How to live without heating - save £000s

HertsLad

The forecast temperature has dropped from -2C to -4C for tonight. I love down. For me, nothing filled with down has ever got wet, or even damp, including uses in a tent, sleeping in the car or wearing outdoors. I see many people wearing down puffer jackets as the top layer. I would never do that. I always wear a waterproof jacket over the top.

HertsLad

So much for me considering myself a money saver. I slept in the car and went to the airport, only to discover I had left a bag behind including my passport, bank cards and cash. I'd even ticked a checklist to confirm they'd been packed. So that's about £1000 lost, worth about 7 years standing charges for electricity, carefully avoided.

kimwp

HertsLad said:

So much for me considering myself a money saver. I slept in the car and went to the airport, only to discover I had left a bag behind including my passport, bank cards and cash. I'd even ticked a checklist to confirm they'd been packed. So that's about £1000 lost, worth about 7 years standing charges for electricity, carefully avoided.

That's annoying, but if you hadn't been careful about the standing charges, you'd be £2000 down.

masonic

HertsLad said:

So much for me considering myself a money saver. I slept in the car and went to the airport, only to discover I had left a bag behind including my passport, bank cards and cash. I'd even ticked a checklist to confirm they'd been packed. So that's about £1000 lost, worth about 7 years standing charges for electricity, carefully avoided.

That's always my nightmare scenario in the lead up a trip. Sorry to hear that!

HertsLad

Moreover, I returned to my house with thermometer readings lower than I've ever seen before. One at 1C, another at 0C and a third at -0.5C I had emptied the ramekin dishes of water before leaving for my holiday. I need to put them back.  

I calculated it would cost at least £250 for a single flight to Verona tomorrow, a train fare to Bolzano, a night in a hotel, with buses to the Dolomites on Monday morning. I'd be down to 4 days skiing and don't consider it wort 'throwing good money after bad'. What would you do?

dealyboy

HertsLad said:

Moreover, I returned to my house with thermometer readings lower than I've ever seen before. One at 1C, another at 0C and a third at -0.5C I had emptied the ramekin dishes of water before leaving for my holiday. I need to put them back.  

I calculated it would cost at least £250 for a single flight to Verona tomorrow, a train fare to Bolzano, a night in a hotel, with buses to the Dolomites on Monday morning. I'd be down to 4 days skiing and don't consider it wort 'throwing good money after bad'. What would you do?

I understand HertsLad ... I tell you you're not the only one. You have achieved and learnt so much over the years and shown us the way, it was never about the actual money saved was it?

I think you're right and I wouldn't try to recover a broken holiday, fate might have something to say. What I would do is treat myself, spend £250 on something you would really like but wouldn't have bought otherwise, as a consolation.

Chloe_G

Oh no, I'm sorry to hear this @HertsLad

pseudodox

Unfortunately assuming your original flight was a return then the homeward leg would now be invalidated by the "no show" outward flight.  So you would also have to buy another new flight to get home.

BTW kudos to you for even telling us this.  I bet many would not own up to such an unfortunate mishap.

Swipe

What an absolute nightmare! So sorry to hear that. The extension that backs on my kitchen got down to 1.5C this morning. I've never seen it that low before and the thermometer in the loft next to the water tank was down to -2C this morning. I've been checking it throughout this cold spell and it consistently stays about 3C above outside temps. Luckily, flushing the toilet allows the header tank in the loft to have water flow for a good few hours. 

HertsLad

pseudodox said:

Unfortunately assuming your original flight was a return then the homeward leg would now be invalidated by the "no show" outward flight.  So you would also have to buy another new flight to get home.

BTW kudos to you for even telling us this.  I bet many would not own up to such an unfortunate mishap.

Where did you hear that? EasyJet terms and conditions say other sectors are not affected.

I found a way to reach the ski resort for far less than £250 and a day earlier for 5 days skiing, That's about £80 for a flight including a hold bag to Verona. Plus a Fiat 500 hire car for only £8 per day. I'd drive it back to the airport next Saturday, rather than use the holiday company transfer bus. The distance is about 180Km so it's quite a long way and I don't think hire cars come with winter tyres, so it doesn't feel exactly risk free. Your opinions on the hire car idea would also be appreciated. Has anyone here ever driven in and out of ski resorts? I have never seen cars using snow chains only Council vehicles such as snow ploughs. There is likely to be more snow on the resort roads but they are well gritted. Roads between airports and close to the ski resorts always seem to be clear of snow.