We will get this debt down & the savings up

Makingabobor2

Just to say sorry I've not updated for a few days. Just off to hairdressers, so will try and do a proper update later. 

Makingabobor2

Afternoon everyone. Hope everyone is well and doing all things MSE.  I seem to have been busy, busy lately. Not sure what I have to say that is of interest. 
Its nice to see the temperatures slowly creeping up, so not needing the heating on so much. Its monthly reading and bill day this weekend, so we'll see how it compares to last month. 

Surveys seem to be a bit thin on the ground this month, in fact TBH, this year seems to be a lot slower than last year. Maybe more people have signed up to them so there is less chance of getting them. 
Also I have just about run out of things to sell on FBMP, so not making much on there any more. DH sold a few things recently that he had "forgotten" he had in the loft apparently. But when we make money from selling, we keep it as personal spends, so can do what we want with it. Mine normally goes on OPs or savings etc. DH tends to keep his for if he wants to buy something in the future, or he will sometimes use it as holiday spends, for coffees etc. 

The plumber/gas engineer is coming back on Tuesday to fix the loo, now its obvious where its leaking from. Good job we have 2 loos. He's not sent the bill for the work he's done so far, so at least I have had time to add more to the pot for that. Although I'm pretty sure there is ample in there. 

Oh yes...here's a bit of interesting stupidity that DH came out with last night.  He suddenly said he thought we should go and view a bungalow which is on the market in our village, as we had often talked about moving to a bungalow as we get older. I questioned how he thought we would actually be in a position to move at the moment, as we have no spare funds and have discussed several times how we need to pay the mortgage off, then the rest of the debts and then we may be able to think about downsizing. I told him we'd need a good £5-10K spare funds for all the fees involved in moving, and he looked at me like he thought I was mad.  He said he hates living here!   Its just all the neighbours parking outside our house that he doesn't like and the fact that the new people on the "joined on side", seem to cook a lot of curries etc and the smell seems to seep through to our bedroom, through the built in wardrobes that are on that side wall.  I am forever burning candles etc and putting bicarb and lemon oil in the wardrobe to absorb the smell. But I can hardly ask them not to cook in their own house.  So the conversation ended with me telling him, we really can't move for a few years, and him being grumpy!  Honestly its like living with a child sometimes....lol

So I best get on, got loads to to and looks like I should rescue the washing from the line before the weather changes.  Hoping to work out some more savings payments or OPs later and will update if I do. 

Makingabobor2

Afternoon all. 
Didn't get round to posting yesterday, but had a good money saving day. Went to L*d! first thing, armed with my list and managed to get the free item from the spin, plus the free item for spending over the required amount for the month. Also had a voucher for 15% off a loaf of bread that I was intending to buy anyway, and some tinned salmon on BOGOF, which I also buy, although not very often now the price has rocketed. So was a good offer.  They also had some bread orange stickered, as well as some diced pork (30% off), which I have divided up and frozen.  From there I nipped into Mr M, as had to get petrol and it is on my way home. Found some yellow stickered sausages (£3.60, down to £1.08).  I was intending to buy washing powder. For years I have been using the one beginning with F, that sounds like it has wings and is good for sensitive skin.  But the price seems to have rocketed lately, so I decided to see how Mr M's own non bio one would work. It is loads cheaper and has 2 chances of being any good. Its not just the sensitive skin thing with me, but also if its too perfumed it really affects my sinuses. So we'll give it a try and see. Difference in price was £8 for F and £4.75 for Mr M, so no contest really. Pleased to say I wasn't tempted by anything that wasn't on my list either.   So a good savings day really, apart from the fact that petrol had gone up 3p a litre since last week. Still within my petrol budget though, and won't be going very far for the rest of the week.  

So today the loo was finally fixed properly and we await the bill. Shouldn't be too much, it didn't take him long to do it, and I know the price for the annual service of boiler & fire is always reasonable. 

Yesterday I had an email from the tentacled ones, saying that as we have now gone into the red.....by £16 only, and as soon as next payment comes out in 3 days, we will be back in credit again. But they decided that to keep us on track for NEXT winter, we should increase our monthly payment from £130 to £165!!  Don't think so. Lets not worry about next winter, until this winter is over. Plus I get the winter fuel allowance, so will be able to send them more money next October. I didn't use any of it for them so far this winter, its still sitting in the bank. So anyway, I went online and paid an extra £20, which brought us down into credit again and then altered the monthly payment to £135. That is as far as I am prepared to go. No way are we using that much that we need to pay £165.  This winter was an exception as first I broke my wrist and was sitting around feeling cold, then we both got covid and needed the heat on more. So we'll see how it goes.  I think they are crafty and expect that people will just accept their predictions and not bother to log in and make changes. Which I imagine a lot of people do.  Today the heating was only on for 2 hours early morning, and I am in the kitchen with wrist warmers, 2 pairs of leggings, long sleeved t shirt, fleece and body warmer and feeling fine

Been out for a walk to the local village and a look round the CS, nothing much in there today that I fancied.  Now looking for surveys/studies and then to do my online exercise class....that will warm me up. Also I need to do my meal plan, so I don't forget which days I need to defrost anything. 

Dinner tonight is soup made from yesterday's left over chicken and veggies with some nice bread. 

Hope everyone else is doing ok. 

Makingabobor2

Don't know if there is anyone out there in Diary land, but hello if you are reading.  
Today has been wet, windy and cold, but does look like its settling down a bit more now..  Woke up with a silly cold, so trying to get that out of my system and be better by tomorrow. Think it may have been from the young lad that was coughing a lot at the checkout in the supermarket on Monday, so going back to wearing a mask when shopping again now.  I used to do it all the time, with DH being vunerable, but after we both caught covid at NY from DGS3, I sort of got out of the habit. Obviously it wasn't the best idea.  Anyway, it doesn't feel too bad so far, so hopefully will go as quickly as it arrived. 

Had a few little surveys/studies today, but nothing spectacular. It all adds up though and is better than nothing, Still never got any mystery shops, despite signing up for 2 different companies. They all seem to be in the nearest city, which is actually about 11 miles away, and I hardly ever go there. So certainly not worth accepting an assignment there, unless I happen to be going anyway. I was hoping for something in our more local towns, but nothing so far.  I may go into the city soon, just because I am desperate for a pair of nice shoes and some new jeans, which I don't seem to be able to get locally.  Will see if anything comes up to coincide. I have been putting it off, as I hate shopping so much, but it has got desperate now. I'll have nothing to wear to go out soon, as not bought hardly anything brand new for several years, and hardly anything 2nd hand lately either and there is only so much I can find on the Bay of E or the local CSs

Water rates bill arrived today....up by another £10!!!!!  Which calculates out at 12%. How on earth do they justify that? I would think about a meter, but DH uses a lot washing his motor bike and the car and also we have a fish pond that often gets emptied cleaned and refilled. So I'm not sure if we would save or not. I'll wait until I have all the new bills for the coming year and then see how much extra it all comes to. Good job I am getting a pension rise....won't go very far though at this rate

Oh the saving money on the washing powder turned out to be a waste of time. First wash I tried with it, and it made my allergies so bad instantly. So will see if anyone wants it on Olio. 
Not much more to update today, nearly time to get dinner on. Today is sausages, from the yellow stickered ones i got in Mr M on Monday. Got loads of veggies left over from yesterday, so will do some mash and gravy. like a bit of comfort food when I have a cold.   

vampirotoothus

Hi there, if you are thinking of downsizing does the bungalow your husband saw fit the description? You would only have to pay search fees up front I think and all other costs are settled at the point of completion. May be worth considering. Good luck V x

LittleMissDetermined

Bungalows around here are so very expensive compared to multistorey housing, I'm not even sure of the reason why given there's usually less living space.  Having said that, I frequently curse the day we decided that a 3-storey town house would be a great idea.  I've set myself up a little coffee station in the office now as it's as far away from the kitchen as I can be. 

Water going up by £10 a month seems a lot. We have a water meter, there's just us 2 most of the time and we have the hot tub and hubby frequently washes his pushbikes. The washer is on almost every day too. Our bill is £26 a month.  Martin says if you have more bedrooms than people it's worth getting one, plus with some companies you can change your mind within 2 years so it's worth looking into.

Makingabobor2

Yes, maybe worth looking at the possible costs of a meter @LittleMissDetermined. We have 3 bedrooms and only the 2 of us. I probably have washer on 4-5 times a week maybe, we hardly ever use the bath, but I do tend to stay in shower a while when washing my hair, once I get under that hot water its hard to get out...lol.  DH will wash his motorbike with a bucket and a hose, most weekends and the car every few weeks. Then there's the fish pond and its a very big one when it needs cleaning or refilling. Plus I do a lot of gardening now from spring onwards, but I do try and save washing up water etc for watering the plants. We don't have a dish washer, so tend to do the dishes twice a day by hand.  I'm just worried that if we had a meter, I would be forever checking it and nagging at DH to cut down his useage. I drink about 3L of water a day as well, which means more flushing the loo...lol.  Might have a think, certainly £79 a month is beyond a joke now. 

Elisheba

Hope your cold doesn't last long!  Shame about the cheaper washing powder.  Have you tried any of Nancy Birtwhistle's eco cleaning recipes.  A tbsp of liquid soap in the drum, and a tbsp of washing soda in the drawer - bit more if its very soiled, and it works a treat.  She also cuts up ivy to use as it has soap in it, or mixes up conkers in water to make a liquid as they also have soap in them.  None of them would have the scents that are setting off you allergies, and liquid soap is pretty good for sensitive skins.

Makingabobor2

@Elisheba, I have actually just got the stuff for making her fabric softener and also her Magic spray. Will probably make them up tomorrow with any luck. Might give the washing stuff a go. I do put soda crystals in when I wash cleaning cloths etc.  Not sure about the ivy, you wouldn't believe how many different plants I have discovered I am allergic to...lol.  Not sure I've seen much ivy around here either.   I do love Nancy's stuff though. Got 2 of her books, just want the gardening one now. 

dawnybabes

We’ve a meter and a hot tub we empty a couple of times a year plus a DS who can empty the tank on a shower, washer / dishwasher on  most days and we still only pay £22 a month