Facing reality

Sarahwithlove

vixx_123 said:

Bluegreen143 said:

@Sarahwithlove my husband puts the heating up ridiculously high too! I think he thinks if you set it to 25 or 28 then it heats up faster... then he complains about being hot and opens windows 😂

I refuse to put our heating on during the day 🤣 I wear thermals and about 5 layers plus blanket 😅 heating goes on at 6 for 3 hours at 18c 🤣🤣🤣 after a mess up with the energy company, we owed money and have steadily paid them back! So it's part of my debt busting!!

Ha when was just me at home it literally came on for an hour in morning and then 2 x 1 hr in evening. But it's just not worth the hassle from my housemate when I don't. 

Sarahwithlove

vixx_123 said:

Bluegreen143 said:

@Sarahwithlove my husband puts the heating up ridiculously high too! I think he thinks if you set it to 25 or 28 then it heats up faster... then he complains about being hot and opens windows 😂

I refuse to put our heating on during the day 🤣 I wear thermals and about 5 layers plus blanket 😅 heating goes on at 6 for 3 hours at 18c 🤣🤣🤣 after a mess up with the energy company, we owed money and have steadily paid them back! So it's part of my debt busting!!

When it was just me working at home I didn't put heating on at all during the day. But if I don't put it on I just get my housemate moaning at me all day 🙄

Sarahwithlove

ThatKiss said:

Blackcats said:

As a fellow footie fan, I gave up b t sport at the start of lockdown 1 - it was an expensive add on to my sky package.

Just to add to this, I have BT Sport as a £10 add-on to my broadband contract (Plusnet and BT both offer this I think). It's app-only access, but I used to just hook my iPad up to the TV. The app is now on the likes of Roku boxes and some smart TVs so might be an option if the deals line up.

Thanks I'm gonna have a look nearer the time at my options but either way it's gonna be cheaper then my current package. How do you link your ipad to TV? 

Sarahwithlove

CreditCardJunkie said:

Sarahwithlove said:

My topcashback has now moved from pending to confirmed and will take about 13 weeks to be payable. 
Still no news on sofa, got another 4 weeks for decision. 
Prolific is now at £5 so can cash that in.
Refund on coach tickets has been processed and been told to ring my old credit card company it's being refunded to next week to have it transferred to my account. Football tickets will be refunded in Feb to same card so be same process again. 
Just waiting for my one poll to go through as well that's still pending and they say again to allow 28 days so two more weeks to go. 
Hoping that with my save the change and bank rewards I should have enough to cover my hoover costs. Be good to go into Feb knowing I don't have to use my free CT payment to clear it. 
Though Gas and electric bill has shot up from us both working at home. Housemate is cold all the time and keeps putting heating on ridiculous numbers like 30 so have moved the controls into my room. It's set to be at 21 all day and 23 in evenings as it gets colder. Plenty warm enough. I'm hoping it's just where she is unwell and taking antibiotics that she's so cold. But will have to see. 

Omg this sounds like me 😂 I'm constantly freezing and DH constantly roasting...some of us must have warmer blood than others!

I had to open my bedroom window yesterday i was so warm. Its ridiculous. 

Choccygirl123

Sorry to hear about your mum Sarah, it's so hard. It does get easier with time, but you don't miss them any less. I lost mine when when I was 22 and I think of the life I've made for myself with two amazing daughters of my own that she never got to meet. Still have the odd cry every few months, but she made me the mum I am today.

you're doing so well on the money front abd surveys. Prolific has definitely picked up at last. I've got my broad line due for renewal soon as well as my energy so need to start looking at other offers to haggling sky down. Will use Quidco on the energy as loveky chunk for Xmas pot. X

Sarahwithlove

Choccygirl123 said:

Sorry to hear about your mum Sarah, it's so hard. It does get easier with time, but you don't miss them any less. I lost mine when when I was 22 and I think of the life I've made for myself with two amazing daughters of my own that she never got to meet. Still have the odd cry every few months, but she made me the mum I am today.

you're doing so well on the money front abd surveys. Prolific has definitely picked up at last. I've got my broad line due for renewal soon as well as my energy so need to start looking at other offers to haggling sky down. Will use Quidco on the energy as loveky chunk for Xmas pot. X

Thanks it is difficult especially like you said when you think of all they are missing out on or the grandkids that they never get the chance to know. 
It's good if you can go into negotiations with numbers to compare with although I've noticed that BT and Sk-y seem to be wrong same price as Virg!n so don't think I will get the discount I was hoping for. Just need to decide on which area I'm willing to cut back in and what I get enough use out of to make the mkney worth while. Not sure I get enough use as mostly watch prime and netfl!x anyway which can do via my fire stick. So it's just getting a good broadband as there's two of us working from home atm but whether that will still be the case in April I don't know. 

SSTJCKel

Ladies I only drop in here now and again but I noticed you talking about knocking SKY broadband down.... I had sky but when they wouldn't come down enough in price ditched them and went with NowTV for my broadband and phone. NowTV is owned by Sky and uses the same network so no difference in performance. Also when NowTV broadband and phone were due for renewal they tried to hike the price by about 20 quid so I rang them up and said I was leaving and they dropped it back to within a pound of the original price I signed up for of 17.99. Look around and find another company that is cheaper and then ring your provider up and say you are thinking of leaving. They rarely resist....

Sarahwithlove

SSTJCKel said:

Ladies I only drop in here now and again but I noticed you talking about knocking SKY broadband down.... I had sky but when they wouldn't come down enough in price ditched them and went with NowTV for my broadband and phone. NowTV is owned by Sky and uses the same network so no difference in performance. Also when NowTV broadband and phone were due for renewal they tried to hike the price by about 20 quid so I rang them up and said I was leaving and they dropped it back to within a pound of the original price I signed up for of 17.99. Look around and find another company that is cheaper and then ring your provider up and say you are thinking of leaving. They rarely resist....

That's my plan I think although with the package I have it's not that much cheaper else where so think I need to have a think about what I really want. 

SSTJCKel

Sarahwithlove said:

That's my plan I think although with the package I have it's not that much cheaper else where so think I need to have a think about what I really want. 

Don't go for a limited package though. With this lockdown you are probably using more data than you think. Unlimited broadband is a necessity these days. Mobile phone packages are another matter of course and many are paying far more than they need to and have phones that are totally unnecessary. I have a reasonable phone thats adequate for when i'm out and about but use a tablet on wifi at home which works really well and is far easier to use due to the much bigger screen size. You can get a 10 inch tablet from argos for about 80 quid. Despite the initial outlay it works out much cheaper over the year than an all sing all dancing phone.

Blackcats

sarah, choccygirl and SSTJC - the great thing about chatting in these diaries is the learning we share and the motivation we get to save money/live better.  

As I mentioned I  sorted out my mobile phone contract last week and I've managed without BT sport for several months now.  There are other regular/discretionary spends that I've reviewed and decided to keep because they are of value to me (audible and Spotify).  I know some people cut these out, but I'm pleased that I made a conscious decision to keep them and enjoy them - the good thing is I reviewed their cost as part of my budget review.