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

Makingabobor2

SuzeQStan said:

Ps try Olio / Freecycle / Marketplace for the wheelbarrow etc. these are also good for finding free wood etc. for the log burner (this kind of wood needs seasoning tho so it would be for next year - always good to plan ahead)

totally agree, We find so much on these sites

Elisheba

Jellytotts said:

Check/ask on Freecycle or local free groups on marketplace for wheelbarrows/ash buckets, it's often the case people have spare tucked away in the shed/garage and welcome the opportunity to pass them along.

We moved earlier this year and a considerable distance and it cost so much, we're still recovering from the small but necessary spends we needed to make en we got here - new sockets/switches, light bulbs (so expensive now) chimney sweeping, 3 ton of wood, boiler issues etc etc etc...worth it though.

Hope the move goes smoothly for you and sorry about spotty cat but well done for not trying to move a poorly animal, their stress levels are high enough in a move when they are healthy.

Thanks, Jellytotts. I must admit I never even thought at the time about what the stress would do to her, although thinking about it now that's very sensible. 

Moving is just so expensive, isn't it! And nothing seems to come in under budget, it's always over 🤣

Elisheba

Evening, frugal fighters,

Well, I am all moved into my new place and I love it! It's super warm compared to my last place, and the wood burner is lovely, and the scenery is amazing.

It has been a hectic few days! First the packing and the moving itself, and then all the unpacking which is taking forever! I still have boxes to do in the hall, but that's all now. Then there will be getting everything organised and in the right place, rather than wherever I decided to dump it when I unpacked it.

I still haven't found my shower curtain or any of the bathroom stuff, so I've been having baths and using the washing supplies I packed in my day bag for the move. Hopefully it will all show up tomorrow when I unpack the hall boxes!

Today I emptied everything in the spare room/office. Sadly my day bed in there didn't survive the move - the removal people said the screws were twisted. I might  see if I can find the right screws and put it back together, as I don't want to have to buy a new one. 

A few pictures got broken in the move, and I had all sorts of trouble fitting my washing machine, but other than that there were no disasters.

Thinking about the old house is just depressing me at the moment. The cleaner contacted me today to say that it's taking her longer than she expected because of all the pet hair and it will cost more. The handyman said the varnish I bought for him to mend the doors is the wrong colour, so he'll need to buy a different one. It looked fine when I painted it on the doors to try it, but he sent me a picture of it on a sanded area and it is too light. It's all just more money. My budget says it's all manageable, but it feels like I'm just handing out big cheques willy nilly 😭.

In terms of the new house, I've bought oil and it will be delivered in a week. Got 1200 litres at 69.99p, so that's the best part of £900 gone. It was budgeted for, but still ouch. I've ordered wood to be delivered tomorrow - I think it was 1.2 tons. I still don't have a wheelbarrow to move it though 🤣. No second hand ones available, so I guess I'll have to buy new. Amazon have them for about £30, but I'm umming and ahhing about whether I should spend more for better quality. And then I'm going to have to build the blooming thing 🙄. I was thinking I might just try to move it with my suitcase and see how that goes.

The curtains I ordered for living room that I thought would be too narrow actually fit very well - yay! They are a little too long so I'll have to pin or hem them up at some point. I'm really glad as the other suitable ones I could find were at least double the price.

I needed 2 pairs of curtains for my bedroom and didn't want to spend a fortune, and I found some cheap and cheerful ones on Amazon. £63 for both sets, and one set had to be almost full length, so that's an absolute bargain. I don't love them, but they are pretty enough and I'm not in my bedroom much. 

I've made an opticians appointment for tomorrow in my nearest big town. It's just Specsavers as I'm afraid I don't have the money to spend on my more local independent opticians. Night driving has been stressing me out, and I'm going to need to do a lot of it this winter with my massive work commute, so maybe new glasses will help. The ones I've got must be 4 or 5 years old, so it's more than time for new ones anyway.

The pets are settling in well. Black cat has decided she is going to live upstairs away from silly dog. It's carpeted upstairs which isn't ideal as she vomits a lot, and cats can scratch carpets, but at least she seems happy. Silly dog is still very excited about everything and has been spending a lot of time running in and out to the garden, and trying to breakdown the stairgate to get upstairs. He doesn't seem unduly stressed though, so that's good.

My plan for tomorrow in no particular order -
🎄Deal with wood delivery and move to back garden if possible

🎄Get the TV up and running

🎄Retrieve silly dog's toys from car
🎄Go to opticians 
🎄Empty boxes in hall

🎄Empty remaining boxes in kitchen

🎄 See if empty bookshelf will fit in porch for shoes 
🎄Get kitchen cupboards better organised and decide what needs donated, thrown out etc 

Things I need to do for the rest of the week -
🎄Organise all the rooms

🎄Take remaining empty boxes to garage
🎄Buy an Xmas tree

🎄Decorate tree and house
🎄Do budget reconciliation for November

🎄Inform banks, DVLA, insurance I have moved

🎄 Wreath making in old town (Wednesday)
🎄Weed driveway of old house (Wednesday)

🎄Hand keys in for old house (Wednesday?)
🎄Look through antique places in old town for fire pails (Wednesday)
🎄Go to Xmas markets and buy some presents (Saturday)
🎄Write and post Xmas cards

🎄Take faulty washing machine hose to Post Office to return
🎄Register with new doctor
🎄Join local library (probably Saturday if I'm there for Xmas market anyway)

And things I'd like to do if I have time -
🎄Hang up pictures
🎄Buy a fitting to hang a lightshade
🎄See if I can get the right screws for the day bed and try to reassemble it

🎄 Update blog

🎄Do some cooking 

Think that's enough to be getting on with, but no doubt I'll think of more! 

Night night, and hope you all sleep well 😴💤🥱

beanielou

Glad that the move has gone well.

Cheery_Daff

So glad you're settling in nicely 😊😊 New house sounds lovely, how fantastic to be all warm and cosy with a wood burner and a view 🥰🥰

Pah to old house, but it'll be over and done with very soon and you'll be able to look forwards rather than back 😊 xx

SuzeQStan

Congrats on the move Elisheba - so very pleased for you 😊👍🏻

Re wheelbarrow - good reason to meet the neighbours and ask if you can have a lend of
one.  

If you have to buy one then I’d go a local builders merchant as it’s one of those things
that is cheaper to buy in person 

another thought - on Olio local folk offer tools
and other things you can borrow for free.  Good
chance someone on there will have one you can
borrow.  If not, then just post what you are after in the wanted section on Olio.

go easy on yourself xx

Cheery_Daff

Ooh, don't suppose you have a Library of Things near you, do you? 

https://www.libraryofthings.co.uk/

scandimore

We use our green wheely bin to move the wood, it works quite well! 😀 

Elisheba

Morning, all,

No, no library of things, Cheery. I'll have a look on Olio SuzeQ. I doubt it though - it wasn't very good where I used to live and I'm a lot more rural now. I did ask on the local Freecycle type group on FB but no joy.

Still no man with wood and he did say this morning, so that's annoying.  I've moved the bookcase down to the porch for shoes, and it looks okay. Not brilliant but good enough that I won't need to buy a shoe rack anytime soon.

I have found the wires for the TV so getting that set up is next on the list. I've also found the bathroom box so I'll get that emptied soon. I'm pretty certain all the rest of the boxes will be kitchen stuff I don't have room for so that's going to be a big job reorganising the kitchen and deciding what's going into the garage for now. Not sure if I'm going to start it before the opticians appointment.

Got a message from a friend in work this morning that said the restructure consultation for our team is being launched this Thursday. It has really knocked my mood.  I think I've said on here before that I'm fairly certain I'm going to be downgraded. They don't seem to be making redundancies, or at least haven't in previous teams, so fingers crossed my actual job isn't at risk.

I suppose I'm grateful that everything hasn't happened exactly at once. It has been one thing after the other though - losing house and finding house, spotty cat getting so sick and needing to be out to sleep, moving house, and now the consultation. Would be nice to have a period of no crisis or drama and get my head back together.

Right I'm off to phone the wood man to see where he is, and sort out the TV.

Hope everyone's day goes well ☺️

Makingabobor2

so pleased your move went ok and you are loving your new house.  Hope you contacted the wood man and get a delivery soon. 
Looking forward to hearing more of your new adventures