Expenses, Expenses

Finally got off my arse and did something about our leaky roof. We called the builders who last repaired it (not the ones who originally built it). What he said is true - the roof slope is just not steep enough. His suggestion was to take a foot off the height of the outer wall so that the whole roof could be rebuilt at a steeper slope. I didn't like that suggestion - it would cost 50,000+ baht for what is just a slow leak. I suggested filling up the gaps in the roof with silicone. That is what he did so we will have to wait and see if it does the job.

These little expenses just keep coming. Yesterday I also got a furniture upholsterer to look at our sofa. The cloth is splitting. We inherited the sofa from the people who sold us the house. It is a good one imported from Germany and apparently cost 200,000 baht. In the end we decided to replace all the cloth on the bottom half of the sofa. It will cost 9,800 baht.

What with normal living and school expenses, all these other things add up. While my finances are currently solid enough, when I think about 20 years of putting Ben and Jenny through school and university I become more and more convinced that I need to earn a little extra money somewhere. This is not easy in Thailand where work options for foreigners are very limited. My current income comes from renting my flat in London and part-time computer work from London. While it lasts this is actually fine but I know the part-time work will come to an end quite soon. It has been going on for five years and I am surprised it has lasted this long.