Sh*t creek - is now in my rear view mirror...!

Irenadler

Hello all
Been on a bit of a downer, partly due to U.C. - they made a telephone appointment, rang early, and as I was in another room by the time I got to the mobile they'd rung off. Checked and tried to ring back, and only got an automated message saying I don't need to ring back. Kept mobile glued to me as they said they would call back, and they didn't, and still haven't. Even on my ancient non-internet connected phone it shows they rang precisely twice before hanging up! I.E. two ring tones only. I'd defy a sprinter to get to the phone in that time. Don't have blue tooth or anything like that...

Couldn't get through as they are so busy.... and then the anxiety kicked in thinking that I am going to be sanctioned. Stupidly allowed myself to let it get to me... still no contact from them and none the wiser....

On a more positive note, water supplier have accepted my application for support, so my revised bill is about £3 in credit! Another surprise but at least it's a pleasant one....So instead of paying £46 odd per month, I am now not currently being charged as they are assisting with payments.

In other news, went to the land of liddy and instead of spending £25 budget, spent slightly over at £25.08! That was great but I had ordered some dog food on-line which was around £15, so not quite so great as it sounds... I then compounded things by going into a local charity shop to ask if they were accepting donations yet (they weren't, although open); then I felt guilty not buying anything so bought a couple of paperbacks, which wasn't so bad, but they were talking about how difficult it had been for them to raise money for the charity (it's a local not national one), so ended up saying keep the change. I had my emergency tenner! Doh! What the heck? I felt sorry for them, but, I am not Rothchild.... 

So, any benefit from not paying the water supplier is gone.... I am bloody daft. Need to accept that I should avoid charity shops, the dog food isn't every week, she should be ok for the month, and stick to L*dl. Feel I can't be trusted to get my head in the right saving mode... 

Outgoing update:
Council tax - 0
Water -         0
Mobile -        5
Dual fuel -   72.50
Insurance -   0 (paid annual fee of £99.68 instead of monthly)
Green waste 0 (paid £40 renewal fee so no monthly)
B/B & L/L     22.99 (switched to P/N from Sky)
-------------------------
Now £           95.49 outgoings (was £368ish!)

So, the going through existing direct debits and asking if there is help out there really works! Thank you again all of you... if I do end up sanctioned, because of the huge reductions in outgoings, refunds, etc, I will be able to appeal and not go overdrawn (hopefully); but I am jumping the gun and don't know. Just going to hop over to the benefits thread and let them know about the water supplier good news.... 

Irenadler

MovingForwards said:

I hope you are having loads of adventures at home and too busy enjoying yourself to tell us all about them!

Hey MF
The only adventures were in my poor brain, which was on over-drive! However, I did some digging in the garden, too hot today, to burn off my negativity....

MovingForwards

Have you checked your UC journal for any messages? Probably won't be any.

Congratulations on your water and shopping bills, doggy will be fine for a while, as will you.

Your bills now look a lot more manageable and will give you time to save for the annual ones 🤗

I'm banning you from going into any shop, aside from L, for the next 8 days! After that, the trick is to only have a bit of money in your purse and not your emergency fund!!

savingwannabe

I would ring the benefits people tomorrow and explain that you were in the next room. I am sure they can't sanction you for this. I hope you feel a bit better.

Irenadler

savingwannabe said:

Hello irene, I hope you are well. I just caught up after my jaunt to the New Forest. If possible try to shop to a list. Only buy extras that are yellow stickered and vvvvv cheap. Take something out of your basket if you buy an equivalent in the yellow sticker aisle. 

Hello Saving
Getting there, thank you. The New Forest sounds lovely, hope you were able to wind down and enjoy it.

I am trying on the shopping. Trying to keep to L*dl, only buy from the 6 reduced fresh stuff in the fruit and veg and only if I will use it. Did not get a massive pineapple as no-one likes it in the family, and don't think I could eat a whole one or cook with it... Then getting the other things I regularly buy like apples, nana's and soya milk. By avoiding the processed and sticking to fresh or as near unprocessed as possible, I did hit the £25 target except for the 8p over! And then it went a bit pear-shaped in the charity shop.... Doh!

One thing I did notice was that L*dl put orangey-red stickers on their stuff mixed in with in date stuff. E.g. bread, so had a careful browse but decided to stick to their reasonable wholemeal seeded. They do have some reduced food clearance, but, it's scattered around like on the bottom shelf in a chiller aisle barely noticeable. So I did check in there too. 

Skint_yet_Again

See how well you have done with the shopping budget & recognising the pineapple is not a bargain if you won’t eat it / use it. 

We rarely get reduced to clear items in our aldee or coop so it’s always a nice surprise bonus if I find any, but I can’t rely on them

Irenadler

MovingForwards said:

Have you checked your UC journal for any messages? Probably won't be any.

Congratulations on your water and shopping bills, doggy will be fine for a while, as will you.

Your bills now look a lot more manageable and will give you time to save for the annual ones 🤗

I'm banning you from going into any shop, aside from L, for the next 8 days! After that, the trick is to only have a bit of money in your purse and not your emergency fund!!

Hey Moving
I did check and there was an acknowledgement, saying they will ring me, but they haven't. No time or date on there. I did at least apologise in my journal for missing their call, trying to be polite, as they must be inundated.

Still need to create a saving account to put what's left in there, however, I am worried that there won't be any income so need to keep some in as a buffer. I think I will wait and see what happens before moving anything. Maybe open a savings account with a nominal amount, like £1, so it is there ready....

Ha ha, banning myself from the shops! I see it is so easy to slip into 'consumer mode' especially for me in brain fog (can't blame the meds, it is definitely me!!) I realise my brain needs 'retraining' away from being consumerist, to be a saver, and it's not going to happen in a few weeks.

Maybe I should put any emergency note in my sock or shoe, as I would be too embarrassed to furtle around my sweaty foot to get a minging note out at the till, with other customers watching on in disbelief, and the staff would be too put off to take it!

I was pondering if I should take out the shopping budget in cash each week, as some people have noted on the 'Old Style' threads on here. After the charity shop episode, though, I don't trust myself! It would be better if I took no cash at all, (unless emergency sweaty sock cash ) and used plastic, especially as shops prefer contactless payment and don't want to handle cash....

Irenadler

savingwannabe said:

I would ring the benefits people tomorrow and explain that you were in the next room. I am sure they can't sanction you for this. I hope you feel a bit better.

Hello Saving
I did try ringing them, only getting automated messages, so they must be absolutely run off their feet.. I posted an apology on my journal, which was acknowledged and they said they are ringing me. But, no date or time, and no call... I am definitely improved, thank you, as I am able to post on here.... Gone past the rocking back and forth in the fetal position and moaning (only joking on that, promise!) more like the stress eating and more stress eating and zombie in front of the tv and stress eating..... Did I mention I was stress eating?

Irenadler

Skint_yet_Again said:

See how well you have done with the shopping budget & recognising the pineapple is not a bargain if you won’t eat it / use it. 

We rarely get reduced to clear items in our aldee or coop so it’s always a nice surprise bonus if I find any, but I can’t rely on them

Hello Skinty
Yes, I need to focus on the positive things, I have a huge slight tendency to focus on the negative and catastrophise out of all proportion... 

I was going to attempt using all the six reduced, and challenge my brain with what to do with it, but it's not really worth it for just me. And so right about the reduced, luck of the draw if I find any I will actually use. Better to leave bigger items or large quantity stuff for families (or those who are more expert at preserving?). 

Today I will be mostly melting in the heat and trying to hide from it - forecast is the low 30's here today. Going to do what I can indoors whilst trying to persuade the dog it is too hot to go out. I have already walked her at 5 a.m. this morning for a good 40 minutes in a feeble attempt to tire her out for the rest of the day.... 
 
Meanwhile, the plants are turning themselves into triffids, the dog is twitch running and barking in her sleep, the laundry is on and might take just seconds to dry in this weather on the line, and I am going to force myself to do some cleaning before it gets unbearable....

MovingForwards

Open a savings account with your bank, put £1 in each time you get paid, that's £13 a year. 
You could also start putting your new home insurance into it, ready for next year. Otherwise you may be rushing to get to the bank to pay the cash in, whereas you can move the savings across.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with having an emergency fund at home in cash too.

It's easy to go into headless chicken mode and think the world will cave in. Somehow, you will need to untrain that line of thought and that's where planning comes into play.
When you know UC are calling, take your mobile with you everywhere and have the loudest ring possible, if you miss a call go straight into your journal and say you missed it and ask they give another date (good bum covering 😉)

With the low price of the fruit and veg, I wouldn't even try to get the reduced ones as you want something with a long date, that's fresh and will last until your next shopping trip. You are buying different nuts too, due to being a vegan? I know it's early days, but start as you mean to go on and make sure you've all the right fruit, veg, nuts, carbs etc as you don't want to take vitamins to make up for lacking something.

Weather is hot up here too!