2023 Frugal Living Challenge

joedenise

I think the problem with emailing Octopus is that a lot of it is Chatbot/AI providing the information.  I’ve always found phoning them you always get really helpful people and invariably your queries answered or sorted.

willow_loulou

I personally wouldn’t fix my energy- I simply don’t trust any provider. My estimate for a years use is still £500 over my pre chaos amount. Yet I’m using almost no electric. I’m pre pay so I know exactly what I’m spending and it’s less than a third of my immediate neighbours (not prepay) with the same amount of people in their house. I don’t believe a fish tank uses that much more power! It’s all a bit fishy imo. 

I got £2.80 cash back from my bank for normal spending today! I hadn’t even clicked I would! It’s their every day offers I check and add to my account if I possibly may spend there. I never remember if it’s on there as I don’t deliberately shop so always a welcome surprise. 

Today is my in work day, I’m very tired so any easy breakfast suggestions other than over night oats would be great please. Obviously money saving ones lol 😂 where possible. I have a £15 budget for breakfast for 7 days for 2. 

RateTartExtraordinaire

Fishy indeed. I've experienced some poor service from other providers in the past. let down by their outsourced workers. Poor training and new systems that mess up existing customer billing.

Here are my breakfast suggestions:
I like oats everyday but if I have time...
Old favourite Beans on toast add your own signature, eg.sauce or spices
Mushrooms sauted with herbs on toast
Sliced Banana and peanut butter on toasted muffins
Quick on the go version: banana and peanut butter in a wholemeal wrap

C_J

On my in-the-office work days I will either take overnight oats to reheat, or a clip-lid box with some dry cereal in it (I add the milk at work, we always have gallons of it provided) plus maybe a yogurt. We have fruit provided free, so there's always a banana or blueberries to snack on.

Sometimes I go mad and make a cooked breakfast at work of bacon and scrambled eggs done in the microwave. I'd love to have toast with that but we aren't allowed to have a toaster in the kitchen because it sets the fire alarms off 

cw18

joedenise said:

I think the problem with emailing Octopus is that a lot of it is Chatbot/AI providing the information.  I’ve always found phoning them you always get really helpful people and invariably your queries answered or sorted.

But phoning them is nigh on impossible, as their call centre closes at 5pm - and I'm not often home from work by then, let alone long enough before to be able to have a decent chat with them.    That restricts my chances of calling them to when I'm off work, which is generally every 6th week.   (I'm on leave and staying at the property they supply this week, which is why it made sense to grab the opportunity to contact them by phone yesterday.)

I'm with Shell, and their call centre is open until 6:30pm on a weekday - and 9am-4pm on a Saturday (so I might be home in time to call then as well), whereas Octopus are closed all weekend

2Scratters

Morning Peeps,
I have no problems with Octopus and usually just send an email with my query. It has always been resolved satisfactorily for me. 
I am clearly into a routine of saving water into outdoor vessels and when the rains came got into a tizzy about not having enough to collect as much of the deluge as possible. DH is more on board with the water collection now it has taken a couple of years but we are there. Think he got fed up with head pecking of reminding him each loo flush costs money. Last night he even invited me into the bathroom to catch the pre hot water whilst he washed his hands (need to teach him he can use cold water too) 

2 Scratters xx

willow_loulou

Fab breakfast suggestions thank you 😊 particularly like the mushroom idea, I do love them on toast. I might cook some up next week and see how they reheat. 

Great achievement on my part - it’s the end of my money month today and I have £250 left. £150 of that is my PIP extra so is ring fenced for continued house improvements to keep me safe. But the £100! I have no idea how I did it - well I do but! I’m so pleased with myself. 

This next months expenses on top of usual house hold are:

1.Another window handle to be replaced 
2.Tea towels 
3. paint brushes
4. white paint 
5. 2 hooks for the kitchen 
6. £10 cash towards chimney sweep. 

7. £10 cinema &coffee 

Any suggestions on cheap but decent paint&brushes welcomed! I’ve not set a budget yet but maximum spend will be £60 for all, ideally much much lower) I am checking Facebook for paint. 

I’m looking for table top sales & car boots to see if I can source things there as ideally I’d like some window covering for the kitchen but that’s probably another months spend. 

2Scratters

T towels and kitchen hooks definitely car boot items. Could also ask on FB local group if anyone has say a crown paint that you are after as not needing a lot. DH always uses Harris paint brushes if you are prepared to clean them properly they will last too. There are varying costs along with quality so would buy the best you can afford at the time. Good Luck

2 Scratters xx

zafiro1984

This may sound a daft idea.

I'm going to be in and out of the house most of the day as I have quite a lot of outdoor jobs to do. The temp at the moment is 20 degrees indoors but that won't matter with what I have in mind.

I've freezer dived and found a load of bits and pieces to make various kinds of soups, at least five different flavours. I've chicken/turkey stock, lamb stock, beef stock and ordinary stock cubes, loads of HG frozen veg and pulses so I need buy nothing.  
Here's the daft idea - I'm going to light the ironheart (wood burner, it has hot plates and an attached oven). I'll be cooking all day - the wood is free and we've already got more than a years supply stacked thanks to the wind over the last couple of years and ash die back.

I think I'll have another look through the freezers and use the wood burner oven to cook some batch casseroles. No point in not making use of everything I can. it will cost nothing extra to do and once everything is frozen I'll just need to reheat things in the microwave.

zafiro1984

update:-
soup was 4 portions of green pea, with chilli, onion and potato. 8 portions of turkey and ham with pulses, barley, chilli, carrots, parsnips, leeks and celery. 6 portions of leek and potato, 4 portions of carrot and coriander. All portions are generous.
In the oven-: rice pudding made with LO milk from a clinic we had at the weekend- enough for 6 portions, 8 portions of rhubarb and apple crumble, 6 portions of apple and blackberry crumble. All ingredients are from the freezer  - nothing bought.
I've just made meringues using 6 egg whites (from my hens) These will go in the oven later when it is cooling down. The yolks will be used for flans or maybe an egg custard, I'll decide tomorrow. 
I just need to spend some time tonight labelling and getting it all in the freezers. phew....