"Ever feel like you have been had?"

GARETH SAYS...

So the new flat hunting has picked up quite a bit of speed we have realised that we have been had at our current place. We are currently paying $2000 for a one bed place in Brooklyn. It is small and not very nice. We've just been looking around and found some nice one beds ON MANHATTAN for $1800. They are closer to work and cheaper.

We should have done a bit more research before jumping on the first thing that came along back in January. Ahhhhh a valuable life lesson has been learnt. I think we were so keen to get out of Amy's Mum's we jumped on anything.

Operation Nightmare

GARETH SAYS...

A friend last week asked me how 'Operation Nightmare' was going. She genuinely thought that is what we had called it. I guess on paper it might look that way to most people but for us it has really been 'Operation GettingCloserAndSortingOutSomeImportantThingsThatMeanWeWillHaveALongAndHappyLifeTogether'

£5 a day

GARETH SAYS...

Last night we watched a show on Hulu called AMAZING ADVENTURES OF A NOBODY. The blurb below explains it all..

"Amazing Adventures of a Nobody is a documentary/factual entertainment TV series that follows Leon Logothetis, the presenter, on his travels around the U.K. on just 5 pounds a day. The 5 pounds have to cover food, accommodation and travel; the 5 pounds reflecting the average hourly wage, according to the Department of Trade and Industry in the U.K.. Leon had certain cities he had to pass through and was only ever allowed to stay for 24 hours in each city. The 5 pounds could not roll over and had to be spent, with each morning being presented a new five pound note for each new day. The public could buy him things and he could work for goods, but was never allowed to be given money directly"

Perhaps Amy and I could do a couples version. Now that would be fun!

15,000

AMY SAYS...

Today was a big day.

Today saw the 15,000th visitor to our blog!!!

Blimey :)

Thank you for following our story.

What now?

GARETH AND AMY ARE HAVING A BIT OF A THINK...

We will soon have to move out of our sublet - April 15th to be precise!

Hmmmmmm what to do?

We could go and rent somewhere for a year back on Manhattan. Prices are dropping on rentals. No-one is wanting to commit at the moment which means landlords are offering crazy deals like...

3 MONTHS FREE RENT

$2000 CASHBACK WHEN YOU SIGN UP FOR A YEAR

The world is our oyster although i'm not looking forward to moving again. I'm a creature of habit and it takes me a while to dcope with change.

Hopefully we will be viewing some places tomorrow. We'll keep you posted.

Selling sunglasses

GARETH SAYS...

When my parents were young and i was about 1 foot tall money was pretty tight.

My dad had to supplement his work as a teacher to pay the mortgage. He'd get up early at the weekends and go off and sell sunglasses at various markets. Somedays he ended up making more selling sunglasses than he did working for 5 days as a teacher!

I think the story of selling the sunglasses at the weekend have helped inspire me to do ONB. We are almost a year into it. The loans are now a third of what they used to be. We have built up a little bit of a nest egg in case anything happens to us with the wobbly economy. Time flies when you are spending bugger all.

"While you're away..."

GARETH SAYS...

I'm now back in New York and it feels great.

I got asked a question by Lisa and Sarah yesterday that made both me and Amy laugh.

"While you're away does Amy keep to the $20 a day?"

They thought that Amy might run out and buy Ben and Jerry's as soon as i walk out the door with my suitcase.

They thought that she might go and get her hair and nails done and then go for Brunch at Jean George.

They thought that she might spend her time lying around in a day spa sipping champagne.

Ha ha ha - if only!!!!