My journey to a debt free life

Willowtree222

It's amazing when we have these moments of realisation. That is ridiculously expensive for a tree!
How are the chickens coping? Do you talk to them and apologise and try to explain? I do that to the rabbits if they have to go in for a bit. I say things like "It won't be long, I'll let you out in a bit". Anyone listening would think I had gone nuts! 
x

foxgloves

Yep! We did a similar thing pre-LBM, OBL. We bought a Christmas tree from an indie garden centre with an expensive 'lifestyley' shop. I can't tell you how magical it looked in our front window. It wasn't a traditional fir tree type. It was a sort of fake silver birch, all bare winter 'twigs' of course, & pre-fitted with loads of tiny white lights. We justified the expense by saying it would last for years. By new year, the mid-section of lights worked only intermittently. Year 2 they didn't work at all so we bought a string of lights to put on it. Year 3 - Noticed that the bark-coloured tape wrapping all the 'twigs' was starting to come off exposing the wires underneath, some of which, would be electrical because of the original integrated lights. So another artifical unrecyclable tree off to landfill. And doubly un-green because it had been imported from China in the first place.
The whole season.... love it, but it's a bit like weddings - a licence to print money!
F x

badmemory

Nicnak said:

How are the chickens coping? Do you talk to them and apologise and try to explain? I do that to the rabbits if they have to go in for a bit. I say things like "It won't be long, I'll let you out in a bit". Anyone listening would think I had gone nuts! 

x

Actually it makes total sense.  It isn't what you say it is the tone you use when saying it.  It is like talking to a baby.  A tiny baby doesn't understand what you are saying when you talk to it but it does understand the tone of voice which is saying I love you, you are going to be fine, nothing is wrong here.  I am convinced all animals are the same.  After all if someone snaps "I love you" at you, what are you going to believe, the tone or the words?  I'm going with the tone!

Sun_Addict

I bought my Christmas tree from Wilko a couple of years ago and several people have commented on how nice it is. The same with my twig tree from there, still going strong after several years and I keep it up all year round. I love real trees but it’s the mess, even the low needle drop ones. 

HairyHandofDartmoor

Your expensive Christmas tree stories have made me laugh 🎄. We bought our tree from Mr T. It was worth £20 but we got it for a fiver plus our loyalty vouchers. We've had it for five years and it's still going strong. It's not the perfect tree but it's good enough and looks great decorated and covered in lights.

I'm really glad you saw the doctor and got a steroid inhaler OBL. I have one for my asthma and it makes such a difference. Hopefully you'll only need yours short term.

Onebrokelady

Nicnak said:

It's amazing when we have these moments of realisation. That is ridiculously expensive for a tree!
How are the chickens coping? Do you talk to them and apologise and try to explain? I do that to the rabbits if they have to go in for a bit. I say things like "It won't be long, I'll let you out in a bit". Anyone listening would think I had gone nuts! 
x

Definitely an expensive tree, I can't believe I thought it was ok to buy it at the time. The chickens are fed up and are quite clearly blaming me even though I've explained it's not my fault, I talk to them all the time😂 when I go up to the coop I say "morning ladies" and when I check them to lock them in at night  I always ask if they are tucked up warm 😂I explain why they can't go out if I'm going out anywhere and offer to bribe them with treats. I heard giggling from the other side of the fence on evening and it was my neighbour who admitted she was laughing at me talking to the chickens 😀

Onebrokelady

Sun_Addict said:

I bought my Christmas tree from Wilko a couple of years ago and several people have commented on how nice it is. The same with my twig tree from there, still going strong after several years and I keep it up all year round. I love real trees but it’s the mess, even the low needle drop ones. 

My tree from Wilkos is their 7ft snowy one and I love it, I wouldn't have paid £100 for it but when they reduced them to half price I bought one straight away, it's a lovely tree and the first one I've owned with a decent stand. I would love a real tree but I can't have one because I'm allergic to pine needles 😟

Onebrokelady

foxgloves said:

Yep! We did a similar thing pre-LBM, OBL. We bought a Christmas tree from an indie garden centre with an expensive 'lifestyley' shop. I can't tell you how magical it looked in our front window. It wasn't a traditional fir tree type. It was a sort of fake silver birch, all bare winter 'twigs' of course, & pre-fitted with loads of tiny white lights. We justified the expense by saying it would last for years. By new year, the mid-section of lights worked only intermittently. Year 2 they didn't work at all so we bought a string of lights to put on it. Year 3 - Noticed that the bark-coloured tape wrapping all the 'twigs' was starting to come off exposing the wires underneath, some of which, would be electrical because of the original integrated lights. So another artifical unrecyclable tree off to landfill. And doubly un-green because it had been imported from China in the first place.
The whole season.... love it, but it's a bit like weddings - a licence to print money!
F x

The fact the lights didn't work on the first day really put me off especially at that price, i then realised that a high price tag isn't always a guarantee of good quality, I had wanted it because I thought it would last for years at that price, my £50 Wilkos tree is lovely and has lasted a few years now,it still looks as good as the day I bought it. I would have liked a pre lit one because I hate putting the lights on but it's only once a year so I need to just suck it up 😂

ladyholly

I hear my neighbour chatting to her rabbits and I have whe conversations with the dogs who understand every word.  . I have 2 Christmas trees both must be about 5 years old and will make another appearance this year and probably next as well 

Onebrokelady

HairyHandofDartmoor said:

Your expensive Christmas tree stories have made me laugh 🎄. We bought our tree from Mr T. It was worth £20 but we got it for a fiver plus our loyalty vouchers. We've had it for five years and it's still going strong. It's not the perfect tree but it's good enough and looks great decorated and covered in lights.

I'm really glad you saw the doctor and got a steroid inhaler OBL. I have one for my asthma and it makes such a difference. Hopefully you'll only need yours short term.

Glad it made you laugh Hairy, what I omitted to say was that I still have the tree it was replacing in the loft along with a 4ft one we bought when I first had my own place 😀they are still usable  and I might donate them to someone at some point. The 4ft one used to go in my hallway but we stopped putting it up when we got the cats as kittens,we could shut the living room door overnight so the main tree was safe but we would come down every morning to find the tree in the hall on its side and baubles everywhere, I might start putting it up again now the cats are old, I've got enough baubles to do two trees I reckon 😀
Your tree was really good value and so good it's still going strong,my 4ft tree is now 36 years old and is still in good condition I only changed it because I was given a bigger one 😊