As I said in my previous post, we went to France in 2013 and Shopshire in 2014. We were due a trip abroad in 2015, but I just wasn't well enough so we opted for a staycation in our lovely home and made the most of living in the South East of England with trips to London, Hever, local cinema and theatre, a pick your own farm and the seaside.....interspersed with some playtime at the local park and craft kits and making with our Little Lady, you can see more here on my old blog.
We thoroughly enjoyed our time at home, but we had missed a change of scene. So in February 2016 during half term, we followed this up with a week away in Cumbria ...oh...what a week!
We had snow, gales....sun....rain....and watched the mood of Teesdale through our cottage window. Low cloud, mist, snow.....bright and sunny....grey and moody...wow...what a place.
Hubby is from Durham, so the idea was for him to show me and Little Lady his home territory. Little did he know that I would fall head over heels in love with the area.
On one of our days out we went to Housesteads Roman Fort, this involved a drive through Weardale to Alston and Hexham....we had to go the slightly longer main road route as it had snowed so the quicker route over the moors was not possible.
But that drive through Weardale from Stanhope to Alston....had my cheeks hurting from all the smiling. What a stunningly beautiful place. I had fallen completely in love. So much so that we even visited estate agents AND viewed a property!
I felt so at home.
And it reminded me of all the hours spent as a child drawing farms with dry stone walls and sheep....that I had never seen in sunny Surrey!
I was under no illusion. It was maybe the best time of year to visit when it as snowing, blowing a gale, you were thrilled to come home and light the open fire, get your electric blanket on for bedtime. Shopping in Co-Op stores and tiny independent shops, more expensive, but thank goodness for them and their friendly smile and attentive service.
It was a surprise just how much time people had for you, to chat, impart local knowledge...make you feel welcome and wanted in their neck o' the woods.
Our local pub were so accommodating of my odd diet and cooked to order for me.....no matter where we are in the World, Selina and Tony at the Strathmore Arms will always be our local landlady and landlord.
If it could be as great as that at the worst time of the year.....it was truly a place to be happy in. We reluctantly left after a week of sheer bliss, but knew we would have to return, not only to appease the addiction, but to be sure that at all times of the year, this was a place we could live in and enjoy.
Return we did and property searches have been red hot ever since.....so has the search for holiday cottages during school holidays!
Coming from the very expensive South East, we find property prices in the North very manageable. We also know that once there, there is no coming back....we couldn't afford it!
But to exchange a busy, stressful work focused life in a busy, expensive part of Britain...for a slower paced, quieter life giving us the lifestyle we crave....as they say...its a no-brainer!
Time for a rant!
There are some in the North that think that those of us in the south are rich and somehow lucky. However, it mostly is not the case. Here are some facts....make your own mind up as to who has the better lifestyle....
Fact: National minimum wage, national benefits and national limits...they are just that...national.
Minimum wage is identical in Sussex and Cumbria.
Tax credits are identical in Sussex and Cumbria.
The £442pw limit of benefits (for a couple or single parent) out of which to pay your rent is identical in Sussex and Cumbria.
Rent this in Cumbria for £435 pcm....
Rent this is Sussex for £900pcm.....
As similar as I could find, both in nice towns, both cottages, both with small gardens.
Broadly speaking this means that 2 identical families with the same income from work and / or tax credits and who both have the £442 limit on additional support from benefits will have very different disposable incomes. Whilst the Cumbrian family will comfortably cover their rent, the Sussex family will have to find £465 per month more from their wages and capped benefits to pay the rent.
So, possibly not equitable....and not such rich southerners at all.
Anyway, we are fortunate in that we both work and we own our own home with a diminishing mortgage....but is that enough?
What do we do about income for the future? What about pensions? Savings? Equity in the house?
The 'where' is really decided....so now the 'how'.....
Lots to think about, but at this time, the most important issue was searching for a new car as our faithful Alhambra of 11 years which had shipped our huge family about, been our business workhorse, homelife dump run buddy for all waste going to the tip...moved house for our children and their friends....was sadly on its last pins.
We decided to undertake a little exercise we call 'Spendies' and write down all of our outgoings and keep a tight rein on outgoings to see how much unnecessary spending we I was making!
We got a notebook and pen and a plastic wallet, we wrote down every penny we spent each day, trying each day to spend nothing! We put all the receipts into the wallet to be cross checked with the bank statement and credit card statement.
In addition we went through our previous statements to see what our regular bills were...could we get rid of things, change utility companies, shop differently.....
We also needed to review pensions, savings and state pension forecasts.....my husband was going to be in his spreadsheet element seeing if it was viable to escape the hamster wheel.
Next time more about the 'how' of tightening your belt without losing the will to live!
Yes you can save, no you don't have to give up life all together!
Until then....
Bye bye...
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