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

HairyHandofDartmoor

Happy Sunday everyone, it's a lovely sunny morning .

Today my plans are:

- Clean living room bay window
- Wash curtains & nets
- Put all Christmas bits away
- Wash more laundry
- Sort clothes in void
- Tidy bedroom

DH needs yo iron DS3's shirt and drop him at work at 12.00pm.

Have a great day everyone .

[Deleted User]

Looks like a productive day today Hairy, hope you manage to get some me time.

[Deleted User]

Thank you so much everyone for your very kind condolences about my brother's plight. Such thoughtfulness from strangers certainly lifted my spirits and it looks like a group of truly 'nice' (for want of a better word) people congregate on Hairy's diary:A. I'm so glad that I found it.


Your Sale buys sound brilliant, Hairy:T. Don't begrudge them or feel guilty about buying them as they will all be useful rather than just nice to have. The tablecloth especially was meant to be yours as you liked it so much when you first saw it but shied away because of the price. People obviously love and look forward to your party each year and I'm sure they wouldn't care what the table d!cor etc was like as it's the people and welcome that matter most. It will make you feel better though to make things look extra nice.


I think it's being astute too as I know from experience that something essential always drops to bits or conks out just before it is desperately needed:eek:. My only tablecloth (we just use place mats ourselves normally but the table surface isn't good enough to go naked for guests) disintegrated in the wash just before we were having several people come for a big celebratory meal a few years ago:eek:. Had to dash out to the nearest shop to buy one (living very rurally I had no time to go anywhere else) and it was eye-wateringly expensive:eek:. You know your party happens every year so best to be all prepared IMO.


Have a good day. I hope the sunshine lasts for you. The sky here is a very watery shade of blue but even that seems positively tropical compared with the last few days steely grey:A

[Deleted User]

Seasidegal58 wrote: »

Well done with the sale bargains! You certainly know how to pick ‘em!

I’m a big fan of the Kon Mari method of folding clothes. Some of her book is a bit airy fairy for me - the finding joy in your clothes, etc - but her actual mechanics of storing and de-cluttering are excellent.

I agree with you about the Kon Mari book, Seasidegal:T. I'd heard a lot of good reports online about the folding/decluttering ideas in it and was lucky enough to find a copy in a charity shop last year. I too found it a bit too airy fairy for my taste, the idea of only keeping what brings joy:rotfl:. What tosh when those of us with money woes have to keep and use whatever we have regardless of if it brings joy or not:o. I seem to have a houseful of hand-me-downs and 'gifts' that I certainly wouldn't have chosen for myself and the only way they bring me any joy is that I didn't have to spend any money on them;).


Some of the folding methods are very good though:T. Look out for a charity shop copy, Hairy, or try to borrow it from your public library:)

HairyHandofDartmoor

carbootcrazy wrote: »

Thank you so much everyone for your very kind condolences about my brother's plight. Such thoughtfulness from strangers certainly lifted my spirits and it looks like a group of truly 'nice' (for want of a better word) people congregate on Hairy's diary:A. I'm so glad that I found it.


Your Sale buys sound brilliant, Hairy:T. Don't begrudge them or feel guilty about buying them as they will all be useful rather than just nice to have. The tablecloth especially was meant to be yours as you liked it so much when you first saw it but shied away because of the price. People obviously love and look forward to your party each year and I'm sure they wouldn't care what the table d!cor etc was like as it's the people and welcome that matter most. It will make you feel better though to make things look extra nice.


I think it's being astute too as I know from experience that something essential always drops to bits or conks out just before it is desperately needed:eek:. My only tablecloth (we just use place mats ourselves normally but the table surface isn't good enough to go naked for guests) disintegrated in the wash just before we were having several people come for a big celebratory meal a few years ago:eek:. Had to dash out to the nearest shop to buy one (living very rurally I had no time to go anywhere else) and it was eye-wateringly expensive:eek:. You know your party happens every year so best to be all prepared IMO.


Have a good day. I hope the sunshine lasts for you. The sky here is a very watery shade of blue but even that seems positively tropical compared with the last few days steely grey:A

Thanks carboot . I also found that the kindness of strangers was very comforting when I was grieving. I hope the doctors are able to give your brother as much time as possible.

HairyHandofDartmoor

carbootcrazy wrote: »

I agree with you about the Kon Mari book, Seasidegal:T. I'd heard a lot of good reports online about the folding/decluttering ideas in it and was lucky enough to find a copy in a charity shop last year. I too found it a bit too airy fairy for my taste, the idea of only keeping what brings joy:rotfl:. What tosh when those of us with money woes have to keep and use whatever we have regardless of if it brings joy or not:o. I seem to have a houseful of hand-me-downs and 'gifts' that I certainly wouldn't have chosen for myself and the only way they bring me any joy is that I didn't have to spend any money on them;).


Some of the folding methods are very good though:T. Look out for a charity shop copy, Hairy, or try to borrow it from your public library:)

I will look out for the book at the charity shop. I know what you mean about hand me downs. It's very kind of people to give things, but they are often not to our taste and we have to use them anyway .

DH and I have never bought a pair of curtains, but have always had hand me downs or the ones that came with the house. The curtains I'm going to wash today were here when we moved in and are not to our taste, but our big bay window is a non standard size, so we can't afford the specially made curtains that would be needed .

Still we are lucky to have a house and to be debt free so I shouldn't complain .

HairyHandofDartmoor

Well I've the washed the bay window and the room looks much brighter :T.

The curtains have nearly finished washing, so I just need to tumble them and hang them up. I put them on a three hour wash as they were so dirty :eek:. They are a bit big and drape on the floor so I don't mind if they shrink a bit. White curtains are not very practical :mad:. Once I've hung them up I can wash the nets. It's a horrible job which I hate but I only do it once a year.

I've found out why people who sit in the bay get so cold, there is a gap where the windows don't close properly as the metal struts are warped . DH thinks he can put some foam in the gaps to block the drafts. No wonder we get big spiders webs in the bay :eek:.

There is so much money that needs spending on this house . The windows in the bay need replacing, most of the windows at the back of the house need replacing, some guttering on the front needs replacing, the front and back walls need re-rendering and painting, and that's just the outside .

Inside we need new flooring throughout the downstairs, a new bathroom and new armchairs and sofa in the living room. The vestibule needs replastering and so does the plaster around the bay window in the living room .

I reckon we'd need to win the lottery to get that lot sorted .

HairyHandofDartmoor

Anyway that was a moan fest so I'll try and be more positive now .

Sun_Addict

Our house is the same HH, despite spending a fortune on it last year, loads still needs doing, it's a nightmare really.

CBC - sorry to read the sad news about your brother. I hope he gets some good quality time. Sometimes life sucks.

HairyHandofDartmoor

What's left to do on your house SA? Houses really are money pits :mad:.

My list didn't even cover the furniture we would would like to increase storage and look less shabby, but that's more of a want than a need. My previous list was the needs .