still small crocodiles of them up on the fells.  I'm getting a bit obsessed with this blatant disregard of  the 'stay home', travel as little as possible and maintain social distancing rules.  I'm like the 'curtain twitchers' except I'm out in the garden looking through binoculars .  Insert embarrassed and angry emojis!

Willowtree222

It is frustrating though Delichon, my neighbours are blatantly disregarding the rules consistently and I have since found out that she is a nurse.

[Deleted User]

I hope you're OK today, HHOD as you haven't posted.  If your weather is as awful as ours I'm envying you and DH being cosy indoors enjoy coffee from your lovely new machine.

I remember early on in your diary (before you had any paid job) you used to spend a day a week (Sunday I think it was) when DH was helping you set up your own small business.  You seemed to spend a lot of time and effort on it at that time and I wondered  whether you've given up the idea of it altogether.  In these weird and turbulent times it's probably very difficult getting any new business venture off the ground, especially with so many people having little disposable cash to afford to pay for people's services (which I assumed was what you were planning, rather than selling stuff).  Sorry to be nosy, I was fascinated at the time and wonder why it came to an end.  If a full-time TA post is  sadly elusive for the foreseeable future it would be a nice addition to your mealtime supervisor income.

jwil

You've had  a busy few days.  Hope you've had a relaxing day today.  I was going to suggest one of those awnings that you fix to the wall as well.

HairyHandofDartmoor

Thanks everyone . It's a good idea but there are a couple of reasons why a wall mounted awning wouldn't work. Our wall is only about five feet tall so it's not suitable for an awning. Also there's only one place you can put a bench because there are borders on three sides and the side where the bench is has a clematis growing up it in the only place that an awning could go. So I'd need some kind of free standing awning. It would have to not cost more thatn about £20 too as that's all we can afford at the moment.