Dusty's Frugal Fortnights Return!

Katiehound

I suppose it would be too sneaky to suggest that you fill a volvic (or whatever) bottle with tap water, hide it in the fridge and just pass it off as branded stuff???? wonder if he would notice....

My understanding is that due to Ukraine crisis there is a shortage of sunflower oil generally. In Co-op it says that processed items  that used to contain SF oil will have something else instead.
 Aldi have just taken SF spread- which is what I always bought- right off the shelves, not even a gap where it used to be and it's been like that for weeks. (And I don't like the other alternatives! never mind the price of them)

Sorry my suggestions bit the dust! I was only trying to be helpful: but clearly not. 
Will try to do better next time!

take care

slm6002

Lol this would be my suggestion too re the water.

My XH insisted he needed head and shoulders as this was the only shampoo that worked for him.  I found one that smelt the same and was the same colour for 19p a bottle and kept refilling it.  At one point the colour changed so I had to quickly look around again but quickly found another one similar for under 50p (at the time). To this day he never knew any different.  That one real shampoo bottle lasted over 8 years.

Cornflakes, biscuits, tbags were all the same.  He even had his own bottle of branded ketchup which mysteriously never fully emptied.  Me and the kids had value ketchup lol

slm6002

Would OH be happy with a water filter jug to keep in the fridge.  That way he could have tap water and change the filter every so often.  Not sure if the price is better but maybe worth looking if you cant sneak tap water into old bottles

dustydigger

I've had a good laugh at your comments. Some sneaky people here!

Mr D is a health freak in some things. When the mad cow disease happened he immediately banned beef from the house,and he was probably the last in the country to permit beef back in the house. EIGHT YEARS later!!!

In the case of water he saw a programme warning of the dangers of aluminium in drinking water,it can be toxic. Councils were actually ADDING aluminium to the water because it made it look fresh and sparkling. I kid you not. Not sure if thats still happening but that was that for Mr D. No more tap water. For a while we had one of those water filtering jugs,but he was suspicious of the chemicals ,didnt like the taste. So bottled water ruled the day.

But thats not the end of the story.Anyone remember Del Boy filling bottles of ''Peckham Water'' from the tap? Mr D has no faith in the integrity of the bottled spring water suppliers,he isnt sure they are not in the Del Boy tradition. I kid you not,but we BOIL the bottled water!  

Every few days Mr D boils a full bottle of spring water,cools it on the window sill for hours then pours the cooled water back in the bottle,and pops it in the fridge.. Not sure if he doesnt trust me - me and the kids just continued to use tap water for years-but there's no way of sneaking in tap water Two bottles of boiled water take up almost a full shelf of my fridge at all times,which does not please me,but I gave in and went with the flow years ago.

He shops for all his own toiletries and so no chance of swapping some cheaper stuff.

About food,he is happy enough with own brand versions of cornflakes and weetabix,and really apart from those,and an occasional chinese takeaway,all his food is fresh cooked daily,he almost never eats frozen convenience foods etc.

Eating rump steak,lamb,salmon,masses of fruit and veg may be a bit pricey but he certainly thrives on it. Fit as a man 15 years or more younger,and all his life had only one filling. When he had to have another  small filling 5 years ago he was really offended. Two fillings and keeping all your teeth at 82 shows he is doing something right!

Anyway,thanks for the comments. I love the way you all get riled up at Mr D and his foibles.

 

dustydigger

Finally Scottish Power have given some details on my October
Your estimated annual cost
Next 12 months:
Electricity:
£1,450.06 for 2607 kWh
Gas:
£2,156.14 for 14489 kWh
................................
Previous 12 months:
Electricity:
£594.66 for 2607 kWh
Gas:
£582.57 for 14489 kWh

So,up from £1077 to £3606. I'm assuming they are being coy,and that figure is based on this October tariff,so the extra large  rises in  January to come are still hidden.. Plus of course standing charges on top.I am pretty much in line with the famed ''average bill''

I cut consumption by 10% this year,can I reduce another 10% now?Even that would only bring the payments down to about £300 a month.. I will get some help,but still its a challenge. A challenge being faced literally by millions upon millions of desperate people.  Awful

So people anyone like to share what is happening with their bills?

Talking about bills,I will try to post my Frugal Fortnight budget later today.But now its off to the kitchen,my mantra. Just been given 4 beautiful lamb leg steaks by DD1s partner,that will be supper,and two meals tomorrow sorted.

Corned beef plate pie for dinner,so need to get cracking. Mr Dusty has gone off to town for our ''pay'' as we call it,two weeks pension credit. I raised the money going to mybank account from Mr D from £200 to £250 last fortnight,have to get used to less cash in HBB.

Anyhoo,off to peel a big pile of spuds.

Then go and wash my hair. Back was too stiff and painful to do it on waking up,it takes time to work out the kinks.Will be in agony once I have bent over to wash it....sigh.......

tooldle

My estimated use figures for the coming year are 1938 for electricity and 4486 for gas. I'm in a 3 bed detatched. I'm on a smart meter and have been for well over a year, making the estimate reasonably accurate. 
Your gas figure is enormous! 

dustydigger

tooldle said:

My estimated use figures for the coming year are 1938 for electricity and 4486 for gas. I'm in a 3 bed detatched. I'm on a smart meter and have been for well over a year, making the estimate reasonably accurate. 
Your gas figure is enormous!

Our consumption has always been high. Its always been my biggest expense. And back in the days when our 4 kids were still at home ........ouch.

I am  surprised that I am considered to in the average range of bill these days. I thought I was way above average. SP graphs shows my gas consumption above the medium level and nor quite reaching super high.

I now have LED lights,have turned my boiler level down to around 55,cut 15 mins off the timer for morning heat and water,and got a tabletop oven which is supposed to use about a third less power than a main oven,so I hope to lower my consumption a bit. But Mr Dusty wants to be warm all the time,and I actually NEED to be warm. You should see the state of my hands in cold weather,the arthritis makes them curl up like talons

dustydigger

Spent fa too much of the afternoon either snoozing o following political events on youtube.

then I have being cooking lamb steaks. Need to be quick with this post and do the supper. Hate frying mushrooms,tomatoes onions  late .

Anyhoo,its budget time.I have increased to £250 added on line. At the moment the way my fortnights come earlier each time,I now have a lot of bills in the time period. But I have a good bank buffer,so no sweat

-----------------------------------

Dusty's Frugal Fortnight #9 : 5th Sept - 18th Sept

part is online,part cash

online income for fortnight : £79  pension ,£250 sent to bank from our Pension Credit,total £329.Then £73 cash to HBB (Home Budget Box) .

Total income -£402.

All bills paid online as follows(rounded up)

Charity DDs - £3

Gas /electric - £150

Water rates - £37

Home Insurance - £10

Asd@ monthly delivery pass -  £6

Asd@ food deliveries  - £130(estimate)

total - £336

short fall corrected from bank buffer - £7

-----------------------------------------

I think its about time to cash in a voucher I got from the council for £75 for ''household support''

Blackandgold_2

We haven't heard yet from either our gas or electricity supplier but there's plenty of time!

We are on SVR for both and estimated that our DDs will increase by at least 75%. The standing charges are only going up by small amounts but the cost per units is more or less doubling.

We have an inset multi fuel stove in the living room so might use that a bit more; it does throw out a lot of heat if you're sitting close to it but doesn't do much for the rest of the house.

slm6002

I hate to rub it in but I am one of the smug ones as my fixed rate will not run out until Nov 2023.  I am worried though that it will be an even bigger jump by then.  I have also recently had solar panels installed and through the summer which has bought my usage from the grid down a lot when the sun is out.  I have no idea how it will be in the winter months though