Lulabelle's MFW Diary

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

Hi Lula,

We have a similar problem with Gas/Elec... our fixed rates always seem to end December time so we switch to get another fixed deal. But just after switching it's mid-winter, we pay a few months DDs, get a small level of debit (nothing that can't be made up in the Spring/Summer months) and they up the amount. Then if it's the type of company that do annual return of account credit, we get this in December too when we'd really rather leave it on our account to absorb the higher winter usage!

I haven't been to Malta in over a decade - I remember the place being riddled with cats.

lulabelle1

Thanks MRN, I guess we'll just have to pay the higher amount for ages and see how it goes. Thankfully the higher amounts still aren't too excessive.... We will now be paying £93 per month. The chap I work with told me yesterday that he pays £200 per month, wow!!!!!!

I tend to go to Malta once or twice per year but each time I go it tends to be in the Winter and just for one night, so even though I've probably been there nearly 10 times, I still haven't really seen anything of the place. I've decided that the next time I go it will be during the warmer months and I'll hire a car and spend half a day exploring. I really don't like the place to be honest but perhaps I will change my mind if I actually get to see some it properly.

Well my little Christmas pudding looked very sweet (as did all of the other children) at the Christmas show. We really enjoyed it. DH wanted to go out for tea/dinner afterwards but we all voted to go home instead, so he's feeling disappointed at the moment. He wanted to go for burgers or similar and instead will be having some homemade soup and bread rolls from the freezer.

Thing is if the children are moaning about not wanting to go, its never a good idea as it just wont be enjoyable and then you end up having wasted money and not actually had a nice time.

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

lulabelle1 wrote: »

Thanks MRN, I guess we'll just have to pay the higher amount for ages and see how it goes. Thankfully the higher amounts still aren't too excessive.... We will now be paying £93 per month. The chap I work with told me yesterday that he pays £200 per month, wow!!!!!!

Wow indeed. We only pay about £48 per month for gas and elec! There's only me and MrMRN though... perhaps with kids it'd be more expensive!

lulabelle1

Had a quick catch up on a couple of diaries and I can see that people are making some MOP's even it's just smaller amounts.... so felt bad and scraped together nearly £27 by "tidying" my accounts and have sent the MOP. It's not a lot but it all helps.

I can't wait to start chipping away at it again properly in the New Year, really need to get it below the 100K mark....

megela

lulabelle1 wrote: »

Thanks MRN, I guess we'll just have to pay the higher amount for ages and see how it goes. Thankfully the higher amounts still aren't too excessive.... We will now be paying £93 per month. The chap I work with told me yesterday that he pays £200 per month, wow!!!!!!

We pay £174 a month for both, we swapped 6 months ago and they recently put it up by £25 to cover extra gas for the heating over winter. They wanted another £26 a month for electric but I argued we wouldn't really use any extra electric over winter.

We have just had a new combi boiler fitted though so hopefully costs will go down, it is an old house which doesn't help either.

lulabelle1

I was just about to say that I don't think ours is too bad as I work from home all of the time - so I tend to have the heating on during the day when its really cold and of course I have my computer on all day every day etc. Anyway, I realised that i haven't claimed for my utilities allowance on my expenses for last qtr and I can also claim for this qtr, so that's an extra £104 that i will get with my expenses at the end of the month.

Our house is only 6 years old, so we're fairly efficient compared to older houses.....

Such a nightmare with all of the bills increasing - although the water bill has been the same forever and at least the council tax and tv license havent increased for the last few years.


PJ's and pink fluffy dressing gown time now me thinks....

lulabelle1

megela wrote: »

We pay £174 a month for both, we swapped 6 months ago and they recently put it up by £25 to cover extra gas for the heating over winter. They wanted another £26 a month for electric but I argued we wouldn't really use any extra electric over winter.

We have just had a new combi boiler fitted though so hopefully costs will go down, it is an old house which doesn't help either.

Older houses just don't seem to retain the warmth so much - people sometimes thing its really hot in my house, but I only ever have the thermostat set to a max of 20. Hopefully your bills will come down and you will be able to get some credit back at some point...

lulabelle1

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice wrote: »

Wow indeed. We only pay about £48 per month for gas and elec! There's only me and MrMRN though... perhaps with kids it'd be more expensive!

Kids and working from home..... think mine probable averages around £75/£80 per month give and take. I can claim back £52 per qtr via my expenses towards utilities.

gallygirl

lulabelle1 wrote: »

felt bad and scraped together nearly £27 by "tidying" my accounts and have sent the MOP. It's not a lot but it all helps.

£27 :eek:., That's not a 'tidy' - in Tilly terms that's a 'hire a skip and clear the whole place out' :rotfl:.

lulabelle1

gallygirl wrote: »

£27 :eek:., That's not a 'tidy' - in Tilly terms that's a 'hire a skip and clear the whole place out' :rotfl:.

I was feeling a bit inadequate compared to everyone else, so I had to do a major spring clean tidy!