Simple living in the country - back to basics

Cheery_Daff

Evening all 😊

My mum has been and gone - we exchanged Christmas presents since I've not seen her since November, and since we still have the Christmas tree up (!!!) Mr Cheery put some carols on so it all felt nicely festive 😂😂😂😂😂

Delighted to say I finished off the orange painting 😁 Not done the skirting or the gold, but do feel like I've made progress.

Oh, and we nipped into town to get some diesel before our trip tomorrow - Morrisons was cheapest but had run out 🙄 so we ended up at Tesco, and paid 172.9 🙄 Not as bad as I feared from the petrol prices app, which said 178.9 - I'd thought that was live updates but it seems not, which at the minute makes me question how useful it is! 

Anyway, our true purpose was to investigate a couple of bar stools we spotted in a charity shop yesterday - no price, but we asked, and they were a fiver each so we've brought them home. They're high enough for the breakfast bar, but go low enough to serve as extra dining table chairs if we have lots of visitors. Not really the look we were going for but they'll definitely do temporarily. Did a bit of digging and I think they're these

 https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07V5L6WMR/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_HYMWBD88TJ8PHEJJ7P3F

Which are £65 new for the pair, which makes the £10 we just paid feel like a nice bargain 😊

KajiKita

Happy belated Christmas! 😂 🎄 😊

Yaay for the barstools 😊 Love it when things like that happen 😊

Well done on the decorating and getting the diesel. Hubby was out at the local garage that does fuel and spares because he needed various gloops and potions for his engine rebuild this morning and found that it was ‘shut’ because we are starting to have panic buying locally. According to garage man we will be facing a diesel shortage very soon which will last two to three weeks due to the Russian tankers that have been turned away over the last few days. He’s already seeing delays in his delivery dates. I’m not saying this to be alarmist, but I would keep my tank at least half full, fill up where and when I could and minimise my journeys. There is no effect on petrol atm. 

KK

Cheery_Daff

Sounds like a sensible plan at the minute anyway I reckon 🙄 One car is full now (although won't be after we visit Mr Cheery's dad tomorrow) and I'll take the other one to work on Monday and fill up then 🙄

Cheery_Daff

Ooh, forgot to say, we went yo Aldi yesterday and did a massive stock up to last us to the end of the month. £128 😮😮😱😱 But that should be it except milk and fruit i think, and a lot was tins etc so will last over the coming weeks too. 

It was all a bit precariously balanced but we did actually manage to get it into the trolley, but as we were putting it on the conveyor belt decided it was going to be too difficult to pack again quickly at the other side, so Mr Cheery went and got another trolley 😮😂 Somehow they both seemed full at the end! 

Right old faff and I am NOT a fan of that excessive level of shopping in one go (although I AM a fan of not going to the supermarket very often, so...).

Let's see how it works out. Not used any of our vouchers this month yet either so go those as a back up if necessary.

Should point out that that's not all we've spent on food in March - we'd already been shopping at least once for various things. Will tally up properly over the next few days.

EssexHebridean

If it helps your diesel wasn’t THAT much pricier than we’ve both paid here in the last couple of days - 165.9 down here.  Glad you finally got your LPG delivery though - I was getting a bit concerned that you might end up in the cold again! 

Cheery_Daff

Yes, so was I! Thankfully not. But I've learned my lesson about checking more often. The order went in automatically when they'd estimated we'd got down to 25%, but we were actually at 18% at that point, and it took them another three weeks. 

Had lots of weird dreams last night, and woke up worrying about things, including money. We're in a better position than many and I don't really need to *worry* as such, but it's a good reminder not to become complacent. I'd bought lunch at work twice in the last couple of weeks, and bought a book when I was in London, and various other things creeping in... 

Anyway, not making any grand proclamations, but I've chopped up a load of veg which is now roasting in the oven, and I'm making a big batch of cous cous to parcel up for lunches over the week. I've got food packed to take with us today as well. 

Just about to sit down with YNAB. My bank card pin still hasn't arrived, so I've been using up the cash stash, but that does mean I don't have an accurate record as much as I would with the bank card...Bigger stuff like diesel has gone on the credit card, so I need to check that's all recorded in YNAB etc too. 

Payday on Friday, and I don't think I'm going to get away without withdrawing SOME from premium bonds to cover the incoming gas bill (which is likely to be almost £800 ), but I'm hoping I'll be able to do it after the next draw... We'll see... 

greenbee

I’ve just checked “local” diesel prices, and they range from 162-177ppl. I think I have about half a tank left, and I’m not due to go near any of the cheaper options any time soon. I don’t drive that much, but have to pick up dry cleaning on Monday and meet a friend for lunch on Wednesday, so have to work out whether to go out and fill up now or hope things settle down.

I’m holding out on the heating oil, as I have half a tank and the weather is warming up (although I’m going to need to split some logs and possibly even order some - they’re also getting expensive at the moment!). Anyone who has solar thermal/solar PV and ASHP/GSHP must be feeling very happy about their investments right now!

angela110660

Fuel prices are similar round here too. Drove past one garage on Friday - unleaded was 156. Drove back an hour or so later- it had changed to 159. how does that work? Profiteering?

This morning no diesel at local Sainsburys. Would not even go near Esso - so expensive.

Cheery_Daff

Our tesco is esso - that was 172.9 yesterday. Drove past somewhere this morning that was 180.9.

themadvix

Wholesale diesel prices did come down on Friday (by 13p/l I think) but whether this will show at the pumps for a couple of weeks (or more) is doubtful. (Mr MV orders the fuel for his work, which is a large delivery company.) Sadly it’s likely they’ll go up more at the pumps before they come down as there’s a delay too. (The suppliers that Mr MV doesn’t have weekly contracts with will only give him a daily price at the moment 😳)