How much to live on

BooJewels

Savvy_Sue said:

BooJewels said:

Savvy_Sue said:

BooJewels said:

My situation has been complicated by breaking my leg in December, so I'm way behind on things that should have been done - especially in the garden - and there's some things that I just can't do - like go down into my cellar to empty the dehumidifier and read the meters. Plus, my hair really needs cutting and colouring and I'm starting to look like an old bag lady.

I'm sure you don't (look like an old bag lady), but can you find a hairdresser offering home visits, if getting to a salon is problematic? I know how much it matters, I was going to the hairdressers for a shampoo, just a shampoo! when I couldn't wash my own hair! 

It's certainly one of the options I've been contemplating. I usually do my own - I tend to cut it first, then colour it a few days later. The colour has been delayed purely because everyone was out of stock of my colour - but I've got a couple now - so I can now potentially do that.  Which would certainly be an improvement. 

My shower is over the bath and I have a large mirror on the wall behind the bath and I tend to stand in the bath and cut it there, as it contains all the hair, making it easy to scoop up.  My issue has been getting into the bath - which I've now addressed by fitting a bath board - which is a seat that straddles the bath, so I can sit on it and swing my legs in (it's a bit slower in reality than it sounds), then stand up to shower.  But the seat's now right where I need to stand, in front of the mirror.  So now I know that works and I can stand long enough to shower, I need to work through the stages to see how I can make it work for me.  I'll think about it over the next few days and if I'm not happy, I'll see if I can find a pro.

I'm very tempted to say "go on, treat yourself ..." but then I've had a massage in the last few days and am wondering why I don't have them more regularly! 

The thing is, for me, it wouldn't actually be a treat - it would some sort of purgatory having a stranger come into my house and fiddle with my hair.  The hairdresser who did my hair for many years would have happily done me a foreigner, but she seems to have dropped off the grid - she's no longer at the same salon and hasn't posted on-line for 3 or 4 years.  I know her mobile is no longer valid as I tried ringing her about something else a while ago.  I shall work something out - I've managed it with everything else.

Wednesday2000

BooJewels - Have you looked on YouTube about how to cut your own hair? I have a local hairdresser now and I also have a mobile hairdresser back from London that visits us to cut mine and my husband's hair, but back during lockdown I obviously couldn't see her so I cut my own hair. I have shoulder length hair and it was actually surprisingly easy just following the advice on YT.

BooJewels

Wednesday2000 said:

BooJewels - Have you looked on YouTube about how to cut your own hair? I have a local hairdresser now and I also have a mobile hairdresser back from London that visits us to cut mine and my husband's hair, but back during lockdown I obviously couldn't see her so I cut my own hair. I have shoulder length hair and it was actually surprisingly easy just following the advice on YT.

I do actually already cut my own hair (have done for a number of years from when my husband had no immune system and my hairdresser had a permanent sniffle due to having kids at primary school), that's part of the problem - I've broken my leg, so the logistics of managing these tasks is the issue here.  I described it on the previous page, so I'll not repeat it here.

Savvy_Sue

I think I meant find an accessible salon, but maybe that's equally traumatising ... In my youth, I had several hairdressing traumas which I only overcame when the consequential long long hair became too timeconsuming with three young boys. 

I've just realised (and we're heading way off topic here ...) that I'm still slightly traumatised by those teenage experiences. My regular hairdresser was great: I'd say 'do this', and she'd do it. Then a while before DS3's wedding I found myself with the 'other' hairdresser, who I'd been avoiding. She takes no notice of 'do this', and does a variation of 'this', which takes three times as long, and then she insists on a blow dry. Trouble is, my hair looks FANTASTIC! So I went back to her for the wedding, and have stuck with her, resenting the fact that the appointment takes an hour, because she's always running at least 15 minutes late (until the day I'M late!), and while it looks fantastic it does not do what I NEED it to do, ie stay behind my ears when I put it there!!! 

Anyway, last time she finally checked with me whether I was happy with what she was doing, because she was aware it was getting shorter in some places that perhaps it should be, and I said I needed it to stay behind my ears, so she is faffing around less. Maybe we can reach a happy compromise ... 

BooJewels

Thanks @Savvy_Sue - you're right, it takes a long time to train a hairdresser.  There is a salon in the village that I can probably reach on foot - but having once gone through the door to make an appointment with one of my hairdressers that rented a chair there a couple of days a week, I got short shrift as I should only ring her mobile and not interrupt their work.  So it put me right off them.  I don't think I'm the right sort to be seen through their big glass windows.

I think we need to leave it there, we've gone way off topic, sorry.

luvchocolate

Received my letter today of new state pension increase. 
We've done well with the increase as outgoings are going up less now inflation is better than last year. 
I love messing with figures so had a good hour working out increase in bills from April. 
The biggest increase is water....going up from £18 to £24 a month. 

No washing machine..we have a communal one...no dishwasher. 
My pleasure is a hot bath every night and that will not change until I physically can't get in or out  

louby40

Today I sold my house and offered on another. This is my first step to early retirement.
Im going to be mortgage free which, at 55 I never thought would happen. 

Only moving 1.5 miles up the road, so still close to work, parents, and friends, even closer to other friends who live round the corner. 

I'll be saving £10k a year in mortgage payments which I intend to save and put into my savings pot. 

OpalGirl

Congratulations on the sale! Hope your offer gets accepted - will be brilliant to be mortgage free and to use those savings for early retirement.

barnstar2077

louby40 said:

Today I sold my house and offered on another. This is my first step to early retirement.
Im going to be mortgage free which, at 55 I never thought would happen. 

Only moving 1.5 miles up the road, so still close to work, parents, and friends, even closer to other friends who live round the corner. 

I'll be saving £10k a year in mortgage payments which I intend to save and put into my savings pot. 

Brilliant!  Don't you just love it when a plan comes together?  There is nothing more satisfying that trying to improve ones circumstances, and then having it pay off! 

Organgrinder

Well it's been a mad couple of weeks financially.

HMRC sent me my new tax codes for next year, reducing my allowance by £2000 as they think I owe them money, despite being on course to overpay by £1000 this year. 

Octopus Energy continue "borrowing" money off me with my account still over £300 in credit. "Yes" they say "but this month's bill is going to be £200". "I know", I reply, "then 3 days later you'll take another £160 so I'll still be £300 in credit".

But there are positives. Fortunately those good banking people keep enticing me to open new accounts. Almost £1000 made in 3 months. I keep getting told "What about your credit score?". I keep replying "I won't need a mortgage and I won't need a loan either".

And in 6 months my SIPP has grown 8% and my premium bonds returned 6% too. Fingers crossed for the next 6 months!