The Edcawber Principle

ajmoney

@Suffolk_lass your post makes for good reading, thanks.

Ed - I hope you guys are ok.  I am always reading in the background but don't often post.

edinburgher

@Suffolk_lass I've never had a broker save me a fortune, but they can usually find the same deals that I do (or the same rate) and can wrangle £300-500 cashback, which I normally can't.

@ajmoney - we're doing great thanks - although a bit of a 'mare today! I think there are a lot of forumites who are like that (particularly some oldtimers like ourselves). It's nice just to know that people are checking in, you see the thanks and the occasional appearances and you know that everything is ticking over

Today was a day of two halves. On a positive note, I was up and working by 07:30, was flying through my work and was happy as Larry as today is my Friday. Then a gust of wind blew the curtains into a brass floor lamp, which smacked off an aquarium that I had hoped to repair (leaking, thankfully empty today), chipping the aquarium and smashing a lightbulb. Later on in the afternoon Mrs E managed to clip a drystone wall on a tight road near her parents, totalling the passenger wing mirror and scuffing the door. It's the same side we have repaired less than a year ago! :'( I have no idea what a replacement wing mirror and a door polish or respray will cost - £££? I then finished work, went grocery shopping and just sat down, 17 hours after I got up!

In preparation of this unplanned cost I paid in a cheque for £24 (last phone tariff cashback) and cashed in a small jar of change (just over £50).

Fresh start tomorrow? In my defence, I didn't unwind with a drink, currently managed no booze on 18/20 days in August.

Suffolk_lass

I feel your pain re the car. My car was almost new when DH caught his foot in my handbag strap as I was dropping him off. I reached across to stop him dragging it out upside down and my foot slipped off the brake. At almost 0mph my car rolled forward onto the brick pillar and caught and scraped my new bumper :'(. Then two years ago the telecomms people were putting new cables in to the entrance to the car park. Between my arriving and leaving they moved the plastic gates (that I knew I fitted through as I had driven in) and DH sat in the passenger seat and said nothing as I caught the rear quarter on the wall on the passenger side. It was just over £500 to fix both. Heartbroken but all shiny and fixed now. Your wing mirror will depend on whether it is just the glass , the colour match if it is the surround :'( , or the cost of the electrics if it is totalled 

edinburgher

@Suffolk_lass - the guy in the bodyshop had the good grace to be very apologetic about the quote of £265 if they have to order a replacement from the manufacturer! He searched for a third party part, but no dice (it's a Dacia, not a Ferrari)... His next suggestion was to try and find a second hand mirror that they could strip and combine with the less gubbed part of ours, a mere £30 for fitting and a door polish. He's had no luck sourcing a secondhand one yet. Not sure what to do, it's very alarming driving without a wing mirror :'(

On the bright side, I saw my Mum and Dad for the first time in 4-5 months today, both looking great (sun tans, weight loss and super relaxed). We had a good natter. Other than that, I went to a big aquatics shop to look at fish for our new aquarium and got DD some Olbas for a cold that she has developed now that she's back at school. Nothing scary, classic cold symptoms for her, down to the disrupted sleep and teeth grinding

edinburgher

£28 paid into Premium Bonds. Feeling like hell after another sleepless night!

Suffolk_lass

I got a second reminder for DS's car as the MOT is due by 4th September. I mentioned it to DH and asked when his is due (much rummaging...) - it is tomorrow! He now has it booked in for Thursday-week and has asked them to source and replace the wing mirror lens! Just in time for DS who is booked in for the same day. Let us hope all is straightforward. Mine is November...

edinburgher

3 MOTs?!!! Poor you @Suffolk_lass - not looking forward to my one MOT

Today was dull but productive. A nice family walk in the park (Mrs E has a cold as well now), lots of housework and just completed a large webform with L&C to see whether or not they can find us an IO mortgage... Had to justify some our low bills, which was nice

Karmacat

Hello Ed!  I've been offline a bit so I thought I'd post as well as catching up.  So glad to hear DD is loving school - thats a big deal, for sure.  And on finances, I'm glad to hear you're doing premium bonds - I'm definitely going to soak some up, I've sorted accounts now but I need to open a few new ones (already have some premium bonds, of course, but I've had them forever). 

Hope the colds go quickly.

Suffolk_lass

It is actually six MOTs (7 if I put my Vespa on the road) as I forgot the van and both DH's motorbikes. Oh dear, so profligate

edinburgher

@Suffolk_lass - 7? You're working for the man there!

Broker phoned this evening, asked a few questions and then tried (and failed) to put me through to an Advisor. They then said it could take up to two days to call me back - why bother phoning if there isn't anybody who can talk to me?!

A wildly exciting day, £0.22 cashback received from TCB. Payday tomorrow.