Champagne Lifestyle on a Lemonade Budget.

mrs_slapshot · 28 September 2020 at 6:13PM

Hello all - some fabulous champagne moments that you've had, Phoebe and Sugarbaby!! Phoebe - I love it when you realise you can change your mind about something like tiles and still use them elsewhere (that is probably better suited!). And Sugarbaby that is an amazing bargain - I bet your granddaughter will be thrilled. I am so impressed you have already started Christmas shopping - my diary tells me to start on 1 October, and I am determined to actually do it this year so I'm not behind.
Not much on the champagne front here - except for a little Bookbub 99p bargain (Money - by Rob Moore.) I loved one of his other books (start now and get perfect later or something like that) and this had good reviews. I've also sold some old clothes I decluttered on eBay, so that's raised about £40.
I've decided that I'm going to make the best use out of the next 6 months, given how difficult it's going to be for everyone. I'm going to focus on saving more money (e.g. petrol that I won't be spending, going out money that I won't be spending), spending quality time building up my blog instead of tinkering around at the edges, and getting a lot more consistent with my fitness. I'm also going to focus on improving the diet of my son and I - and if that means splurging sometimes then so be it. I'm not going to live in deprivation! If we can't live our 'normal' lives then I'm going to make the most of what I do have and look forward to hopefully better days.
There have been survey issues on the house I'm buying - nothing too major (electrical work, roof repairs and a potential issue with the downstairs loo), but the mortgage valuation came in at £180k and the surveyor's valuation was £182.5k (I offered £185k, which was the 'offers over' price). Given the work that needs doing and the two low valuations I have asked for a price reduction to £182.5k. It was sent to the vendor on Friday, and I've had no response as yet - so I'm keeping my eyes on Rightmove. I haven't yet commissioned the searches as I wanted the survey back first, so if I can't proceed I'll have lost the survey fee (£480) but that can't be helped.
I've felt poorly yesterday and today, feeling really nauseous and wiped out, so I've had a day off work and spent it in bed. Haven't done that for a long long time. Am feeling better now so hopefully back up and running tomorrow. I need to get up and showered soon or I will never sleep tonight!

helensbiggestfan · 29 September 2020 at 8:05AM

Good Morning my lovely friends.

What fabulous updates from everyone. Phoebe you are making fantastic progress with your house, it sounds fab-u-lous. 😁. Glad to hear you treated yourself to a dress too, we mustn't let ourselves spend so much on our houses that we forget to make ourselves look good too. I'm curious though as to what make of candle would have a rrp of £144😱😂. Hope you family do manage to visit....you must miss them.

Mrs S - fingers crossed on the house and that your revised offer is accepted. It sounds fair to me. Hope you are feeling better today and that it was nothing nasty, hopefully just a combination of tiredness/stress about the house move and general "stuff". We live in very strange times and i think a lot of people are feeling stressed and anxious even if they are not actually conscious of feeling that way. I know, I know ......that might sound like new age hippie psychobabble but I'm a strong believer that what goes on in our heads affects our bodies.

I think COVID and all it has entailed, not just the illness itself, but everything that surrounds it, lockdowns, restrictions, the economy, job losses etc is having and will continue To have profound effects for many years to come.....not just in the nations economic health but also in our mental and emotional well being, 2020 will be burned into our psyche for a long time to come.

I was only thinking the other night, it will be a long time before I feel ready to travel abroad again. The thought of being in a confined space with hundreds of people in a lockdown scenario on board a ship, or even just a few hours on a plane just doesn't bear thinking about. As irksome as being confined in our own homes is now, at least we are safe. I can live without fancy foreign holidays. 😉

Like you Mrs S I too am going to make the most of the next few months. I am going to use the time productively. Hopefully once the a baby is born I can come out of my self imposed solitary confinement and I can get out a bit more, even if it's just to go shopping. I guess it all depends on the numbers. If the the second wave is a biggie then obviously I will shield through the peak. At 69 I don't consider myself old but in covid terms I would be considered vulnerable to complications. Although I still think I had it back in January, but then we don't know if that makes any difference as to whether or not you can contract it more than once. So many unknowns. I have downloaded the track and trace app which I think will be useful.

I have been busy, lots of champagne moments spent with DS1 and his little family. They are coming over today. Only 2 weeks to go now till the new baby comes. I haven't seen DS2 for several weeks now and miss him like crazy but we text and chat on the phone. That will have to do for now.

I have been making the most of the good weather getting lots done in the garden. I think the weather is about to change soon so I will then shift my focus to the inside. I have also been focusing more on me......exercising, eating well, and have made a start on sorting out my wardrobe. I bought a few new house clothes, slippers etc. I refuse to look like a tramp just because I'm not going out. Ok I live alone and no one sees me but thats not the point.

I see me and I'm soooooo worth It. 😂🤣.

Right better get cracking before the family descend.

sugarbaby125 · 29 September 2020 at 12:53PM

My Champagne moment on Sunday was my sister H telling me that 'my' episode of The Chase was being repeated on ITV.

My original appearance on The Chase was more than 4 years ago and I never thought that particular episode would ever be repeated. It brought back so many great memories.

phoebe1989seb · 29 September 2020 at 12:57PM

Thanks ladies

The cottage was such a neglected ugly duckling - inside in particular, because despite the hideously rotten windows and mismatched pointing, the stone exterior is actually quite pretty - that it deserved to finally be 'fabbed' lol!

Prior to us it has only ever had two private owners since being sold off by the *big house* in 1999 and although the structure is 400 years old it was converted to a dwelling as recently as Victorian times. The two sets of previous owners - first the artist who sold the beautiful stone roof

then the couple who got repossessed - didn't have a clue when it came to sympathetic restoration/renovation. Hopefully we are putting that right! I'm certainly beginning to feel the love at last....a little, anyway

Your GD will be delighted with that gift, sugarbaby! mrs_s, I do hope they accept your reduced offer....or that if not something even better comes along! Hope you're feeling better today too.....

LL, I agree about not feeling inclined to travel overseas in the near future. We'd been thinking about a trip to one of our favourite destinations (Provence) or maybe Italy, once the cottage is more up together but even that doesn't seem as appealing right now. Over the years we've visited some great places so, tbh, if we never go abroad again it'll be a pity but it won't be the end of the world...... I think my only regret would be that as a teenager I declined my parents' offer to go to Russia (they went alone, later after I'd left home) so when DS had the chance to go with school, I jolly well made sure he took advantage of the opportunity, lol!

sheilavw · 29 September 2020 at 6:49PM

Sorry I missed you on the Chase Sugarbaby. I might see if I can get it on catch up. Did you win? Hope so

sugarbaby125 · 29 September 2020 at 6:55PM

sheilavw said:

Sorry I missed you on the Chase Sugarbaby. I might see if I can get it on catch up. Did you win? Hope so

Shelia, I did not win any money, but it was a really wonderful all round experience. Bradley and Mark made me laugh so much, I was crying.

sheilavw · 29 September 2020 at 8:41PM

I just watched it! Well I skimmed until you were on last. What hard questions you both got. It must have been a great experience being on the show. Did you get a hotel stay included?

You looked so surprised when you got questions right

sugarbaby125 · 29 September 2020 at 9:03PM

sheilavw said:

I just watched it! Well I skimmed until you were on last. What hard questions you both got. It must have been a great experience being on the show. Did you get a hotel stay included?
You looked so surprised when you got questions right

Shelia, the other 3 got a hotel stay, but I did not need one, as I live in South London and it was only a short train ride for me. They paid all of my travel expenses and they gave us a choice of a full English breakfast cooked to order in the studio's green room for contestants. It was a very pampering experience being made up by a professional make up artist.

I was genuinely surprised at getting any of the questions right. It is far more nerve wracking taking part in a studio compared to the comfort of my sofa

I had no expectation of winning any money. I have watched The Chase from the 1st episode and most of the teams do not win any money. I just wanted to be lucky enough to get on the show. The application form is extremely long. Then if you pass that stage you have a day of face to face auditions in small groups. If you pass all of the auditions, then you finally get put on a waiting list. Then it can take months up to 4 years before you finally get the email asking you to come and record your episode of the show. Then once the episode is recorded the 4 team members are sworn to secrecy. You then wait to get the email to inform you of the date of transmission of the episode you were part of.

I only told my family and friends when I was successful after the day of auditions and was on the waiting list. My 4 children were the most amazed, as I had talked for years of my desire to be a contestant on the show.