Hypno's kick up the backside debt diary....

InTheRed

Hi Hypno!

I am always amazed by your progress, both in debt reduction but also ensuring your kids are able to excel and enjoy their social time.
Always a brave step posting SOA (Another coward here...), but we are all in the same boat and our objective and resolve are the same.

It will be interesting to hear about the electricity usuage over the week. How is you gas/electricity split? How is you house heated, by Gas or Electricity?


I was in the same situation with heating the house last year and have had cavity wall insulation done and it has started to make a big difference to the heating already. The cost of installing it is £140-£200, so the pay back varies, for us it is two years, and we beefed up the insulation in the loft to reduce heat loss that way, with B&Q buy one get one free insulation offers.

With washing which detergent do you use, I found this in Lakeland, was "free" gift with my order for new pans!! (I know, very bad - but they are soooo very nice) and I am a convert to washing balls, if they can get my sons collar and cuffs white without tonnes of detergent I am seriously sold!
I attach the link. (PS I don't work for Lakeland, this isn't elaborate spam!)

http://www.lakeland.co.uk/product.aspx/!5718

InTheRed x

InTheRed

Hi Hypno!

Some broadband and telephone packages, most are free evening and weekend calls, but as always the small print must be read!
Hope this is helpful...

Orange:
Speed Connection fee Annual Cost Contract term Monthly Cost
2MbFree £144.0018 months£12.00

Toucan:
Speed Connection fee Annual Cost Contract term Monthly Cost
512KbFree £167.88 12 months £13.99


Virgin Media:
Speed Connection fee Annual Cost Contract term Monthly Cost
8MbFree £179.8812 months £14.99

Got this from:-
http://www.broadbandchoices.co.uk/calculator.asp

InTheRed

hypno06

Just nipping on quickly during coffee at work!!

I have used washing balls before, but can't remember why I stopped. Lazyness I expect! I will pick some up from Lakeland next time I am passing and give them another go, even if they are just for some of the washing, it would make a bit of a difference!

I do use the dishwasher - once a day. It is a new machine so very efficient, and we try and use the low temp cycles where possible. Plus I HATE washing up as much as I hate ironing!!

Someone at work is selling a sewing machine dead cheaply - I have expressed an interest because I have been pretty nifty on that front in the past, and could quite fancy a bit of OS dressmaking etc again.

Re the heating etc, the house is heated by Gas, but the cabin I work in is on electric. The house we are in is well insulated and retains heat well generally. We are on a corner plot so manage to get the sun all day in one room or another which helps.

Hob is gas, oven is electric.

Phones can't be changed for a few months yet, but I will be looking around as soon as I am able.

Thanks guys x

dreams_R_free

hypno06 wrote: »

Someone at work is selling a sewing machine dead cheaply - I have expressed an interest because I have been pretty nifty on that front in the past, and could quite fancy a bit of OS dressmaking etc again.

Good luck with getting hold of the sewing machine. My money-bags SIL says it's a bit 'old fashioned' nowadays to do your own sewing but I wouldn't be without my machine! I recently upgraded my trusty but basic and heavy 25-year-old Singer to an all-singing all-dancing lightweight model, although I probably won't ever use a lot of the functions on it:o. People seem to be getting rid of machines really cheaply at the moment so its a good time to buy. I've made my own curtains all my married life, starting off from necessity(moneywise) and then because I enjoyed it. I'm now back to the money-saving reason:eek: and love the thought of buying a fabric remnant/roll-end and making really interesting curtains and soft-furnishings. I know they are available ready made if you are lucky enough to have standard-sized windows(which we don't:mad: ) or the shop will often include free curtain-making if you buy the fabric from them, but it's usually pretty pricey fabric to start with!

hypno06

Sadly, seems I was beaten to the sewing machine. Oh well, another time maybe!

pandapaws

hypno06 wrote: »

Sadly, seems I was beaten to the sewing machine. Oh well, another time maybe!

I picked up a sewing machine in Tesco a few months back for £40 - it seems to do enough singing and dancing for me (on the rare occasion that I use it!). It was some generic make nobody's heard of, but inside all the paperwork for spares etc was for Toyota. Don't know if they've still got them, but worth keeping an eye out.

Have you got a set of tumble drier balls? You get the JML ones for about £7ish, but I picked some up in Poundland. I think they make the stuff dry a bit quicker, and I think they're supposed to make towels and things even fluffier, so well worth a quid!

taxi73

Afternoon hypno...have a good day at work will catch up with you later

duchy

Ta for the nice comments about Mum's grave Hypno. Brother probably thinks he's safe cos he's moved to Newcastle...however Girlie weekend part two later this month is in part in Newcastle-I may just terrify him and send a pack of Donny Osmond fans around to sort him out !! I can't face ringing the cemetary up just yet so that's on tomorrows list. Trying to scrape the pennies together for the fare to London for a focus group tomorrow-seems worth an £11 outlay for £70 (just don't have £11 right now-but I'll find it !!!)

OliveOyl_2

I never seem to get the call back for the few focus groups I qualify for.

OH did though and had to jump through another dozen or so questions and his responses didn't match the profile they were looking for unfortunately. So good luck I hope it works out.

chocaholic110

Duchy, not wanting to upset you or pry, but if it hasn't been long since your mother died, your brother may not have been able to put the headstone up yet. I remember when my nephew died, I think it was a year before my sister was allowed to have a headstone erected - not sure why though!