Vocal Voices

Well I've bitten the bullet and have employed the services of someone to come paint my flat - it's well overdue and I don't have the energy or time really. And figured now is as good a time to cash in my premium bonds. It's not a lot - only £200 but in all the years I've had them I think I've only won once, £20 I think it was. So may as well put the money to good use

When was the last time anyone on here won anything - I remember on the old boards there was always someone but now; nada.

Hubby and I both won this month.

I had thousands, but never won a thing! I cashed them in for B's travels to Africa and when she paid me back (partly LOL) I didn't bother getting them back as I never won a penny!

Cashed mine in never ever won

I put extra money in because the wins I was getting (all small wins) amounted to far more than bank interest.

We've got about £2,000 or so in them which we've had for years. I'd think our winnings over time have been about "average" for the holding, just the minimum amount every 12-15 months. Just checked and the last was August 2014, so they probably owe us one soon!!

We're also getting the house fully painted inside this year (amongst other things), also well overdue, then might consider putting it on the market. Got a bloke coming round Sunday afternoon for a chat - he's a painter / decorater / handyman and Mrs O "won" him in the church Christmas Raffle, a day's services for free!! We'll give him the smallest room to do, and see what he's like - if he's any good, he can do the lot.

What sort of quote did you get, meriad, if you don't mind me asking?

I got a really good rate Ossie - fantastic in fact....

Usual rate around here is about £120 - £150 a day but I think this guy feels sorry for me and is only charging £90 (his usual rate is £130) and materials at cost.

But needs to be said; I think one of the reasons I'm getting as good a deal as I am is that I'm not in a rush to have the works done and I don't need it all completed in one go. So he's fitting my little home in room by room as stop gaps between his bigger jobs. He'll also be working the odd Saturday if he has time / inclination. So it could well be that what would usually take 2 or weeks will be a good few months and I need to live in a bit of a higgledy piggledy mess for a bit, but I can live with that.

Thanks, meriad, sounds like you got a very good deal.

We are also "not in a rush" and have no particular deadlines, we don't mind it being done a few rooms at a time either. So we shall see what we shall see .....

An uncle of mine was a regular buyer, and winner, with Premium Bonds. He had just over £8,000 of them when he died. They had to be sold back, of course, but I spent my windfall rather unwisely... I should have spent the money to replace them.

Frank, if you needed the money for something else at the time then it wasn't unwise - and sometimes one just has to have a bit of fun in life

Well bonds sent off yesterday for cashing in - but you can chose to cash in immediately or after the next draw; so I went with the latter (just in case you know )