Get a grip !

Skint_yet_Again

Can’t sleep. Am going to get up shortly and feed the dog. Cup of tea and then hopefully a few more hours sleep. 

The gas & electric bill are on my mind. I am going to look at our usage later as I think the electric use may have gone up with 2 of us working from home powering 2 computers & the tv on more & all the fans on during 2 heatwaves so far. I'm not going to worry about savings this month. I will pay off my credit card in full then concentrate on keeping the shopping bill down. Should be back on track for August. 

savingwannabe

It's the gas and electric and it will go back to one payment next month. I think you can do it. Don't save as much this month in your present or bill funds if that is possible.

MovingForwards

I've just messaged you a link with electronic item use costs, just so you can see. 

Things will settle down 😊

Skint_yet_Again

Thanks MF. I’ve worked out from my bills that the kwh used per day is about the same for my last 2 bills so will see what happens when I get my first bill from Brit gas. I started working from home mid/end May & DS and his gf got their new chest freezer recently. They shouldn’t make too much of a difference based on those average cost details you sent me. 

I have looked at my account on Brit gas and it shows the total direct debit is £68 & a credit of £68 so that must be including the £22 gas. It’s not showing on my bank yet Will check again over next few days. I’ve increased my direct debit to £80 from August which is more realistic. 

I got quite stressed about the idea of not saving my usual £300 this month but I’ve calmed down now and realised 1 month won’t matter. 

Walked the dog this morning then worked until 3pm. Sunny dry blustery day. DS took her on his run this evening 🏃‍♂️ 🐕 she really enjoyed it 😆

Forgot to mention my feet were wet in my “waterproof” shoes yesterday after walking the dog on wet grass. Have emailed the company as this is the second pair that I’ve had from them that have leaked. Should get a full refund.  

Aldi have some in store from tomorrow so I might go after work & see if they have my size. They are out of stock online. Waterproof & shock absorbing Only £16.99 so worth a look 😊

MovingForwards

You would need to leave everything running to see a big rise in your electric, so put it down to an unexplained blip. What you can do is make a note of your meter readings once a week for a few months, just to see they are fairly consistent.

One month won't matter with your savings, think of it as the sacrifice to get you back on track. 

I bet PD enjoyed the run, probably thought DS could go a lot faster if he tried 😁

How annoying about your shoes, I normally put waterproofing on mine as I never trust the quality of the waterproof by the maker. Shouldn't have to though. Hopefully your refund will arrive quickly and the ones in Aldi are as good as they sound!

Skint_yet_Again

Decided to take the day off tomorrow I need a break. Training next week for a new line of work so will see what that brings. 

Started work an hour early so I could finish at 2pm then drove to aldi furthest away to give the car a good run. Haven’t driven for over 4 weeks. Foot was ok. Ached a bit after but should get better soon. Will do some more stretching exercises. 

Roads were very busy I was surprised at the difference. Was a bit apprehensive but aldi was empty. They didn’t have the walking shoes ☹️  Bought a few bits, tin tuna, bread, wraps, salad. Then bombed down the motorway towards home & called off at the aldi nearest my home. They didn’t have the walking shoes either. ☹️ Find it a bit annoying they advertise these special buys in store from 2 July & then don’t have them. Sometimes I think it’s just to get you in the door & then you buy something else so you feel like it’s not a wasted journey. 

Tomorrow I am going to take the dog out then go to B&M. Feels good to get out even though it’s weird & a bit scary ! 

MovingForwards

How frustrating, I'm not sure if you can search by store or something to see which ones have them in.

The roads are definitely getting busier, it's now taking OH 30 minutes to get into work, almost double the time. It's a constant stream of traffic from about 5am here and we are behind on lockdown phases compared to you. 

You will start to adjust going to shops and decide which ones you won't return to for a while because of human behaviour not because of the shop itself. Sense goes out the window with some people.

Hopefully your foot isn't too bad today and has settled after its driving adventure.

Enjoy your day off, it's long overdue 🌞

savingwannabe

It's quite an adventure that you got out! Well done on driving. This training sounds good. Have a good day today.

Skint_yet_Again

Had a lovely sunny walk with the dog this morning, about an hour & a half & didn’t have to rush back for work. Still very blustery. She ran around in the long grass and under the trees and bushes. It clouded over as we got near to home and has been quite cool the rest of the day. 

Went to B&M by sainsburys, car park was packed. Wore my mask which felt weird but so glad I did. Not much social distancing and people getting fed up of waiting & pushing past others. I just grabbed a few things I needed, paid & got outta there fast ! Not pleasant shopping experience & won’t be going out again in a hurry 😱 Didn’t mind aldi so much yesterday afternoon it was quiet & only half a dozen cars in the car park. 

Ordered KFC for delivery & they gave my food to someone else ! When it did arrive one piece of chicken was little more than a chicken wing. Made a complaint & got a refund 😌 

Checked online banking and Brit gas have only taken £68 not the £90 I was expecting. E on will take my final bill amount on 15th. The bills money comes in from DS & his gf on 16th after they get paid, so then I will work out what is left for the month & what I can put into various pots / save. 

MovingForwards

Sounds like a lovely walk.

Stick with Aldi and smaller shops, you will feel more comfortable.

Chicken does seem to be getting smaller, I was speaking with OH about it yesterday how chicken legs actually used to be a decent size, now they are more like a big wing. Well done for getting a refund!

What a nice surprise with BG 🤗