This and that............

[Englishlady]

Well, after 8 years of not doing very much to our house ( our little dog was sensitive to so many things, but sadly she passed on Black Friday) we have now started to re furb things and it's strange but I don't find it easy to spend money that I have saved !

In my youth I had nothing and so I perceive money as security, but I realise that you can't take it with you and we have budgeted to have stuff done, but oh blimey it freaks me out watching the budget go down as we accrue the new bath tub/ sink toilet/tiles etc.

As I type this there is a man in our guest toilet~( what you guys call a "half bath" and he has ripped out the toilet, sink and skirting board and is busy putting up the new ( huge) tiles.

I had a minor panic attack at the weekend wondering if I might get fed up of the tiles I had chosen was going to go with a plain shiny white tile, but saw some marble effect one's that look like the sort of thing that you might find in an upscale hotel bathroom and decided they would look nice and we could pretend we were on holiday when we have a bath

Is it just me that freaks over spending money even when it is earmarked for just that purpose? is it the menopause or me just being daft?

By Christmas we should have had most of the stuff done, well, let's put it another way. By Christmas we will have used up the budget and will have to start saving from scratch

Reading on here over the years and it's coming up to 6 years that I have been a member you guys are all so creative and clever, you can make something out of nothing and I really admire your creativity.

So I have been a bit creative myself recently............in the UK you can buy some American items of food, but at vastlly inflated prices[I]so having tried some peanut butter cereal ( both captain crunch and reeses) I decided I liked the mix of the peanut butter/chocolate taste, but not the price so, on goes the thinking cap..........................

ta da! I have invented "peanut butter/chocolate cornflake crunch!"

melt a bar or two of(cheap) plain chocolate add 4 table spoons of peanut butter ( I use crunchy) mix together and mix in cheapo cornflakes, mix until cornflakes are at least 70 % covered with the mixture and then press into a tin and chill until set.

Take out of tin and break up into clumps of the desired size, put in a jar/ziploc bag and add to the top of ( store brand) allbran for a high fibre peanut butter/chocolate flavoured breakfast treat!

My husband loves it and say's he prefers it to the capt crunch/reese's, not sure that's true but he does love it and it is a fraction of the cost. I am sure kids would love it too.

We are having a bit of an extra heatwave here, not as bad as you guys have had it but hot enough for this English Rose LOL

If you have pets that are a bit hot lay down a waterproof cover/plastic sheet ( old shower curtain?) and then get an old towel/cotton sheet and wet it through, put it on the waterproof cover and have your dog lie on it...........it works in much the same way it does for us by cooling down their tummies it helps cool them over all.

We used to give our dog Ice lollies ( popsicles) made from orange juice and they stopped her panting too.

I made her water stay frozen and icy for ages by freezing a click and lock round box of water into one giant, solid ice cube and put it in her dish, it took HOURS to melt,, so kept her water full and icy cold, just the way she loved it!(you could probably get the same effect freezing water filled juice carton).

Hope you are all staying cool?

[RaineyDaye]

Is it just me that freaks over spending money even when it is earmarked for just that purpose? is it the menopause or me just being daft?

It's not just you that freaks out when spending money. I get a sick feeling when I have to spend big bucks, and the more money, the more ill I feel.

BTW, the peanut butter cornflake crunch sounds yummy...

[cab54]

Your cereal idea sounds yummy! I can't have sweets, but would make it in a instant if I could!

It sounds a bit like 'puppy chow'----a sweet snack made from "Chex" brand cereals and--I believe--chocolate and PB. I used to make it for my sons (and for parties), but haven't made it in eons. Yum.

Your angst COULD be intensified by menopause. I know I was an anxious wreck during it. I'm happy to say that now that I'm 5 years after the complete 'change', I feel great.

But, that said--I am like you and the others. DH is always wanting to 'do something' to rooms and I have no interest in spending the money.

[mek42]

I have the opposite problem. My wife and I agreed to use the emergency fund to fix something this weekend and I found myself wanting to go on a huge spending binge.

[Darlene]

Busy busy lady!
Sorry to hear about your dear pooch, but listening to the way you treated her she was well loved.
I know what you mean about second guessing yourself, I do that especially with paint colors, never seems to come out like the paint sample or at least it doesn't to my eye so I hem and I haw and then learn to live with it.

Thanks for all the tips & so nice to see you posting again.

[NewLeaf]

I feel the same way as you about spending saved money. It's so hard to let it go. We are getting ready to build a bedroom/bathroom addition and remodel our kitchen. I have been getting panic attacks wondering if the things I picked out (flooring, cabinets, counters etc) would satisfy me or if I would wish I had picked something different later. Also, I feel better if I have really researched the product to make sure it is the best quality I can afford.

What I always end up doing is going nuetral with everything and staying safe. I can always "fancy" things up with color in curtains, pillows, and accessories.

I know that once I've spent the money and it is gone, that I will not get a chance to change my mind or replace things like cabinets again. We have a plan to pay off our mortgage in 15 years and be done with it!!!

Saying all of that, it is still nice to be able to do all of this and pick out what I want....

[MomToTwoBoys]

We've been doing home renovations for the last seven months and the only time I get antsy with money is when we don't have enough to do what we want to with the house. However, we realize that in order to sell this place, we're going to have to dip into debt for a month or two do it.

What do we have left to do?

Master bathroom needs a complete gut and re-do (due to water damage)
Half bath needs new everything as well (also due to water damage)
Ceiling in the entire first level needs replacement (due to water damage)
Paint, baseboards, new screen door, accessories, etc.
New roof and new furnace (due to old age and with the roof, due to hail storms)

It's a little insane around here.

We don't have the huge timeline like you do, which is sort of why I'm a bit angsty too. I sort of know how you feel.

[KathleenCG]

Hello again, English Lady,
Nice to see you posting! Best of luck with your new home improvements! I'm sure everything will be just lovely when finished! I will be in the UK next month, but alas, not in beautiful, beautiful Yorkshire again for this trip. (Now I'll be heading for Cornwall, Outer Hebrides, and the Shetland Islands. I'm also exploring the possibility of taking a 5-day crewel embroidery course at the Royal School of Needlework at Hampton Court, if they have any vacancies.) But I shall return to lovely Yorkshire one day. . .
Please keep posting! It is always a joy to read what you have to say!

[shoiji]

I know what you mean about spending money that you saved up for a specific purpose. I felt the same way when it came to spending money on a new computer. I had a hard time saying it was ok to spend the money I had saved for the computer.

[JanieD]

I definitely understand. We are finally spending on some improvement (new mattress set, bed & new linens to start), but it seems to snowball. Should we redo the carpet in our bedroom? What about the carpet in the hall & family room? We should paint the hall before we redo the carpet. The flooring looks "bad" in the baths & kitchen too. AND the list keeps going.

Even though we have some funds put aside, I think we are going to do 1 project at a time. Then wait a few months to consider the next one. The thought of spend so much at one time really concerns me. Its really hard for me to decide to spend when it takes so long to save. Of course, I keep thinking how nice it will be to have those improvements done! Hope you love the new bath!

[katybug]

EL I have nothing to comment about your post, but I love all your sayings across the pond with your "Blimys" and "Dafts" and "Mates"



~KB

[Liane]

Spending chunks of money on projects can make you sick. You did the right thing and saved for it. When it is done you will enjoy it for years. Feel good that it is paid for and not on credit cards that would take years to pay off. Kudos to you. It will all be done by the holidays too and that is a bonus. Post pictures of the finished work. I love before and after pictures. Enjoy another six years and many more to come at the village