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

Elisheba

Afternoon all,

In total I am getting almost £15 refunded from late trains and overpaid Tubes this week, so that is very nice, and shows it all adds up.

I waited in a queue of 144 people to speak to an advisor on an online app for Shell Energy. He tells me he has done whatever he needs to do to get my account credit refunded to me, and that it just needs approved and I'll see it in my bank.  So I shall wait and see.  Not 100% sure why a refund would need to be approved, but there we go. At the moment I am keeping all spare cash in my account to cover my car service, MOT and exhaust, then Xmas, and car insurance.  Anything left over after that I might but the car tent/awning that I've been thinking about, and if not it can go to the LISA, but it isn't part of my LISA calculations so will be extra.

Other than that its a NSD again.  I think my dog has a bad tummy.  He keeps crying gently, and his wind is atrocious.  He doesn't seem to want to toilet though, so will just keep an eye on it.  He finds so much junk to eat when we are out for a walk that I'm not surprised at all.

I had my house inspection this morning and that went fine.  Even my dog was fairly well behaved, although in retrospect that may be because he wasn't feeling great!  I can't fault my landlord or estate agents really.  They haven't put up my rent (touch woods) and they sort any problems as quickly as possible.  While I would love completely new doors and window and more insulation, I do appreciate that that may well not be something they have budgeted for, and I get by alright.

I found a lovely sounding, quiet, dog friendly campsite on Anglesey.  Its a grass pitch as well so that's good.  Only issue is that it has loos but no showers. I can go a few days with out a shower, but as I'm thinking of going to Anglesey for a week that is pushing it a bit.  Its only £15 a night though, so that may convince me to try to survive sink washes  .  Everywhere else seems to be about £30 per night, and I really don't want some busy campsite.

Every time I think about sink washes I think about a book I read earlier this year called Homesick.  I may well have mentioned it on here back then.  It was written by a woman called Catriona Davies, who was barely making her rent on a house share and was miserable.  Anyway she upped sticks and started living in an old rural office of her fathers which had somehow survived the family bankruptcy years earlier.  It had been abandoned for years and was falling apart.  Water was from an outdoor tap and I don't think there was a loo iirc.  The power had been cut off years ago, and it was classified as purely for business use so living there was illegal.

Anyway it is a good book and she made a good go of living like that.  She discusses the lack of affordably housing nationally, and her life in what was basically a shed.  But what really sticks with me is thinking about that outdoor cold tap, and washing outdoors in cold water, come rain or shine.  It just sounds hideous!  Even in the olden days you would have been able to heat water over a fire to wash, and been indoors by a fire to do it!

Anyway, hope everyone has a good day.  Not sure what I will have for dinner.  I have fake bacon that needs using so something with that I imagine.

Elisheba

In further good news, I have looked through my calendar for next year and with a cunning combination of flexi leave, bank holidays and annual leave I can take 10 weeks off, and still have 3 days left over for emergencies.  I can't actually afford to go away for 10 weeks, but it will be nice to have time off.

Makingabobor2

Wow 10 weeks is excellent

Deni_debt-free_dreamer

Afternoon Elisheba
10 weeks leave sounds lovely! The camp site without showers less so Could you go to a swimming pool on Anglesey and use the showers there? I'm in the NW so Anglesey isn't too far for a day trip but i haven't been for years. I do like Wales very much. 
Love Deni 

SuzeQStan

10 weeks is the stuff of dreams! 😍
washing in cold water less so!

Hope pooch feeling brighter soon 😔

SuzeQStan

Elisheba said:

Thanks, @SuzeQStan.  These days I don't have many people I know who still smoke so that does make it easier.  I agree though, I think I'll just have to put a stopper on the old vino until I've been over the smoking for a while.  The problem is I've done it before, and as soon as I have a drink again I want a cigarette!

I feel your pain! For me it was driving - I loved LOVED aimlessly driving in my car and having a smoke especially after work with the window down all weathers  - it was my decompression. That was the hardest one for me. I think it can be a bit easier these days now that no one can smoke inside restaurants/bars and even (gasp) cinemas & hospitals (mind boggles)! That gives you a hint as to how long ago I quit!! 

Maybe try something like a nicotine patch spray or gum next time you have a drink? Break the hand to mouth habit possibly. 

Very excited to hear more details about your camping trips - we did north wales a couple weeks ago but not camping - Airbnb - must say we found things a bit pricey but met some really lovely people.

Elisheba

Deni_debt-free_dreamer said:

Afternoon Elisheba
10 weeks leave sounds lovely! The camp site without showers less so Could you go to a swimming pool on Anglesey and use the showers there? I'm in the NW so Anglesey isn't too far for a day trip but i haven't been for years. I do like Wales very much. 
Love Deni 

Yes, very possibly.  Especially if its a rainy day that would be a nice thing to do, and have a relax in the jacuzzi if they have one afterwards. I've dis a day trip to Anglesey earlier this year, and thought I really needed a proper holiday there to see more of it.

Elisheba

SuzeQStan said: 

Very excited to hear more details about your camping trips - we did north wales a couple weeks ago but not camping - Airbnb - must say we found things a bit pricey but met some really lovely people.

Due my dog and his behaviour issues I'm reluctant to use Air BnB these days.  The last place I went to he scratched the doors.

Elisheba

Afternoon all,

Almost all my bills came out this morning, and what a morning it has been trying to reconcile my account balance to what I thought should be my account balance.  I ended up having to count up all my spending again, and have finally got it to 40p out.  It's not normally that hard, but there was a combination of including some overspending from last month, and using my Amex card which won't come out until next month.  And then, just for larks, Shell energy have only taken £5 out my account instead of my £71 DD . 

I have no idea what is going on with that.  My account says the DD is set up for £71, but they have only taken £5.  So have they counted the government's £66 as part of my payment? Because that then adds up to £71. It makes no difference to me - my bill for the month is £68.02, so with the government grant that's a grand total of £2.02 for my October energy - so at £5 I'm still over paying  !

However, what I'm worried about is that instead of being to do with the government payment its something to do with my online conversation with Shell yesterday.  I wonder if the bloke I spoke to has done the wrong thing, and some how changed my payments rather than refunded my balance.  I'll wait a few days to make sure no refund appears and contact them again if it doesn't.

Other than that, I need to get cat food later on, and I have a night out planned tomorrow night.  With the bereavement this week I could happily give tomorrow a miss, but I've paid for the ticket and no doubt it will be good for me to get out with friends.  I think I'll give alcohol a miss though, as as I've no desire to be sad and drunk.

Payday is Monday this month, so there will be a few spends over the weekend to add to my October budget before I start again for November, but due to paying £66 less on my energy than planned it really won't be an issue.

I hope everyone's Friday is over very quickly and you can all get started on he weekend as soon as possible.

SuzeQStan

Elisheba said:

Afternoon all,

.  And then, just for larks, Shell energy have only taken £5 out my account instead of my £71 DD . 

I have no idea what is going on with that.  My account says the DD is set up for £71, but they have only taken £5.  So have they counted the government's £66 as part of my payment? Because that then adds up to £71. It makes no difference to me - my bill for the month is £68.02, so with the government grant that's a grand total of £2.02 for my October energy - so at £5 I'm still over paying  !

However, what I'm worried about is that instead of being to do with the government payment its something to do with my online conversation with Shell yesterday.  I wonder if the bloke I spoke to has done the wrong thing, and some how changed my payments rather than refunded my balance.  I'll wait a few days to make sure no refund appears and contact them again if it doesn't.

Hi ya don’t worry exactly same thing happened with our shell DD - they reduce the amount of your DD by the £66