Champagne Lifestyle on a Lemonade Budget - 2021

helensbiggestfan

Ooh they look nice.  

phoebe1989seb

You have been busy, Mrs_S 😄 You're making massive improvements to your new home - I can't wait to see the pics!

Like you, many of our champagne moments right now aren't coming with a lemonade price tag - even if the storage for our hallway is from Ikea (supposedly our budget option!), it's still costing £680.... and that's not taking into account hardware (feet, handles etc).....

What we've learned over the years (and it's enabled us to buy some real *statement* houses (eg, the three-storey Georgian thatch, the six bed Victorian villa, the dismantled/relocated Tudor 😉) is that by taking on projects others discounted as unaffordable to complete, and learning skills on the job, we've been able to save a fortune on trades and splurge elsewhere. It's meant we can *usually* buy the quality items we prefer which give a classy, timeless finish 😃

The Victorian villa for example was four filthy flats when we took it on. The 3500 sq ft of living space was filled with over fifty items of furniture the previous owner (living in the US whilst his Hampshire investment was wrecked by dodgy tenants) left behind at the point of completion.

Sadly they weren't antiques that would enable us to make our fortune, but being very young we weren't deterred by the daunting task ahead and picked up valuable skills as we completed the renovations. By saving so much cash doing loads ourselves, we could splash out on high end fixtures and fittings such as the in-frame kitchen actually (an ex-display bargain) and V&B bathrooms that helped enormously when selling the house for a great profit later on.

I guess our design backgrounds DH (a frustrated architect working in interiors, later specialising in high end bathrooms costing upwards of £100k, myself in fashion that soon morphed into running up upholstery/curtains for our homes, lol!) helped, as did the fact that DH had been taught to plaster in his teenage years.

Some of my best champagne moments happened in those early days - the gothic style Zoffany wallpaper I stumbled upon at a Southsea carboot sale. "How much?" I eagerly asked the seller. "£5", he replied. I was about to hand over £35 (there were seven rolls) when I realised he meant a fiver for the lot! Our best friends had just used the exact wallpaper (same colour way and everything) in their living room....£75 per roll!!! 

I've also been influenced by my late parents' mantra 'buy well buy once', although I've not done too well sticking to it 😂  In sixty years of marriage they owned two houses, fitted three kitchens and bought one three piece suite. In half that time we've owned eight houses, fitted seven kitchens (including two in our first house 🙄) and purchased numerous sofas, although many of the latter have been preloved/antique and we've had our current sofas seven years.

Actually, I just totted up and I think we've had twenty sofas, of which half were bought new. Otoh, we've had our fridge freezer (Smeg Fab) and kettle (electric Alessi) for 24 and 16 years respectively.....

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Anyway, this week I was going to use my skills at the sewing machine to make some cushion covers for the kitchen sofa, but on doing the sums I realised it made more financial sense to buy them ready made on eBay. The same fabrics would have cost £90 + delivery for the minimum order. Not to mention zips, trim etc.

Having ordered samples ages ago I'd been holding out for remnants to appear on eBay, but these were never the right colour/pattern. So I pulled the trigger and purchased three cushions - all different, but all Vanessa Arbuthnott fabrics - for £70 including p&p. Not exactly cheap, but worth it, imho, for getting the right look 😉

More lemonade-y is the work we're doing in the mini orchard - by cutting back a hugely overgrown laurel hedge we can reclaim 3m of depth along the whole growing area, allowing us to add more fruit trees. We finally planted the medlar and quince, now I'm sitting out there in the sunshine, eyeing up the purchase of a mulberry 😎

sugarbaby125

I had my 2nd vaccine yesterday and I feel fine apart from pain in my arm.  Now that I feel protected I will be able to visit family in the near future, which will really give me a great lift to my spirits 

joedenise

@sugarbaby125 please don't forget full protection doesn't happen immediately.  You need to wait at least 2 weeks before thinking like that.  It'll be great once that time is up and you can see family.

sugarbaby125

Yes, Joedenise, I was aware of that, I should be surprised if anyone who has had their 1st dose of the Covid vaccine did not know, let alone those of us who have had our 2nd Covid vaccine, but thank you for making others aware. Even though my bubble is with my older daughter and her family, I have not been happy to visit them often or allow them to visit me, as I personally felt the risk was too high for all of us. 

I will feel a lot more comfortable visiting them in the future now that I have had both doses. My great grandson is changing so fast, but even though it saddens me that I have only seen him twice since his birth, it has been prudent of me to be cautious. 

joedenise

Sorry if I misread the situation with regard to you visiting family.  It will be lovely to see your great grandson more regularly now that you've had both your jabs.

I'm really looking forward to seeing my daughters next week - have seen my eldest one as she lives locally so we were able to see her in the garden but the younger one lives further away so have only seen her once for a short while as it was far too cold to sit out in the garden for very long!

Wednesday2000

phoebe1989seb said:

I've also been influenced by my late parents' mantra 'buy well buy once', although I've not done too well sticking to it 😂  In sixty years of marriage they owned two houses, fitted three kitchens and bought one three piece suite. In half that time we've owned eight houses, fitted seven kitchens (including two in our first house 🙄) and purchased numerous sofas, although many of the latter have been preloved/antique and we've had our current sofas seven years.

Wow, we have been together 28 years this year and we have only bought one house so far!

Wednesday2000

I'm refreshing some of my existing clothes and dyeing a few dull coloured grey tops I just bought today from a chazzer. I'm dyeing them all red. I find it fun to do as well as being budget friendly. I often feel like I have a new wardrobe afterwards.

I'm listening to a Dua Lipa album on YouTube too. I've never really heard any of her songs apart from Levitating but I saw her perform on the Brit awards last night.

helensbiggestfan

Wednesday....was thinking about throwing out some tops because they are dull, bland and boring.  Now  you've got me thinking about dying them instead, keeps them out of landfill.  Better for the planet and better for my wallet.  Even if I only wear them round the house.  Red sounds great. I'm wearing a grey top today, lord knows why, the colour does nothing for me. 

Just taking a breather, house fabbing today, blitzing the place.  About half way there.  Feels good. I love it when the house gleams and sparkles and smells fresh and clean.  A bit rainy so I doubt if I'll be gardening today, probably won't have any energy left anyway by the time I'm done inside.  

As I'm working round the house I'm taking photos of items of furniture I'm ready to part with.  I've got a car boot full of small items to take to the YMCA tomorrow, but can't shift the furniture myself.  I'll see if they want it.  It's nothing special, I doubt it would fetch much if I tried to sell it so I'm happy to send it out into the universe free where it might do some good.  Not only do they have a retail outlet but  Our YMCA works with social services providing free furniture  to people who have been homeless and who have just been rehoused.  My stuff is in a good clean condition, I just  don't need it any more.  And whilst I will never be a true minimalist -  all white walls and vast empty spaces -  I do think my house would benefit from some "thinning out".   

Oh and that not counting some stuff in the shed........😉.  Anyway they can have first pick - anything unsuitable will go in a skip at some point.  This year is the one I finally get straight and organised.  Less is more.  😂🤣

sugarbaby125

My son came with his laundry yesterday and stayed for a visit.  We did a general knowledge quiz and my daughter beat me by half a point, but the 3 of us all had so much fun together doing the quiz.   

I asked my son to get my new table lamp and the new glass light shade for my Living room down from the loft, now that I have just the right size of table to put the lamp on. I am looking forward to using the lamp this evening.