Prosperous soul embraces creativity & mortgage neutrality

savingholmes · 22 August 2022 at 10:04AM

Thanks Mark and @try_harder - I really appreciate your honesty and thanks for sharing.

Perhaps if we called ourselves preppers instead we would 'get away' with it better. Apparently 1 in 20 people in this country are hoarders to varying degrees. I'm repeating myself - but having someone willing to go through the stuff with you and occasionally for you - helps a lot - as does anyone who can help you organise what you have - even if you have to pay them. I used to watch those life laundry type programmes and find them very motivating. One of the things that stuck with me from that is that storage isn't free and therefore there has to be a finite amount of stuff that we keep. The things that are the hardest to let go of for me is arts and crafts stuff, photos and papers. Not helped by once finding our passports in a bin bag in the garage.... Moving on. I have pretty much stopped going to CS though as I realised that even if they did have my fave crystal - I already had too much.

I'm pleased as apart from a suitcase of clothes from when I went away a couple of weeks ago - my bedroom has stayed clear since I redecorated - so that's progress. DD wants the case for her holiday so that will force me to resolve that. I still haven't put away the paint tins though - as I need to finish the skirting in the en-suite and decide whether I'm painting the inside of the wardrobe doors. Perhaps I could move them to my future art room as I want to paint in there anyway. That also means I have yellow masking tape up in places that can only go once I'm 'finished'. I need to force myself to do the final bit - another thing I struggle with. I found the fumes rather overwhelming though so stopped...

I found a second box of my fave pens yesterday week un1ba11 ones... (£10-15 per box - at least they are black and the others are blue).

All my 'finds' will make my 'no/low buy' challenge a lot easier. I threw away a broken tape measure this week - but no worries I have at least 3 others... I've started filling the spare drawer with diy stuff, screws, nails, hammer, etc randomly lying around - including the ones for my arbour so I don't lose them. One day I may even be organised.

beanielou · 22 August 2022 at 10:21AM

Would your cleaner finish the painting for you?
That would be another thing off the list

savingholmes · 22 August 2022 at 1:11PM

Thanks Beanie - she possibly would but it really is a small job. I should just tackle it. The slightly bigger job would be if I painted the inside of the wardrobe doors. I daren't finish painting the inside of the door frames though as I'm scared they wouldn't then fit. I probably should get a joiner to make the door slightly narrower as it's already an issue on the en-suite door. I'll add that to my list. I have chased the handyman today.

In better news I've organised someone to come and hopefully fix the fridge freezer. I rang up the manufacturer but they wanted to put me on a plan at £18.92 a month erm NO!!!!! It's £49 plus VAT just to come out on the one I went for plus parts and labour. Still sounds cheaper than a new one... or a never ending service plan!!!

My bins have been emptied again which means I could do some more pruning in the garden.

savingholmes · 22 August 2022 at 2:18PM

Build up of frost. Fan is working. Cost £59. If that doesn't fix it I need a new one. He steamed to defrost it in front and behind panel

jwil · 22 August 2022 at 5:41PM

Hope the repair works.

LadyWithAPlan · 22 August 2022 at 7:06PM

Sounds to be like you have the perfect bulk stock room - so celebrate and start using it!!

Maybe try to have some set NSD's and even see if you can whittle down your stores to the last one of something.

I read on another MFW thread about why she is storing stuff herself at home and paying Sains, M&S etc instead of the suopermarkets doing the storage.. that made me think

YS can be great but at some point unless its the bargain of a lifetime its not worth it - I am thinking of keeping as much cash of mine for as long as I can and keep adding it to my savings (or in your case the OPs and interest you would save)

I was going to buy a xmas gift online today - good bargain but when I saw postage costs £3.99 I stopped - I can get something similar at XMAS. Also I did not want to ruin my run of NSDS!

I also have oven cleaner I have never used (shh)

I am away at family members and the huge chest freezer here is more ice than food - not been defrosted in years..
So I have suggested I eat it down, put some in a neighbours freezer such as ice cream and defrost it for their return as most of it is v old food that been in there for 2 years!- I have offered to replace the food but she is saying no it be an amazing gift to get it cleaned up

And a great way to extend my NSDS so I will just get some veg ...

Merlin's_Beard · 22 August 2022 at 7:06PM

I definitely have 'hoarder' tendencies - the fact that I've rented and moved a lot has controlled it to a degree (harder to justify keeping things when you're paying to move them), but even then it's tough not keeping things 'just in case'. Doesn't matter what it is - notes from school, an internet router from 15 years ago, the 5 tins of mushy peas that I might eat one day (I probably won't)