My journey to a debt free life

Onebrokelady

The heating engineer came out this morning and of course it's the worse case scenario, there is a leak in the system and it's not in the boiler or in the pipes under the upstairs floors so that means it must be either under the kitchen floor 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞or elsewhere downstairs which is underneath my lovely new wooden flooring. He is going to let me know when they can come back and sort it out but I get the impression that they are really busy so god knows how long it's going to take or how much it's going to cost. He was here for three hours today trying to sort it out 🙀🙀I'm hoping and praying it's under the kitchen floor because it's leaked there before, there is a crawl space under my house and he says if there is a gap to get from the kitchen into the rest of downstairs he will be able to get under and fix it via the kitchen floor but I can't remember if there is a gap to go through. I am now keeping all my fingers and toes crossed that they can fit me in ASAP and that it will be easy to find and fix 

I have been at home all day today so to keep warm and busy I have taken down all the Christmas decorations and cleaned everywhere. I got two loads of washing done but can't do any more until that dries which will take ages with no heat 🤷‍♀️ 

I went for a walk through the fields with B at lunch time mainly because i needed to get outside and walk off some frustration and I thought it would feel warmer in the house after being out in the cold. It did feel slightly warmer when I got back, I put  two jumpers on and a couple of pairs of socks when I got back in and after going up and down the ladder to the loft a few times I soon warmed up. When I came home from work yesterday I kept my scarf on and that helped, it was quite mild here over the new year weekend but it's flaming cold now. I've got a big quilt out of the airing cupboard to put over my duvet tonight because I was cold last night

I cooked the Butter Chicken from the Gousto menus for tea and it was beautiful, it came out exactly the same and will be a firm favourite from now on, no more jars of sauce for me and who knew that sprinkling coriander on your food would make it taste so nice, it's lovely with rice😊I am intending to make the Biriyani tomorrow but might be late home so will see how I feel,if I don't make it tomorrow I will do it on Friday 

My work meeting went ok, I asked about cutting my hours and I do have enough spare AL to use up for my four long days of January so she said I can do that, she has also contacted HR to see how easy it is to to do a temporary change in hours for when my AL runs out so all good 

foxgloves

So sorry to hear about your heating, OBL. Honestly, don't heating systems just always pick a cold snap for going sick? Just typical. Hope the problem is somewhere accessible. Fingers crossed here for you.
I'm sure you're already doing this, but don't underestimate the warming powers of a hot water bottle tucked up behind your back when you're on the sofa under a blanket. 
Hope it gets fixed soon. 
F x

Sun_Addict

Oh no what a pain with your heating. This is why I've got the BG cover plan for mine, it probably costs more in the long run but they come out pretty quickly and I'm classed as a priority customer because of Mr SA being disabled. Fingers crossed it will be easy to fix and they can get out to you soon. 

The reduced work hours sounds like a good idea if you can afford it. Even if it's just for a few weeks so you can regroup a bit.

It's great how the Gousto meal boxes have reignited your interest in cooking from scratch. I love coriander sprinkled on top of food, have even been known to eat it on it's own. I'm the same with fresh basil. Have you stopped the boxes altogether now? I've noticed there are a few new brands popping up.

Cherryfudge

Oh dear to the heating: I hope the crawl space can be found. The one in my parents' house was near the front door but I don't know if that's typical.

Good to hear your work meeting was helpful.

I will second foxgloves over the hot water bottle, especially as you've had the sciatic problems. It would seem wise to keep that area warm and as mobile as possible.

Deni_debt-free_dreamer

morning
sorry to hear about ongoing boiler problems.  It is really cold here and has just started snowing!  I signed up to BG homecare a few years ago when my boiler stopped working 2 days before Xmas!  They were quick to come out and sort the problem; that was preCovid though.  Agree about the warmth and comfort that a hot water bottle can bring.  Hope you are managing ok OBL
love Deni

milann

You have thought about it but just in case you haven’t…….have you thought of keeping the house warm by cooking a long slow stew in the oven. We didn’t have any central heating when I was a child. I always remember the oven being on with something in the oven cooking slowly and keeping the house warm. No idea how expensive it is to keep the oven on though….

badmemory

When my heating boiler went terminal in late November I only had one fan heater & the oven.  I was totally wasteful and had the oven on with the door open, cooking nothing.

The boiler wasn't really terminal but was going to cost so much to repair & could have gone with something else the next week that a new boiler seemed sensible.  At least people don't burst out laughing at the make of my new one like they did with the old.

Seasidegal58

I'm so sorry to hear of the ongoing palaver with the boiler OBL. I hope the plumber gets back to you pronto and the crawl hole is ok. 

It was nice that your Butter Chicken meal turned out the same as when you were actually using the Gousto boxes. These 'home made Gousto' meals should certainly save you some pennies compared to the subscription. 👍

Drawingaline

I hope the leak is easy to find! Our thermostat went one February, remember that was cold. We had an electric heater and only heated one room and kept the doors shut. I am used to a cold bedroom (prefer it with my allergies) so less of an issue. 

Sunshine_girl2

I hope the heating is sorted quickly for you, it's been very cold here today. Good idea to reduce your hours for a short time or permanently if it helps your health.