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Finally Debt Free After 34 Years, But Still Need to Live Frugally
Comments
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Morning HHD
Glad to hear you're feeling more rested - just as well really isn't it with the travelling and work ahead
. You've definitely made the right decision to stay over, I remember how tired you said you were after the last trip and if you're cleaning and packing you'll definitely benefit from a good sleep before travelling back.
I'm absolutely not getting involved in cleaning DD's flat. I went in to help her carry some bags down when we picked her up this week and it's a s**t tip. Her room is OK-ish and I don't mind doing that but the communal area/kitchen is awful. There's a shopping trolley in there for some reason, but at least that looks to be the clean, the rest is disgusting. No wonder she's always ill. Plus 3 of them have left already so I can see her being the last man standing and having to do it all. I doubt the deposit is just based on bedrooms so unless they pull their fingers out I can't see any of them getting their money back :mad:
Have a good day at school. xx0 -
Shame about the weekend trip, at least it will be done then.
Glad you had a better nights sleep and feel better x"Good financial planning is about not spending money on things that add no value to your life in order to have more money for the things that do". Eoin McGee0 -
HairyHandofDartmoor wrote: »Yoohoo I just did a £4 PA survey :T :j :T. First one I've managed to do in ages.
Well done, that's a good payer:T:j:beer:. Wish I could get one like that although you probably had to do a lot on it. They're usually so interesting though that the effort and time don't seem to matter somehow,
I've had a few recently but only tiddly little ones . By the time I spot the good paying ones they're already full up:(.:( The 2 I did yesterday were for 10p and 39p:rotfl:. Only very few questions each though and every little helps. I'm just shy of £20 so even a couple more like those short ones would be welcome and I can request a payout.0 -
Great news that you are feeling a bit better .HH. Shame about the last-minute weekend plans but life sadly has a nasty habit of getting in the way of what we planned to do:mad:. At least once he's home you can forget about all the effort it takes to get him hither and yon and be able to relax a bit. I hope he's contributing financially towards all the expense of moving him and his stuff what seems like pretty frequently:eek:.
Lucky for him he has parents with a car who are available to do it. When I was at Uni (and trust me, I bet I had as much stuff to vacate from my room as he has:eek:) I never expected my Dad to drive over to pick me and it up at end of terms. I know he would if I'd asked but we students liked/needed to be independent. We all had a massive cabin trunk which we packed to bursting point (pity the poor man/men who had to lift it:eek:) and a courier company back in those olden days, BRS I think it was that specialised in trunks, came and picked it up and delivered it to my parent's place. Didn't seem to cost much either if memory serves me correctly. Other breakable or valuable items I got home myself on the train (which involved 2 changes en route) and I had to take it all to the station in the first place in stages, using the Left Luggage facility until I had it all there. Then I had to get a porter (remember them?:rotfl:) to help me get it on the train. Same at every train/platform change. Sometimes a very kind and helpful passenger helped instead:j. My Dad picked me and the stuff up at the station in my home town. All of us students did it that way. All a lot of faff and effort but my independence meant such a lot to me, that's a lot of what going away from home to study was about;). I know your son has a big computer with him though, which I certainly didn't have back in my day:rotfl:, but I had a big and heavy record player and a separate heavy reel-to-reel tape recorder which had to be got back and forth somehow.
Anyway, I really hope you enjoy the hotel:beer:. Look upon it as a little holiday (albeit a working one) and make the very most of it. Money well-spent IMO as doing it all in the one day is a bit much especially as there'll probably be a fair amount of cleaning to do. There shouldn't be all that much though unless he's really neglected doing it himself as an ongoing thing. I know students are prone to untidiness:eek: but I assume he's hygienic;). Maybe you can suggest he helps you to do his cleaning, then he can watch how it should be done so you don't get lumbered with it next time;)
Thank you Noella, you were very independent. My mum used to do that with her trunk on a train, but then her parents didn't have a car and she was quite poor and had very few possessions.
DS3 would never be able to bring his large computer, large monitor, thirty or so books, all his saucepans and kitchenware, laundry basket, bedding, towels, etc, home on his own, so sadly we have very little choice. Most parents nowadays seem to collect their student children when they are moving out of acccomodation for this reason.
Your assumption that DS3 is hygenic is sadly not entirely accurate :eek: :rotfl:. Male students of his age don't seem to mind living like animals :eek:. We're going to give his room and his ensuite bathroom a quick clean, but I personally am not going to touch the communal areas :eek:.
It all a bit of a palaver but we have to do these things for our children.Finally Debt Free After 34 Years, But Still Need to Live Frugally
Debt in July 2017 = £58,766 😱 DEBT FREE 31 OCTOBER 2017 :T 🎉
EMERGENCY FUND 1 = £50/£5,000. EMERGENCY FUND 2 = £10/£5,000.
CHRISTMAS SAVINGS = £0/£500. SEF = £1,400/£12,000 PREMIUM BONDS ME = £350. PREMIUM BONDS DH = £300.
HOLIDAY MONEY = £0 TIME LEFT TO PAY OFF MORTGAGE = 5 YEARS 1 MONTHS0 -
Morning HHD
Glad to hear you're feeling more rested - just as well really isn't it with the travelling and work ahead
. You've definitely made the right decision to stay over, I remember how tired you said you were after the last trip and if you're cleaning and packing you'll definitely benefit from a good sleep before travelling back.
I'm absolutely not getting involved in cleaning DD's flat. I went in to help her carry some bags down when we picked her up this week and it's a s**t tip. Her room is OK-ish and I don't mind doing that but the communal area/kitchen is awful. There's a shopping trolley in there for some reason, but at least that looks to be the clean, the rest is disgusting. No wonder she's always ill. Plus 3 of them have left already so I can see her being the last man standing and having to do it all. I doubt the deposit is just based on bedrooms so unless they pull their fingers out I can't see any of them getting their money back :mad:
Have a good day at school. xx
Thank you TF2. We're going to help DS3 clean his room and ensuite bathroom, but I refuse to touch the communal area :eek:. I've no idea if any of his other flatmates will have moved out by this weekend, so I don't know if any cleaning has been done by anyone else. Time will tell. I hope he gets his deposit back but if he doesn't then it will be partly his own fault.
I hope DD's flat gets miraculously cleaner by the time you have to clear it :rotfl:.arsenalbarnie wrote: »Oh gawd Hairy I do sympathise with all this uni stuff. Two years ago it was July 30c and we had to hire a van and drive to drop a massive sideboard off at DS2 flat up to top floor. Then drive to next city to get DS3, empty his flat, top floor again and drive across country to east London to move him in, ready for 3 years of PhD. OH had hired a van with no air con! Could have crowned him. We drove home that night. We did see a lovely sunset over Oxfordshire though on the drive back :rotfl:
That sounds awful Arsenal :eek: especially the van with no air con :eek:. And are they grateful? Are they heck :mad:.Shame about the weekend trip, at least it will be done then.
Glad you had a better nights sleep and feel better x
Thanks Jwil, yes a least once it's done it done.
Finally Debt Free After 34 Years, But Still Need to Live Frugally
Debt in July 2017 = £58,766 😱 DEBT FREE 31 OCTOBER 2017 :T 🎉
EMERGENCY FUND 1 = £50/£5,000. EMERGENCY FUND 2 = £10/£5,000.
CHRISTMAS SAVINGS = £0/£500. SEF = £1,400/£12,000 PREMIUM BONDS ME = £350. PREMIUM BONDS DH = £300.
HOLIDAY MONEY = £0 TIME LEFT TO PAY OFF MORTGAGE = 5 YEARS 1 MONTHS0 -
I slept really well because I was so tired until 5am and then woke up feeling really stressed and couldn't go back to sleep
. So I thought I'd make a list of what I'm stressed about and see if that helps.
- We need to go away this weekend to collect DS3 and clear his flat
- I need to order DS1's birthday presents (his birthday is less than a week away)
- We need to prepare our annual accounts (so that DS3 can apply for next year's student loan on time)
- This weekend will be very expensive
- We need to find £350 to buy a new freezer
- The house is a pigsty
- I won't have time to do any de-cluttering or housework this weekend
- DS2 is in South America
If I can order DS1's presents this afternoon and make a start on the accounts then that will help. I can't really do much about the rest at the moment until this weekend is over.Finally Debt Free After 34 Years, But Still Need to Live Frugally
Debt in July 2017 = £58,766 😱 DEBT FREE 31 OCTOBER 2017 :T 🎉
EMERGENCY FUND 1 = £50/£5,000. EMERGENCY FUND 2 = £10/£5,000.
CHRISTMAS SAVINGS = £0/£500. SEF = £1,400/£12,000 PREMIUM BONDS ME = £350. PREMIUM BONDS DH = £300.
HOLIDAY MONEY = £0 TIME LEFT TO PAY OFF MORTGAGE = 5 YEARS 1 MONTHS0 -
HairyHandofDartmoor wrote: »I slept really well because I was so tired until 5am and then woke up feeling really stressed and couldn't go back to sleep
. So I thought I'd make a list of what I'm stressed about and see if that helps.
- We need to go away this weekend to collect DS3 and clear his flat
- I need to order DS1's birthday presents (his birthday is less than a week away)
- We need to prepare our annual accounts (so that DS3 can apply for next year's student loan on time)
- This weekend will be very expensive
- We need to find £350 to buy a new freezer
- The house is a pigsty
- I won't have time to do any de-cluttering or housework this weekend
- DS2 is in South America
If I can order DS1's presents this afternoon and make a start on the accounts then that will help. I can't really do much about the rest at the moment until this weekend is over.
First thing, it's really useful to sit down and make a list. Well done for doing it:beer: because sometimes when we're bogged down with worries it's hard to work out exactly what the individual problems are. ''Can't see the wood for the trees'' is what my Mum used to say;). Well, you've done it:T and once the issues are identified they're easier to remedy somehow. Less of just a big amorphous black cloud.
I doubt your house is a pigsty at all (you certainly won't think so I imagine once you see DS's accommodation and compare the state of the two;).
The weekend will be expensive-ish but you'll have the pleasure of staying in a hotel which will be an unexpected and much-deserved treat for you and DH. You're doing your best to keep the costs down by taking your own food and using vouchers. All very MSE:money:.
You could do without the hassle of the trip and work it involves this weekend after feeling run down and tired but think of it as a bit of a positive as once he's safely home you won't have it hanging over your head all next week.
Forget the decluttering for a while. You've done so much already (and put most of us to shame with how much effort and time you've put into it:A). Take it one day at a time. You must have done the worst bits by now and you said yourself how much more organised and findable (is that a word?) things that you've already sorted are. Remember back to the first day you started on your mammoth decluttering and how daunting it felt. Be proud of what you've done. remember, it took years to gather all the clutter (think kids toys and items you haven't looked at in years) so you can't expect it all to disappear in a couple of weeks. You're brilliant and an inspiration to us all but no one is Superwoman and Rome wasn't built in a day.
That's all for now. I'm really clogging up your diary today. Sorry:o:o:o. Just remember how highly we all regard you and how far you've come recently. None of those problems are insurmountable, just try not to cope with them all at once:).0 -
Fully understand where you're coming from with the stress HHD. Looking at the list that's a lot to think about. I think all you can do is take one step at a time and like you said a lot of it can be crossed off once you're back home with DS.
The biggest plus is you know what you're getting for DS's birthday. Knowing what to buy is always the bit I struggle with and takes up far too much brain space for my likingMight be why I always ask the DC's if they'd prefer money and breathe a sigh of relief when they say yes :rotfl: xx
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All the talk of collecting dc from uni reminds me of picking my ds up from his uni - we were en route from a holiday in Cornwall towing the caravan. We thought all his gear would fit in easily in the van and car - :eek::rotfl: - how silly were we??.....they car and caravan were filled to the rafters with our holiday things and his stuff plus ds had grown the most enormous tomato plant on his windowsill.....so I travelled from Leicestershire to near Greater Manchester with said tomato plant on my knee in the back of the car. The back seat and boot were full of his stuff and I could barely move or see out of the window....we did have some lovely home grown tomatoes though :rotfl::rotfl:.....ooooh and the smell of tomato in the car was lovely at first then wore a bit thin......memories - you’ll look back and smile one day HairyJanuary spends - £587.580
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First thing, it's really useful to sit down and make a list. Well done for doing it:beer: because sometimes when we're bogged down with worries it's hard to work out exactly what the individual problems are. ''Can't see the wood for the trees'' is what my Mum used to say;). Well, you've done it:T and once the issues are identified they're easier to remedy somehow. Less of just a big amorphous black cloud.
I doubt your house is a pigsty at all (you certainly won't think so I imagine once you see DS's accommodation and compare the state of the two;).
The weekend will be expensive-ish but you'll have the pleasure of staying in a hotel which will be an unexpected and much-deserved treat for you and DH. You're doing your best to keep the costs down by taking your own food and using vouchers. All very MSE:money:.
You could do without the hassle of the trip and work it involves this weekend after feeling run down and tired but think of it as a bit of a positive as once he's safely home you won't have it hanging over your head all next week.
Forget the decluttering for a while. You've done so much already (and put most of us to shame with how much effort and time you've put into it:A). Take it one day at a time. You must have done the worst bits by now and you said yourself how much more organised and findable (is that a word?) things that you've already sorted are. Remember back to the first day you started on your mammoth decluttering and how daunting it felt. Be proud of what you've done. remember, it took years to gather all the clutter (think kids toys and items you haven't looked at in years) so you can't expect it all to disappear in a couple of weeks. You're brilliant and an inspiration to us all but no one is Superwoman and Rome wasn't built in a day.
That's all for now. I'm really clogging up your diary today. Sorry:o:o:o. Just remember how highly we all regard you and how far you've come recently. None of those problems are insurmountable, just try not to cope with them all at once:).
Thank you Noella. And you're not clogging up my diary at all, it's always nice to hear from you
.
Finally Debt Free After 34 Years, But Still Need to Live Frugally
Debt in July 2017 = £58,766 😱 DEBT FREE 31 OCTOBER 2017 :T 🎉
EMERGENCY FUND 1 = £50/£5,000. EMERGENCY FUND 2 = £10/£5,000.
CHRISTMAS SAVINGS = £0/£500. SEF = £1,400/£12,000 PREMIUM BONDS ME = £350. PREMIUM BONDS DH = £300.
HOLIDAY MONEY = £0 TIME LEFT TO PAY OFF MORTGAGE = 5 YEARS 1 MONTHS0
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