2023 Frugal Living Challenge

Glittering_M

Thanks @Cherryfudge and @Beshki

The roots aren't very deep at all which is what concerned me. All I'm doing is digging in and taking sections of earth and grass out and they are there! I am wanting to put some cardboard on top and manure on top for the bed. I hadn't thought about simply planting around it though! That's a relief! I was worried it would be having a massive impact. 

The only root veg I plan to grow there are potatoes and carrots so I can always try and grow them elsewhere. 

Thank you again, that is a relief 

ladyholly

My ct has gone up by more than the 5%. A rise of £10pm. I haven't checked which section of it has made it go over the 5 %. Possibly social care or police.

Cas

Likewise, thanks @Cherryfudge and @Beshki as I also have roots where we're planning to put one of the new veg beds.  Most of them are from an old Christmas tree that was cleared from the area but I think some of it may be the ribes trying to escape from the border.  We'll be clearing out what we can before putting down membrane before building up the beds so hopefully that solves the problem.

Soontobeoap

Our ct has only gone up 3%. Looks like we have been lucky. 

willow_loulou

I’ve not looked at my CT, tbh I don’t dot want too ‘sigh’ as it’s just too darn much whatever it costs. 

Just back from food shopping and am aghast at how little I got for £50. Something needs to give soon surely. Some items have more than doubled in price! 

cw18

RateTartExtraodinaire said:

cw18 said:

Just been onto the website for my council to see if they've posted the figures for this years CT yet - and they have.

Mine is up by 5.19%  !!!   So I have to find an extra £5.65/month for that.
I'd budgetted the 5% limit without a referendum, but I've heard nothing about an application to life it by more than that

My council tax just came in the post this morning. The increase is just under 5% at 4.9%. 
I wonder if you can challenge your council...There is probably some loop hole of other, but worth a try. 

I don't know who has to be involved in any such referendum, but I suspect it's not the whole population in the area.   I was 'chatting' to someone in a FB group who's looking at a much higher %age increase than me, and she's not been asked if it would be acceptable either.

The 'permitted' amount without a referendum was 2.99% on basic CT, and a further 2% for areas that apply an adult social care precept (I think that's what it's called) - so 4.99% for many, and that's what I'd actually worked on (rounding up to 5% for ease).

JIL

Our council has put the cost up by the maximum and added an additional charge for "green waste" collected fortnightly, such things as grass clippings, so a seasonal collection in that a few months of the year the "green" bins arent put out. An additional £40 on the council tax to cover this.
Last few years this was included in the council tax.

The council actually use this to make compost which they sell.

2Scratters

I was a bit sad by watching the live event at HoP yesterday. Did anyone see the MP announce that her council has given themselves a 40% pay increase!!!! She really wasn't happy and rightly so. 
@JIL our council has been charging £35 pa separately for green collection. I sent the green bin back and DH has decided it would be a good idea to use it now   A comment made by DH made a lot of sense that the bins are on lease as they belong to the property. Therefore damaged ones should be replace free of charge.  If that green waste charge was put onto my CT bill and had no garden I would be demanding a refund. That's naughty.

2 Scratters xx

willow_loulou

You have to pay separately for the green bin thing here. I signed up to it a few years ago, the bin didn’t arrive and there where massive amounts on non collection complaints on local fb groups so I cancelled it to not get involved in all that. I got he chickens instead which dealt with the majority of weeding etc and built a compost bin for bigger things I didn’t want to chop down for my 3 plastic bins.  

I’m up and bathed as I was going out but my friend cancelled until next week. So now I’m going to take the time to review money things after the budget. Sigh. 

Cas

We've been hit with a 5% CT (including water/waste water charges) increase plus a new, additional, £50 charge if you want your garden waste collected although food waste, which is collected in the same bin, will continue to be collected FOC. Apparently the council is going to put a sticker on your bin if you pay the new charge leading to comments on social media about the stickers being "stolen by undesireables"!  

We also have domestic glass recycling bins which our council plans to stop collecting when Scotland's new Deposit Return Scheme with its 20p levy on every single use glass drinks bottle and can is eventually introduced.  It's all very well saying that drinks bottles can be returned to collection points for a refund of your 20p but no-one in government has said what happens to all the other non-levy glass you might have like sauce bottles or jam jars (assuming you don't re-use them to make your own).  It's not a very green policy IMHO but apparently the council isn't legally required to collect glass or garden waste. Nor does it help with COT as the levy will be paid up front on every single use drinks bottle or can you buy (so a 6 pack of cola will increase by £1.20) albeit you can get it refunded later.  Maybe the council is hoping it will encourage people to litter pick and exchange the eligible bottles and cans for cash - now that takes me back to my youth!