deanb Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 https://www.gov.uk/jobseekers-allowance/further-information As noted he's unemployed, which means a lot of rules to follow to make sure he continues to get in benefits, which includes housing benefit for the rent. He gets sanction, could force him out by virtue of being unable to pay rent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted February 8, 2015 Report Share Posted February 8, 2015 Well what started off as a "stop leaving greasy pans in a bowl full of water" kinda spiralled out into I don't think we'll be talking for a long while (not that we were much to begin with). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFlyingGerbil Posted February 8, 2015 Report Share Posted February 8, 2015 (edited) Was it just you and him taking or a group thing? Maybe you need to all sit down together and have an intervention. Sounds like he's suffering from depression. If you could put it in a way that you want to help him and make it as positive as possible rather than like you're all ganging up on him. Then if you follow through and try and help him out and he still doesn't respond at least you'll know you tried your best. Things like when he's by the sink start the water up and say you wash I'll dry and keep doing them and chatting to him. It will be hard for him to leave but you've got him to do it on a non complaining way. Edited February 8, 2015 by TheFlyingGerbil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted February 8, 2015 Report Share Posted February 8, 2015 Just us to, I dropped him a message over FB since I'd managed to talk to everyone else yesterday about pots n bins in person. Intervention stuff has been suggested in past, and just never really happened*. Depression has been mooted and he's been told about heading to the GP around the corner but he's not done anything on it despite a GP around the corner which he knows I've been to before about my anxiety (admittedly I also then spent a while complaining how pants they were about, but that could be a systematic NHS failure, cos it's not life threatening, or cos I'd had my appointment immediately after a really good job interview I was still on a high from). *Speaking with other housemate just now it's been suggested again, though more as a general "all pull weight etc" kind of thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal Posted June 27, 2015 Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 It's that time of year again where I look for a new place to live (SLO LIfe was so easy... same place for three years). This time I have the added bonus of knowing people so that is nice. I'm chill with my current roommates but all of us decided to move away from campus. Whether we stay together is up in the air but it certainly wouldn't hurt. One guy also got a girlfriend that we all know since we're all in the same department and work together in one form or another. Which brings me to asking this: What do you guys think of two couples living together in one place? My only experience with it is with family members and one is fine and the other still has a smoldering bridge. I spied 4 beds, 3 baths last year and again this year in a nicer part of town that would cost each of the 5 people about $650 (At least $100 less than currently paying) in rent, if split evenly, with one room extra. If that room got filled, the rent would tank even more but at $650 per person with one spare room seems fine (also to consider fridge space). That room can be useful for our family and friends visits (which does happen and I'm fine with it). Every group got their own full bathroom too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted June 27, 2015 Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 That's almost double the rent on the new place I'm moving into. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielpholt Posted June 27, 2015 Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 Looking for a flat of my own but they're all around £450 a month. This is for a fairly basic studio flat. It's downright criminal how much they're allowed to charge; I could get a 3 bedroom semi-detached for £100 more a month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal Posted June 27, 2015 Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 (edited) That's almost double the rent on the new place I'm moving into. Welcome to LA or any decent* city in California. With the amount I've spent on rent, I could've bought a place in say Fresno or someplace like that. Sure I could get a place for say $400-$500 (I have never seen anything lower with my standards) but the locations tend to be subpar at best. *Not in the middle of nowhere which to be honest, I'm fine with... lets see where life takes me first. For most of my life, I've lived in or around the more expensive places in the US (NYC, SF Bay Area and LA Region). Due to Cal Poly, SLO is expensive as well. Almost on par with the averages(?) in the Bay Area and LA. I should immigrate to Bongland and buy you guys. Edited June 27, 2015 by MaliciousH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted June 30, 2015 Report Share Posted June 30, 2015 Move hose tomorrow afternoon. Trying to sort stuff out today, and one of us has only moved once at that was out of 'rents and in with us. He's quite a handful to work around, currently hoovering the few square footage of the lounge not covered in box. I've told him to not bother as it needs hoovering when empty. He's currently in the way so I can't empty the lounge into a now empty bedroom. He also planned to have spag bol for tea until I found out this morning that was his plan (I asked if he was up for pizza as takeaway tonight). I had to explain to him there'll be nothing for him to cook with at tea time, so he's had it for lunch instead which has put stuff back a few hours waiting for him to eat n wash up (myself n other housemate had cup a soups n sandwich). One of our lots is also self-employed so can't be off too often as it's no pay for him, but he's been sending messages throughout the day of making sure everything is sorted n what not for tomorrow.....while also organising in the tabletop group to start a new RPG this evening. Our net got cut off last night though, so that's helping things speed up a little (sorta, I can run a hotspot easy enough, hence being on here). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thursday Next Posted July 2, 2015 Report Share Posted July 2, 2015 Looking for a flat of my own but they're all around £450 a month. This is for a fairly basic studio flat. It's downright criminal how much they're allowed to charge; I could get a 3 bedroom semi-detached for £100 more a month. where are you looking? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielpholt Posted July 2, 2015 Report Share Posted July 2, 2015 Looking for a flat of my own but they're all around £450 a month. This is for a fairly basic studio flat. It's downright criminal how much they're allowed to charge; I could get a 3 bedroom semi-detached for £100 more a month. where are you looking? We talking location or what I'm using to find the place? **Just found out my step-dad has been made redundant, so it alleviates the pressure on me to move out somewhat. Now I can save up a bit more; buy myself a car first ** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thursday Next Posted July 3, 2015 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 I meant location. Not asking for a six figure grid reference or anything, just an area. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielpholt Posted July 3, 2015 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 I meant location. Not asking for a six figure grid reference or anything, just an area. Anywhere inside 15 miles of my current location. I've got a scooter, and I'm leaning to drive; travel isn't an issue. Although I will say that driving a Scooter is proving the main hurdle in finding cheap accommodation. I need somewhere with off-road parking, or a garage. Leaving the scooter on the road is less a case of if it will be stolen, and more a case of when. Not an issue with a car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. GOH! Posted July 5, 2015 Report Share Posted July 5, 2015 I think he was looking for the name of an area. A neighbourhood, as you Brits misspell it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielpholt Posted July 5, 2015 Report Share Posted July 5, 2015 Lesta 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted August 10, 2015 Report Share Posted August 10, 2015 One of my housemates must have grown up much richer than me cos it's 20oC even now at 7PM and the tumble dryer is on in August. We're not really on speaking terms any more, but when one of them decides their clothes must be dried by tonight and not just either hung outside for a couple hours or put on one of the two drying racks or on the many radiators (so many radiators) I kinda feel I have to say something (especially when we're on a shared bill which is a set amount unless we go over the estimate and since summer we're not running up a gas bill for the boiler, or electricity bill for the lights n what not during summer it's meant to be kinda low). Ooh, I guess I found out which cos I got a response. Such mature people. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMightyEthan Posted August 10, 2015 Report Share Posted August 10, 2015 We haven't used our dryer in about a year and a half at this point, other than 1 or 2 times the sheets for the bed haven't been totally dry by bedtime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal Posted August 10, 2015 Report Share Posted August 10, 2015 Washer and dryer in the garage maater race! Though I totally would air dry my stuff if I had a big enough of a backyard being in LA and all. I think my roommates feel the same since one mentioned wanting to do that. No waiting for the dryer to get done which is seriously the only reason a queue forms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMightyEthan Posted August 10, 2015 Report Share Posted August 10, 2015 We just want to avoid the electricity usage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. GOH! Posted August 10, 2015 Report Share Posted August 10, 2015 (edited) You all must be motherfucking millionaires, what with having your own private washers and dryers in your homes. We pay $1 per pound to have our basic laundry done at a laundromat and I pay about $25.00 a week to have my shirts laundered by real professionals who won't just wash and dry them on the hottest settings. That's still WAY cheaper than the extra rent (or mortgage payments if we bought) we'd have to pay for a place in a decent neighborhood with a washer and dryer. Edit: I used to have a homemade rack on which I'd dry my shirts when I'd launder them myself, but my wife put the kibosh on that when we moved in together. We have nowhere to hang laundry to dry. 2nd Edit: Dean, how much money do you save by not using your lights as much? I know our lights cost something like 25 cents a day to have on for eight hours at a time if we had them all on at once. The only real electricity hogs are my desktop, the TV, the AC, and the refrigerator. Our bills are based on usage, but unless we run the AC, our bill is always within $10 of $70 a month. Edited August 10, 2015 by Mr. GOH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted August 10, 2015 Report Share Posted August 10, 2015 I imagine the lights matter little in the grand scheme of things, even less if folks in a 5 person house get in the habit of doing a weekly tumble dry each even in summer. We didn't have one in the old place and did just fine (just bought two racks). And yeah I'd consider tumble dryer quite the luxury item, my dad has one, but he also has quite a nice house to go along with it. I would have preferred to not have a tumble dryer in the grand scheme of things. Things have got slightly funner, since their door doesn't close properly got to hear them having a good old natter n pat on the backs for being dicks to me while I took my dry laundry off the rack. :/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMightyEthan Posted August 10, 2015 Report Share Posted August 10, 2015 (edited) Our electricity cost is based on usage and fluctuates wildly from ~$2/day in January up to ~$6.70 per day in July/August when we're having to run the AC a lot (because of times like last week when the highs were over 100 F). Though this year has been cooler than most so we've been doing pretty well overall, last week aside. It's also been raining a lot more though, resulting in higher humidity, so it's not actually more pleasant, just the AC doesn't have to run as much. *Edit - Wait, so is it just that Dean and GOH live in weird places, or is it considered a luxury in most places to have a washer and dryer? Because here I'd be shocked if there's not one in nearly every house, right down to the run-down crack shacks that rent for $200/month. Edited August 10, 2015 by TheMightyEthan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. GOH! Posted August 10, 2015 Report Share Posted August 10, 2015 Ethan: I was making a joke about the relative expense of living in the greatest city on Earth. An in-unit washer/dryer is a luxury when you live in high-density areas like NYC. But most everyone I know who lives in flyover country either has their own washer and dryer or at least access to a cheap in-building laundromat if they don't make much money. I mean, my wife and I have a pretty high combined income, enough that we'd own a 4 bedroom house in any sane real estate market, but in NYC all we can afford is a modest 2 bedroom in a good neighborhood without a doorman or washer/dryer. All for the low, low price of $3k a month in rent! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted August 10, 2015 Report Share Posted August 10, 2015 We have a washer, and that's considered normal. A dryer however is a huge amount of space to take up (our houses are kinda small on a global/European average). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. GOH! Posted August 11, 2015 Report Share Posted August 11, 2015 (edited) Yeah, my experiences living in Germany and traveling throughout Europe bear out that dryers tend to be more of a luxury than washers over there. In The U.S., folks tend to have both, even if it's just a tall front-loading washer/dryer combo unit to reduce the footprint. Most folks here don't want to hang dry their sheets, and apartments tend not to have enough space to hang dry every bit of clothing. Hell, I haven't hang-dried t-shirts or underwear or other non-delicates since I lived in Europe in 2003. Edited August 11, 2015 by Mr. GOH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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