My SOA

aurora_borealis_2

southernscouser wrote:

You got a pic of the fur coat no knickers? :rotfl:

We might have guessed that you would get nekkid in there somewhere:rotfl:

I still think you could cut the electric. Get in the habit of switching things off at the mains and not leaving lights on in rooms you leave perhaps!

Will do. It's like Las vegas here at times.

Laptop insurance is costing you £560 a year though!

That's going to go

You sure you've got the best deals on car insurance? Mine is less than £400 a year but that is with 5 years no claims (I'm male so instantly a good driver )

I'm female and not a good driver DDs are on there as named drivers, that's the trouble.

Was internet on there?

Yes NTL... did a good deal with them last week :A

The loans are a bugg3r coz quite often snowballing is the more affective way but never mind.

Are you claiming your bank charges back?

I don't pay bank charges

Ali-OK

Hi AB

Electric and Gas - Have you checked you've got the cheapest suppliers?

Check out energy saving tips too - change lightbulbs for energy saving ones (2 for £1 in Wilkos). Have you got Economy 7 electric? If so, get timers for WM and dishwasher. Don't use tumble dryer!

Cook bulk and freeze - less oven time!

Are you paying monthly DD for them? Just changed mine to that as saving of 4.5% on elec and 11% on gas vs. paying quarterly.

Hope some of that might help!

southernscouser

aurora_borealis wrote:

I know that now Things were getting grim with the fees and the bank bullied me.

Sorry, thought that meant you were being charged by the bank for being overdrawn or something!

nearlyrich

Are your children at uni claiming their student loans, do they have jobs?

aurora_borealis_2

Ali-OK wrote:

Hi AB

Electric and Gas - Have you checked you've got the cheapest suppliers?

Check out energy saving tips too - change lightbulbs for energy saving ones (2 for £1 in Wilkos). Have you got Economy 7 electric? If so, get timers for WM and dishwasher. Don't use tumble dryer!

Cook bulk and freeze - less oven time!

Are you paying monthly DD for them? Just changed mine to that as saving of 4.5% on elec and 11% on gas vs. paying quarterly.

Hope some of that might help!

Thanks ali, I need to check the gas/elec tariffs.
How do you get economy 7? That would be good.
No we don't use the tumble drier. OH takes a dim view...... so I let him take care of the pegging out, hahaha

DD3 (14) is a brill little cook. She makes loads from scratch and I'm emptying the freezer ready for a batch cook out!

aurora_borealis_2

southernscouser wrote:

Sorry, thought that meant you were being charged by the bank for being overdrawn or something!

Well they didn't charge but they told me off.
First Direct are brill. We were one of their first customers.

aurora_borealis_2

nearlyrich wrote:

Are your children at uni claiming their student loans, do they have jobs?

DD1 is nursing and has a bursary. She has to pay a fair bit for osteopathy and medication (long story) so I pay her accommodation. She has no time to work and has to be careful about getting tired (sorry, can't really explain further).

DD2 claims student loan and has a job lined up for the summer. She worked at Easter as well and will do so during term time next year because she will be better placed, location wise.

southernscouser

Bloody hell your kids are expensive! You've made my mind up not to have any now!

Ali-OK

To get Economy 7, you just ask your Electric supplier to go onto it - you might need a new meter.

Before you do that, have a serious think (or write down) when you are using most of your electric. I say this, as daytime unit costs will go up, but you get everso cheap night-time electric. (Hours are 1-8am summer time, then 12-7 from October clocks change). It was aimed (I think) at storage heater users originally.

So, if you're all out of the house everyday, it might make sense. Do you have an immersion (sp?) heater for hot water? Again, you could make a saving by heating up overnight on Economy 7.

Oh, and little things like switching appliances off at the socket will help. I've switched off the microwave and cooker that have clocks on - they were on 24/7 before. Never have tv on standby, etc.

Or you could do my trick - break a lightbulb holder when changing a bulb and have no bulb in at all :rotfl:

nearlyrich

I know it's not cheap being a parent to 2 uni students, my OH thinks I am a bit too good to mine at times but my parents supported all 6 of us through education with a lot less money than I earn and I feel it's my duty to keep them as debt free as possible.

I am hoping this next academic year will be a bit easier as neither will be in horrendously expensive halls and hopefullt will be working a few hours. The fees are horrendous though at £1250 each this year and probably a few quid more next year.

I don't have any younger childen ether which makes a big difference, they still need to have a life. We have cut down the shopping bill, no longer buy biscuits, crisp and cakes, better for our waistlines too.

Must agree with your views on FD we joined them at the start too and they have always been good to us, let us off the odd time we should have paid charges.

Hope you manage to find some savings AB.