EH - Essex > Hebrides...the next step of the adventure?

RelievedSheff

I'm a stubborn so and so. I would fight tooth and nail to haul UW through the coals.

I had a chuckle to myself the other day when our next door but one neighbour knocked on the door and tried to sign us up 🤣🤣🤣

savingholmes

I was fascinated by the arch supports too... May have to go investigate

girlatplay

We like shop's own brand rice, absolute basic stuff.  40p last time I bought it.  Last week it was 71p!!  I don't buy for the price, I buy because we like the taste, texture and how it cooks, the price is a bonus, but the difference between the then and now in percentage terms is utterly ridiculous.

I'm not really understanding how from 13 July to 30 August we used 15 units of gas (including me putting the heating on on the hottest day of the year to check it worked after us moving in) but from 31 August to 26 September we used 36 units when we've done nothing different.  No heating been on.

I, also, would fight UW all the way if I could.

EssexHebridean

That's a crazy increase on the rice isn't it GAP!  On the gas thing - different numbers of showers perhaps? Or more hot water being used for some reason? Can't think of any other logic to it but it's always good to keep a track on stuff like that and question the detail. Milann & SH - I didn't end up getting the slippers because the only arch support ones they had had backs on and I prefer a mule style (I'll just trample the backs down when I shove my feet into them to go to the loo in the night!) but they definitely still had a couple of different options with that built in. I'll have a wander into Matalan at some stage this week and see what - if any - options they have. RS I can imagine your mirth when the neighbour knocked - oh dear! If anyone tried to sign me up again now it would definitely be in the same vein as when the Virgin media salesman approaches in the shopping centre - "No thanks, I'd sooner go without than be forced to deal with that farce of a company ever again!" is the usual rough wording! 

Another week begins then - usual sort of stuff going on, MrEH will be rugby training tomorrow night I imagine, I'll be heading to the gym a couple of times (at the moment the plan is tonight after work, and then on Friday morning, but we'll see if the somewhat uncertain-looking weather disrupts that plan! Two days car sharing as things stand at the moment - today and Wednesday, and two doing the commute on my own. If I make it to the gym tonight then I'll probably plan to either do a longer bike ride after work on Wednesday or perhaps a fairly short run - again either of those will be weather dependant though. Cycling is still feeling very hard work at the moment - combination of the legs feeling sore from the gym still and still feeling the effects of nearly 3 weeks without any cycling, I reckon. It'll come back - it always does. 

Banks checked and all OK - I've just moved a bit from my N@t10nw1de loyalty saver account to my M@rcu5 as well as the interest rate is better across there and there is more in the loyalty account than I need there. Assuming I don't find any mad need to spend on anything in the next few days my two personal current accounts will be getting a hoover-out at the end of the month with surpluses transferring so the N@t10nw1de portion of that will initially go to the Loyalty saver anyway. 

EDF have told us our new gas rate from 1/10 - no sort of surprise, although they are overestimating our use very slightly by the look of it. The DD amount I set a couple of months ago will continue to cover it just fine though so all good there. Hoping to hear something from GEUK on the electricity in the next few days too - we really need to know whether we need to look for a switch or not! 

I've just sent an email chasing the council on the repair that is now well overdue on the garage door - it's been 6 weeks now and I've had a job number but no contact regarding actually getting it fixed, so I've told them I'm stopping the next rent payment as I am unable to use the garage as intended. Seems entirely reasonable to me, probably won't to them so we'll see what response it gets.  I also need to chase GEUK on the fix to their app I think - the day & night rates are still showing the wrong way round which means I can't submit meter readings through it. 

So lots of little life admin things to be thinking about - I want to sit down with my notebook at some stage and make a list of the things we've now booked, and the things that still need to be sorted on that front, as well as updating the year planner and getting my usual "list of stuff planned for 2023" page in place as we already know things like main holiday dates, for example. 

Survey update:
Prolific: £7.01 paid/£1.25 pending
OnePoll: 387 points
Ipsos: 493 points

I'll cash Prolific out at the end of the month, and would ideally like to get Ipsos to a £10 cash out this week too although at the moment it's back to the old thing of asking me 5 minutes of questions then telling me I don't qualify and giving me 3 points which is a pain. I'm tending to get a little flurry of Prolific stuff in the evenings so I need to remember to check in there when I have the iPad out after tea.

Yesterday's slow cooked pulled pork was a complete triumph - actually began to fall apart as I lifted it out of the pot, and tasted incredible, in fact to the extent that we didn't even bother reheating last night's portions! It's also made enough for 4 meals for the two of us which was far more than I expected from what looked like a relatively small piece of shoulder so I'm delighted with that. 

girlatplay

I love pulled pork.

Good tip on PA surveys, I'll try around that time.

I found the cause of the gas bill increase. They used the wrong reading for my opening read (new to me supplier).  I didn't spot it when the old supplier sent me my final bill but I did wonder about it being far cheaper than I expected.  It means we're paying more at a higher rate but quite honestly, it's actually not worth my time to calculate and argue it.  I'll just be extra vigilant when bills come in.

I'll give you your diary back now EH 😆

EssexHebridean

Ahh GAP glad you found the reason anyway! Sometimes we do have to balance up the amount we will gain by trying to get something like exactly right against the amount it will cost us in time and stress I think - it's easy to fall into a trap particularly on here of feeling like we should argue for every penny, but to me, real financial savviness is knowing the value of our own time as well. 

Gym last night as planned - the cycle back to the car afterwards felt stupidly tough again though - I'm really struggling to get back to cycling feeling as easy as it felt pre-holiday to be honest - just totally different muscles from those I used while we were away for walking etc, and then the impact of returning to the gym I guess. Last night's gym session felt very positive though - I've started to increase loads slightly again which is great. Hoping not to be quite as sore and achey after this one too! 

My "standard" sardine and butter bean pasta dish for last night had cannellini beans subbed in for the butterbeans and the last of the tenderstem broccoli from Sunday thrown in and was very tasty. I'm planning omelettes for tonight - they're nice and simple for us to do separately and MrEH will be at rugby training. I'll cook his bacon and mushrooms when I do mine then set them aside and he can make his when he gets home. I do need to check whether anything else on my meal plan this week desperately needs onions as I discovered last night that one of the two I had left had a great big manky patch in it so that got diverted to the compost. Hmmm...now I think of it tomorrow night's risotto could ideally do with some onion - it might just have to do without though! I might as well cook extra bacon and mushroom tonight to cover the risotto as well now I come to think of it - that should cut down the cooking time a little and get dinner on the table a few minutes earlier at least.

Yesterday's chaser to the council on the garage door repair threatening to stop the rent on it resulted in an immediate reply telling me that an appointment had been made....of course that they'd not bothered liaising with us at all meant I had to go back to them and say "err, no, you won't come then because we're not available". Offered them a day either side instead and they've gone for the later one - we'll see if anyone actually shows up mind you!  I'll hold off altering the standing order until we see if they DO show up - this is precisely why I decided to leave that payment as a SO rather than letting them push me to a DD though! 

Still nothing from GEUK on the electricity although they have indicated that they intend for their pricing to follow the energy price guarantee, so now it just comes down to how exactly they will strike the balance with E7 rates. Apparently they will be "writing to customers shortly" on this. 

Banks checked and all good - there's precious little that goes on this late in the month anyway in fairness. Personal spending has been almost non existent this month for me thanks to holiday although an amount will probably get taken across from each of our personal spends accounts to offset the holiday spending a little. MrEH will get paid on Friday, mine is likely at a guess to be the other side of the weekend but that's fine. 

Surveys are still a little slow and I'm debating about complaining to Ipsos - I don't appreciate spending 10 minutes answering a range of questions including some quite in depth ones about bank accounts only to then be told I've allegedly been screened out. |It feels rather at the moment like they are pushing their luck to get all the information they want without actually paying anyone more than pennies.  
Survey update:
Prolific: £7.26 paid/£1.00 pending
OnePoll: 452 points
Ipsos: 508 points

girlatplay

My new council refuse to give me bank details to set up a SO so I have to pay by debit card as I point blank refuse to have a DD with them due to the erroneous ways of previous council.

I remember having a similar survey problem with one of the sites.  Doing the whole survey and then getting "screened out" at demographics at the end.  It happened so many times.  I suggested that demographics be done at the start of a survey and then deleted my account with them.

Could you use half an onion in each dish?  It's not the same but would save you getting another one.  Chop it a bit finer than normal and it the flavour will go further.

lucielle

MMMMM not had risotto for ages, might need to dig the recipe out.  I've never really got into surveys, being self employed seemed to knock me out straight away.
L

EssexHebridean

I definitely can't use half an onion in each dish now GAP as I used the last one last night! In fairness it was also a very small one as well so I don't think it would really have stretched. I'll augment the risotto with some very finely chopped pepper instead I think - not the same flavour but will still add a bit of different texture.  I entirely understand your take on not feeling happy about a DD with the council too - I don't trust ours further than I could comfortably spit them, I'm prepared to accept a DD for the Council Tax but I'm very definitely remaining ion control of what they take for both the Service charge and the garage rent! 

L I found when I was SE that I definitely got different sorts of surveys to the ones I now get as employed - it's interesting isn't it the different things they seem to want. it's not having kids that I so often find wipes you out of consideration right at the start - that's probably my most comment screen-out. 

EssexHebridean

Morning all! a bit brighter and sunnier here to start the day - very much feeling autumnal though, I needed the extra layer of my reflective jacket on the bike this morning and my fingers were distinctly chilly by the time I got to the office too - hoping not to have to switch to the winter gloves too soon although they're stashed away in the bag my cycle helmet lives in so I have them ready when needed. The office is FREEZING though - Mr Boss was meant to get someone to come and look at the boiler and commented yesterday that it was still on his to-do list to chance the guy he'd contacted - right now though we couldn't put the heating on here even if we wanted to! 

I took a few minutes when I got home last night to switch over some clothes from summer > winter - so long sleeved tops for wearing under jumpers etc are now in the drawer, and my cropped leggings/shorts for fitness stuff have been put away and replaced with full length. I've also grabbed out my couple of long sleeved breathable tops too as I tend to layer those with short sleeves for extra warmth in the winter months. I did note that I'd clearly got rid of some past their best long sleeved general tops last spring - I might pop to Matalan later and see whether they have anything suitable - I was hoping to get in to look at slippers and dressing gowns anyway as I have a 20% off code to use so might make sense. The cost will be coming from my clothing account anyway. 

Banks checked and OK. I did note a "0p" transaction appeared on the CC pending items earlier - my suspicion is it relates to a hotel booking I made, in which case it's fine - but I will be keeping an eye on things just in case of any mischief afoot. might try and sit down at lunchtime and sort out the holiday related spending as well I think as that still needs doing. It is as easy as working out anything that went to the card that belongs to one or other of us specifically though, then subtracting the general spends that have been made since we got back, and then clearing the balance. 

Food last night all to plan - I chopped and cooked all the mushrooms from the punnet and half the pack of bacon, and added in a chunked up piece of chorizo too for some added flavour - half the panful got used in last night's omelettes and the other half has gone into the fridge for tonights risotto, when I'll throw in some of the chunks of roasted squash as well. I'll then need to find space for the other half of those in the freezer - goodness knows how! Had the omelettes along with a simple salad of diced orange pepper and cucumber as the cucumber needed used up. I had a few chopped cherry toms as well - tasty and a handy way of getting in an extra of our 5-a-day.  I need to put together next week's meal plan using the freezer though for sure - it's back to being packed full again, partly because of bringing stuff back from holiday but I can't entirely blame it on that! Next week's plan will include omelettes again for one day I think - although possibly tortilla style with some potato added - as there will still be eggs from this week's purchased box. I'll likely also do a repeat of the puled pork buns and wedges that we're going to have tomorrow as there are a further two double portions of the pork been frozen. There's mince in there too so I'll probably see if I can stretch one lot of that to make two meals for the both of us by adding lots of chopped mushrooms and a few handfuls of red lentils. The "brought back from holiday" stuff needs to be worked into the plan as well.

Possible spendiness - we need a new vacuum cleaner and I put a twitter poll out asking folk for recommendations - basically Shark fairly well in the lead, Dyson doing OK, several good recommendations for other makes and turns out both Shark & Dyson are very divisive - those with negatives to say (particularly about Dyson) are VERY negative. I was leaning towards Shark anyway, and now see there is an MSE code for a chunky amount off one of their more recent models - albeit that would still be horribly expensive for a vacuum cleaner IMO! having had a look at others models (and their current sale prices) on the website I am also now debating between cordless and corded, and stick type or "regular" upright too. Any thoughts/input welcome!