What are you all up to
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This afternoon I have been dismantling our oven housing, not easy as it was extremely well built!
I had to destroy the oven support (the new one needs to be much lower down) to remove it, and have found that the back of the unit will need to be cut away to below the level of the new support shelf to leave enough depth for the new oven.
New oven arriving Wednesday afternoon so will wait till I can measure it up before altering and rebuilding the unit. In the space below the new oven OH hopes there will be enough space to fit 3 drawers for baking trays etc. We have bought 3 stainless steel drawer fronts from Ikea in anticipation, but will not unpack them till we are sure they can be used.
If OK, we will order 3 drawer boxes to fit our cupboard depth, Ikea ones are too deep back to front.
The new oven is black glass and stainless steel, so the new drawers will match that. The rest of the kitchen is solid oak doors, so a good contrast!
SIL is coming up here on Tuesday evening a to help me carry our 16 new sleepers up to the top of the garden,where they will be used to rebuild some steps. I will also get him to help me take the old oven down to the car to take to the tip.
Our kitchen is on the upper floor of the house, as are all the living rooms, to take advantage of the views, bedrooms are mainly downstairs, so we are hoping the JL delivery men will carry the new oven up the outside steps and in the kitchen patio doors, otherwise it will be deposited in the hallway and SIL will be called upon to xome and help take it upstairs.
Once I have the unit rebuilt, he will come and help me lift the oven into place. OH helped when we fitted the kitchen 29 years back, but now she has a replacement shoulder joint, she cannot lift as well as before.
Neither can I, but, with a bit of help, we will manage somehow.
The joys of home ownership!
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My OH loves holidays but hates car journeys of any length and particularly on motorways. If I could persuade her I would be off with the caravan abroad for some of the colder months. The other factor is that we have a number of good friends that we only see regularly during Winter and Spring.
We have been looking at the cost effectiveness of taking the m/h away to Spain over winter, for journey's of less than a month there is little in it given the cost of the long ferry to Spain. We have seen quite a few decent villas/apartments for long term (month) rent for around £1000 pounds. Flights are very cheap once November comes as is car hire. OH is interested in trying it to compare it to being in the van. The thoughts are 1 month prior to and after Christmas (coming home possibly for the holiday period) which is usually the worst months here.
Glad to hear that it isn't too bad at the moment and that you have good long periods free of it.
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That sounds familiar.......we had interest rates on mortgage up to 15% when we had little or no savings, and now we do have savings we are down at 2% or less.
Low rates are good for our children as they have mortgages, not good for us however!
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'Something I wanted to ask you if you don't mind, have you ever thought about going away to warmer climes for the winter months? we have met many folk who do that do to their arthritis, they say it is much better when they are not subject to cold and wet winters.'
I can confirm that, having spent 6 months in Portugal, over winter, my hands were pain free for that period.
Both clubs do 'rallies' in Portugal and Spain which, for the gregarious type, can be jolly good fun.
Otherwise enjoy the warmth, the surroundings and touring the area.
A multicentre stay sounds like a good idea according to some that I have met.
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Yes we checked out a few rallies (other club) when we were there a few years ago, I liked the idea that we could do so many weeks on one then move to another one. Just not sure if I would like it or not, although one of the rallies we looked in on many of them just did there own thing most of the time.
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Just remembered......
When OH bought the Smart almost 4 years back, she intended to pay cash, asked for the best price.
However, due to dealer incentives etc.....all very complicated it seems.....the total cost of the car was actually less if she agreed to a credit agreement as there was a "manufacturer's contribution" as well. She was then able to pay off the agreement after 6 months without penalty. The overall saving was well over £500.
Crazy world!
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We have been looking at the cost effectiveness of taking the m/h away to Spain over winter, for journey's of less than a month there is little in it given the cost of the long ferry to Spain. We have seen quite a few decent villas/apartments for long term (month) rent for around £1000 pounds. Flights are very cheap once November comes as is car hire. OH is interested in trying it to compare it to being in the van.
Cost would certainly not be a problem for me. I will have £100 a week after tax from OAP after start of this November and so an extra £5k a year that I don't need.
Funny how life changes. When I was 45, a couple of years after my wife's death I was thinking that come early fifties that I would find a smaller home and buy a panel van to convert to a good standard and then come about 53 take more time off work/reduce hours possibly and leave work at 55 with or without a pension. Spend most of my time travelling UK and Europe.
By age 46 I was running a singles group, activities most Sundays, out 4 nights a week, several holidays abroad, 4 weekends away for the next 6 years or so. I was not personally on the activities for 2 long weekends every month in Summer as I was away in the caravan and fishing. So a very full life. I met OH at the same time a I was involved in the singles group and we became good friends over 3 years before becoming an item. Fliss moved in with me when I was 52. We still had weekends away with friends and met up for frequent parties, nights out and walks etc. but would go abroad for a couple of weeks and caravan also. Fliss was 3 years older than me and so I talked her into retiring as she had enough pension and I reduced work to 4 days and was able to take 12 weeks a year off on holidays. Due to forthcoming changes at work I was able to retire on a pension a few months after my 55th birthday. During the last year at work I did no more than 66 days as I was owed so much time and would not take cash for it. Since then we have both enjoyed friends and caravanning.
The one thing that I wish I could have taught my eldest daughter is that a good partner in life is often one that you find when not looking
Certainly will have to look at some way of spending the extra old age pension.
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Where does time go? I realised today that OH's Yaris is 18 years and 3 months old. She has had it for 15 years and 6 months. In that time we have bought tyres, a rear section of exhaust, wiper blades and 2 new batteries (the second last week).
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We keep getting offers of 0% balance transfers (we have no balances to transfer) and low rate loans (the interest rate is invariably more than our savings are earning), we just drop them in the shredding pile.
Somehow I think that if we applied for them all they would soon stop trying to throw money at us!!
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My kids also K.
Trouble is that if we replaced the Yaris we have nobody to give it away to. It is still in good nick and runs and stops well. I do give it some stick!
We keep saying that when it fails an MOT it goes! It is serviced every two years nowadays. It is so easy to drive and happily goes down to 20mph in fifth in built up areas. When we are not away the X-Trail gets a run just to keep it moving as the Yaris is first choice. Moves pretty well also when I stir the box and give it some wellie.
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Yes, Spriddler but the awning only has to be taken down after three weeks. The lawns need mowing once every week in the summer.
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I know what you mean, Bakers2. Nearly half of my pay from work goes to pay for the car that I use for work!
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I don't take all the credit that is available to me. I only use about half of it. They can throw money at you but it doesn't mean you have to take it.
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Yes, me!
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We plan to take the awning down today in readiness for tomorrows move. Luckily, we've got the right weather for it this morning; cool and dry.
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Ordered 4 x new tyres for car to be fitted in Oban on Friday.
BIL had a fall and as result had to have a hip replacement.
None of the above are about what we've been up to but decided to bore you rigid just like 50% of non topic posts on here.
PS. Had my first coffee now going to make my porridge with banana and cinnamon
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Best wishes to your BIL for a speedy recovery.
Interested as to why your replacing tyres whilst you're away. I assume it's cost rather than you finding they needed doing and you hadn't noticed 😉
I'm eating my porridge with fresh blueberries 😆
See you post was of interest!
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Beautiful start to the day here - hope it's not what my father would have termed as bright too early.
Once breakfast and chores finished we're off to mother's to tackle some of her chores!
It's never ending maybe I should live in our motorhome and watch the world from the awning 😉. No wouldn't swop 😆. Hope the dismantling of the awning goes well Malcolm.
Hope everyone else gets a glance at the sun and has an enjoyable day however it's spend.
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Just catching up on here as had a busy day yesterday. I have to say I am a bit aggrieved about some of the comments about baby boomers. I am only just pre baby boomer and don't ever recognise comments about us on here on anywhere else. Our early days of marriage were quite sparse - no central heating, no TV, no washing machine, no carpets, furniture handed down. Even though we both worked full time my wages were not taken into consideration for any mortgage application. During our later married years we 'coped' with very high interest rates on our mortgage and at one time had to extend the term as we couldn't afford the extra payments. The only 'benefits' we claimed were family allowance (not paid for first child only for second and subsequent children) and now our state pensions for which we both paid in for 40 years. I am not sure whose money I have spent nor what we have spent it on.
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My plan had been to change tyres when we got home but driving through the rain soaked roads of West Scotland yesterday the car wasn't gripping the road as well as normal so decided to bite the bullet. Price wasn't an issue as I brought through Black Circle. I have a depth gage so regularly check, although tyres are legal I think discretion is the better part of valour.
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I also remember the days of high interest on mortgages and having to extend the term. That is one of the reasons why I'm glad I no longer own property.
I also agree that, if possible, it is better to live on earnings rather than means tested benefits. These kind of benefits penalise you for every little income you get and they penalise you if you have savings. It's a poverty trap that you can get stuck into and not get out of. No employer would ever ask to see your bank statement or your savings account and then say to you that your pay will be reduced because you have savings or other income. The only thing an employer has ever asked me for is my sort code and account number. They needed that to pay my wages through the bank and that's it.
Living in a caravan is a lot lower cost than buying or renting property and so a greater opportunity to live within income without needing to claim means tested benefits.
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