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

Seasidegal58

Hi Hairy. Just caught up with your diary. As SA commented a few posts back you are beginning to sound like your old self and I'm so pleased.

Re uni - perhaps give them a call and see if they can email you the info?

HairyHandofDartmoor

Thanks SSG. I want to find out because it's making me feel a bit anxious. I don't have my mum to talk these things over with any more and I'm worried I'll forget something important.

Seasidegal58

I'm sure the uni will be helpfuL. The things you are worrying about will be way down at the bottom of DS's list so it's just as well he's got you to think of these things for him. Young men eh! My boss 's son goes off to uni next week too. Boss is already moaning about how much his wife is doing/ sorting out things for said son!

HairyHandofDartmoor

Seasidegal58 wrote: »

Hi Hairy. Just caught up with your diary. As SA commented a few posts back you are beginning to sound like your old self and I'm so pleased.

Thanks SSG. I don't feel like myself. When I think about my mum not being here any more I feel distraught and like I'm going to have a panic attack. But I guess I'm getting a bit better at pushing it to the back of my mind.

HairyHandofDartmoor

Seasidegal58 wrote: »

I'm sure the uni will be helpfuL. The things you are worrying about will be way down at the bottom of DS's list so it's just as well he's got you to think of these things for him. Young men eh! My boss 's son goes off to uni next week too. Boss is already moaning about how much his wife is doing/ sorting out things for said son!

This is what worries me, I don't feel like I'm doing very much but I don't know what I've forgotten. My mind feels so sluggish at the moment. What haven't I thought of? What haven't I done that I should have done?

Like contents insurance! I've just thought of that and we need to organise a policy for him.

Eager_Elephant

HairyHandofDartmoor wrote: »

He's going next weekend and I still don't know things like his postal address and exactly what comes with the accommodation. For example will he need an oven glove? DS3 says he hasn't had any more emails from from the uni, but this information must be available surely? Stress .

I know its hard but please stop worrying, DS has definitely had emails about what his accommodation has and what he needs to bring - my son is so laid back as well so I brought him what I thought he needed and then if he needed anything else there are always supermarkets.

Oven gloves will not be provided and in my sons 2 years so far I have never seen one in a communal kitchen, they all use tea towels.

He will only know the address of his accomodation when he collects his keys, post will be sent to the Uni Student Support Office and students get a text or email to say they have something to collect, you wont be able to send post direct to his accomodation if he is in Halls.

Any other questions give me a shout - my son has survived 2 Uni years so far which always amazes me as he really lacks common sense:rotfl:

redofromstart

Don't fret, borrowing stuff off people is a great way to start a conversation. Educate him on Wilkos for if he needs cheap bits for the kitchen. If he is in a big communal kitchen then he won't have much space, and he certainly doesn't want expensive bits or a huge volume of stuff that will go walkabouts. My locker was tiny. One each of medium pan, plate, bowl, cup, one set of cutlery, an ok chopping knife and a tea towel would do. You just learn to improvise, or to borrow things, and that if you don't wash up, you can't eat.

in_need_of_direction

Have you never seen the ad for chocolate digestives? Arm him with these and he can trade for loans. Also, the one thing my DS was always in need of, to the extent that we still give them as a stocking stuffer, is tea towels.

HairyHandofDartmoor

@EagerElephant @Redo @INOD Thank you I don't know why I'm panicking like this, I don't usually. I'm normally efficient and on top of things.

We did all this for DS1 seven years ago, but I seem to have forgotten what we did. Although so much has happened since then, like losing my sister and my mum, that it seems a lifetime ago that DS1 went. Plus DS1 dropped out after six months due to depression.

You are making me feel less panicky so thank you. I googled to do list for university and there are some useful lists online too for numpties like me .

DH's meeting has been cancelled so he is going to come with us, not sure if DS3 will think that is good news or bad news. It's raining steadily today so DS3 will appreciate the need for a raincoat!

Today we're going to buy him:

-waterproof raincoat
-waterproof trainers
-weekend rucksack (ideally waterproof)

Then we're going to the supermarket to buy him:

-dinner plates
-side plates
-bowls
-cheap mug set
-teatowels

I've set aside two bath towels and two hand towels from our collection. I need to check DS1's box of uni stuff to see if a chopping board is in there.

At the end of today I will hopefully feel more on top of things!

[Deleted User]

I'd stop worrying about oven gloves if I were you, HH. I'm a pensioner, have cooked a dinner pretty much every day of my adult life plus baking (though not every day) and cooking other hot snacks too and have never owned any oven gloves. Used one at my Mum's once but couldn't get on with it. Plenty of ways for your DS to improvise unless he's already used to using oven gloves in your kitchen and really loves them;)