50p a day til christmas, healthily?!-Weezl's next challenge (part 2)

cheerfulness4

weezl74 wrote: »

eta sorry cheerfulness, crossed posts! Glad I'm not alone! I've been taking my smalls into the shower with me to give them a wash!!!!!

Awww, don't have a shower. Maybe I could wash my smalls out while having a bath 'steptoe' fashion. ( altho seem to remember he had a 'bath' in the sink. :rolleyes: )

weezl74

Emptynester wrote: »

Hello all. This is my first post and having been a lurker for about 18 months have finally registered to reply to post 2539. Weezl you are generous, think of all the ideas, information and motivation you give everyone on here. I have not posted before because others seem to have such good ideas but I couldn't have you thinking you weren't generous when you have helped me so much over the last months and I have read about you helping others. The way we treat people is far more important than any 'thing' we ever give.xxx

:o:o:D:D:D:D

awwww! you made a tear come into my eye! that's a really kind thing to say.

I hope you won't leave it another 18 months;) before posting again!

welcome back too bails, nice to see you again! have you managed to stay on your budget?

bails

Well, life's a little strange at the moment as we're about to go travelling for 8 months so stockpiling and veg growing are out for now. We are doing really well on the money we have though and have a very good standard of living so we're all very happy in the Bails household :j

How's motherhood treating you?

In_Search_Of_Me

oo me goodness go to W*** and there be a gazillion replies!! How my best boy weezl...tell him jumper arm is on its fourth row!!
Re the letter its good but would change the last bit to reflect how unhappy you are by saying sommat along the lines of I look forward to receiving a response by xxx date (ie 2 wks away) and would point out that if I do not hear by this date feel I have no choice but to take the matter further and refer to xxx insert energy ombudsman...

Re the tithe am not a widow but he only gets a mite lol! I think it makes me feel bad cos its due to my own stupidity and buying into the cosumer way of life but still not enough to stop me buying stuff so work to do there...thank you for the enocouragement though elfwings......am intereted also to know if others who follow other faiths have simular philosophies...
Welcome emptynester...what a lovely post for our weezl....as I keep telling her we all give in different ways...she in geeky way (which is a compliment...wish I could do maths) and in a time/listening way...both of which are things money cant buy!

ceridwen

Elfinwings wrote: »

I've not heard of the book, but do understand your worry. I would offer this thought, remember that the copper coin the poor widow offered was considered far more than all the gold of the pharisees, because she gave all she was able to give. Not a set percentage, or a set sum, but what she had in her power to give.

Elfin.

ISOM - Remember also the "parable of the talents" - which, as I understand it, is about people putting to good use the resources/and literally the talents they have. I have always taken that as meaning that if one doesnt have enough money to contribute money - then one contributes time instead. The two things are interchangeable to some extent - ie one gives what one can of either/both. Cash-rich but time-poor would mean giving by writing out a hefty cheque - but cash-poor the reverse applies.

Same principle as going for a meal with a friend - some friends would "flash a lotta cash" at it and buy everything readymade and expensive - but others wouldnt be able to afford to do that - but would have taken the time and trouble to make homemade things that they know you would like. I know which of those two scenarios I would rather have..

In_Search_Of_Me

I agree! Forgot to say re having a "meet" for those interested....shaz is in the area on 8th August this year and our weezl coming back from hols in the morning so if people are up for a late lunch then feel free to join us!
Picnic in bute park I thought would be good as its close to town/bus and train) I'm up for organising it! Something along the lines of meet at the second tree on the left!! Feel free to pm any questions...
Popped back to say hat is up weezl on my diary!

ceridwen

isom

Well - having now seen your comment about "buying into the consumer way of life" - 'tis easy so to do..I know...

One thought on resisting further temptation could be to remember that strand active in some Christian thinking - the one that says about us all being "stewards" of the Earth that the Lord has provided (or words to that effect - me not being a Christian for years...and years now...may have misremembered the exact words...but thats the general theme of it).

Thats the strand of Christianity I can relate to - the one about regarding ourselves as stewards and living in harmony with the other species....thinks: Francis of Assisi wasnt it that was the best exemplifier of that?

weezl74

oooooh I like it when we go all philosophical!

A new mum friend I've made who's a vegan and much more green than me has me thinking more about eco-issues (along with the lovely ceridwen!) - she's a humanist


ISOM always challenges me with her generosity....:D

One of my greatest hopes in becoming a mum would be for it to make me more generous. Lots of the thought themes I had throughout pregnancy underpin this... Essentially a woman is saying to another soul, 'come and share my space, my nutrients ... my energy (oh lordy my energy for sure!!!), my ligaments...and in doing so expand my capacity for being a human'... my hope is that this life lesson will not leave me.:o

PS not saying at all that this generosity is only found in mothers! Far from it! Simply this is what it has taught me...

Seakay

Just a couple of ideas - mostly I think that it is a great letter!

weezl74 wrote: »

great list elfin! :T:T:T:T:T

can I go completely off topic and ask for some wise eyes to look at my 'snotty' letter written to my electricity provider? (although I hope it's not snotty, but reasonable and clear!) Sometimes others can see things that we can't!

'Dear Sir/madam

I am writing to express my concern that our switch to ********** energy as our provider for both gas and electricity was based on a misleading approach taken by your sales representative.

I was approached in *********** in December 2008 and your representative asked me detailed questions about our household energy usage. She specifically asked about numbers of times we use the washing machine per week, uses of dishwasher per week, how many rooms were in our house and so on.

She then suggested that our direct debit be set at £35 per month, which in her view was more than adequate for the energy usage I had detailed.

I was later told that £40 was more realistic, but that any outstanding amount paid would build up useful credit at times of peak energy usage (ie the winter months).

Recently I received a letter from your company saying that based on our electricity usage, your intention was to raise our direct debit to £65 per month.

This prompted us to seriously evaluate our energy usage. In particular I was keen to see what electricity usage would have been possible within the £40 original figure given by your sales representative. I have taken 16 meter readings over 4 days and have carefully monitored all our usage.

The £40 threshold per month only allows us to run our( ‘a’ rated for energy) fridge freezer, boil the kettle 4 times per day to make up my son’s milk, and to run a low wattage lightbulb in the evening for 3 hours. I have been handwashing our clothes and dishes to achieve this lower energy use. This is not sustainable for me in the long term, nor is it anything like the lifestyle your colleague asked me about before suggesting the £40 per month figure.

Perhaps you will respond by saying that you cannot comment directly on the details of one customer’s usage, since there is so much scope for variation. I accept this, but if it is indeed impossible to comment on the detail of my usage, then I feel it was inappropriate and misleading for your sales colleague to use this attention to detail as part of her sales approach.

After speaking with her I was passed her phone and asked to confirm my satisfaction with our meeting to your sales representative, verbally. I did so, but would now like to state that I am dissatisfied with the sales approach.

My husband and I made the decision to switch providers based on the imminent arrival of our first child, now 3 months old, and our need to reduce our household costs due to our reduced income. The shock of the excess payments we will now have to make, having switched providers in good faith has caused unnecessary and unwanted stress and upset.

I would be very grateful if you could look into this matter further, my understanding of the goods and services act is that mis-selling constitutes a breach of my rights as a customer.

Thank you for your time in considering my letter.

Yours Faithfully,

......




I'd be really grateful for any tips on making the wording any better and clearer!:o


Weezl xxx

eta sorry cheerfulness, crossed posts! Glad I'm not alone! I've been taking my smalls into the shower with me to give them a wash!!!!!

Seakay

In_Search_Of_Me wrote: »

I agree! Forgot to say re having a "meet" for those interested....shaz is in the area on 8th August this year and our weezl coming back from hols in the morning so if people are up for a late lunch then feel free to join us!
Picnic in bute park I thought would be good as its close to town/bus and train) I'm up for organising it! Something along the lines of meet at the second tree on the left!! Feel free to pm any questions...
Popped back to say hat is up weezl on my diary!

This sounds great - fingers crossed that the weather is not too "British"!