Diary of a home owner wannabe (my 6 year journey)

pennyforthepot

Monday morning already

Nothing to report MS wise today.

Read my meters this morning and it looks like we used £50 of gas last week :eek: and it's not even cold. I do have the central heating on low all day as both DH and I are at home but I have started turning all the radiators off upstairs in the hope that this might make a difference - it appears not. I will be monitoring this situation closely.

Daily food budget £8.55
TO DO LIST:

1. [STRIKE]menu plan[/STRIKE]
2. [STRIKE]Mr T[/STRIKE]
3. [STRIKE]GT&WI[/STRIKE]
4. [STRIKE]vacuum jeep[/STRIKE]
5. [STRIKE]read and action necessary emails[/STRIKE]
6. [STRIKE]check accounts[/STRIKE]
7. [STRIKE]chase up money owed from kids dad for programming course[/STRIKE]
8. business accounts
9. expenses
10. [STRIKE]cook dinner - sausage and puy lentil casserole[/STRIKE]
11. [STRIKE]sewing[/STRIKE]
12. take clothes and old bedding to donation bins
13. will research

PFTP x

misscousinitt

DH tells me that it doesn't matter how many rads are on or off - its the setting on the boiler and how much its on that is most important.

Even if you have 10 rads, still only counts as 1 appliance.

MCI

pennyforthepot

misscousinitt wrote: »

DH tells me that it doesn't matter how many rads are on or off - its the setting on the boiler and how much its on that is most important.

Even if you have 10 rads, still only counts as 1 appliance.

MCI

It appears that your DH is a man in the know. I spent last week turning radiators on and off and it made no difference to my meter readings from the week before - it looks like I will have to turn the thermostat down and get DH to put on a jumper

Thanks MCI

PFTP x

norfolkdream

Hi, are those finance books any good? Are you learning anything? I am rubbish about investing money wisely.

pennyforthepot

norfolkdream wrote: »

Hi, are those finance books any good? Are you learning anything? I am rubbish about investing money wisely.

Hi norfolkdream,

If I'm honest I think you get the best information with regards to money and savings on sites and forums like this one. Although I find the philosophy behind the Rich Dad Poor Dad books interesting I am very cautious investor so the methodology in these books is not really my cup of tea - slow and steady is my motto. I find these sort of books a fascinating read, mainly because I'm really interested in that sort of stuff and they have shaped my thought process on savings and help to keep me motivated. It's worth checking them out though. I normally read the first chapter for free on amazon and then make a decision as to whether I want to get it. Some you will find in the pdf version for free on the internet.

Happy reading

PFTP x

pennyforthepot

[STRIKE][/STRIKE]Off to lunch with a dear friend today so a short to do list for me today.

I found £3 in the car whilst I was cleaning it out which almost made the 3 hour slog worth it

We have a potential viewing of the car today although they may have been put off when DH told them the average fuel consumption:eek:

In my usual OCD way I did a daily meter reading for the gas and worked out that we spent just over £5 on gas in one day :eek: so I have turned down the thermostat and put on yet another jumper

Because I love all things to do with statistics and spreadsheets I am sorely tempted to work out the cost of living for us for just one day - I think I may be shocked. But then I could be more productive and get a job :rotfl:

Daily food budget £8.34

TO DO LIST:

1. [STRIKE]TG&WI[/STRIKE]
2. [STRIKE]MR T[/STRIKE]
3. [STRIKE][STRIKE]reycling to charity bins[/STRIKE][/STRIKE]
4. [STRIKE]business expenses[/STRIKE]
5. [STRIKE]15 minute oven clean[/STRIKE]
6. 15 business filing
7. [STRIKE]DS to opticians[/STRIKE]
8. [STRIKE]DS to programming course[/STRIKE] cancelled
9. [STRIKE]gossip with friend[/STRIKE]
10. [STRIKE][STRIKE]business cheque to bank[/STRIKE][/STRIKE]
11. Will research

Not expecting to get all this done but lets see how far I get

PFTP x

norfolkdream

I did have a look at my local library online to see if they had any, they had a couple similar so might go and see what they got.

(whats TG & WI) being curious

pennyforthepot

norfolkdream wrote: »

I did have a look at my local library online to see if they had any, they had a couple similar so might go and see what they got.

(whats TG & WI) being curious

There are some great blog posts around as well though most of them are American - Early Retirement Extreme is one that I am working my way through at the moment.

TG & WI should actually read GT&WI which is short hand for general tidy up and washing and ironing which I seem to have to do every day

PFTP x

pennyforthepot

Lovely lunch with my friend yesterday and as it was my turn to pay it came to a grand total of £13.65 - money well spent

I've been playing around with my gas consumption readings this morning. I have been checking the meter to find out how we consume it on a daily basis and it looks like the biggest consumption is from 3pm to 9pm and an hour in the morning so having it on low during the day is not having too much of a detrimental affect. I have however worked out that if we keep consuming as we have been over the last couple of months that I will owe around £400 over and above the monthly dd that I pay by the time my next bill is due on 10th March. I know this will probably just about even itself out over the summer but I would like to have some credit left for next winter so I am going to keep a watchful eye. I have reduced the time that the hot water is on and will turn the thermostat down a little. Electricity consumption is not too bad as it is less than the dd at the moment.

TO DO LIST:

1. complete cash expenditure for accountant
2. [STRIKE]GT&WI[/STRIKE]
3. find DSS2 passport sized photos for merlin pass
4. [STRIKE][STRIKE]sewing[/STRIKE][/STRIKE]
5. [STRIKE]take out bins and recycling for tomorrows pick up[/STRIKE]
6. [STRIKE]take some bits to charity shop[/STRIKE]
7. [STRIKE]Mr T[/STRIKE]
8. [STRIKE]make cottage pie[/STRIKE]
9. [STRIKE]pay DS programming bill for this month[/STRIKE]
10. [STRIKE]clean out cupboard under the stairs[/STRIKE]wondered where all the gloves had got to

Daily food budget £8.51

PFTP x

pennyforthepot

Busy transcribing an interview for DH today.

Daily food budget £8.05 can't believe the price of food. The loo roll I normally buy has gone up by another 20p that's a price increase of 25% in the space of a month :eek: - will be picking leaves off the trees soon :rotfl:

PFTP x