As The Workhouse Approaches....How To Do Everything To Avoid It, the Old Style Way

lizzyb1812

Yeah, it's scary isn't it redlady. I've found myself debating whether or not to get a second freezer for my expected garden glut but have more or less decided against it - must use up whoopsies instead of getting more. And I've got just about everything turned off too.

I've compared and switched several times over the last few years and it really has saved me loads - especially the times I got cashback too.

Are you on just electricity and wood? Have no idea what wood costs as I'm on gas and electricity. Last winter the gas heating only heated the kitchen and bathroom radiators so I used a LOT of electricity. I've been saving like mad to make sure I can afford to get the heating repaired before next winter and save on the leccy. Should probably get onto the preparing for winter thread for ideas.

Lizzy

mardatha

RL what are you using ? Thats bloody high !

oldtractor

Redlady, I live in a 2 bed end terraced cottage. My DD's are £21 a month.

hex2

Knocked sideways this week by a fault on the car. We finally had got to the point of having some emergency savings again when the engine management light came on on my car, the bill is already more than 1k. I could cry. I need to go and run the stress off but the quacks have said the single worst thing I can do for my joints is run so even that isn't an option.

Next to running it off came eating it off but I am on a diet. I have therefore made a frozen strawberry mousse adapted form a recipe for a strawberry dreanm cake. Two egg whites from my (currently 30+) stash, whisked with a few ounces of sugar, some lemon juice, vanilla, and about 8oz of the tiny/malformed strawberries that the boys are ignoring. Not quite frozen yet but tasting rather good.

redlady that does sound high - are you electric for heating/coooking too? I have one of those meter things that tells you the per hour costs and it does make you minimise the hairdryer/shower/ TD useage. ETA This place is huge (5 beds, 3 receptions), old and hideously inefficient. I am paying £120 a month for gas and electric and am currently in credit.

mardatha

I'm a mid terraced cottage on one level, 2 bedrooms, high ceilings and big windows. I'm running at about £5 a week on elect. (not heating or cooking .) Which is sort of high really, I mean how does it use a fiver a week for the lights, freezers and pc & telly !
EDITED - but we also pay over £30 a week in coal.

Rowan9

lizzyb - did you have a penalty for changing before your fixed term was finished? We're with Scottish power (oh joy) and our fixed comes to an end at end of Aug. I'm really confused about changing early. And that's after reading Martin's instructions on it. We are electricity only and pay £71 a month but have some credit lying there.
Agree with everyone re costs going up food-wise, living-wise etc. We have cut down a lot on meat - I don't usually eat it at all these days but did have a splurge last week and paid the tummy prices for having too big a change too quickly! There's only the 2 of us here apart from when DSSx2 come so I think it's easier to cut back than when you have children, young or adult. So, we have lots of pasta type meals but then have something a bit lovely like salmon (3 from Morr!sons which I think are fab for their fish, for about £5). We both had cajun salmon today and it was wonderful, all the more so because we don't eat it as often now. There's one cold for DH to have tomorrow in a salad. We also have soup every day. Tomorrow I'm buying a chicken which I'll cook on Mon and stretch for a few days. I'm a bit worried about your whoopsied chicken - who was it?? - someone is defrosting it and then going to make it stretch. But watch that it is still ok as it would have been on last day or so of 'fresh' before you froze it. Ok, mothering apron off now!!
W

greenbee

Redlady - it might be worth getting an electricity monitor (borrow one... Some libraries lend them, or if you're switching suppliers see whether you can get one as part of the deal) so you can see what is using the power. Are you using an immersion heater for the hot water? Or a washing machine/TD? Do you leave the PC, TV or radio on standby? Do you switch your broadband router off when not being used? I have found being on a tariff where I submit monthly meter readings and pay for what i've used each month makes me think much more about it. I hated truing to work out where I was with my monthly DDs and I wouldn't want to go back to quarterly billing.

Hex - my diet has gone to pot with the stress this year... My small suit is now tight, and i'm feeling guilty as unlike you I haven't had any reason not to exercise. However, work travel is now over till September, so my priority has to be my health for the next couple of months.

lizzyb1812

wmf - no penalty - at least I don't think so. If there is it won't be much and will come out of the savings I've made. The bill was going to go up by 6% plus any summer increases imposed so it seemed to make sense to swap and to fix for 13 months at the same time. Oh, and just last week my old supplier sent me the offer of a fix that was going to be 9% more expensive :eek: Do these people think we're daft?

I eat quite a bit of meat and fish but am quite happy with veggie stuff too. As I've got a freezer full of bargains I'm working my way through them - and I'm on my own now so it's going slowly! I agree it's easier for a household of just adults to cut back.

Morrison's has by far the best supermarket fish counter of the ones I visit. All their stuff is fresh, not previously frozen, so it can be frozen at home. And several times a year they have terrific offers on cod, salmon, etc when it's well worth stocking up. Morrison's is my favourite supermarket, although I don't shop much at any supermarket these days, and definitely not at just the one.

Rowan9

Thanks lizzyb, both for the elect info and for Morr!sons info - will look out for their offers. I find their salmon is just fab even if you freeze it. I used to buy fish from the pier when my kids were little(fish houses though, I couldn't gut them - eek!). Fish isn't something I've had much success with buying whoopsied and I'd rather get it fresh. Haven't made fish pie for a while - that a good meal for tea Mardatha if you both like it. Or what about beef casserole but loads of veg in it? I'm sure you make these things though.

PIGSMAYFLY

Hi again, only me :wave:
I been over at the preparing for winter thread and found direct sports very good for cheap hats, scaves, gloves ect.... Hope this helps lots of bits for kids from 50p, I chose my daughter 4 sets of gloves at 50p each as i know what she is like for losing them lol and any left over will do next winter. I also got a pair of boots for me for £5!
Hope everyone is safe and well.
pigsmayfly x