It's time to start digging up those Squirrelled Nuts!!!!

SouthCoastBoy

I rarely shower at home as run at lunchtime so shower at work. My two daughters more than make up for that though. Bluenose are you are an Everton fan? I am, not been a great season has it!

With regards to retirement destinations we are planning 2 to 3 mths in Australia every winter.

cfw1994

MallyGirl said:

I have lined trousers for winter walks and from when I used to race my sled dogs.

I started wearing mine indoors when I was working from home years ago - add thick socks, fleece top....I tried USB-heated fingerless gloves at one point, but they were mildly rubbish!

Anyone spot the heated desk on Dragon's Den this week?  Looked great to me!   
I used to use a small oil heater under my desk - was in the now-craft room above our unheated garage, with stylish yet cold vaulted ceiling: it was all about personal space heating 🥶

Winter destinations?  I like the idea of a season skiing at Les Arcs, but have to start with just a couple of weeks very soon ⛷️
Mind you, it's been 3 years since we slid down the slopes, who knows if we can still do it 🤷‍♂️ 
eta - just watching some downhill and slalom on BT Sport - pretty gnarly - we tend to be sliding more smoothly along much flatter slopes - blues with a few reds for us, not really black-runners 🤣

jimpwarsop

How many of us use far too much toothpaste, for example!!!  You really only need a little bit...not a brush lengths worth.


Anyway, what have we got to worry about really, in the grand scheme of current events!!! 

I got fed up of moaning about the toothpaste usage here.  There is just me and the missus now and she cant physically cram too much on the head of an Oral B.  It always struck me as odd that people (her and the kids) would pile tooth paste on only to spend a couple of minutes frothing like a rabid dog.

I can get another half a week from the tube when the missus gets a new tube out, by herculean squeezing then dismembering the tube.  Pathetic really, its only a quid.

bluenose1

SouthCoastBoy said:

I rarely shower at home as run at lunchtime so shower at work. My two daughters more than make up for that though. Bluenose are you are an Everton fan? I am, not been a great season has it!

With regards to retirement destinations we are planning 2 to 3 mths in Australia every winter.

Unfortunately yes, worrying times, though at least results have gone our way this week. Good to know there are fellow sufferers on the forum. 2 to 3 months in Australia sounds good, especially if during the season…..

pensionpawn

Retireinten said:

Hi all, hope you don't mind me sneaking in on your thread .  I made the decision to fix early January, admittedly without giving this much thought at all and I had started to really doubt that decision.  Reading the comments on here I feeling a little better about fixing.  It is all a bit of a gamble either way but at least I know what I'm paying out for the next couple of years - there are no exit fees so I can jump to a better deal if one appears. 

Our estimated annual bill on this new tariff is in the region of £2,400 a year - I checked out the fixes available now through Scottish Power and they have shot up to an estimated cost of £3,500 per annum for our usage.  I can't view my new tariff information for some reason but I've definitely seen a sharp increase compared to our last bill.  But we are a high energy usage household of 4 adults essentially now: 4 bed detached, like to cook, I tumble dry everything and we have a hot tub used mainly in winter so our energy use in the colder months is very high.

To offset some of this we have a huge (7kw) solar system that generates over £3k per annum in tariff income.   The good thing is  we have become very energy conscious recently - I got up this morning to sunshine and within minutes had both the washing machine and dishwasher on.  When the sun went in, I switched off the dishwasher as it was consuming energy we were paying for - I think this could become my new hobby!  We're thinking of buying a bit of kit that will redirect our excess solar to heat our water via the immersion heater so we could potentially run the house without gas in the warmer months.

We can afford to pay increased energy prices, I just don't like feeling like I'm being ripped off.  I'm also sceptical about inflation rises.  I appreciate these will be increasing our costs but for us that extra cost pales to insignificance when looking at our own personal inflation or lifestyle inflation.  We had a very 'spendy' year last year, some of it I can pinpoint, some of it was very wasteful (not good as we are aiming for early retirement and this will extend our time at work).  We are spending much more consciously at the moment and we have seen a significant drop in our discretionary spend each month.

7.1 kW array (E-W) though not the early FiT rate like you. I also have a solar divert which effectively means I don't use gas from late April to late September. Didn't fix, as my energy consumption is insignificant over the same period, preferring to wait and see the drivers for the October cap. We all now know where energy prices are going in the autumn so I've decided to invest in a domestic battery system to not only retain more of my own generation but to also ensure that I can power (and heat) the house when the inevitable power cuts (rationing) starts towards the end of the year. Still not yet fully retired so there are further benefits to come from shifting cooking / washing / cleaning to the sunnier parts of the day and ordering take away on cloudy days. I'll still be walking around my house 12 months of the year in shorts and a t shirt though! Not sure about your comment about being ripped off though, prices are rising globally. That said, the increase in the electrical standing charge to pay for customers to be migrated to other energy firms due to a botched energy policy is infuriating.

waveydavey48

Thrugelmir said:

I've bought merino wool base layers (of various ratings) during the summer sales for a number of years. Rarely feel the cold either in or outdoors. Just put the right clothing on and move around regularly. Early morning walk then a hearty breakfast sets you up for the day. 

I've been looking at merino wool base layers and don't mind spending the required amount to get the right items but some look very pricey. I don't "go walking" but as someone who walks briskly naturally I often find that when I walk for any length of time I sweat a lot so am looking or clothing that helps with that (is the correct term "wicks away the moisture?").

Any chance of some advice please? What should I buy? what should I pay? where should I get it? Sorry if this is off topic but I want to avoid going to an "outdoor specialist shop" and getting fleeced (sorry).

DT2001

cfw1994 said:

MallyGirl said:

I have lined trousers for winter walks and from when I used to race my sled dogs.

Winter destinations?  I like the idea of a season skiing at Les Arcs, but have to start with just a couple of weeks very soon ⛷️
Mind you, it's been 3 years since we slid down the slopes, who knows if we can still do it 🤷‍♂️ 
eta - just watching some downhill and slalom on BT Sport - pretty gnarly - we tend to be sliding more smoothly along much flatter slopes - blues with a few reds for us, not really black-runners 🤣

It is just like riding a bike, just take it easy for 1st couple of days and stop when you are tiring.
We are off this week having sneaked in a long weekend in Feb. Great to be back enjoying the fresh mountain air. Enjoy!

More difficult to do a season now following Brexit but possible. I’d rent somewhere for whole of Jan and/or March - quieter/cheaper and avoids French 2 week half term which with regional spreading lasts 4 weeks.

DT2001

Retireinten said:

We're thinking of buying a bit of kit that will redirect our excess solar to heat our water via the immersion heater so we could potentially run the house without gas in the warmer months.

Highly recommend - we bought one about 3 years ago as we have an unvented system with a large hot water tank. I reckon it paid for itself in about 2 years, even then. Minimal gas consumption from April to Oct.

Robert_McGeddon

waveydavey48 said:

I've been looking at merino wool base layers and don't mind spending the required amount to get the right items but some look very pricey. I don't "go walking" but as someone who walks briskly naturally I often find that when I walk for any length of time I sweat a lot so am looking or clothing that helps with that (is the correct term "wicks away the moisture?").

Any chance of some advice please? What should I buy? what should I pay? where should I get it? Sorry if this is off topic but I want to avoid going to an "outdoor specialist shop" and getting fleeced (sorry).

I rate merino base layers highly. Wicking is very good and they are certainly a lot warmer than a bog-standard one made with man-made fibres. For active use (e.g. winter hillwalking) I find them spot on - but would be too hot for me in summer. I'd use long-sleeved tops but not the leggings. For non-active use (attending sports events, evenings at campsites) then 3-season use works for me. Fleece-lined trousers (e.g. Winter Kiwis by Craghoppers) are a great help for non-active use.

Merino wool seams able to absorb sweat without smelling. I get twice the use from a merino garment than a man-made one.

The big brand names are generally all OK, if expensive. TKmax have done them in the past, as have Lidl (but I think seasonally, around October).

An alternative to merino bases is to use a man-made one and put on a fleece or insulation layer when you stop being active.

Correction:  Primark not TKmaxx.

Addition:  Some of the cheaper ones can a bit rough next to the skin. Have a quick fondle before purchasing!

Sea_Shell

I have visions of us all next winter, sitting watching TV dressed like we're about to tackle the summit of Everest.

Or just not getting out of bed, like Grandpa Joe and Grandma Josephine!! 

Hopefully the weather will turn soon, and we can just enjoy summer first.  I feel so pale and pasty this time of year.