Decluttering and home maintenance

@SmcI can relate to your feeling hard done by - with local fire warnings, & having to go to parent's place because of council (garden).

I specifically asked my gardening people to trim my hedges under the house powerline (1 & 1/2 weeks ago).

They have always done it before (several times) - it's an easy job (for them) with their extension pruning equipment. With no danger of getting too close to the powerline.

They refused to do it, due to their insurance co. chucking a wobbly over someone's accident (they said).

That is a job that I rely on them to do.

I told them that Western Power may send me a warning, if they didn't do it. They still refused.

Then 2 days later - I got a Warning Letter from WP, saying to trim it immediately.

So I was forced to get up on a ladder to do it myself - which I cannot easily physically manage anymore.

I felt very weak, & it was difficult for me to do - then I virtually collapsed with exhaustion (afterwards).

Adge

@Adge

Are you able to check some other gardening services to see if they can do your hedge?

I am a great believer in outsourcing jobs that we find difficult to manage on our own.

A good idea @Former-Member Yes I will need to do that in future.

At present, it was urgent - & I have no spare $$.

I had already paid that gardening service their $24 a few days earlier.

Just $400 per week (income) does not leave me spare $ for anything - keep going into arrears.

Adge

Perhaps do some research in readiness for later @Adge .

It is tough going on a low income - are you back on a health care card?

No @Former-Member I should have re applied months ago.

I would have qualified - I'm well under the income threshold.

Adge

Gentle encouragement for you to do so @Adge, it will help with some savings for you.

@Adge, we had a large tree out the front of our place, planted by previous owners who weren't at the time thinking about where it would end up in relation to the power lines. We ended up getting it removed because we kept on having to get it cut back all over the place. (It was also too close to the house.) Wasn't cheap. Somewhat regained the cost by keeping the wood as firewood. Don't know whether getting your hedge cut to a lower height or removed might be worthwhile, or even possible?

Sounds. like.you need a new Gardner @Adge

We are fortunate here. The power company comes and cuts trees back. In fact they prefer it is left for them to do. They check yearly but there is a number to call if more urgent attention is required. We have a large pandanas palm (I think it is) growing around our power line coming from next door that if it was not so close to power I would cut right back. Asked the responsible department and all they did was a minor trim. Power line basically passes through a tunnel.

They don't even care if the leaves touch because it.is insulated. I was kind of hoping they would.be more drastic in their pruning so it was them not me upsetting the neighbour lol.

The second lot of items set aside for a friend have now left the building 🙌 thank you very much.

Came home today after an outing to find our side fence which was under construction has now been completed. 🙌🙌

@octaviaplenty of tips and encouragement to be found in our decluttering thread.