Travelling On

Karmacat

Good evening

earthgirl - 45 minutes in the rain is absolutely not okay, but otherwise all right, if thats all I'm doing. I went for about half an hour - round the block twice :rotfl: because it really looked like the skies were about to open :rotfl: Then they did!

michelle I did a healthy, balanced pace, but its also about meeting up with people. It will be okay this week anyway though - sister on Thursday, hopefully a U3A coffee morning on Friday, and then on Sunday I've just heard my Norfolk rellies are staying locally as they're off on their travels the next day so I should be able to get to see them at some stage.

Today, I did my walk, and I did really well on organising and scanning the photos. Connected with a neighbour too: thats the thing about local links again, trying to build up from a base of absolute zero

Just a few minutes wandering about on here, and got to shut the lappie down now. Hope everyone has a good evening.

Karmacat

Morning all (just ) I'm still not finishing up the tasks I set myself recently, apart from cutting back leylandii a bit, so I didn't post yesterday - but still got totally diverted by the scanning :rotfl: but last night I also took an OTC sleep aid, and it was blissful

:j


So, today:
- I've got SB running in the background.
- also got my "spare" scanner (long story, my brother didn't want it) set up in the kitchen, so thats running in the background too if I'm faffing about in there.
- I **have** to do one particular email today. Must, must must ...
- need to clean up a bit, just sweeping the bedroom will be a start.
- Tidy! Tidy, tidy, tidy. Did I mention tidy?

It's lovely sunshine, and I may use that excuse to finish off the leylandii I was working on yesterday. At least it would then be able to leave the property on Friday :T

redofromstart

Envious of your sunshine, I'm trying to convince myself that its warm enough to do a bit of snowdrop reloacting in the front garden but its rather over cast.

Abby_W

Karmacat wrote: »

Tackle French mortgage.
The mortgage ends in September next year! About 630 euros a month goes to capital repayment, and the interest rate is 0.95% p.a.

Is it still possible to get (approximately) such a great interest rate? And if yes, where do you get it?
This makes me think if my dreams can become reality.

Karmacat

redofromstart wrote: »

Envious of your sunshine, I'm trying to convince myself that its warm enough to do a bit of snowdrop reloacting in the front garden but its rather over cast.

I went out just after I posted taht, redofromstart, and I'm glad I did, because right now its cloudy and cold. Quite bright, but not a patch on what it was this morning ... I'm pleased with my work on that leylandii hedge though - its right by my front window, so it has a big effect on me. And now that I've discovered the border to my property is actually further inside the strip of earth containing the leylandii, I'm encouraged to keep on snipping it back, letting more light in to my living room. Also snipping away at the ivy, which was clogging a drain for the drainpipe, and is on the house wall. Legally, I can't do anything about it on their property (though I'm sure they wouldn't care) but I *will* take care of it on my side of the boundary, as well as keep the drain clear.

Karmacat

Abby_W wrote: »

Is it still possible to get (approximately) such a great interest rate? And if yes, where do you get it?
This makes me think if my dreams can become reality.

Abby, I know that the interest rate is great - it started out at 6 - 7% or so, its a variable rate that potentially changes every 3 months. And it used to change a lot too, but in the last few years its gone down to this low point, and stayed there. My mortgage is paid off in September this year, so that will be that. I don't know what deals are available, its a euro mortgage in France, and to be honest, I just took what I was offered The bank is now called Credit Foncier.

However, while the mortgage rate is great, the deal is terrible. Absolutely terrible. If I hadn't done it, and just kept the money I've got in a savings account, I'd probably have retired with maybe 40% more money at my disposal, I'm absolutely serious. A coalition of owners fleeced by this scheme had a friendly European Parliament member ready to ask questions about it (though I doubt that will happen because of Brexit, most of the victims of the scheme, like me, are British). I won't go into the details of *how* its terrible, thats a dozen posts

I can't caution you enough about buying property abroad as a first venture. Don't do it, please don't.

For you, though, if you want to make your fortune ... these are the steps I'd recommend:
- save money **ferociously**. Whatever you choose to do, you'll need seed money, startup money.
- for most people, the best way of getting more income is to do more of their main job. I don't know if thats true for you, but thats the general truth.
- as many mse hacks as you can cope with!
- if I was starting right now, and was healthy, I'd make a small business out of selling card designs (there's lots of sellers, but its a huge market) and maybe cards themselves; card designs can be used for other stuff too, like T shirts, mouse mats, all sorts.
- also, I'd push at being a writer on self employment sites.
- dogwalking. The money people pay for dogwalking is mad. Its a great sideline, and I bet it could grow into a broader business if you're good with your animals.

So when you've got the dosh together, a property. Watch the tv programme Homes Under The Hammer :j religiously. But the legal situation is changing all the time - DYOR, which is Do Your Own Research. I've noticed that people who buy a rental property in a cheap area get a better return on their money. But truly, read library books about this stuff.

I've no idea if I'm teaching you to suck eggs, and if I am, I apologise unreservedly :o:o I get frustrated at my own low energy levels, that I couldn't contemplate doing stuff like this any more ... thats why its turned into an essay

pinkypig

Very sound and wise advice Karma

Leylandii is a blooming pain isnt it?:eek: Best of luck...

PP xx

Karmacat

Thank you PP!

Things weren't too bad yesterday. I did the email I needed to do, I swept the bedroom, had another chunk of time clearing leylandii. Lots of scanning, though I was picking and choosing because a lot were just views.

Very little is going to get done today - I'm off out on the first National Trust visit of the year

Hope everyone has a good day :wave:

themadvix

Enjoy your day out!

beanielou

Happy day out