What I want as a tenant in 2018*

Ok, so the title of this post might be slightly misleading in as much as I’m not currently a tenant, but hopefully 2018 will be the year where I once again move out of the parental home and in to a place with Bob and Pablo. It’s very likely that this will be a rental property rather than a purchase, which can be a drain both financially and with the limitations that being a tenant rather than an owner brings. With that in mind I’ve put together this post with Tenants insurance from HomeLet to explore what would make life as a tenant easier.

(Photo by Stephen Di Donato on Unsplash)

A top priority for myself and Bob is of course finding somewhere that allows pets. This seems to be a huge limitation, and to some extent I can see why, but in a property that contains all of your own furniture, with an additional deposit paid against any pet incurred damages I do think that more landlords should be open to allowing a pet or two. I was lucky in my previous flat that I was allowed Tobias, and Bob had no problems getting consent to bring a kitten home (gratuitous photo of Pablo below) but we’re dreading searching for somewhere that will allow us to bring the fluff-ball with us.
Another consideration for me when we start our property hunt would be flexibility on putting our own stamp on the place- I’m not talking complete redecoration, but to be allowed to hang a few pictures or pop up a shelf or two would be a real bonus. Of course with the caveat that everything would be removed and holes etc filled in before we moved out.

I’d definitely like it as well if there was an online “hub” where you could pay your rent, bills and any other fees all in one place, with an easy to follow system that shows you/alerts you when everything is due. Maybe something like this exists by now, but it didn’t a couple of years ago and to be honest I found it a complete nightmare keeping track of when I needed to pay rent, water, council tax, gas and electric and it often got complicated trying to make the payments too- having it all in one place would make life a hell of a lot easier.

Finally I think it should be a thing where all rental properties are decorated in a neutral way. Magnolia walls might not be the most exciting (see point about adding own stamp above) but when I was viewing flats before I’d think I’d found the perfect place only to find that one of the rooms had blood red walls or a psychedelic carpet that I just couldn’t deal with.

Oh wait,
there is one more thing- PARKING!
This is such a bugbear and I don’t even drive! I do think it should be mandatory that all rental properties come with some kind of allocated parking- on road or off road it doesn’t matter…but it would be nice to be able to get home and park within a square mile of your front door!

What have I missed off my list of requests? A kitchen kitted out with all of the latest gadgets? A garden (and not only a garden, but one that maintains itself?) Affordable rent (hah!)
I’d love to know your thoughts below.

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The January Degustabox

With the madness that was Christmas and an overall manic month it’s only just dawned on me that I failed to review the December Degustabox*, a first in all of the time I’ve been reviewing them. It completely slipped my mind until the January 2018 box arrived at my door, so apologies to the Degustabox team for that- here’s a fresh start for the new year. The January box had a “New Year, New Me” theme to it, and whilst I don’t buy in to that ethos I was still eager to get stuck in to a selection of great looking products.
I can’t actually review these LighterLife Fast Ready to drink shakes (£2.49 each from Superdrug) as I can’t bring myself to sample such a diet targeted product whilst in recovery from an eating disorder. What I will say though is that these look good and the flavours sound good- they are designed to be used as a meal placement for those following the 5:2 diet, or as a quick protein hit.
This year I’m on a mission to cut my Pepsi Max habit so for once I eyed the soft drinks selection with excitement rather than a flat out refusal to try. The Mahtay Yerba Mate Sparkling Tea (£1.49) is a lightly sparkling drink that combines energy giving Yerba Mate tea with coconut water and acai berries to provide a natural energy boost- I can’t say I’ve actually tried this yet, but I do like the principal and it’s packed in my work bag for sampling this week.
The Robinsons Fruit Cordial (£2.49) is a product I’ve been eyeing up in the supermarket lately so getting to try it as part of this months box was a real bonus. It comes in three flavours- I was sent the Raspberry, Rhubarb and Orange Blossom variety which is the one I’ve been most eager to try and it definitely tastes as good as it sounds. I dilute it with sparkling water and have it in place of my daily can or six of fizzy.
There were loads of products in this month’s box that got me excited to get busy in the kitchen, the Ramen Noodles were a particular hit, I just added chicken for a healthy dinner for two, and whilst I haven’t tried the Santa Maria products yet I’m itching to whip up a Latin American feast.
The Explore Cuisine Edamame and Mung Bean pasta might look scary but I love this! It’s full of plant based protein (three times more than regular pasta) and has a unique taste. I use this with a portion of meat free bolognese for a quick after work dinner, and whilst it’s pricey at £3.00 per box I’d definitely buy it.
There’s not much I can say about a tin of tuna other than it’s damn good tuna. At £3.49 a tin you’d expect it to be, but it doesn’t hurt to be able to confirm it!
I’m almost as much a tea drinker as I am a coffee one these days and Clipper is one of my favourite brands. Their everyday organic tea is one of my go-to black teas and I’d recommend it to anyone and everyone.
It’s no secret that I’m an absolute snack fiend so this is always my favourite part of the un-boxing process. This month I was most taken with the Mallow & Marsh coconut marshmallow bar (£1.35) which is absolutely delicious and gooey AND comes it at under 100 calories for anyone who’s counting.
Frusli bars have long been a staple of mine and at 45p each are an affordable on the go option. I really enjoy the red berry variety, probably more than any of the other flavours (and I’m not usually a berry lover). Perfect to keep on my desk for a mid afternoon “feed me” moment.
For a sweet treat I usually opt for my childhood classics like jelly tots or a milkyway, but these Hersheys Cookies N Creme bars are taking over. You get five snack sized bars in a pack for just £1 and whilst they might not be gourmet, for a quick hit of something sweet you can’t go wrong.
Finally a couple of products from Pulsin’ which I’ve been eyeing up for a while. The Vanilla Choc Chip Protein Booster is an affordable protein bar at £1.59 (most seem to be over £2) and delicious. It has a cookie dough like texture and taste which makes it feel like a treat whilst packing 13g of plant based protein meaning it keeps you fuller than say, a chocolate bar for a similar amount of calories.
The Protein Powder (£1.99) has 22g protein in a 25g serving and is rich in amino acids thanks to it’s Whey protein. It’s suitable for vegetarians and is made using low fat, hormone free milk from UK cows. It’s also low in sugar and whilst it might sound mighty boring and good for you, it actually tastes pretty good- I’ve been using some in my morning porridge for an extra boost of protein and energy.
For those who don’t yet know, Degustabox* is a monthly food subscription box that gives you the chance to try new and exciting products on the market whilst providing amazing value for money.
On a month by month basis the box costs £12.99 (with a discount for longer subscriptions) but the contents are generally worth far more than this as you can see if you do the maths.
If you’re persuaded to give Degustabox a go (and really, you should) you can claim a brilliant £7.00 off of your first box (making it just £5.99!) by entering the code 6HZJ8 at the checkout. It’s been a pleasure to work with the brand regularly over the last couple of years and it’s without a doubt something that I will continue to purchase long after our partnership ends. I love the monthly surprise and excitement as well as the chance to discover products I’d otherwise pass up on the supermarket shelves.
Let me know if you’ve tried any of these products and what you thought of them.

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