Frugal, thrifty, make do, mend! Let this debt come to an end!

Elisheba

Good morning, all, and happy weekend!

Silly dog was kind enough to let me have half an hour in bed with a coffee this morning before he started wooing about needing his breakfast. Black cat was not so kind but thankfully she was easily silenced by headrubs in my bed.

It's looking very frosty this morning and it's a very pretty view from my patio doors.

Lots to do this weekend, the main thing being a big shop in big town. I think I'll walk silly dog along the canal there at the same time. I really want to have a proper look around the town of books, but with a big shop being needed that will have to wait until next weekend.

I've found an easier way to drive to work which is mainly dual carriageways and motorways, which is especially welcome on the way home when I'm tired and it's dark. It does mean an extra 100 miles though. I'm not sure how much extra diesel this will involve as it's much more fuel efficient than the cross country route, with almost no braking, stopping and starting. I think I'll set up a fuel book to keep an eye on it, as my diesel budget for the year was a total guess in the first place.

So a list for this weekend, in no particular order -

🕯️Go over mealplan and shopping list and make sure they are up to date ✅

🕯️Big shop in big town ✅

🕯️Have a proper nosy around big town and it's shops. Possibly visit the cathedral. Decided against this in the end 
🕯️Walk dog ✅
🕯️Take down Xmas decorations ✅
🕯️Empty the last two boxes ✅

🕯️Put things away in the garage

🕯️See what I can do with trolley to get it fixed

🕯️Empty recycling into correct bins and out all bins out

🕯️Hoover house

🕯️Change bedding if I get the chance

🕯️Clean bathroom

🕯️Church

🕯️Pick up dog poo in garden
🕯️Put up some pictures
🕯️Have a look at spare room bed to see if I can reconstruct it.
🕯️Finish book
🕯️Bake some buns for snacks

🕯️Bake bread in bread maker to see if out of date breadflour still good

I think that's enough to be getting on with 😁. I need to set up some cleaning routines this week to stay on top of the house. Honestly if I won the lottery the first thing I'd do would be to get a cleaner, I absolutely loathe house work 🙄.

Hope everyone has fun filled and jolly weekends 😁

Elisheba

Oh and I meant to say, I read in paper the National Insurance reduction starts today. So I think that'll be £25-£30 extra month. I'm pretty sure that's what it went up by when in increased anyway. As I've said before, I think the NHS needs it more than I do but as I have no say in such things, it'll be a nice little increase to my budget.

SuzeQStan

2nd the chase recommendation. After the initial 3months 5% cashback on Amex /£3k threshold, then Chase is the winner hands down.  1% cashback on almost all spends & Excellent for overseas spending and taking no fee cash out at near perfect credit card exchange rates. EDIT - the 1% cashback carries on after the 1st year if you fund the account £500 a month (can move it immediately back out still qualifies)

We are In the midst of heating experiment but decided to go ahead and do it yesterday as well.

findings are about as expected so far - weather was much more cold than it was over the holidays. we ended up reducing the thermostat to 18 (was still comfy in jumpers etc) and the expenditure was virtually the same as it was over the holidays - £8.90 before VAT & standing charge. 

So extra people in the house and warmer temperatures outside must have made a big difference even with the thermostat on 21c.

am now teetering on fire versus central heating. But strong positive for GCH is the whole house is warmed. 

Makingabobor2

Looks like a busy weekend for you. 
Interesting discussion about the Chase accounts. I was wondering whether to open one, just to use for my housekeeping money. We are with N/Wde and I have no desire to change banks as they are brilliant. But maybe transferring the grocery money into Chase each month to keep it separate would be a good thing. Might read up on it, don't really know much about it

SuzeQStan

@Makingabobor2 - Chase is great as you don’t need to switch to it and you can never spend more than what you have in the account - no overdraft = no danger of debt.  It always seems to be featured on the weekly update. Keep waiting for something to beat it but nothing really has for me over the last couple years anyway

@Elisheba - glad you found another route to work been worrying on you about that. Especially with the bad weather bless you what a nitemare to make it all the way into work only to go home 2 hrs later!!

MFWannabe

Makingabobor2 said:

Looks like a busy weekend for you. 
Interesting discussion about the Chase accounts. I was wondering whether to open one, just to use for my housekeeping money. We are with N/Wde and I have no desire to change banks as they are brilliant. But maybe transferring the grocery money into Chase each month to keep it separate would be a good thing. Might read up on it, don't really know much about it

This is exactly what I use it for; recent convert 
Dont have  to change banks and didn’t want to; don’t have to have any direct debits going out of it. I just transfer my grocery and fuel budget into there and can keep a track of spend 
also love the round up feature and opened a savings account. Interest is paid monthly 

Elisheba

Just a quick update to say big shop has been done. On examining the receipt from Mr A, I appear to have been charged twice for some apples. However, the vine tomatoes I bought have been voided for some reason, and it doesn't look like I have been charged for the 12kg of dog biscuits 😳. It's a 25 mile round journey which is about £4.50 in diesel so I'm not particularly minded to go back to rectify the mistake I'm afraid, although if I was being scrupulously honest I probably should. 

beanielou

I wouldn’t go back. 

Different if it was a wee local shop. 

SuzeQStan

Elisheba you are so kind hearted - if you are concerned you could make a phone call to see what mr A suggest - although that could bring trouble to doorstep of the cashier - personally I wouldn’t worry but if you are you could make a food bank donation xx

fionaandphil

If you're checking your oil tank, we usually dip it with a bamboo stick and mark on the outside of tank with a crayon and date, especially useful for comparing year on year.

We do have an electronic monitor fitted but batteries run out all the time so we gave up.