No Magic Money Tree....

mardatha

Brilliant. That Rayburn is costing money so make it work! Re the washing, it is a bit of a faff if you are tired, but last thing at night hang it up and first thing in the morning fold it and put it away. It gets to be a routine. I have to hang mine in the livingroom in front of the fire and they dry really fast.

greenbee

Well done Katieowl! Mar's right, make the Rayburn work - it's just a question of getting into a routine that works with it rather than against it. So no more last-minute requests for wedges from DS... He can have slow cooked baked potatoes instead! The slow oven should be great for cooking pulses and soups as well. And great if you're going out and want a hot meal waiting when you get home.

Katieowl

greenbee wrote: »

Well done Katieowl! Mar's right, make the Rayburn work - it's just a question of getting into a routine that works with it rather than against it. So no more last-minute requests for wedges from DS... He can have slow cooked baked potatoes instead! The slow oven should be great for cooking pulses and soups as well. And great if you're going out and want a hot meal waiting when you get home.

Mmm I wondered if jacket spuds would slow cook. You can do them is skow cooker can't you so they should! I can't really deal with beans anymore they give me terrible tummy ache, which is such a shame because I loves them. I made black bean chili for the market a couple of weeks ago and there was a bit left, I enjoyed it so much but i payed the price :eek:

I did a rare bit of hand washing today, spun it in the machine and bought it in to dry later, so that's another day I've not used the drier, had a no spend day and eaten leftovers! Had the oven on for work though, and had the dehydrator on overnight (I picked up reduced pineapples last week) but I think it's making a bit of a difference! I think the trick is going to be keeping on top of the washing, so there's only ever one or two loads!

greenbee

Is the Rayburn too hot to use for dehydrating? Or could you do it on the racks on top? I have friends who dry apple rings on dowels hung above their aga.

Maybe you can use the rayburn to do your beans for the market

Fingers crossed you'll see a difference at the end of the month.

Katieowl

greenbee wrote: »

Is the Rayburn too hot to use for dehydrating? Or could you do it on the racks on top? I have friends who dry apple rings on dowels hung above their aga.

Maybe you can use the rayburn to do your beans for the market

Fingers crossed you'll see a difference at the end of the month.

Yes I think it's probably a bit hot, it might pick up oily whiffs too. I simmer the lentils for my shepherds pies on the top already, I've not tried in the oven.

suki1964

Well done for using the Rayburn for what it's meant for


I got a text today at 3pm saying I'm need for work tomorrow at 8am.

My work clothes are hanging over every rad that's on as I don't have a tumble dryer. I also only have the heating on for 2 hrs in the evening. My work clothes are on the rads that whilst needing to be on, aren't needing to throw out a massive amount of heat, IE the hall

greenbee

Try the oven for the lentils next time - much more efficient use of energy. I think it should be 80% in the oven and 20% on top. So save the top for the kettle (when it doesn't have laundry on it....)

mardatha

It's ok once you get into a routine Owl, make it a habit. Once you see the units coming down on the bill then it takes on momentum

beautiful_ravens

Katieowl wrote: »

OK.
Rayburn is only on over winter months. We try and hold out for Halloween to put it on, then it stays on until March/April depending on how cold it is. I put £100 a month aside to pay for oil which we get maybe two deliveries of @ around £300-400 a time. Fund gets dipped into for inevitable emergencies. Rayburn when on heats hot water quite efficiently. I only have to boost it occassionally. It drives the damp out of the cottage and provides a little background heat.

We don't have a general central heating system, but the Rayburn fires a couple of heat sink radiators upstairs.

So we usually get one load of logs a year, we also burn briquettes in the log burner. Load of logs around £100, get through about 3 - 4 bags a week of briquettesm which are about £6/7 depending on what we can get. We only put the fire on late afternoon when it's cold. But again it's central in the house and the heat radiates.

The annex was being used as B&B and when the small electric system was put in, we figured if it was on, the customers would be paying for it....well that didn't work out, man of the house uses it now, toughs it out without heating on, I think it needs some heat, as its getting damp but he and DS use the shower in there in preference to the bath, and we ONLY put the water on to heat as required, but OMG does it make the gadget whizz round. (I have an OWL Monitor and also one of those things that monitors KW use)

Apart from that, we are running two freezers, a large fridge (work related) Electric oven on most of one day a week (baking) plus cooking for us rest of the time, dishwasher, washing machine tumble drier (wales - do my best to use the line/rayburn), two TVs and various lappies, chargers etc, I have an electric oil rad on very low in a damp corner of my room, but I always turn it down to the bare min. I've got low energy bulbs where I can, but I do find the cottage dark, so need them on daytime when I'm working, also use mixer/blenders etc in kitchen.

ALSO man has a WORKSHOP with woodwork machinery and tools but is adamant it doesn't use much electricity - I'm not convinced.

The electricity bill is horrendous, everyone I tell thinks I must be paying for a couple of other houses :rotfl: but I have turned everything off and it does stop moving?

ETA British Gas want £140 a month of me at the moment, I am in credit with them, but if I try and adjust the standing order, it says that they want to put it up to something like £180 to make sure I'm covered at the end of the year

Thanks for answering my question, was going to make a load of suggestions, then got caught up with work-sleep! I see many good suggestions were made

And blimey, your items and usage sounds exactly like my house minus the rayburn.

I use candles to light rooms Im not using. I always ask for those big pillar candles for xmas, they last ages. Everyone thinks I should want something else, but I never do. Always the big candles.

RE the tumble drier.
I dont have one. I manage, just about, to wash and dry 5 peoples clothes in time for when they need them, so ...to be honest...yours could go? They surely eat electric.
So, in winter/rain -
Everything I wash ends on a fast spin.
I hang washing in an outbuilding on coat hangers, and smalls on those peg things, plastic peg airers.
If its been a good day, it must come inside before nightfall or it will get damp again.
Then it goes next to a radiator in the bathroom. You can use rayburn and clothes horse!
Maybe if almost dry, I put stuff above the stairs on a rail Ive got there.
I do finish stuff off over the stove aswell, but not really wet stuff, the house is damp enough already.

RE oil in 25L containers -
One of my nearby oil suppliers does these, its £31 for the first barrel that you buy, then £25 if/when you bring the barrel back empty to get a re-fill. That's for 25L. It is very pricey at basically £1 per litre, but like you say, its better than running out of oil. In the short term its a cheaper solution than buying 500L but I wouldnt want to do it all the time!

Im only using oil for heating, and its been off a lot sadly, just cannot afford to buy 500L until Jan. Luckily I have the stove, one warm room. But if I wasnt buying coal at £80 a month for the stove, I might be able to afford oil! Swings and roundabouts.

I agree with the person in this thread who said that there comes a point when you just cannot reduce anything any more, and you have to work to bring in money instead.

Dont be weirded out, but since you are in welsh countryside, do you come across many sheep skulls? They are quite good to sell on eb@y. I sold 7 in november, ranging from £15 to £20 each.

Katieowl

beautiful_ravens wrote: »

I agree with the person in this thread who said that there comes a point when you just cannot reduce anything any more, and you have to work to bring in money instead.

Dont be weirded out, but since you are in welsh countryside, do you come across many sheep skulls? They are quite good to sell on eb@y. I sold 7 in november, ranging from £15 to £20 each.

I've never seen a sheep's skull, but I could nip over the fence and arrange one? Comes with a free freezer of lamb, and plenty of fat for home made soap and candles :rotfl:

I'm thinking of ways to expand our income, but whatever it is has to be physically possible, I've got eight years to go before I retire, and I'd quite like to survive until then, I'm one of the moved goalposts women!