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

HairyHandofDartmoor

beanielou wrote: »

A fence you would have to paint :eek: :rotfl:
Good idea to get a quote.

I know nothing about these things but could you have a wee go at the freezer motor with a hair dryer?

You have inspired me to declutter the cupboard of doom. So thank you :T

I know more painting :eek: :eek: :rotfl:. We don't own a hairdryer Beanie so I can't try that but it's a good suggestion. Good luck with your cupboard of doom .

Sun_Addict wrote: »

Just caught up with you, your diary moves faster than the speed of light :rotfl:

Flippin' heck re the plumbing and freezer problems, you could do without this

Get a quote for the gate then save up for it,you need to know how much it is before you make a decision.

Thanks SA . I really could do without it after being ill .

mummytogirls wrote: »

Oh man what a nightmare couple of days youve had HHOD. I really hope everything works out and your back eases up a bit xx

Thanks MTG . It has been a bit of a nightmare :eek:.

HairyHandofDartmoor

doingitanyway wrote: »

Oh dear sorry to hear about your back, especially after the plumbing and freezer issues and being poorly. Definitely schedule a treat to look forward to.

Re the gate/fence, I would get a quote. The first repair I did was a fence as the back of my house was compromised. I felt so much safer after it was fixed. I am eager to get outside lighting sorted before the days get darker for the same reason.

Hope your day back isn't too exhausting.

Thank you DIA . I feel like I need another holiday but I was back at work today .

I would feel safer from strangers with a new back gate and fence so I would like to get a quote for it.

HairyHandofDartmoor

Noella wrote: »

I think the outlay would be money well spent, HH, and an essential rather than frivolous expense especially as the lane behind your house is a public thoroughfare. The family's security is priceless and sadly, these days, we all have to be vigilant all the time. It shouldn't cost all that much so if I were you I'd definitely get a quote or two just so you know what sort of sum you'll need.

I keep pestering DH to let us have some gates at the entrance to our drive but he refuses every time because we are both car owners and forever coming and going several times a day. I wouldn't mind having to open and close them each time but he's adamant he'll find it a real pain:(. It's a very wide driveway so would nee some big gates. The potential expense of it isn't helping my case:(. We have a gate at the other side of the house so anyone coming up the path to the front door can't walk round to the back but everyone just comes up the drive anyway and right round the back. I object to strangers walking past my kitchen and sitting room windows (glancing in on lots of occasions) on their way to the back door. People don't seem to want to ring the front doorbell, they all seem to prefer the back door:eek:. I'm seriously thinking of putting a sign up telling all callers to ring the front door bell but DH thinks it sounds heavy-handed. People coming round the back, even strangers, doesn't seem to bother him like it does me.

Thanks Noella . I would hate people coming to my back door and peering in my windows :mad:. It would make me feel very cross and also very insecure :mad: :eek:. I hate strangers ringing my front doorbell as we have a sign up saying "No cold callers" so if strangers do ring the doorbell they get a Paddington glare and I point to the sign :rotfl:.

Can you tell DH that it's very important to your peace of mind to stop strangers coming around the back? It sounds like an invitation to burglars to me. I think you should be firm with DH and put your foot down as it bothers you so much. It would bother me too!

HairyHandofDartmoor

Long catch up needed! I rested most of yesterday and my back was starting to feel better, but I was very tired so went to bed at 9pm.

Matters were complicated by DS2's travel from Portugal to South America, which happened yesterday. His flight from Portugal to South America landed at just after midnight. So I woke up to make sure his plane landed safely. But then he couldn't find his hold bag :eek:. He did find it eventually but by the time he located it and got to his hostel it was 3am :eek:. I couldn't get to sleep until I knew he'd found his luggage and got safely to his hostel of course, so I was shattered this morning .

So I skipped volunteering and just did my lunchtime job. I got through it on adrenaline but feel exhausted again now.

Bad news is that the freezer still isn't working . So DH rang our insurance company and the good news is that we have excellent insurance cover :T. We have a £350 excess. But our policy would cover a new freezer and food, plus a team coming in and drying out the walls and redecorating the kitchen :T. Parts of our laminate flooring is raised up at the seams now after getting so wet, so DH would like to have that replaced too.

So DH is on the phone to arrange for an inspection of the water damage. I'm glad we have such a good policy in place. A new freezer would cost us £350 anyway as it's a large upright freezer with six drawers, so the insurance paying to replace the food and decorate would save us a lot of money.

[Deleted User]

HairyHandofDartmoor wrote: »

Thanks Noella . I would hate people coming to my back door and peering in my windows :mad:. It would make me feel very cross and also very insecure :mad: :eek:. I hate strangers ringing my front doorbell as we have a sign up saying "No cold callers" so if strangers do ring the doorbell they get a Paddington glare and I point to the sign :rotfl:.

Can you tell DH that it's very important to your peace of mind to stop strangers coming around the back? It sounds like an invitation to burglars to me. I think you should be firm with DH and put your foot down as it bothers you so much. It would bother me too!

Thanks, HH. I thought I really was getting paranoid about it, as DH keeps telling me, but now I know others would feel just as uneasy. It's very reassuring:).

He'll probably say that if I want something that expensive doing I should pay for it myself. He doesn't mind paying for essential maintenance and improvements but something like this that he really can't see the need for is a step too far:eek:. I've nagged him about it for a couple of years but still no-go.

We have those No Cold Caller signs on both doors too but not many people take any notice of them:(

[Deleted User]

HairyHandofDartmoor wrote: »

Long catch up needed! I rested most of yesterday and my back was starting to feel better, but I was very tired so went to bed at 9pm.

Matters were complicated by DS2's travel from Portugal to South America, which happened yesterday. His flight from Portugal to South America landed at just after midnight. So I woke up to make sure his plane landed safely. But then he couldn't find his hold bag :eek:. He did find it eventually but by the time he located it and got to his hostel it was 3am :eek:. I couldn't get to sleep until I knew he'd found his luggage and got safely to his hostel of course, so I was shattered this morning .

So I skipped volunteering and just did my lunchtime job. I got through it on adrenaline but feel exhausted again now.

Bad news is that the freezer still isn't working . So DH rang our insurance company and the good news is that we have excellent insurance cover :T. We have a £350 excess. But our policy would cover a new freezer and food, plus a team coming in and drying out the walls and redecorating the kitchen :T. Parts of our laminate flooring is raised up at the seams now after getting so wet, so DH would like to have that replaced too.

So DH is on the phone to arrange for an inspection of the water damage. I'm glad we have such a good policy in place. A new freezer would cost us £350 anyway as it's a large upright freezer with six drawers, so the insurance paying to replace the food and decorate would save us a lot of money.

Great news on the insurance, HH. Always pays to have good cover doesn't it? I hope it all gets sorted very quickly:beer:

Sorry you had such a bad night but great news that your son eventually arrived safely with his luggage. Now a few of your major worries have been removed try to relax and recover. You've a long week ahead.

HairyHandofDartmoor

Noella wrote: »

Great news on the insurance, HH. Always pays to have good cover doesn't it? I hope it all gets sorted very quickly:beer:

Sorry you had such a bad night but great news that your son eventually arrived safely with his luggage. Now a few of your major worries have been removed try to relax and recover. You've a long week ahead.

Thanks Noella .

elizabethhull

Noella wrote: »

Thanks, HH. I thought I really was getting paranoid about it, as DH keeps telling me, but now I know others would feel just as uneasy. It's very reassuring:).
(

It doesn't sound paranoid to me at all. We all have differing responses to personal security, but tbh, most women have a more careful approach especially when it comes to their most valued personal space - their home.

teafor2

Hi HHD I think you made the right decision not to do the volunteering today. You've had a pretty rough couple of days what with one thing and another and you've also recently been under the weather with a cold so I'd take it as easy as you can for a few days.

Your insurance policy does sound really good and I hope it covers everything you'd like doing to get you back to normal again.

Glad to hear DS finally arrived at his destination safe and sound. I'd be awake worrying as well so don't think you're alone in that respect. DD has mentioned back packing again :eek: She's animal mad so I've told her to look at one of those conservation type holidays and see if anything appeals to her. A 'normal' holiday would cost money so I don't see a problem with paying to go somewhere and helping out and getting some experience. Not sure if anything will come of it, but I'd feel happier if she did something like that on her own as hopefully there's some organisation to it.

Enjoy the rest of your day. xx

HairyHandofDartmoor

We've lived here for fifteen years and never claimed on the insurance before so I think the insurance people trusted us to be honest about it.

We estimated £100 for the freezer food and the man on the phone sounded pleased that it wasn't more, but we buy cheap food from Mr T and don't buy expensive joints of meat, etc, so that was an honest assessment. They're going to give us £100 straight away for the food, the £350 excess will buy our new freezer so we'll have to find the money for that. Then we need to get a quote for redecorating the kitchen and new flooring if it can't be fixed.

So we'll have to pay £350 for a new freezer and the insurance money will cover everything else . Someone from the insurance company will contact us within 24 hours to come and assess the damage to the ceiling and flooring.

Apart from that I'm so tired that I feel ill so I'm going to sit on the sofa and not move until it's time for my shower and cooking dinner.