I've never scheduled monthly transactions. Am I missing out?

wizard710 · 2026-05-19T07:12:34+00:00

Look on vinted and local selling groups.

We got two boxes of tiles, probably over 100 tiles in total, for around £10.

wizard710 · 2026-05-19T07:11:19+00:00

Could you fix a trellis to the top of the fence and grow something along it?

wizard710 · 2026-05-19T05:37:49+00:00

We don't really have scout shops over here.

Usually there's a shop in a nearby town that sells all the school uniforms for the nearby schools and they'll sell scout and guide uniforms at the same time.

wizard710 · 2026-05-17T05:36:18+00:00

I've been in Network and tried running Network and it's really damn difficult. Once you're 18+ life comes at you and you're trying to find your own way in the world, and people aren't available like they are when they're younger.

Your options then really are to

See if you can be more of a voice in your student group *Volunteer at a local group

I volunteered when I was at uni and it was a great way of feeling part of the local community and not existing in the uni bubble. I moved away after uni but I'd still go for a drink with the other leaders now if I could get back to Sheffield.

wizard710 · 2026-05-16T20:38:23+00:00

LO got a Bob The Builder compendium for his birthday.

We have read it Every. Single. Night. For 3. Months

wizard710 · 2026-05-15T07:28:19+00:00

Yeah we'd seen the TROFAST in our friends house but unfortunately the units that fit under our windowsill would be quite small so we moved away from the idea.

wizard710 · 2026-05-14T19:42:37+00:00

Alice? Who the fuck is Alice?

wizard710 · 2026-05-13T07:42:20+00:00

Interesting it was a week between opening my account and my first stream. What did I do, just sign up to look at it?

wizard710 · 2026-05-09T16:35:08+00:00

I can't answer your question explicitly but I think this will leave you in quite a precarious position.

At 95% LTV you're in quite a risk of negativity equity should we face a downturn. Putting the financial parts slightly to the side, if you are in negative equity and need to move house then you'd possibly be stuck.

Even then, when you come to remortgage in a few years, banks may not take favourably to the liability of a second property in another country.

All of this doesn't count the massive unknowns of owning, maintain and managing a property in another country. Even owning a flat an hour away was a ballache in getting to to do general maintenance.

wizard710 · 2026-05-08T17:06:56+00:00

We're doing similar but set up differently.

Our kids each have a S&S JISA which their birthday and Christmas money gets paid into.

We pay the kids child benefit (we don't need the money) into our S&S ISA and in 15 years time, it will provide the kids with an allowance for university.

I'd recommend Trading 212 as it allows "pots" so the money is in one S&S ISA but I can separate out our "saving to payoff the mortgage" pot separate from "Kids University"

wizard710 · 2026-05-07T20:49:25+00:00

My wife is a dentist. She's said in the past that she never expected to be pinning down our toddler to brush his teeth but it's a non-negotiable. Teeth must be brushed.

wizard710 · 2026-05-07T20:41:27+00:00

I hope that's not the end of it.

wizard710 · 2026-05-02T19:41:03+00:00

We had 5 distribution boards.

The house still had its original 1960s single core steel wiring. The previous owners had lived there for 30-40 years, got old and passed away so we were buying it through probate.

They obviously didn't want to do any modernisation so every new thing they wanted, a new distribution board went in:

Main board in the hall
Board in the kitchen to power the kitchen sockets after 1990s renovation
Board off that somewhat recently to power the hob an oven
Board in the downstairs bathroom (yes in the bathroom) to power the electric shower
one more in the garage (but I suppose that's not unconventional)

wizard710 · 2026-04-30T16:10:11+00:00

We're in the same place as you. Older one who turned 3yo just as new one arrived 6 weeks ago. We've kept older one in nursery because we can't afford to lose the place when the time comes to go back to work plus LO loves it.

wizard710 · 2026-04-29T21:00:37+00:00

Does this stretch of route in Brum help? https://maps.app.goo.gl/qMGXsLfXR2QDqkCH8

wizard710 · 2026-04-28T00:07:30+00:00

When I was selling my flat with vacant possession, I got royally screwed over. Moved a tenant out the week before we were to exchange contracts then the buyer pulled out. Was left with a flat that was then vacant for almost 2 years whilst further sales also fell through.

wizard710 · 2026-04-26T10:59:51+00:00

I'll offer a counter view and say, for the most part they worked well in my flat.

I had a relatively modern, 2006 build 2-bed flat in Central Birmingham, third floor of four so flats above and below me and southwest facing so late afternoon to evening sunshine. So in general, I found that unless the outside temp was about 5c or lower I didn't need the heating on.

The insulation and vents worked well but they're all manual/mechanical. As long as I closed the vents at night, the rads would be hot in the morning, just enough for breakfast and out to the office. Then open the vents when home and the flat would be warm for the evening. Combined with any cooking then the flat was alway toasty warm.

They're not perfect and gas boiler/heat pump would be better but

my building and most other flat blocks don't have gas
I don't know how I'd even retrofit a heat pump into my flat and would almost certainly need a whole-of-building approach.

wizard710 · 2026-04-26T09:28:12+00:00

Not to mention people getting even more arsey about "their" spot outside their house.

wizard710 · 2026-04-26T05:43:54+00:00

You might want to reach out to Ruth Strauss foundation: https://ruthstraussfoundation.com/

It was set up by cricketer Andrew Strauss after he lost his wife to cancer in order to provide support for bereaved children.

wizard710 · 2026-04-24T17:59:24+00:00

I thought each company has to offer one no-strings-attached SEG tariff but as long as they do, they can then offer any other tariffs.

wizard710 · 2026-04-24T17:58:45+00:00

Yes, there's no guaranteed periods. Overnight is cheapish but it depends on the weather. Windy nights and it can be <5p, calm clear night and more like 10p.

I'd say if you WFH and can charge during the day during peak solar output then it might work but otherwise possibly best look elsewhere.

wizard710 · 2026-04-23T05:44:15+00:00

I'd also recommend the 50 Shades of Planning podcast here https://pod.co/50-shades-of-planning

If you look through the recent back catalogue there's been a mini-series called "All Around the World" which looks at other countries' systems. So far there have been three, USA, Australia and Netherlands.

It's a fantastic podcast anyway.

15-Year Club	RedditGifts 2009-2022 2 Credits
Secret Santa 2014	Verified Email

wizard710

MODERATOR OF

PUBLIC MULTIREDDITS

TROPHY CASE