The 9 year plan...hold onto your hats and here we go!

Karmacat

Thats great - that looked a really tough challenge when you set it up, so well done you! Lots of gentle pats on the back - and well done for sorting British Gas too, so often the big corporations are the most difficult.

EssexHebridean

Thanks ladies! I'm really pleased we've done it - it looks like we might be needing it in the next couple of months although things are still up in the air at the moment so watch this space.....Nice to know that it's there anyway.

Off out to a meal with the rugby team tonight - looking forward to that as they are usually excellent fun. I shall have my lunch in a minute (very MSE - when I made the rabbit stew on Thursday in the SC I made a massive batch leaving enough for me for lunch today, and both of us for a meal next week!) and am then going to head out to the market to see what the food stals have, and then pop into town to Boots as I need P&P serum.

I kept within my grocery budget well this month too - there is still £21 remaining of the £150 budget as things stand although I will likely spend another £3 or 4 at the market this afternoon. For a month with 5 weekly shops in it that's good though. Under £100 of the spend came from the CC+ account too meaning our holiday spending cash has just been boosted again!

boredofbeingathome

EssexHebridean wrote: »

*coughs*

Make up a month target achieved!

I had to call British Gas this evening as they'd sent me a letter saying my direct debit had been cancelled. In the course of the call it came to light that there had been no payment in January (Oop - that's where the £50 surplus in the joint account came from then - I was wondering about that!) but this is not a problem as we're in credit. Anyway, I took the chance to adjust the DD dates for leccy & gas to the other end of the month, which has the effect of me gaining another £52 as the next time a DD comes out now will be after my pay goes in - so that has been transferred to the challenge account! Also negotiated a £5 credit on the gas (1 months worth in this house!) as they had changed the terms of the direct debit discount scheme and not told us - it no longer gets applied to our gas account as we don't use enough. *rolles eyes*.

Just thought I'd pop in to tell you we'd done it anyway - have a good weekend all!

Yeah good for you:D

boredofbeingathome

I will probably buy some more fruit and veg this afternoon as well. We go through a lot in this house and i haven't bought biscuits since Christmas- so am sneaking up a healthier regime on them. Despite the baking It is all low fat/sugar though so we know what goes in and DD2 fair enjoys a little treat.

Lemon_Tree

glad you got it sorted with British Gas, you were lucky you were in credit when the DD got cancelled.

EssexHebridean

boredofbeingathome wrote: »

I will probably buy some more fruit and veg this afternoon as well. We go through a lot in this house and i haven't bought biscuits since Christmas- so am sneaking up a healthier regime on them. Despite the baking It is all low fat/sugar though so we know what goes in and DD2 fair enjoys a little treat.

LOL at that Bob - OH never notices that I reduce the sugar in muffins when I make them - if there is enough flavour in the other ingredients it's not a problem I think.

Lemon_Tree wrote: »

glad you got it sorted with British Gas, you were lucky you were in credit when the DD got cancelled.

Yes, exactly, I would have been fuming if it'd taken us into the red! It was hilarious actually, he was a really nice chap but kept asking me questions which I suspect have most people going "errr....." things like when the DD level had been altered last and the best one, while we were looking at the electricity account but talking about the gas one as well, he was wondering whether the DD discount had been taken off 'cos we were in the red, I piped up "no - we're £19.18 in credit at the moment!" which took him by surprise somewhat. Towards the end of the call he said "You really have this stuff under control, don't you!" :rotfl:

gallygirl

EssexHebridean wrote: »

Towards the end of the call he said "You really have this stuff under control, don't you!" :rotfl:

:rotfl:bit of an understatement really! :rotfl:

EssexHebridean

Well I spent £5 at the market in the end, but for that I got :

2 large bags of Doritos (2 for £1)
12 small bags of Walkers crisps (12 for £1)
2 large bags of Wqalkers Sensations crisps (50p each)
and 8 cans of Branston Baked beans (4 for £1)

At that price the beans work out cheaper than Tesco value so I thought I might as well grab 'em. Also bought the M&S Dine in for £10 deal using some of the credit on a gift card. Got Haddock gratin (MrEH loves Haddock so he'll be chuffed with that) chips (I refuse to call them "Frites"!) and Apple Pie - which will do two days puddings. I got the twin pack of elderflower presse for the drink as it's something we like and don't have often.

taxi73

fantastic bargains there.

Lemon_Tree

EssexHebridean wrote: »

Yes, exactly, I would have been fuming if it'd taken us into the red! It was hilarious actually, he was a really nice chap but kept asking me questions which I suspect have most people going "errr....." things like when the DD level had been altered last and the best one, while we were looking at the electricity account but talking about the gas one as well, he was wondering whether the DD discount had been taken off 'cos we were in the red, I piped up "no - we're £19.18 in credit at the moment!" which took him by surprise somewhat. Towards the end of the call he said "You really have this stuff under control, don't you!" :rotfl:

i was similar last time i had the DD discussion with Eon, they didn't like that i had answers for everything and could also use their information for my purposes. ended up with them saying, if i went in the red they would up my DD then regardless of what i said, but at least it stayed the same for winter and by my records we're still in the black, but only just as it's a cold winter. that reminds me must go and take a meter reading again.