Put away your purse & become debt-averse

Tescodealqueen

Hi Foxgloves about your D**on. We have recently bought replacement filters from the big river store for both of our D**ons one very old and one a couple of years old. Despite having regularly washed the filters the difference in pick up was tremendous on both. We had watched a you tube video because we thought the old one had come to the end of its life and the chap suggested replacement filters and it really worked for a few quid we have a practically new vacuum

foxgloves

Thanks for that, @Tescodealqueen, that's a good idea. Our filters haven't been washed anywhere near as frequently as recommended so I think replacement is worth trying. We've had this vacuum quite a long time but I'd rather keep it going than ditch it & buy from new. The main problem is the pipe. It has a huge split at the base which is affecting suction tremendously. Determined to try all make do & mend options first as it is so much more sustainable.
F x

foxgloves

Well, Snowdrops......with the sky in a sunny blue phase at lunchtime, I decided I'd have something to eat then go out & do at least something in the garden...ANYTHING....pick up blown around pots, clear up the storm damaged greenhouse glass, weed around the bean frame........naturally about 3 bites into my cheese, crackers & grapes, things suddenly darkened & we had sleet, followed intermittently by rain, hail & snow! So no gardening. Instead, I've done a few more house jobs, cast on the second sock of the 3rd pair I've knitted for Mr F using up sock yarn from my stash & submitted a complaint to a survey site. I have been a member of this site for years & never had any problems until last year, I noticed that I was no longer receiving any survey invites despite my account settings requesting these 'as frequently as possible'. So I tried to log on to check that my account was still there. Instead of inputting my password, the site now requires a code which is emailed to members, so I waited for that to ping into my inbox but it didn't. Tried again another day, same problem. On one occasion I did manage to get a code & access my account, where I did 1 survey & noted that I have £37 of points. All subsequent attempts to access it to take more surveys so I can build up to the £50 cash-out threshold have failed because the passcode either does not arrive, or arrives so late that the time window for using it has expired. I know plenty of people would say 'It's only £37, it's not worth the hassle' but I am not one of them. I've earned it, & if I can't access further surveys slowly to make it up to cash-out, then I have given my time for nothing. I'll be interested to see what response I receive. 
Mr F has just pinged me to say he'll be home an hour early as he has had to work late Mon-Weds to cover shortages in his team & he is apparently cooking tonight, so that will be time by the fire with my book with the cats. I'm currently reading 'My brilliant friend' by Elena Ferrante & am enjoying the writing. A charity bookshop find for £1.50 & looks brand new. Oh & apparently, Mr F has a voucher for free coffee & cake for a store that is in the other city centre, so we may be going to that one, instead of the one we'd planned to visit this weekend. Either way, I guarantee you that the parking charges will still be astronomical & I still won't find a new nightdress that I actually want to wear!
F x

Sun_Addict

I’m so disappointed with the 2 nightdresses I bought from M*S. They’ve both gone baggy and out of shape. On the other hand the ones I’ve had from Sainsbury*s have been brilliant and kept their shape perfectly. I like the knee length T-shirt ones but not ones with daft pictures or slogans on. When I’m back in the office next week I shall be hot-footing it to Sains to see if they still sell them as it’s just down the canal towpath from work. 

foxgloves

@Sun_Addict - That's exactly what I'm looking for too, but when there actually are a few in stock amid all the long frumpy pastel offerings & endless boiling hot 'jamas, they have some idiotic slogan on the front or a cartoon character. Why would I want those? I'm not 5......neirher do I want to go to bed wearing a Percy Pig print! I've seen a couple I like online but in a store I don't usually frequent because of its boss's political donations.
When did it become 'a thing' that cartoon characters & children's porcine jelly sweets were deemed appropriate or desirable for adult nightwear? I just don't get it.
F

maggiem

I got a couple of nigthtdresses in M0rrisons - knee length and cotton some time ago. Not sure if they still sell the same design as we don't have a store near us but I have a navy one with little white stars and a grey one with a self pattern. Both have washed well and wee very reasonably priced.

foxgloves

Thanks for the suggestion, @maggiem. I shall definitely be stepping up my search. I did find one I like on JL's website, but even if I wanted to spend £79 on a single nightshirt, there were only the smallest sizes in stock.
F 

foxgloves

Morning m'dears,
I'm just taking a break from number-crunching as it's my Big Budget Day today. I've made good headway with reconciling February's budget & taking off the figures I need to ensure I start with a bang-on accurate balance before I start March's budget. I'm just waiting for Mr F to get back from town with the shopping so that I can add in that figure too. He has a few days off & seems determined to crack on with a few projects & move some stuff forward, as well as have a few trips out together. I wish this year's water & council tax bills would get a move on. I really want to see what our monthly bills spreadsheet is going to look like for 2022 with everything going up & I could do with those figures. It's hard to imagine that I spent so many years picking my bank statements off the doormat, looking at them through partially closed eyes, lying to myself that I'd be fine because it was 'nearly payday' (my statements used to arrive on the 14th!) & then filing them in a drawer never to be looked at again! 
It did take a few 'goes' to find the budgeting method which works for me, but I so much prefer feeling in control & am willing to put in the time to keep us on the straight & narrow.
But I'm not willing to do it without coffee, so I'm off to pop the kettle on now.
F x

Deni_debt-free_dreamer

Afternoon foxgloves

I had my water bill a few weeks ago and the annual increase was £7 for the whole year.  I was pleasantly surprised.  I don't expect such a small rise in my council tax bill but as a public sector employee i know the pressures faced by local councils  

The sun is shining here but i have 3 layers on and a hot water bottle against my back

happy budgeting.  
Love Deni
x

foxgloves

@Deni_debt-free_dreamer - Yes, I agree re council tax. I'm public sector profession too, also Mr F, and I've also been a local councillor in the past. The cuts in central government funding to local council authorities have been immense. It also means that when local services are inevitably cut because of the huge cost of social care that people blame their council instead of the real culprit - central government, which has cut funding to councils by between 40 & 50%. We all know what effect this swingeing reduction would have on our own budgets. 
I'm expecting a rise of some kind to our water bill as it has been static for a couple of years. I just want to know now, to get the figures input so I know where I am. It's the increase to our energy bill DDs I'm really not looking forward to.
F x