2022 Frugal Living Challenge

linz

London_1 said:

MazzieD said:

Just a very quick post for other Shell Energy customers with an on-line account.

Just checked my Account Summary and info about the suggested new October DD or suggested one off payment is there.  Not received an email yet so if you haven't either and want to check beforehand hopefully info should be there.

I'm a Shell energy user. They just reduced my October payment in early September to £36.00 from £42 then I just checked again and they want the payment back up to £42.00 again even though I am £271 in credit, and my last months bill was £39.25 I think the machine has a mind of its own at the moment . I am on a fixed rate until August 2023

I'm with Shell Energy too, and despite being £518 in credit they want to increase my DD from £55 to £81 pcm

Floss

HelenaPinky I have hung blackout curtains behind others in summer - be mindful of weight on your pole fixings into the wall 😉

MazzieD

@London_1 @cw18 and @linz Thanks for your posts, it's really interesting to find out how other people are in quite a lot of credit and being asked to increase payments. 

My experience has been different, Shell have kept my DD lower than it should be and using my credit to make up the difference so my credit has been reduced to an average of £100 each month!.

I just did a straightforward switch to Shell via the Cheap Energy Club (those were the days...).  They have been keeping an eye on my account due to problems with my smart meter so that might be a possible reason.  

Primrose

The comments re people being in credit on their energy accounts are interesting and pause for thought as it seems to me there are two ways of looking at this.

It's obviously a huge comfort in these difficult times to know that you don't "owe" money on your fuel bills, but then it struck me that if there are millions of us up and down the country in this situation the fuel suppliers must consequently be sitting on millions of ££s of surplus cash.

The savvy accountants in those companies will surely be having an eye on the short term investment market and be putting those millions in short term interest accounts?  I would dearly love to know how much interest that money is earning them, especially now the Bank of England has once again increased the Bank Rate.

Don't get me wrong.  I completely understand that all companies need to be able to make a profit to survive and thrive  (and the reality is that most of us are members of pension schemes whose money is invested in shares of many of these energy companies which makes us shareholders who need the best returns these companies can provide ) - but I'm curious to know how much extra profit all these "in credit" accounts might be earning.

It's difficult striking a reasonable balance, isn't it, between staying credit on your fuel bills and perhaps putting that cash away in a savings fund of your own rather than an energy company investing it?

zafiro1984

I don't know if anyone is interested but Tes... at the moment are selling frozen turkeys at a reasonable price but I expect the price to increase nearer to Christmas.

I say this because I used to raise turkeys for the Christmas market, the last batch being in 2019 just 3 yrs ago. It wasn't on a huge scale, I used to sell locally and to local butchers. 
By the time I had bought in poults, fed, watered, provided bedding or in other words reared them. Then had them processed/dressed, I couldn't do it for under £22 per bird.  This did not include anything for my time, for the investment in housing etc etc and this was prices in 2019. 

I know the large companies can do it far cheaper than I could but the price at T.... is quite attractive and I think I'll get a crown in advance just in case prices soar.

By the way I now have a flock of geese - not for Christmas, they're guard dogs, and keep the grass short. They are great fun.

Debsnewbudget

Thanks for the heads up about the turkey crowns 
just ordered one, so will be playing freezer tetris later before delivery comes tomorrow 😄

Primrose

Lots of people are commenting on how many grocery products are being "downsized" rather than necessarily having their prices increased, ie fewer sheets in loo rolls, thinner toothpaste tubes, fewer contents in coffee jars.   It certainly seems to suggest that those who climbed onto the stockpiling ladder a while ago at the"former levels" are now reaping better value for money.

You',d have to be a real expert though to juggle the ratios between the "Eat Before" date and the money you save  in the process., especially when you,re also trying to take advantage of any genuine bargains whixh crop up in day to day shopping. 

kayannie

kayannie said:

I must share this - my OH has his 80th birthday soon. He received a letter from the Pensions Service this morning to inform him that his pension will be increased by an age addition of 25p a week! Now, a decision to be made, what to spend it on?!! 

I'm updating my post regarding the 25p rise in OH's pension. Our meagre pension credit has been reduced by 10p because of the rise in the pension, so we will actually be 15p better off a week! How much did all this admin cost?!!
KA

Floss

Primrose said:

 
The savvy accountants in those companies will surely be having an eye on the short term investment market and be putting those millions in short term interest accounts?     

Yes, that is a thought, but the energy firms who don't supply their own will buy their energy in nassive amounts, are billed daily and will be paying for that daily. And yes, their shareholders will call the shots.

YORKSHIRELASS

Hi all

Put the oven on this afternoon and made two lasagnes, one meat and one veggie.  DH and I get 3 portions out of each so it's worth putting the oven on, made some muffins too.  DS2 turned up and said he was staying at our house tonight, then he asked if he could have a portion of lasagne to take for his dinner tomorrow then asked if he could put his trousers that were almost dry in our tumble drier so he could wear them to go out in, I dont mind, he's a good kid.  

Did our once weekly "hot wash" for undies, socks and anything that needs more than a quick wash.  Hung it out after the rain stopped.

Got a Too Good to Go box, not the best we have had, some just about edible salad, lots of donuts, mushrooms, wensleydale cheese with cranberries and asparagus.  Might have a go at making a quiche tomorrow if I have enough eggs.

Pleased that we are still managing without the heating, although I have been under the heated throw a bit. 

Not sure what tomorrow brings, hopefully some cycling if we both feel like it.