Finally Debt Free After 34 Years, But Still Need to Live Frugally

HairyHandofDartmoor

I'm feeling grumpy because I'm tired. I hope I'm not coming down with something :eek:. I need an early night, particularly because I'll have a long and tiring day tomorrow. At least it will be the weekend after tomorrow.

I have been eating my veg for about two weeks now so I hope that is helping. I've had broccoli for two nights in a row and I'll make sure I have some type of veg tonight too.

I get plenty of exercise, I'm not overweight, rarely eat sugar and I haven't touched alcohol for over a year, so I know that isn't causing my tiredness. Maybe it's stress.

foxgloves

HHoD - Sorry to hear about your day & the energy payment rise too. Bah to that. I used to be the world's worst when I was working with going home & replaying in my head over & over how I could have handled something better. I'm better now at learning from it, if there's truly anything to learn, then moving on. The fact that other staff have issues with certain kids shows it isn't just you. I used to work with children & young people before my VR & they are just as capable as us of having meltdowns & rubbish days.
Re your energy bill. I left the provider you mention some years ago now when they tried to raise my monthly payment from £80 (dual fuel) to £113 if I remember rightly, it may have been more. I used all the figures they'd provided & agreed that we were underpaying...... by £2 a month. I emailed them & told them. They said they couldn't go on my calculations. I said they weren't my figures, I'd used all the formulas they'd helpfully included in the letter so it was THEIR workings. They agreed but said they'd only reduce it to £102 a month. So I said they can think of a number & double it because I'm leaving & finding a new provider. So I did that. They looked at my bills & reckoned I should be paying about £80. AND..... a few weeks later I received a cheque from the old supplier..... They hadn't been applying their much advertised dual fuel discount to customers'bills so owed us money.
They might be trying it on. Worth just taking a calculator to their projected annual useage for your house.
F x

Andyjflet

HairyHandofDartmoor wrote: »

Well I don't know how much of my diary you've read Andy but it's very long so I suspect you've missed quite a lot .

Yes in an ideal world car expenses would be budgeted for, but that has not happened. Unfortunately our income is very low as well as erratic which makes budgeting very difficult.

Didnt mean any offence, Im just starting on my journey so still trying to get things right.
I know about the erratic, I have had a dreadful year as I work commission only, £12k down on last year at the moment. :mad:

beanielou

For some reason I stopped getting notifications for your diary
Anyway, keep plodding

HairyHandofDartmoor

Andyjflet wrote: »

Didnt mean any offence, Im just starting on my journey so still trying to get things right.
I know about the erratic, I have had a dreadful year as I work commission only, £12k down on last year at the moment. :mad:

I didn't mean to take offence Andy . I'm having a really bad day that's all.

Commission only does make it hard for you to budget. I hope things pick up for you soon. I only earn £180 a month and my DH is self employed with a very erratic income so budgeting is really problematic for us too.

Good luck with your journey .

HairyHandofDartmoor

beanielou wrote: »

For some reason I stopped getting notifications for your diary
Anyway, keep plodding

Thank you Beanie . Perhaps you accidentally unsubscribed Beanie? I'm always doing that and then wondering why someone hasn't posted for ages .

HairyHandofDartmoor

foxgloves wrote: »

HHoD - Sorry to hear about your day & the energy payment rise too. Bah to that. I used to be the world's worst when I was working with going home & replaying in my head over & over how I could have handled something better. I'm better now at learning from it, if there's truly anything to learn, then moving on. The fact that other staff have issues with certain kids shows it isn't just you. I used to work with children & young people before my VR & they are just as capable as us of having meltdowns & rubbish days.
Re your energy bill. I left the provider you mention some years ago now when they tried to raise my monthly payment from £80 (dual fuel) to £113 if I remember rightly, it may have been more. I used all the figures they'd provided & agreed that we were underpaying...... by £2 a month. I emailed them & told them. They said they couldn't go on my calculations. I said they weren't my figures, I'd used all the formulas they'd helpfully included in the letter so it was THEIR workings. They agreed but said they'd only reduce it to £102 a month. So I said they can think of a number & double it because I'm leaving & finding a new provider. So I did that. They looked at my bills & reckoned I should be paying about £80. AND..... a few weeks later I received a cheque from the old supplier..... They hadn't been applying their much advertised dual fuel discount to customers'bills so owed us money.
They might be trying it on. Worth just taking a calculator to their projected annual useage for your house.
F x

Thank you Foxgloves . I do tend to over-analyse things I know. One child is autistic and can be disruptive, whilst the second child is very defiant and constantly disruptive and is making lots of staff tear their hair out, so logically I know it's not just me being useless. But I always worry that someone with more experience might have handled the situation better.

I absolutely detest NP0w3r and don't trust them one iota, but we seem in constant debt to them. They reckon we owe them £185 now :mad: so we can't switch unless we pay them off. I will make it a priority to save up and escape from their evil clutches one day. I'm not sure I'm clever enough to work out if they're charging us correctly .

beanielou

I would skip the premium bonds for a wee while & get shot of your energy supplier.

doingitanyway

Yes do escape from your energy provider. Sorry they are so inflexible

Have a relaxing evening

HairyHandofDartmoor

beanielou wrote: »

I would skip the premium bonds for a wee while & get shot of your energy supplier.

doingitanyway wrote: »

Yes do escape from your energy provider. Sorry they are so inflexible

Have a relaxing evening

Thank you both . Maybe we should do that.