If you’ve been browsing through uchoose.ie recently you may have come across my househunter’s diary. It’s been a long trek down househunting lane and there’s no sight in end yet. Most (normal) people when they sell their house look around for another to buy, usually bigger (if their family is expanding), sometimes smaller (if you’re thinking of retiring). The thing is you generally move from one home to the next. Well since my husband and I sold our home we have moved a total of three times – the first into the father-in-law’s house. For those of you who haven’t tried it, moving in with a parent when you’re an adult just never works, no matter how well you get on outside of the house. With two kids in tow, we needed our own space, so we decided to rent – which would have been fine if the house we were renting was insulated properly. It would have been quicker (and possibly warmer) to throw our money directly into the fire. So we decided to move again when a better house in the area came up.

In the meantime we were trying to keep the ‘nice house in the country’ dream alive and applied for planning permission. In total we made four applications – two full ones, which were given a resounding ‘no’ and two part ones. Of the part applications, one was incomplete and had to be withdrawn. We resubmitted (only for the fourth time) this only find our drainage wasn’t up to scratch and we had to withdraw it again. At this point our dreams shuddered to a halt.

‘Ok I’ve had enough’ was the response I gave my other half when he suggested various solutions to the problem. ‘Can’t we just buy a house?’ I was granted  permission to look around – at least to see what was out there while the other half kept chipping away at the would be dream house plan.

So armed with nothing but a cup of tea and a wispa (mmmmm) I set off on my quest. I got as far as daft.ie which throws up a couple of interesting possibilities. The first one is a four bed split level bungalow set on an acre and a half of land and comes with its own glasshouse. There is also an office with a separate entrance. At a reasonable €380,000 I pick up the phone to make an appointment.

Visions of growing my own tomatoes in the glasshouse are dashed on arrival. It’s a bit of a mess and would need fixing up. The same goes for the office – the interior looks ok but the windows outside would have to be replaced. On closer inspection so do the rest of the windows around the house. About half of the land around the house is pleasantly landscaped but there is the other half to think about too – it’s pretty much been left to its own devices. In fairness it has been neatly divided by a line of trees but would take a bit of clearing before you could do anything with it. And no, planning for another house is not an option the agent tells us. My husband looks disappointed. I heave a sigh of relief. There are a number of off putting features about the house but it’s not a bad start we decide. Meanwhile it’s back to cyberspace for the next house

Til next time

Naomi

Am shocked to discover that midsummer is upon us and I haven’t even some much as gained a freckle on my nose. And it’s not like there haven’t been some sunny days – must be spending too much time in the office – though guess the SPF 50 I’ve been slathering all over my face might have something to do with it.

There, once again, has been some neglect on my part of this blog. It’s because I’ve been spending my spare time whipping up delicious salads to bring them to work in a bid to save cash. I’m planning to blow the cash I’ve saved in the summer sales (well, we have to have a little fun). Ah yes, those 50% off signs catch my attention every time. Over the years though I’ve managed to become a fairly savvy sales shopper. There was a time in my life where my wardrobe was limited and any new purchase was a big deal – so long as it came close to fitting. The trouble with that though, was I never did slim into those jeans – so they ended up being donated to charity (my student sister was happy to accept all mistakes for her favourite charity – herself). Now I know trying to shop in the sales at lunchtime is just a waste of money – you’re in a hurry and so put yourself under pressure to buy something quickly – just because it’s half price. After all you still have to get to the deli to get a sandwich before you get back to work (sorry did I say that last bit out loud?). What I do now, time permitting, is to scoot around my favourite shops first – try on what I like – look at the price tag and then if it’s still there in my size at sale time, snap it up. It’s worked quite well in the past because then I don’t have to waste time trying it on and can go straight to the till. And I’ve already had a critical look at myself in the mirror before the cheaper price has me whipping out my wallet faster than you can say “but it’s a bargain!”

It’s also a good way to shop the sales online – while (still) scouting for a pair of jeans that actually fits I decided to go into Brown Thomas and check my size in a couple of trendy brands I had my eye on – which is just as well because it turns out that I’m much smaller than I thought (well that’s vanity sizing for you – it’s great!). Now it means I can order the right size online for half the price (with apologies to Brown Thomas – but I did make up for it by buying some shoes there – for half price admittedly).

Anyway I’m off now to search for a few classics – good summer sandals – preferably one’s I can walk in and a well cut blazer – the kind of things that never go out of fashion (hopefully).

Happy sales hunting

Naomi

We’ve been having trouble with our lunchtime sandwich plan. If we’re honest with ourselves we’d  get up a bit earlier to make the thing but the extra five minutes in bed wins every time. We know we could make it at night but anything with tomatoes just makes the whole thing go soggy and there’s nothing more depressing than a soggy sambo at 1pm when the stomach needs filling. It’s enough to drive you to the shop.

We’ve been trying to hatch a new plan. Someone suggested leaving out the tomato – but we’re struggling with our five a day too so have decided to make salads from now on. At least tomatoes belong in a salad and the lettuce stays crispy.  We’re hoping the healthier diet will help us lose a few pounds since we’re hoping to make it to the beach at some point this summer, and that we won’t clear said beach with the sight of our pale bodies skipping along the sand in swimming togs. With the temperatures finally creeping up, we reckon salad days are definitely here.

I mentioned previously of my plan to sell a car and clear a loan. Sadly this hasn’t happened yet but I’m hopeful. I’m still saving money by not spending as much on diesel but am looking forward to the day when that chunk of money in the form of a car loan doesn’t escape from the current account every month.

til next time

Naomi

We’ve been contemplating our lunchtime sandwich and latte here in the uchoose.ie office. We know it’s a great way to save money if you make your sandwich at home and bring it into work with you but quite frankly it’s boring. The odds of ending up with ham sandwich again or cheese if you’re vegetarian increase hugely if you’re in a bit of a hurry in the morning and the ol’ imagination is not firing on all thrusters. Ok, you could throw caution to the wind and make, say, a ham AND cheese sandwich but we bet you’ll get fed up of that combo fairly quickly too. Especially if you’re a veggie. But what to do? The guilt has really been getting to us and across the office we’ve been adding up what we spend at lunchtime.

In one case, it amounted to €2160 – the price of a holiday in the sun for two adults and two children. Ok, nowhere fancy in peak season maybe but you’ll get somewhere pretty nice if you want to wait to September. Food for thought eh?

We’ve been reading Drive Like a Woman, Shop Like a Man by Mary Mulvihill and we’ve been trying to take her advice – hence the sandwich conversation – so today I dutifully made a sandwich and brought it with me to work (and yes it was ham and cheese but in my defence there was no other alternative in the house being the end of the week). I caved in on the third shop inquiry though and asked my colleague to get me a can of coke (fizzy drinks are the spawn of the infidel or similar according to the book). Still today alone I saved €4 by not going to the shop. When I get home I plan to put it in my kids’ piggy bank (I’m being green by not buying one specifically for myself). Even if I only do it a couple of times a week, I’m saving something. In the meantime though I’ll have to come up with an alternative to ham and cheese.

Bon appetit

Naomi

I seem to recall having a really good rant one day recently under the guise of telling everyone how to save money. It’s bloody hard to make sacrifices without making yourself miserable (I can’t stick to a diet and a budget at the same time) but I’m trying very hard to take my own advice. So the cleaner has been given her walking papers (sob). This means my house now resembles something akin to the zoo at feeding time – wild animals flinging food everywhere (just my kids) and toys strewn all over the floor (but burglars would fall noisily over the toys  if they attempted a quiet in and out strike and therefore flee empty-handed) (wonder if there’s an insurance discount for this?).

The car has been up for sale on the web for the last three weeks. The price has been lowered a couple of times and this seems to have gleaned a result with two calls coming in the last 24 hours – two positives too as the callers seem keen to view it. Time will tell as they plan to check out the car over the weekend. Maybe I’ll be one bank loan down by next week. I’m inheriting a run-around – which means I won’t have to dip into my savings for a replacement. It’s seven years old with a couple of scratches on it, but it’ll get me from A to B just fine. At least it’s some good news on the finance front.

Reckon the gym will be next to go but with all the extra exercise I get from doing the cleaning I reckon I’ll work off some of the calories anyway. Plus as it’s coming into ‘summer’ I’ll get out in the evenings for a walk. Therefore bye bye rowing machine.

On the personal grooming front – I’m already growing my hair long – although somehow I can’t seem to give up my hairdresser. Still by keeping my hair long in an easy to manage style I’ll cut (groan) my visits to the salon to twice a year. There has to be a saving to that.

Anyway by doing all that I’ll save my household €4236 a year – and that’s before cutting the gym sub. That should more than take care of all the nasty levies I’ll be paying since the mini budget. So what if the house is a bit messier than usual and my car ain’t as cool as it used to be but I’ll survive.

Now has anyone seen my socks?

Naomi

Meanwhile let me introduce Ross our insurance ace. Now before your eyes glaze over and you think who wants to read a blog about insurance – hold on. If you haven’t signed up to our newsletter you may not have been alerted to the fact that one customer recently saved herself over €400 on her home insurance policy. That’s a lot of money especially at a time when you may be feeling the first pinches of the recent emergency budget. Even if the budget hasn’t made you tighten your belt – it’s still €400 in your pocket as opposed to that of the makky uppy  insurance prices companies. So it may be a good idea to log on and check out Ross’s advice before your next home insurance policy is up. It could save you a few quid for towards your next holiday – and you can let Ross be your guide there too. Ross will direct you to the best priced and most suitable travel insurance policy for your needs.

Til next time

Naomi

Things are starting to get serious around here. We’ve been on the radio – discussing our favourite subject (saving money - what else?) with Mark Mortell of Down to Business on Newstalk. Basically Mark gave us the opportunity to promote uchoose.ie  – although he didn’t just sit back and let me waffle on about how great the site is etc. Nope, it was a live interview – a series of quick fire questions about the site – who we were, what services we provide etc. Before I knew I was being thanked for coming into studio. Anyway it was a good chance to promote the site and hopefully listeners picked up on the points I was trying to make. There’s not much time to think on air….  with a bit of luck we’ll have a podcast of the interview soon and get that posted up on the site.

Now that slightly nerve wracking radio interview is done (last time I was on air it was as a football critic for the world cup in 1994 – was a token female on RTE panel that included Damien Richardson who was then managing Cork City FC – don’t ask)  there’s plenty of other events to look forward to - our new Polish and Spanish sites should be up and running shortly so keep your eyes peeled.

Til next time

Naomi

Let me introduce the uchoose.ie techie geek Seth. He is here to help you navigate your way through any broadband inquiries you might have. He’ll help check your phone number and location against providers’ websites in real time for the best deal available in your area. This is of course presuming you’re not one of the unlucky ones living in broadband blackspots, in which case roll on the upgrade. Of further interest are the broadband and internet related articles under Seth’s image – we’ll aim to keep you posted on new developments and we’re planning to find out where the best places for free wifi access in the country are – with your help. But more of that anon…

On a further note, feel I should explain about the wispas - (see previous posting). I once shared a house with a rep from Cadburys. The first three days after moving into the house, my friend and I ate our way through a large half box of three pack wispas. The rep didn’t mind but I swore off wispas for life. Now after a 20 year break, I’m back on them. I’ll never learn.

Til next time

Naomi

Well over time for a little update from the uchoose.ie front line so to speak. We thought maybe we should explain ourselves a bit more so anyone inspecting our site knows what we’re on about. We’d thought we’d introduce Zoe to you. Zoe is our credit card guru. She won’t give you a slap over the wrist though for only paying the minimum balance on your credit card every month. Nor will she lecture you about fiscal irresponsibility. She’s a more practical gal. She’ll help find you the card that best suits your lifestyle, with the best APR and one with a 0% interest balance transfer if that’s what you need. (Who doesn’t?) Need a personal or car loan? Zoe’s there to help too – simply fill in how much you want to borrow and for how long, whether you want to pay standard or variable rate and so on. Now all you have to do is decide how much you’d like. While you’re at it, take a while to look through some of the articles in Zoe’s articles and news sections. They’re full of ideas on how to manage your finances including credit card bills.

Hope that’s helpful, am off now for a bacon bagel with avocado to be followed swiftly by a wispa. (Why did they ever take that off the market?) Yum.

Naomi

Still working hard to try to get things perfect at uchoose.ie. It’s a work in progress though so we’re hoping you’ll to be patient with us. There are plenty of great ideas flying around the office but it’s amazing how much time the necessary but boring administrative, training and legal stuff takes up. Still we’re hoping that over the next couple of months the site will make that big leap and become the first port of call for anyone looking for a better deal.  None of us like paying over the odds for things and few of us can afford to do that anymore. The recession is taking its toll and there’s probably few of us out there who can say it hasn’t affected me or my family. So keep an eye out for more money saving tips

Naomi