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

Makingabobor2

I love days when I can choose what to do. So far today it has not been like that...lol.  Did some washing & pegged it out, washed up the dishes, emptied the bins vac'd the kitchen and emptied the dust canister & washed the filter. Then had a shower & washed hair, made lunch for myself & DH and now thinking I should get the washing in before it rains. ...lol.  At least I don't have anything much to do this afternoon, so maybe some reading. 

SuzeQStan

Congrats on the credit score 😊👍🏻 when we paid mortgage off last month my score dropped a fair bit. (Also paid  interest free loan off same month so think it was a double whammy)  Although I got shouted at on another thread for mentioning what happened so I’ll leave it there lol 🤣🤣

beanielou

A day of reading is food for the soul. 

French toast with salt & pepper must be a Scottish thing. Never had it with sugar. 

Makingabobor2

SuzeQStan said:

Congrats on the credit score 😊👍🏻 when we paid mortgage off last month my score dropped a fair bit. (Also paid  interest free loan off same month so think it was a double whammy)  Although I got shouted at on another thread for mentioning what happened so I’ll leave it there lol 🤣🤣

I'd never thought about credit score dropping again when we've paid the mortgage. Not that we ever want credit again though, so probably doesn't matter

MFWannabe

Credit scores are meaningless anyway

themadvix

I like ketchup with French toast (not with sugar in). Not Scottish, although this may have been influenced by friend with Scottish connections. 

Elisheba

Afternoon, my thrifty friends,

Some good budgeting news today - when I looked at my tenancy agreement I realised it goes up after living here 1 years, so in November not in April as I previously thought.  It will go up by the rate of the Retail Price Index on 31st Oct every year, or 3% - whichever is greatest. So lets hope the RPI keeps going down - it was 4.9% for last month, down from a high of 14.2% in Oct 2022! Anyway, that gives me a little leeway in the budget and everything balances again.

Got my water bill in for the new financial year; its so much more expensive here than where I used to live.  £624.61 for the year, and last year at my old house I paid £304 for the year.  Its all fine for my budget as I had estimated a little over what it will actually be, based on my pro rata payment since I moved here, but I can't believe it's over 100% difference in prices.  It definitely makes moving to a water meter sound more attractive, but being in rented accommodation I don't imagine my landlord would be too keen on it. Welsh Water is a public company, so maybe that's just what water should cost when water companies are investing in the water network and not only concerned with leveraging massive loans and paying shareholders crazy dividends.  

The friend's birthday I budgeted for looks like it will be quite a bit cheaper than I expected as we won't need accommodation and I can stay with a friend that evening, so that will be a bit extra in the camping pot.  I booked the kennels for silly dog, and am going to visit them next week.  They sounded really good on the phone - and he gets out lots, and to play with other dogs which he loves.  I've found kennels can be very variable, and silly dog has seemed very unhappy after a couple I've tried where I used to live.  But he has been happiest when he gets to socialise with other dogs, so fingers crossed for this one.

Also looks like my friend's wedding might have a camping option which would be great, and a free bar which would save some pennies as well.  I just need to decide whether I am putting silly dog in kennels, or taking him with me.  With it being late August it could be quite hot for him, but if I have the big tent he can be in the shade, and I can pop in and out to see him and walk him and feed him on the big day.  I think I need to know for definite about the camping option first before I make a decision, but kennels get booked up so quickly in summer I'll need to know soon.

Other than that things are just trundling along.  I made a loaf today which looks lovely but I haven't tried it yet.  Popped to the C00p for a few bits at lunchtime, so have cheese and cake now - very important purchases!  I emailed to enquire about being a Scout leader at my local group, so hopefully they need leaders.  Due to the nights when their meetings are I can only do the youngers Beaver group, which isn't an age group I've worked with much before.  So it'll be a new challenge, and a nice way to meet some more people.  I do need to chase up the WI as well as I've not heard back from them, and no doubt my details have got lost in translation somewhere.  Other than that I haven't seen much I fancy doing yet, or at least nothing that isn't on a Thursday or Friday night which I can't do due to my long office day on a Friday.

Hope everyone is coping in this nasty tail end of winter time. I have daffs and Lenten Roses out in my garden, and a few Lesser Celandines are out in the hedgerow opposite me - so Spring is almost here  .  Not long now until I'll be driving home in the light from my long office day - can't wait for that!  

SuzeQStan

Good money news there Elisheba - but what a shocked about the water bills 😱😱 - would your LL be amenable to a water meter? Sounds like it would be a no brainer if so. Edit - sorry you said they might not be keen apologies I didn’t read that very well 

wanted to mention how you have inspired me to tighten up the budgets to know what every penny is doing.  I had a bit of an unexpected bill the other day and thought I had more than I did in the account. So I’ve got my spreadsheet out instead of scribbles on a bit of scrap paper 🤣🤣🥰🌸🌺

beanielou

Beavers are such a lovely age 

MeandO

Hi Elisheba, 

I think it’s definitely worth asking your LL if he would object to a water meter, I can’t see how it would affect him although I may be missing something. 

I’m glad you’ve had a couple of bits of potential good news on cost cutting for your friend’s wedding and birthday. I’m sure you’ll enjoy the events a lot more if you’re not worrying about the cost quite so much. 

Good news about the delayed rent increase too! Xx