Where to go from here? - Frugality and Budgeting Diary

weenancyinAmerica

Think of stuff in the attic and basements, as well as closets, as more insulation for the house. If you get rid of all of it, you will need to put in more insulation so the junk helps in the meantime. I have always considered walls of books to be great insulation - just make sure there is no damp behind them. That is why they used to put up tapestries in castles - to use as insulation. Quilts on walls work well too.

CJRyder

weenancyinAmerica said:

Think of stuff in the attic and basements, as well as closets, as more insulation for the house. If you get rid of all of it, you will need to put in more insulation so the junk helps in the meantime. I have always considered walls of books to be great insulation - just make sure there is no damp behind them. That is why they used to put up tapestries in castles - to use as insulation. Quilts on walls work well too.

Thanks for that. I have recently replaced the loft hatch with a good sealing one. I don't mind useful things up there but boxes of literal crap is stopping me putting useful stuff that yet we don't need up there. Also I would like to do a loft conversion so any chance to make that future clearing job easier will be appreciated.

CJRyder

It's been a little while but things are looking alright. Managed to get cleared a fair chunk of tat from living room that had built up and never been dealt with. However I have felt a bit spendthrift with various back-ups and energy saving measures that have been acquired (A Grand Remoska being one) but September will hopefully be a cheaper month overall. DD is starting funded childcare so costs are slashed dramatically. Hopefully this will counterbalance the energy usage.

CJRyder

General update: I have (once again) had to bail out DW from poor financial management, albeit not by much but even so. DD has started funded childcare but DW didn't seem to get the message that better times start in October, not September. I have been left on my own for a fortnight unsupervised ( ) whilst she takes DD to see family. I have had a brief break to myself after an escort mission to the airport and back to work tomorrow. Trip planned at the weekend along with general home improvement (tidying up but on a bigger scale). Small dent in finances thanks to one-off expenditure but I see most of it as investment rather than splurge.

Gem-gem

Where things can be cut ... 
Do you have a window cleaner or do you clean your window yourself? £10 a month saving - £120 a year. 

YorksLass

Gem-gem - if only I could find a window cleaner!  They're as rare as hen's teeth round here.  I've always cleaned my own windows but the outsides now get done once in a blue moon.  Downstairs is OK but upstairs I'm afraid I'm too old now to be climbing up ladders or perching inside on the window ledge and reaching out.  I think the NHS has enough on its plate right now without me adding to their burden.     Good idea though for those who can.

[Deleted User]

Like most folks just now I'm trying to economise as much as possible - especially with the increased cost of living and energy etc.  I am (at a push) capable of washing my own windows (just a one bedroom home and all windows at ground level) but I would not give up my £6 every three weeks to my fantastic window cleaner.

He does a great job and is always willing to do little (really only very little because I would not take advantage!) jobs like refiling my bird feeder in the winter - it is a bit too high up for me to reach - I am a bit unsteady at times and my balance is not as good as it used to be. 

He has been my window cleaner for about 25 years and I am genuinely (although I know it is such a small amount) very eager to support local businesses when at all possible. 

Floss

I have tilt & turn windows so clean them all myself. I don't drink coffee so have no need of a coffee machine to replace takeaway drinks, and rarely eat takeaway or eat out so nothing to save there either.

Where I do save is by meal planning, cooking once to eat twice (or more) and only shopping once a week with a list that I stick to. I get my cats litter & dry food delivered in bulk, and buy her sachets at Wilko, Home Bargains or B&M. If I see things I use & can store on offer I will buy them within reason - no point in storing 4 years supply of loo roll if the last year's worth disintegrates in storage.

Gem-gem

We have a window cleaner - who cleans the windows at the front / side of the house. (The difficult upstairs windows). We clean, the back of the house windows, as we can climb out onto the extension and do the outside/upstairs window and the kitchen / patio windows I clean more frequently. We pay £6 a month instead of £12 a month. 

We also, clean /valet our own car - whether it is summer or winter, saving £25 each time. 

I do very much support local businesses and will pay a little more for UK goods /uk cottage industries. For Christmas last year, all presents were sourced from this country - nothing came from overseas, I am not adverse from buying other countries as long as that is what the country is well known for. 

London_1

I don't have a window cleaner, as they are as YorksLass says rarer than hens teeth in my area of Kent as well.
I do have a chap who comes to mow the lawn, and weed my garden once a fortnight from March until the end of October, and I was his first ever customer when he started his business up about 5 years ago and bless him he still charges me the same price and won't increase it as I have passed his details on to lots of people locally and got him more customers.

He will also do things like small handy man jobs as well as changing a light bulb in my house is a challenge as I have 8'6" high ceilings and I'm at most 5'4" and climbing ladders etc would just be daft at my age  
I never begrudge the £12.00 a fortnight as to me he keeps my garden looking neat and tidy which is a job I can no longer manage. He is a local one-man band, so as he is semi retired it helps to suplement his income as well.

I do have a chap would valets my car twice a year and in fact he is due tomorrow ,another local small business .I have a 7 seater car which is definitely taller than I am ,:)  and he is an excellent chap and my car is showroom clean and polished and looks great once done These are my two indulgences that I treat myself to and budget for accordingly

 I was speaking to Clint (the valet chap) last week and he was saying because of the downturn in the economy many of his regulars have being cancelling him which is sad for him, and he said he may have to do delivery driving through to winter to keep afloat, so I'm really pleased I managed to get him to come tomorrow. He's a lovely young man who has a wife ,family and mortgage to pay so I'm more than happy to give him some work and it helps sticking locally for trades.

t the moment apart from maybe cutting back on electricity usage, and using extra layers I'm coping pretty well with the COL crisis.
I have been squirrelling a extra few bits away for the winter in my food cupboards, mainly tins and dried goods, but I usually do that anyway in the autumn as being a bit mobility impaired, bad icy weather keeps me indoors No point filling up a hospital bed for the sake of a few tins of beans etc

JackieO xx