hanging my head in shame

worried_jim

Got my gas and elec switchover on the 28th and BG have just called to advise me of this and to find out why I was leaving them “well you are the most expensive supplier”. BG then advised me that I have about £30 outstanding and can I pay it now over the phone with a debit card, I said well what happens with the gas and elec that I will use between now and the 28th to which he said that I would get another bill for that, I then said I’d be a !!!! to make two different payments in a week so just send me the bill- what a bunch of muppets. At least I can look forward to some cheaper bills although I have just found this genius product to bring my gas bills down-
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1-Roll-x-15-m-WHITE-Foam-Draught-Seal-Excluder-Tape-/320636768652?pt=UK_Crafts_Cardmaking_Scrapbooking_Glue_Tape_EH&hash=item4aa770d18c
I have fitted it to half my windows already and have ordered some more to do the rest. The difference it makes is immediate my rooms stay warmer for longer and I have used a lot less energy in just one week. I could previously place my hand near the window and feel the draught and now that doesn’t happen at all. I’ve found that ebay is the cheapest even when postage is accounted for.

I have been watching Hugh’s fish fight and found it fascinating but I got a real craving for Cod by the third night so I got some fish and chips and whilst enjoying the naughty delights of the battered Cod I broke a part away from one of my incisor crowns. I have been expecting something like this to happen for two reasons, one I have had the crown for nearly 20 years and the dentist told me when I was 17 that it would need replacing in about ten years so I haven’t done to badly out of it and secondly since 2000 when I moved to Brighton I have had a private dentist which I can no longer afford, every time I went he found something that would need doing for £100’s of pounds and I felt he was taking the p1ss) so I haven’t had or seen a dentist for about three years, not that I have needed to, and it has always been at the back of my mind to sort an NHS one out before something happens (which it now has). I have heard that you can’t get an NHS dentist these days and I’ve seen the news reports of hundreds of people queuing up when a new one opens. I called the one that is nearest to me and registered straight away and have an appointment on Monday morning- can’t see what all the fuss was about. (I may have changed my opinion by Monday lunchtime!) Although I expect the bill well may be £200 and the MOT is due in a couple of weeks so I back to being a cheapskate again, I can’t wait for the weather to warm up so I can get back to running my car on free used cooking oil again.

worried_jim

Car insurance renewal comes thru this morning and it has gone up £80, now I expected this as its in the news that all policies are going up but I still hit the price comparison websites just to make sure I am getting the best deal and lo and behold the same company can do me for £89 cheaper as a new customer! A quick phone call is made and the same new price is offered no hassle and a bit of fiddling with the details has saved me another £10, whilst typing this my phone has rang and its the same insurance guy letting me know he has made a small mistake and it will be another £11 cheaper! This is now the same price as last year, this could be a good omen.

MrsPorridge

I got my car insurance renewal as well from Aviva and when looking on price comparison found the same cover for over £150 cheaper. When I phoned Aviva to say I wouldn't be renewing and the reason why the woman wasn't bothered - just said "thank you". Don't they want the business?

Jo4

worried_jim wrote: »

Car insurance renewal comes thru this morning and it has gone up £80, now I expected this as its in the news that all policies are going up but I still hit the price comparison websites just to make sure I am getting the best deal and lo and behold the same company can do me for £89 cheaper as a new customer! A quick phone call is made and the same new price is offered no hassle and a bit of fiddling with the details has saved me another £10, whilst typing this my phone has rang and its the same insurance guy letting me know he has made a small mistake and it will be another £11 cheaper! This is now the same price as last year, this could be a good omen.

Have you not got it for £30 less than last year or was your renewal for £110 more than last year? £89 + £10 + £11 = £110 - £80 (price it had originally gone up) = £30.

worried_jim

I pay monthly so they add a small charge on for this. Dentist visit went ok this morning with no need for any work so I am well pleased about this especaillay as I haven't been for three years and there is no immediate issue with my broken crown. Very friendly practice and as usual am 100% happy with the excellent NHS. All I have to sort out this month is my MOT then I am good for the year.

ampersand

Hope all is well, Jim, on the 'no news is good news' principle - see your green lighty is en marche.
Bonne journ!e donc :-)
#########
I, too, am at car insurance renewal point and am doing all the Martin bells/hoops/whistles biz. Have thus found some qtrly payment quotes that do not attract an extra charge, so may go there. Like you, Jim, I opted for mthly, as the freebies I bullied/bartered/bantered with young guy more than compensated, as did a later error on their part. Had travel/breakdown cover/legal and windscreen add-ons given.
I'm pursuing the M&S quote, then via top cashback, today. Mine's for end of month, so have time to fiddle about on this.
I find I have to come up for air every so often.

worried_jim

I have just seen the first two episodes of "The Promise" http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-promise and have found it fascinating. I am interested on two points firstly I lived in Israel in the '90's so know a lot of the places and problems and secondly my neighbour (the racist pensioner) was there in the army 1945 onwards so this programme and its events are very much about him, he was there when on July 22, 1946, when the King David hotel was blown up by the militant Zionist group the Irgun. 91 people died and 45 people were injured. I remember him recently telling me about digging out the bodies from the rubble so when I saw that scene last night I pictured him there as a young man climbing over the rubble. He also told me of a time when he was shot at by the Stern gang and he heard the bullet whizz over his head and that night his hair turned white from the shock and it remains so to this day.
I caught the first episode on catchup so I am unaware if there was a warning before it was shown on tv as some of the images in the first episode bought a tear to my eye. Great tv though and really looking forward to the last two episodes.
Have also seen the kings speech recently which was one of the most pleasant way to spend two hours as it was a brilliant film, didn't think it would be my cup of tea but how wrong I was, truly brilliant from start to finish, easily one of the greatest films I have ever seen, top ten easily. Shawshank good.

chevalier

hi jim
glad to see you are still plodding. on god i miss decent tv. the best we get over here is CSI and victims support unit. the rest is utterly utterly dire.
chev

worried_jim

I tried csi once and as everyone recommended it to me and it must have been a duff episode as it was rubbish and obvious who did the crime in the first five minutes, great soundtrack though and how bizarre as I type this the who have just come on the radio- spooky. I do like Law and order both the US and UK versions but I have never seen any of the spin off's. Most tv passes me by when its aired and years later I finally catch on and get the box set.
I tried the wire but thought it was way too boring and I couldn't work out who was a baddie etc but struggled through the first series and then gave up. I am trying to think if there is any series currently on that I make a point of seeing but nothing springs to mind. I do like "breaking bad", "true blood", although there not currently running at the moment. I gave up on "hustle" years ago, why not just do one big job and retire? as soon as I realised this I couldn't watch it anymore. Oh for the days when the "west wing" was still on........

I thought "the walking dead" showed potential but I can see myself getting bored easily with series two unless they ramp up the action like in the books.

startagain_2

Hi jim,

Just catching up with your diary and it makes for some interesting reading. Didn't want to read and run... just wanted to say hello.

SA