Escape to the country & living off savings

Skint_yet_Again

Have written nearly all my cards & 21 to post tomorrow at the post office. Just the neighbours to write now but no rush for those. Also taking a card to post for my friend as she needs it sent air mail. Small tree, decs & lights up. It does feel a bit more cosy. Have had a long chat on the phone with a friend from down south. 

I will get some shopping tomorrow & batch cook some meals that will feed me this week ahead & week after. Chicken, peppers, courgettes, chickpeas & curry sauce, fish with carrots & use some of dad’s butternut squash & parsley sauce. Will need to get some gluten free food from mrT next week for DS’s gf (bread, fishfingers, bacon, eggs, fajita kit). 

Still feel like I am forgetting something 🤔

Skint_yet_Again

Lovely mild sunny breezy morning. 2 throws washed & hung out. 4 towels washed & hung out. Then trip to small nearby high street and posted Xmas cards at the post office second class £18.27. Also bought birthday cards, gift bags, chocs, socks, batteries. Also took 4 x £10 out of bank for gifts. Total £93.75 from Xmas pot. 

Treated myself to Greg steak bake for lunch and bought 2x gingerbread muffins to take to friends tomorrow. Total £5.20

Then on to Aldee £35.64 spent which should make meals for this week and next. Beef & spinach massala with butternut squash and chickpeas. Chicken fajitas with courgettes and peppers, grated cheese and garlic & herb sauce, Chicken casserole and pork & apple sausages. I also have 2 beef stew and 2 x goose and bean & butternut squash chilli in the freezer. 

Home and had a snooze. Have brought washing in and it’s mostly dry just finishing on airers in the kitchen with the dehumidifier on. 

Tomorrow is visit to garden of remembrance with niece and little lad to take the wreath, then off to ‘spoons for lunch. Going to my friends in the afternoon for cuppa and cake. Wednesday is trip to the range / b n m with friend to get last gifts and crackers. Thursday is blood test 🫣 will not be good 🙄 then tidy spare bedroom & file away DF’s paperwork then just need to hoover & make the bed before DS & gf come nearer Christmas. Friday is aquafit. At the weekend I am going to blitz my kitchen and decide what to do with the wood dining room chairs for dads which are still in my kitchen as charity shop didn’t want them. 

Tresinia511

Wow sya you are certainly keeping up with the social activities,  sounds like you are being very organised!

SuzeQStan

Hey SYA - have you tried offering the chairs on the free apps - Olio, freecycle, gumtree, nextdoor?  It’s rare for something to not go when offered on there. 

Skint_yet_Again

Thanks Tresinia & Suze. 

Tresinia I feel like I’m wading through treacle. Suze I haven’t as I don’t have the energy or brain space to register and advertise on these sites. I just want to load them in the car and take them somewhere. 

Phoned dad’s energy supplier as his fixed tariff has ended. They have said we can switch to one of their fixed tariffs & not pay by direct debit and will not be charged exit fees if house sells within 12 month fixed period. Just not sure if/ what we would be saving 🤯 will probably need to call back and ask. 

Currently 
SC elec 63.81p / day    Gas    39.769p/day
new =    50.39p.            Gas    41.86

Unit elec 25.459p         Gas     6.273p
New =.    26.32.            Gas.    5.81p

Tresinia511

Sya , for your dad's house the daily standing charge is going to matter more unless you have the heating on all the time? There is no additional usage like cooking, showers etc,  which all add up.  So i would choose the one with the lowest daily rate and no exit fees is good.  Any savings on unit costs will be marginal and no need to stress about.  For me,  the walking though treacle thing sounds familiar and remained until some time after the house was sold,  the final chapter in many ways.  It was only then me and my sister felt we could breathe again and restore our equilibrium.  You have been through so much this year.  The treacle brain believe it or not is to prevent your brain from crawling out through your ears.  It will get better so hang on , much love x

Skint_yet_Again

Thanks Tresinia ❤️

update to last post 

SC elec 68.16/ day       Gas    42.91/day current
New fix =    50.39p.            Gas    41.86

Unit elec 28.17.            Gas     6.21. Current
New fix = 26.32.           Gas.    5.81p

So I think I will recommend this to my sister (other executor). The account is “executor of…” and in debit (frozen waiting for Probate) and no direct debit so don’t fancy trying to move to another provider. If house sells before the end of the fix we do not have to pay any exit fees. If a cheaper fix comes up with same supplier (fat chance!!) we can switch without penalty. 

Went with niece & great nephew to take wreath 😢 then went and had lunch. Can’t feel sad for long with little lad 😍 Home & down to friends for cuppa. 

Tomorrow we are going for brunch & hopefully the final Xmas shopping 🤞Have ordered a book for my sister but need to buy a gift for my 20yo nephew to open Xmas day (£5 ish) & will give him some money. (£10). 

Tresinia511

Sya, thank goodness for children,  they are such mood lifters x

Skint_yet_Again

Long post gone. Maybe I forgot to press post 🤔

Didn’t sleep very well last night but a bright & breezy day & managed to get washing mostly dry. Went for petrol & picked up my friend for shopping trip. She paid for brunch in the range & I got half price crackers, then we went to b n m and I got the rest of my Xmas shopping. Just a few gifts to come from big river co and I’m done. Paid from Xmas pot. 

Blood test due tomorrow morning and cuppa at friends in the afternoon. Forecast is same as today so I will get another load of washing done and hung out. Plans going forward are to clean kitchen, sort paperwork & tidy spare room and wrap presents. Still nothing from probate so I’ve sent another complaint email and will phone them in the morning. Another week gone by and nothing received. I keep having to explain to pension co & utility companies that we cannot pay, even though Probate has been granted they still haven’t sent me the paperwork. Thankfully the energy supplier was kind and understanding today when I switched dads tariff and agreed the account is still frozen. 

MovingForwards

All caught up and fingers crossed the probate documents are correct this time.

This is a lot to take in and I'm aware some of it is quite blunt / to the point, however it's written with care and hugs 🌹 

With the condensation/ wet door issue, have you tried leaving it open allowing air to circulate. It's also worth trying cat litter as an absorber.

For overall condensation on windows, this time of year outside is a lot colder than inside, which creates condensation as does us breathing. 

I feel you're overthinking some of the legal side with property selling. As you're not the owner, never lived in the house, you've no personal knowledge of boundaries, access, changes etc and only have whatever paperwork DF had. 

Not many people buy property thos time of year, a lot look, get a feeling for what is about and more will do it over the holidays when they're bored, passing time or actually have made a decision they want to move or buy their first home. EA's are notorious for saying drop the price (why did they price it at that in the first place), however you need to ask what they're doing to get potential buyers, do they promo it on their website, are they telling existing potential buyers about the property, is it listed as ONO or OVNO; the latter could put some people off who think you won't accept anything less than a couple of k. 

Do your own research and see what similar properties have sold for and be honest with yourself when comparing. While only needing new carpets and decorating, or maybe an updated kitchen and bathroom my not sound much to you and I, the majority of people will deem it too much work, too expensive/ disruptive and just want to move in and unpack; effectively after a new build but in a character/ old home.

IF there was IHT payable, and you do sell for less, submit an amendment to recalculate and reclaim any overpaid monies.

As for running everything by other executor, did she not step back and have power reserved? If so, legally she has no say unless anything happens to you and she takes over; I appreciate you're wanting the support and bouncing ideas with her, while being very kind to do so.

Please look after you and stop spreading yourself so thin xx