Simple living in the country - back to basics

Cheery_Daff

redofromstart said:

Might be worth asking @Sun_Addict who she uses for travel insurance. 

Thank you 😊 I've booked it now, but it'll be useful to know for next time! 

So, all booked 😊😊😊 Ferry at 9am, so have booked a nearby hotel for the night before and we'll treat it as an extra holiday day, rather than having to leave home at 5am. So return ferry, hotel for 1 night, cottage for 4 nights, plus travel insurance - total cost £782 😱

We could have cut the cost by staying on our friends' sofa... but they live in a caravan, so I suspect that wouldn't have felt quite like a holiday 😂 This way we'll have space to ourselves. The cottage is literally 200 yards from their place, so it'll be like being neighbours 😊😊

Feels very expensive 😱😱 Ferry £334, cottage £313, insurance £66, extra hotel £78. Went through TCB for as much as I could - should get a few quid back. 

If I can wing this next bank switch, that'll be another £400 which is a nice addition to it. And the money is there, saved up, and we've not seen our friends since they moved away nearly 2 years ago - they were our first local pals when we moved here so we've missed them a LOT. 

Anyway, going to stop feeling bad about it- it's saved for, we are very fortunate, and we are going to appreciate and enjoy it very much indeed 😊😊

Obviously diesel cost, but should be eating with friends mostly so shouldn't be too expensive while we're there. Oh, must investigate whether we need to add something to the car insurance! 🙄 but not tonight!

beanielou

Who have you switched to now?
I am thinking about doing another one.

Great news on the holiday.

Cheery_Daff

Not done it yet, but aiming for NatWest. Lloyds are advertising at the minute too, but that was the first one we did, just before Christmas, so we're not eligible yet.

Delighted that the cashback has all tracked already. £9.39 for the cottage, £6.86 for the insurance, and £16.70 for the ferry 😊

joedenise

I think you'd faint at the price of mine and DH's travel insurance @Cheery_Daff!  I've just paid nearly £400 for us for a 2 week holiday in September!  Couldn't even get a quote for an annual multi trip one which is what we usually buy which, last year, was just over £400 so prices have definitely gone up wildly this year.

Tescodealqueen

I know they are not for everyone but we have had a packaged bank account for years. Includes world wide travel insurance, phone insurance, car break down and a savings account linked to BoE rate. Also 4 airport lounges which we used a lot when we used to fly. It was 15.00 per month and as we used to holiday several times a year well worth it. When we had to cancel when oh got ill they paid out on insurance really quickly and replaced sons lost phone for cost of excess. As it covers Mr TDQs medical conditions and up to age 80 well worth it. We are with the Co-*p and although the same account no longer available they have something similiar and worth looking into for future

Cheery_Daff

Thanks both 😊

TDQ, I confess I'd assumed the insurance that comes with packaged bank accounts wouldn't cover more complex things, but will investigate for next time. Mr Cheery has had 3 unplanned hospital trips in quick succession so I think that's what's done it - although by the sounds of it joedenise we are on the nursery slopes compared to you!! 😱

Up early this morning and outside in the sunshine to have a cuppa on the swing 😊 Made the mistake of doing some financial admin before work which sent me into a whirlwind - read the whole thread about the NW bank switch, and have decided not to even open the accounts til we have our new cards. Might mean missing the switch (no end date, so they can pull whenever they like) but should be here this week, fingers crossed. Can't do anything about that. 

Tried to calm myself by doing banks/YNAB 😂 Got in a right muddle until I realised what I thought were yesterday's transactions in the bank app were ALL pending, and I'd marked them as cleared. 

All sorted now though. Holiday pot covered, and we're just £86.48 off filling the replacement income pot 😊 There's £450.82 in the monthly saving holding pot, including the water bill money for the last 2 months, so at the end of the month, if not needed, that can top up income replacement fund and I can start on the next pot. Stairs, or windows?? Need more for windows, but it would be good to get those done before the summer is over...

Right. Washing has finished, best get that hung out in the sunshine then get on with a nicely productive day at work 😊 Got the evening to myself tonight so back later with some plans!

themadvix

Going away is so expensive these days Cheery -  and we've looked at the ferry to Ireland too and there doesn't seem to be a cheap option.

We have the Nationwide Flexplus account with worldwide travel insurance. I think you may have to pay a supplement  for existing conditions (or they won't cover that condition - depending on what it is, whether it's ongoing investigations etc.). We also find it very good value - if for nothing else, they do breakdown cover for cars in Europe over 10 years old - that's why we took it out tbh, as a standalone European breakdown cover for our car at the time would have been considerably more. (And this covers the mini should we brave taking it to the continent).

Go for it with the window fund - I'm sure you can do it!

Cheery_Daff

That's interesting, thanks Vix. We've got a FlexDirect account with them - and you've reminded me i also need to check the breakdown cover will cover us in Ireland 🙄 Renewal is before we go though so will be able to deal with that then.

Going away is indeed expensive 😱 We regularly used to get a cottage for a weekend or a few days and that seems prohibitive now. Although I guess that was back when I was working full time and we didn't have a mortgage so I suspect that's contributing to my perception of 'expensive' too 😂

LadyWithAPlan

Ouch on the travel insurance - I always get an Annual one but mine ran out in Jan as normally do a States trip then. 

But looks like my next trip will be end March and could be a shocker on prices 

I always find morning pages help me move forward especially when I feel a bit stuck or graceless - hopefully they working for you 

your trip will be lovely I am sure and as you say it’s saved for so .. 

Cheery_Daff

Morning pages are indeed making things seem calmer. Trying to build a ritual round them too - up without looking at the phone, outside with a cuppa, still in my dressing gown and wellies 😂 Nobody has yet come up the footpath and spotted me but it's only a matter of time! 😂 

Skylarks started late last week, and I heard my first curlew of the year this morning 😊😊😊 We get a lot of them round here, and I miss them over the winter 😊

As it embeds as a routine, and as the weather warms up, I may start getting dressed first and combining it with a walk up to the moors, especially at the weekend. But for now, trying to keep it simple, tea then boots on and outside 😊