How to Get Through The Tough Times The Old Style Way.

charlies-aunt

Another cold winter predicted this year? Will have to make the most of any good weather to gather energy to face it - no wonder the Scandanavians suffer with depression and alcoholism! its enough to drive you to drink :rotfl:

Along with GQ I am back at the dentist at the end of the month and will be leaving £148.00 lighter so will be making a few budget cuts of my own We have the heating off now and now its nice and dry, I will start gathering sticks to get stocked up for winter.

Its lovely to see the blackthorn in full bloom - mainly because blackthorn blossoms = blackthorn berries aka sloes! Sloes + sugar + gin = heaven in a glass :T

Bad news this week - my latest blood test has returned and is abnormal again (very low white cell count) so waiting for next test results to see what happens next..... ain't life a bi-aitch at times :mad:

shegar

mardatha wrote: »

We're spending £1700 a year on coal :eek:

Good lord woman,:eek::eek:wow thats pretty bad, my gas bill works out £424 per year actual metre readings,elec £374 per year also actual readings...........mind you, you do have your heating on probaly 7 months out of the year...........nows the time to start paying extra for next winters fuel if poss , or getting some coal in, how the hell can you keep that expense up,??phew that as shocked me...:eek:

babychick

we spend £49 a month on gas and electricity combined. However, I've just today received an email to say that my current offer is coming to an end - this combined with our forthcoming move to a house almost twice the size of this one can only mean that my energy costs are going to soar :eek: out of interest, is there a website somewhere that rates the energy companies on their customer service as well as their costs??

kitschy

I can't believe you haven't had that baby yet, Gailey! I'm on call to go and look after my fairy Godchildren when my best friend goes to hospital to have her third in a few weeks and I can't wait!

Thinking of you, Welsh Camper xxx

Ches

lostinrates wrote: »

It is crazy, not means testing too. Some of the very wealthiest people I know are pensioners, one octogenarian living alone in a huge multi million pound London house getting the winter fuel payment is almost as wasteful as the shocking amount coming into the care home residents. And two payments to a household of a couple.....two can keep warmer than one a lone!

In my household I retired at 60 my OH retired at 65 and I received the full amount for the 5 years until the OH retired and we now get half each.

lostinrates

Ches wrote: »

In my household I retired at 60 my OH retired at 65 and I received the full amount for the 5 years until the OH retired and we now get half each.

Thanks for explaining that, I shall ask my parents what happens to theirs. IMO though, they should receive anything:o because they don't have to make the eat or heat choice...

mardatha

Unless I added it wrong - new price is £66 a fortnight. We hardly ever put it off because it heats the water and if I had the fire off then we would use the immersion anyway. But in summer we can bank it up and make it last longer. It's too cold here to be tough and suffer, so we make it our first priority really. I can sit out power cuts (which we get quite often) and still have heat and cook, so it works for us.

Mrs_Veg_Plot

Ironing pile now non existent :T Unfortunatly there is a load on the clothes maid drying and another one in the washer. I shall savour the lack of an ironing pile for a few hours.

Have planned next weeks meals and written the shopping list tonight, really want to bring the bill in at less than £60 if I can. Will see what I manage tomorrow.

silvermaid

Welshcamper hugs to you and your family. You are in my thoughts and prayers.

All washing line dried this week

Made cannelloni with hm chicken and veg soup. Added lentils and a tin of tomatoes, cannelloni tubes and cheese sauce. 4 large servings for about £1. It was delish - DH said he'd be happy to have paid for it as a pub-meal it was so tasty

Heating off, boiler just used for hot water now.

Hope all are well.

modern_millie_2

Mardatha, so much colder in the Winter where you are, I can understand your coal bills. I am from the North East (England) originally and can remember some freezing winters. Since October we have spent £1330 on oil, hope to make this last the year but may need more before this Autumn - worst case probably about £1700 -£1800. Electric is about £750 but this includes some business use. We fall into the 'fuel poverty' category - fuel costs exceeding 10% of income. Think our boiler is probably now not the most efficient - 12 years old - but is serviced yearly.

Got used to mild winters here (West Wales), but these seem to be a thing of the past!