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

redofromstart

I sometimes wish I didn't re read things as the house would be far emptier! I'm a fast, predictive reader so I miss things on the first read. It's one of the things I like about Pratchett is that I pick up on new jokes every time. Rereading an old friend after the passage of a few years is a joy. For me Christie, Sayers, Wentworth, Allingham, Heyer, Thirkell, Austin and Tey are all regular comforting reads.


HHOD I was thinking about your heating last night (cat had stolen my second duvet and I was cold), and I remembered that once we had a smart meter I could see the peaks of use and I eventually realised that someone was having very long showers when we were out, and that he was running a portable heater in his bedroom 24/7, and that he was putting the oven on in the middle of the day for an hour to cook his packed lunch bits rather than putting his stuff in with ours in the evening.

HairyHandofDartmoor

beanielou wrote: »

Have a lovely meal tonight

Thanks Beanie .

Cherryfudge wrote: »

Two layers of fleece pjs and a hot water bottle and he'll be snug and warm! Oh, and socks.

WannabeFree wrote: »

Can you give DS a hot water bottle? Or any spare blankets? I'm sure he understands. Mine are a lot smaller and understand to wear extra layers/socks/slippers etc.

Hope you had a lovely evening

x

Thanks Cherry and Wannabe .

We do actually possess one hot water bottle so I could give him that and he definitely needs to buy pajamas!

HairyHandofDartmoor

redofromstart wrote: »

Buy him a hot water bottle for Christmas?

On the bedroom thing, my boys aren't especially tidy but I prefer having a positive relationship with them to having tidy bedrooms, after all they live in it not me. I try to respect boundaries and only help (aka deep clean) if they ask me. DS1 would rather weed the garden or mow the lawn so we sometimes swap jobs when his stuff starts taking over. It's more problematic once you get past the withholding pocket money stage. SS lived in a foot deep collection of stuff. His room, his decision.

Ha ha I'd love to see his face if I got him a hot water bottle for Christmas, I like that idea :rotfl:. You do have to tread carefully to preserve relationships I agree.

beanielou wrote: »

My DS's room was a pit.
The two rules were washing in machine & crockery in kitchen!

I don't know how they can bear to live in a pig sty, but laziness seems to take precedence over comfort :eek:.

carbootcrazy wrote: »

Another one here who's a big fan of hot water bottles:j. Cheap to buy, last for years and very comforting. I sometimes use 2 at a time, one at the end of the bed to warm my feet up and the other higher up. Saves arguing with OH about the thickness of the duvet:rotfl:. He'd be happy with the thin summerweight one all year round:eek:

I keep forgetting we've got a hot water bottle. I can see why you need two :rotfl:.

HairyHandofDartmoor

carbootcrazy wrote: »

Well done on getting more work done on your business when there's so many other demands on your time.T:beer:. Is it getting near to going 'live'? It sounds an exciting time for you. So much for you to look forward to in lots of ways in 2019:j.


I hope you had a nice meal and evening with Stepdad. I bet he's happy to see DS3 again, and vice versa.


Has your volunteering finished for the term or do you have another week to go?


Will you be able to have a bit of heat on Christmas Day? I know it's milder in your area and your neighbours are helping to warm your house up a bit:j but it must still be quite cold inside. I may have mentioned that either me or OH go round sometime each day to my friend's empty house to see that all's well, tweak the curtains etc and try to make the place looked 'lived in', pick up the post etc. Unless it was a day when he felt he should go and cut the grass (all done for the year now though) and rake up leaves I've insisted on doing it because the house is always warm :j:j:j. She's left her timer on so the central heating comes on for an hour and a half first thing in the morning and then late evening to make sure the pipes don't freeze and burst and to just keep the house from getting damp. I do my rounds fairly early in the mornings and when I've done what I'm there to do I just sit in the lounge for a bit and revel in the warmth:j. Would be a pity to 'waste' that heat:rotfl:

I did think it would be nice to have the heating on low on Christmas day and Boxing day as a special treat .

A good idea to make OH do the oudoor jobs!

HairyHandofDartmoor

Onebrokelady wrote: »

My girls learnt from an early age to tidy up,if I got the hoover out and they had left small enough things on the floor it went up the hoover never to be seen again DD1 is quite a messy person now she has her own place which is fine because I don't live there but DD2 is tidy like me,neither of us can relax in a mess and she respects that although she lives here it's doesn't give her the right to leave mess everywhere, she also cleans the house and does the washing and ironing if I am at work and she is at home
When her boyfriend lived here I was shocked at how much mess he could create and he just didn't see it as a problem because his mum always picked up and cleaned up after him,I just feel sorry for whoever is unfortunate enough to marry him because they are signing up for a life of cleaning up after him

The DC only leave a mess in their rooms. The bits of the house I live in have to be tidy or else I can't stand it. I can't think clearly with mess everywhere.

HairyHandofDartmoor

elizabethhull wrote: »

I know you've mentioned this before, CBC, but I find it really puzzling. After all, one listens to the same piece of music more than once, and if it's a song, most people delight in knowing it well enough to sing along. There is a special pleasure in knowing where a story is going as it frees one from the narrative to notice anything you've missed the first time round. As an example, if I'd only read 'Northanger Abbey' when I was 12, and never again, I would not have read it AFTER proper gothic fiction and appreciated the humour in it.
Classics bear many re-readings, although what one might call 'airport fiction' doesn't !

My friend and I were discussing Pilgrim's Progress last week, which I first read over 40 years ago and I was remembering the bit (turns out it's in part 2 ) where a character crosses the river to the Holy Land and goes over singing, but none could tell what words she sang. Such a beautiful image. I remember a lot of the story, whereas she ONLY reads for the beauty of the phraseology - makes for quite spirited discussions !!

And I would happily take Three Men in a Boat to a desert island as it cracks me up every time !!

Ah well, we're all different.

Happy Monday, all !

I love to re read too as I notice different things each time and often I love the familiarity of an old favourite. I must read Three Men in a Boat as I have a charity shop copy .

redofromstart wrote: »

I sometimes wish I didn't re read things as the house would be far emptier! I'm a fast, predictive reader so I miss things on the first read. It's one of the things I like about Pratchett is that I pick up on new jokes every time. Rereading an old friend after the passage of a few years is a joy. For me Christie, Sayers, Wentworth, Allingham, Heyer, Thirkell, Austin and Tey are all regular comforting reads.


HHOD I was thinking about your heating last night (cat had stolen my second duvet and I was cold), and I remembered that once we had a smart meter I could see the peaks of use and I eventually realised that someone was having very long showers when we were out, and that he was running a portable heater in his bedroom 24/7, and that he was putting the oven on in the middle of the day for an hour to cook his packed lunch bits rather than putting his stuff in with ours in the evening.

I'm a fast predictive reader too so can read a book in half a day, then on a second reading I take longer and savour it more .

I wish we had a smart meter, I bet it would be very interesting to find out where the electricity is being used most.

HairyHandofDartmoor

In today's news WE GOT PAID :T :j :T :j :T :j :T :j :T :j :T :j :T :j :T :j :T. Christmas is saved .

I've paid all our outstanding bills and we can afford Christmas food and presents (frugal ones, but still) :beer:.

It's a massive massive relief .

Also I went to volunteering this morning as I missed Friday due to enrolment, and the head teacher has signed my placement form for the NVQ course. So I'll return it to the training provider tomorrow :T.

I spent all afternoon doing accounts and paying bills which felt great :T.

I've got to get ready for Pilates soon and my friend is going as it's the last one before Christmas, so overall a busy and successful day so far :beer:.

doingitanyway

So pleased to read this HH. Every time I check your diary there is fab news. Long may it continue!
It is great that you will be warm and cosy over the Christmas holiday.
Enjoy pilates.

redofromstart

:j :xmastree:

That's brilliant news.

mummytogirls

Brilliant news HHOD :T xx