make do and mend for tougher times

Popperwell

meme30 wrote: »

:wall:I have just been very short with a call centre adviser for E*F energy. I always pay a bit more each month in order to stay ahead of the larger bills in the winter. In May I got a letter saying I was paying too much and they were going to change it, so I rang them and was reassured that it would stay at the higher rate that I preferred.
It was all lies:eek: I am £120 less in credit than I thought I was! :eek: I wouldn't care but I have spoken twice to my bank in the last two months because I have too much money left in the bank at the end of the month!

I know it's a weird thing to complain about.:D

My system is that everything gets paid and what is left is ours. It never occurred to me that one of my DD's was smaller, I just checked that they had all been paid. I am just so angry! I know the man I spoke to today, that it was not his fault but he was so blase about it. Thankfully my fixed rate with them ends in September and I did not really have to build up a big credit level with them as I had the option of changing suppliers. It's just the sheer incompetency of it, that, and it was me that spent the money!!!:wall: I should be bashing my own head against the bl**dy wall!

I nearly went with EDF and stopped at the last minute...I now will be with NPower but like you I either want to put my central heating and electric on and be warm and not so thrifty whilst I may. If I don't spend what I am given I will given less.

If I save too much(I'd love to so when things are difficult I can manage, the extra may mean I can still enjoy food or have an odd treat.

My worry is losing DLA or not being awarded the replacement(PIP) I could probably survive on IS, if they'd still give help with HA,CTB but I don't think that they will...then the worry is what happens about ESA(either group)whether to appeal or if they say I have to go down the JSA route. And again I don't know how that affects HA/CTB)(and again I have that Bedroom Tax to think about)

So many unknowns. And I don't know how soon it will be before I will get called in for an assesment or have to fill in the appropriate dreaded forms...are forms still accepted as enough are we all now having physical tests?

So again, I want to like you pay at least £100 a month for my utility bills if I can so if money stops I have heating and electric a while into the future. I can either be thrifty and build up the amount or think s*d I'm cold put the heating on...

But I cannot afford to allow the bank account to go over the amount that will then affect me but of course I will be when I come into Mum's money anyhow.

Before I even have any dealings with NPower they said I'd spend £65 a month, then the advisor I signed up with said £80 but I asked to pay £100. Now when the details have come in it's back to £80 a month.

But I have to wait for some documents to arrive.

Depending on which is most expensive I may pay more for gas or electric or vice versa. I may even ask if I can pay £120 a month, If I am eating less it may as well be used for something that will help me...is this credit on a utility bill seen as capital?

Someone said get gift vouchers or save on a kind of saving plan at the supermarket bit like the old stamps you saved on a card. Are they still available. Is that classed as capital? Are there time limits on what you save otherwise I'll go mad and have a few of them...

Bring back Green shield stamps!

Any ideas welcome...

meme30

Fuddle:- DH has seven sisters! Their house only had three bedrooms so lots of bunkbeds for them. He had his own bed and the youngest slept in a cot until she was SIX. They removed the ends of the cot as she got bigger to make her a bed.:eek: She shared their parents room and there was not enough room for a full sized bed!:rotfl:

meme30

Popperwell:- Have a look on-line at pre-paid credit cards. You load them with money and then spend them when you need them. Does not have to be this year or the next, either way the money will not then be in the bank yet you will still have it to spend.

fuddle

I would say that when you save with a supermarket he money is there's the minute you load up the card or buy the stamps. You're effectively buying your shopping before you take it home in my opinion.

http://www.moneysupermarket.com/prepaidcards/ these are really handy for us as we can't get a credit card. When we tried to hire a van to move we needed a credit card so this was our only option.

With these, you load them and spend them on whatever you need. Capital? No, a credit card I would say because you're charged every time you use it or monthly if you choose that route. Also they have loading limits. You'd only be able to load a certain amount of money on there.

Definitely a safety net though, and worth investigating.

Popperwell

nuatha wrote: »

If it helps, I've taken to writing posts in Word then copying and pasting into the reply box - it saves lost posts and we then get to read your devastatingly humorous and useful posts, while you get yo read my drivel

monnagran wrote: »

nuatha: You are an :A . Thanks. I'm a lazy so-and-so and when I do make an effort I like it to be appreciated - a brass band and a quick burst of the Hallelujah Chorus wouldn't come amiss.:D

Glad that you reminded me about that...I've lost posts so may start and type elsewhere and cut and paste in future...

Popperwell

monnagran wrote: »

Mince is wonderfully forgiving and the basis of loads of different meals. What I do is this.....
Fry mince in batches and put into SC. Add whatever you have around. eg finely chopped onions, carrots, mushrooms, baked beans, lentils (if your mind works that way) other veg (useful when kids won't eat them any other way), and a tin of chopped tomatoes. I somtimes finely chop a couple of slices of streaky bacon to shove in.Then you want something to add flavour. Try any or some of these... dried mixed herbs, tomato paste, lazy garlic, crumbled oxo cubes, a dash of worcester sauce, branston pickle (yes, really) or some people ,I believe, pour in some red wine - what a waste! and about half a pint of boiling water with a stock cube in it.
Tip whatever concoction you've made into the SC and cook on Low for about 5 or 6 hours or more if you are out of the house. If it seems a bit watery mix in some gravy granules to thicken it.

Then Freeze it in meal sized portions. You can tip this over Spaghetti or a jacket potato. Put some in a dish cover with mashed potato, heat up in oven and Abracadabra- cottage pie. You can also collect some of Elona's pancake mix and make some pancakes, dump a spoonful in the middle of each pancake, roll up and put in baking dish, cover with some of the cheese sauce that someone else has taught you to make and bung that in the oven or layer mince, cheese sauce and Lasagne sheets and bake again for a very acceptable lasagne. The possibilities are endless.

Some great ideas for me too and don't forget if you want to save on cleaning the pot...Use roasting bags...;)

Popperwell

meme30 wrote: »

Popperwell:- Have a look on-line at pre-paid credit cards. You load them with money and then spend them when you need them. Does not have to be this year or the next, either way the money will not then be in the bank yet you will still have it to spend.

I'll do that...even if I have £100's or £1,000's on them eventually, especially if I can spend them anywhere and the DWP cannot have access to them:rotfl:

Means I can perhaps still use them in my old age;)

I wonder if CTB, HB, IS could be affected still...I would use my IS for daily living and put the DLA on the card...

Can I add I was not being serious on this post but one person seems to have taken it that way, the clue that I am not being serious are the two smilies...besides where is the extra money going to come from?

Popperwell

fuddle wrote: »

I would say that when you save with a supermarket he money is there's the minute you load up the card or buy the stamps. You're effectively buying your shopping before you take it home in my opinion.

http://www.moneysupermarket.com/prepaidcards/ these are really handy for us as we can't get a credit card. When we tried to hire a van to move we needed a credit card so this was our only option.

With these, you load them and spend them on whatever you need. Capital? No, a credit card I would say because you're charged every time you use it or monthly if you choose that route. Also they have loading limits. You'd only be able to load a certain amount of money on there.

Definitely a safety net though, and worth investigating.

Have to a few on the go;):p

Like the blog...makes mine look tired. Maybe I'll start a new one...we'll see...Stick with it even on days where no one leaves a comment, you'll feel good doing it!

fuddle

Major news alert! I have read elsewhere that the price of tea is expected to rise by up to 25% because of crop failiure. Get your tea bags in!

fuddle

Popperwell wrote: »

Have to a few on the go;):p

Like the blog...makes mine look tired. Maybe I'll start a new one...we'll see...Stick with it even on days where no one leaves a comment, you'll feel good doing it!

Ta pops. I just wanted somewhere I can write about the good things I'm doing. It will help focus my mind on positives rather than shoitey times.

You haven't blogged today, was beginning to wonder where you were :eek: