Rolling Down the Green Hill Towards REtirement 😊🌄💚💜

Suffolk_lass

There was a news item yesterday saying Ofgen are looking into DD price rises being disproportionate to energy cost rises (unless you have been on a three year fix since 2020)

Karmacat

I saw something about that - if the suggested increase is more than double, they think there's a complaint - and seeing as greent is currently running a small credit balance, and the suggested increase is getting on for triple ... I reckon that's important!

badmemory

I think the best thing to do is work out what last years usage would cost at the new rates.  If you had a good fix before the bigger the shock.  Then think about another 30% in October.  It isn't pretty!

savingholmes

They are now suggesting that will be a significant increase in October and then another in January. So not pretty at all.

killerpeaty

How does that even work? That's madness, pure madness

Alchemilla

So sorry about you getting Covid and it delaying chemo. We were there in October, very frustrating.

greent

Cheery_Daff said:

Good grief!! 😱😱😱 the cheek!! Is that for a new fix?! 

Yep - so the proposed variable isn't *so* bad at just under £300/ mth..... I will need to have a check on this - but that fix is crazy!!!

greent

Energy stuff is parked briefly - I will look at it, but I don't have the mental capacity to deal with it right now! 

I do keep meaning to post more often - but hate typing more than a couple of lines on my phone, and rarely get my laptop out - so end up doing nothing! 

Chemo number 5 happened last week - so I've only got 1 more to go - honestly, that makes me SO happy! I'm still feeling the effects of last week's dose, but I can really see the light at the end of the tunnel. I've just put in a request for a prescription to my GP for oral thrush meds - I get it every dose and it's rank - but they don't want to prescribe anything - they want me to buy OTC meds. Oncology team say they should prescribe, as it's chemo related - ho hum.... 

So last month (as well as 2 chemo doses) we had 2 graduation ceremonies to attend - DD's MA and DS1's BSc - both in the same week (4 days apart) so it was very busy and tiring - but SO worth it! Very proud of my children

Not sure if I've said, but we've booked a week away in Cornwall - not planning on doing much, but it will be a change of scenery and - so far - the weather forecast looks good - whoop! 4 bed 'cottage' 4 mins walk from harbourside (apparently...) - lovely! And DH and I both received VW 'compensation' money last month - so 1 of the cheques paid for the cottage   The other has been set aside towards new bathroom (happening in a couple of weeks)

On the subject of money, I've just updated the spreadsheet for the month end - we saved actual cash (so not including any SIPP or ISA contributions) of approx £4.5k (but that does include the 2nd VW cheque) and our net worth (not including any work pensions) rose by 15k - share prices clearly recovered somewhat last month! DH also managed to erroneously put all of his bonus into his pension last month - it was only meant to be part of it.... Ah well, I guess we will benefit from that down the line! Next month will see cash balances fall, though - as we have the bathroom to pay for (and £900 car bill on the kids' car!! - but we do have the money set aside for that)

Roll on the PB draw results tomorrow - fingers crossed for a win!! (DH had his first ever win - £25 - last month)


So after all of that, August is as follows:

• 1 session of chemo (last one!)
• Last chemo session means I can have PICC line removed from my arm (yeay!)
• 1 week away in Cornwall (whoop!)
• 1 day at work (31st Aug - like apple)
• GCSE results to be collected for DS2 and VIth form to sort out
• 1 bathroom to be fitted (boys' bathroom - means they can stop using mine for a shower!)
• School uniforms/ shoes to sort for DS2 and DS3
• 1 meal out with fam-a-lam to celebrate 2 x graduation, 1 x GCSE results and our anniversary (combining it all in to one)
• 1 meal with friends for her bday
• some more fence painting planned (slow going, but that's fine - it's happening)

Ooh - and July saw a decent amount of things go from here - a whole carboot of stuff to CS, a few things sold on flebay/ fb00k, stuff recycled/ binned. More of this will be happening in August - I have a few hours left today to get some more things on flebay. I also have 2 bags of uniforms to be donated to DS2 and DS3's schools when I next get to either of them   There's a box of books building up for Z1ff1t and also a bag of random bits n pieces for the shoebox appeal and a new CS bag with 1 item in it so far! (it's a start!)


Oooh - and my hair is growing back!!!  

Cheery_Daff

Lots of good news in there! 😊😊😊Excellent savings, and hooray for the last chemo session, woo hoo!

savingholmes

Fantastic news. Glad you only have 1 chemo session left.

Holiday to look forward to still is good. Getting bathroom done sound exciting and possibly challenging in the short term. Will be worth it when it's done.

Lots to celebrate in your list of things to come.