Frugal, thrifty, make do, mend! Let this debt come to an end!

Makingabobor2

So pleased for you. I'm sure it will all go well & you'll have a great Christmas in your new house.

Moorviews

I have just had a big catch up of your diary and was so shocked to see that you were being given such short notice at this time of year. It seems very heartless when you have been a good tenant. I am very glad to see that you have found somewhere new and that you will get to enjoy your own garden this time. As you are planning your budget I just thought that I should mention that heating oil has to be purchased up front and usually the minimum order is 500 litres. This is charged at a slightly higher price per litre than 1000 litres but the price is very volatile and goes up and down all the time, being generally more expensive in the winter but political factors can also affect it. Apologies if you are already aware of this but I didn’t want you to move in and find an empty oil tank without the funds to cover heating over the winter. Good luck with the organisation of your move!

Queen_of_the_Hive

Congrats Elshiba - i'm a long time lurker. You've done so well getting your debts down.

Sorry to hear all the stress of unexpected house move, not easy at any time of the year but especially this time of year. New pad sounds wonderful and being in Wales may position you perfectly for buying your cozy cottage at some point in the future.

Elisheba

Evening, folks.

Thanks, @Queen_of_the_Hive This house, although not my own and a 1970s build I think, is in such a beautiful location that it will really be a resting ground for whether I can manage in the countryside. Hopefully I'll also be able to save.

Thanks, @Moorviews I am not sure whether the tank will be full when I move in or not - it's sometimes in the rental agreement that the previous tenant needs to fill it before vacating the property. I've added £800 to my budget just in case. Not sure if it's a 500 or 1000 litre tank as it didn't look that big.

@Makingabobor2 Thankyou 😊

Elisheba

Fortune_Smiles said:

This is excellent news @Elisheba - I'm so happy for you.

Fortune x

Thankyou 😊

Elisheba

Thanks @beanielou @themadvix and @Cheery_Daff I'll definitely ask around for boxes 

Elisheba

Finally had the tenancy agreement through. It's 53 pages long 🤣. It dues say the last tenant should have filled the oil tank so fingers crossed.

It's very much a standard contract. Despite there being a wood burner it says not to burn any solid fuel! It also has a weird clause about not hanging any damp clothing on heaters or any item in the house. I'll have to make sure I'm allowed to use my drying racks!

In money news my Amex reward for year is about £130. It has come off the reward total, but doesn't seem to have been paid anywhere yet. Anyway, one way or another that's another bit of cash to add to the house moving total.

Nothing much else happening financially. I was in the office today and treated myself to a nice baguette from the sandwich shop across the road for lunch. Also bought my niece's (maybe I should say nibling? They are exploring their gender just now) birthday present yesterday.  No spending plans for the weekend. I need to run down the food cupboards for the move so will be menu planning from them. 

I've been thinking about what to do with my dog on office days in the new place. With 6 hours commuting and a full work day it's too long to leave him on his own, and I'm not sure about security leaving the back door open for toileting like I do in my current place. We do have a secure work carpark we are only supposed to use for 'operational' purposes, but it's only one day a week and noone checks why you are there. So I'm thinking I could leave him in the car and walk him at lunchtimes. He would never be there more than 4 hours and he loves being in the car. Not sure what I'll do in summer though. Hopefully something will have suggested itself by then.

I got one removals quite yesterday but it's a bit high. Getting 2 more early next week so I'll see what they say.

Hope everyone has a fab weekend!

LadyWithAPlan

Just caught up and glad to see you have a lovely place to stay and a long contract. I am also a renter and this moving at short notice can be a scary thought. 

Can you take the dog into work?

MFWannabe

Elisheba said:

Finally had the tenancy agreement through. It's 53 pages long 🤣. It dues say the last tenant should have filled the oil tank so fingers crossed.

It's very much a standard contract. Despite there being a wood burner it says not to burn any solid fuel! It also has a weird clause about not hanging any damp clothing on heaters or any item in the house. I'll have to make sure I'm allowed to use my drying racks!

In money news my Amex reward for year is about £130. It has come off the reward total, but doesn't seem to have been paid anywhere yet. Anyway, one way or another that's another bit of cash to add to the house moving total.

Nothing much else happening financially. I was in the office today and treated myself to a nice baguette from the sandwich shop across the road for lunch. Also bought my niece's (maybe I should say nibling? They are exploring their gender just now) birthday present yesterday.  No spending plans for the weekend. I need to run down the food cupboards for the move so will be menu planning from them. 

I've been thinking about what to do with my dog on office days in the new place. With 6 hours commuting and a full work day it's too long to leave him on his own, and I'm not sure about security leaving the back door open for toileting like I do in my current place. We do have a secure work carpark we are only supposed to use for 'operational' purposes, but it's only one day a week and noone checks why you are there. So I'm thinking I could leave him in the car and walk him at lunchtimes. He would never be there more than 4 hours and he loves being in the car. Not sure what I'll do in summer though. Hopefully something will have suggested itself by then.

I got one removals quite yesterday but it's a bit high. Getting 2 more early next week so I'll see what they say.

Hope everyone has a fab weekend!

Find a good local doggy daycare or dog walker that can pop in and let him out/ take him for a walk as necessary. Wouldn’t cost too much if it’s only one day a week and would take away the stress of thinking about it? If there’s a local dog Facebook group for the area you could ask on there 

ref the hanging of washing I would say it’s to prevent damp, hanging washing on radiators etc can cause damp. I wouldn’t necessarily ask the question about your drying racks… if you have a dehumidifier that would be even better 

Elisheba

Evening all,

There is a lot of sorting out going on in Casa Elisheba at the moment. The charity shops and tip will be doing very well out of me, and my local friends must be bored of me asking if they want things 🤣.

I think I've mentioned before, but I have been decluttering over the last few years, so it's nowhere near as bad as it has been on previous flits. Still a pain in the neck though!

I've chosen a removals company, and they seem very sensible and gave me a realistic quote straight off the bat, which the other two didn't do and instead gave me a final quote that was double their original estimate. I'm moving from a 2 bedroomed to a 2 bedroomed so it's not rocket science. I'm biting the bullet and getting them to do the packing for me. It's significantly less stress when I'm working full time and it's just me to do the packing, and it doesn't work out that much more expensive strangely enough, especially when you take into account all the packing boxes and materials are included.

Moneywise I think all my sums are done. I might end up taking £1k on an interest free credit card at 3% fee (so £30), because I'll need more upfront than I have. As I'll have the cash within a couple of months I'm not worried, and I think potentially I could make money if I put it in my 5% interest account until the balance is due. We will see though - there will be a 10 day crossover when I'm paying bills for both properties so need to see how much extra that will be. 

I'm dreading tomorrow. I'm taking one of my elderly cats to the vet. I'm pretty sure it's not going to be good 🫤. She's insured so treatment isn't an issue, but I have a suspicion it won't be something they can fix. One thing at a time though, and maybe I'll be wrong. 

Other than that all is ticking along. I've got a good quote for a professional clean, and they are coming round on Wednesday to give me an exact figure. I've signed my tenancy contract and just waiting for the landlord to sign and answer a few questions. I'm also starting to learn Welsh on Duolingo. Not that many people speak Welsh where I'm going but it's nice to be nice, and it should help me with place names. 

I'm trying not to think of the place I'm leaving as I've really settled here and made good friends, and it's all too sad. Just got to think of the future, and I'm only an hour and a half away so I can pop over and see people.

Hope everyone has a good week 😊