Diary of a reformed shopaholic (I hope)

PommeVerte

Shredding is so satisfying. 
Im intrigued, what is in your winter emergency box for the car?? I just have a yellow jacket, a warning triangle and a torch in my car... thinking maybe i might need more than this to survive my car breaking down in the middle of nowhere in freezing temperatures !

shoppingobsessed2020

@PommeVerte it’s just a really useful box in the boot.  As I’m having to take his lordships car more than mine at the moment and will need to use both in the rubbish weather I need to make sure I’m covered for all eventualities.

in my emergency box I have a torch, spare batteries for torch, de-icer, screen wash, couple of bottles of water (never to be drunk, only for the car), £20 just in case, hats gloves and scarfs for us both (I say both as it’s only really me and monkey boy that use the cars), snow brush (Costco sell them and they are amazing) high vis vest fro us both, walking boots for me (I’m usual in ballerina flats so no good for walking - will move my docs into his lordships car so I have good boots in both) wellies for monkey boy, spare socks for us both, a towel (microfibre camping towel) a small address book with important numbers on it in case phone goes dead, some calpol fast melts (adults can use them as well) and a power pack for my phone which I charge regularly in the winter.  I also have a fleece blanket in each car, plus a rubbish bin all year round.

I also always carry food with me for me as I’m limited to what I eat so I have a couple of protein shakes, and I’ll add cereal bars and a couple bags of crisps for monkey boy plus some options sachets.  We always have our own water bottles with us and in winter depending where I’m going I take a litre flask of hot water with us so we can warm up if we get stuck anywhere plus when the weather changes I always take a travel cup of tea with me.

We live in a little village and I as of next week am going to be working rurally, I have needed just about everything in my emergency kit at some point over the past few years so I’d much rather carry it with me than get stuck as I’m rather independent and don’t like to rely on help  

crunchy_time

Wow this is so organised! Thanks for the tip. I think I shall do a similar thing! X

PommeVerte

Ah brilliant thankyou ! We live in a tiny village in rural france, and i think i should defo have some of these things as we get quite alot of snow. But tbh ive lived here for 13 years and have never had a problem, all our cars have been equipped with snow tyres, regularly maintained, and the roads of cleared of snow as all the towns/village have their own skow ploughs. Life goes on as normal even with 15cm of snow. But maybe we just have gotten lucky so far. Could defo have a few bits of longlifebfood, spare blanket and the phone numbers on paper are a good idéa! I dont know anyone's number off by heart anymore, when i was a kid i knew all my friends n grand-parents numbers off by heart... technology makes us lazy.

shoppingobsessed2020

Here we have a bit of snow and everyone forgets how to drive.  To be honest the emergency box comes in handy even in the summer so I do change the contents slightly in summer, I add a pair of crocs each to the box and a tube of sun cream and I sick a couple fo camping chairs in the back, and I got a crate of Capri sun or something similar and a box of cereal bars from Costco and we are then set up for impromptu days out at the park with friends as it’s amazing how quick a let’s go to the beach or park turns sour as kids are wet, cold and hungry after paddling or falling into the stream.

This year haven’t done the summer stuff obviously but it’s saved the day more than once.  The other thing we also have in each car is a first aid kit with decent tweezers, scissors, burn spray and antihistamines plus the usual plasters and things that they come with.  That gets used all year round and it doesn’t take up much space as it fits in one of the doors with room to spare.

Drawingaline

You are so organised! I only drive very locally around a suburban town day to day, and longer trips tend to be to in-laws or on holidays so we are more prepared.

My dad is like you though, add in a toolbox for fixing the car (he often drives classic minis) and he is good to go. He is an ex fireman and is super confident driving in adverse weather conditions, often stops to help people in the snow, he always has a spade in the back 😂

PommeVerte

Ah yes we do have a snow shovel too in case we slide off the road and get stuck. Hubby has used his shovel but i never have, i drive about 10mph in the snow lol must be my british side ! Terrified driving in anything but sun and rain !

shoppingobsessed2020

2 steps forward 10 steps back.  I need someone to knock some sense into my delightful husband.  I have just had an email from him telling me he is going to do his masters exam next year.  So that’s the prep course to pay for, the exam, the flights and accommodation for whenever in the uk he can get an exam when he has done the prep course.  Hello another unknown amount of debt!  He won’t drive to do the exam it’s always flights or train plus hotel.  He won’t go to the local mca office for the exam as he doesn’t like one of the examiners and can’t guarantee who you get and I understand why but it does increase the costs.

His rational is we can afford it as we will have paid off a couple of things with his bonuses and will have paid off a chunk of a card or a loan before between now and when he does the course and everything that goes with it.  Realistically it’s going to be next summer but that’s not the point, I don’t want to go through this again with trying to get the exam and building us further into debt.    Let me get us back on an even footing, let me build up an emergency fund, get some time at the next rank then go for the captains ticket.  

enthusiasticsaver

Ask him if he wants to stay in debt forever as realistically if he always prioritises everything else above clearing the debt you will never get out of it. Add up how much it all will cost and tell him he can do it when you have saved it  up after the emergency fund and cleared more of the debt as you do not want to go further into debt. He cannot afford it as he is still paying for stuff he bought years ago.  Tricky though if he is  not on the same page as you.  Personally I would be splitting finances with a partner like that. 

shoppingobsessed2020

I’ve emailed and told him no way in hell is he doing it just yet.  I’ve said 2022 depending on finances as I don’t want to take out more debt to get that qualification so it gives us 2 years to pay things off and save and then let’s assess and see where we are.