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Resourcefulness: The budgeter's friend
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2Scratters said:Good Evening Peeps,
it is pouring down here but I'm a bit happy so it can continue to fill the water butts that have a double job to do. We use this water to flush the loo and water the garden. We are in a bungalow so not carrying a bucket up any stairs. Each time we got our water bill I would be in competition with trying to keep it as low a cost as possible. This evening whilst at a friends we got talking about the water bill. Her bill is nearly £1000a widow living on her own. (Her DH passed away just 2 years ago and it was he who did all the bills all their married life. She has never looked at the account where the money goes from.) I said a meter would be a lot cheaper. She rang the company and was advised that she would be saving over £500 a year by using a meter and has 2 years to try it out with an option of a further 2 years if needed. Looks like we have more work to do to stop the leak of £s from her bank account in the meantime.
I said to DH I won't be moaning about ours being £250pa again and those buckets will continue being dragged in the house
Hope that the poorly pets soon recover.
2 Scratters xxMaking the debt go down and savings go up
LBM 2015 - debt £57K / Now £28,524....its going down
Mortgage Free December 9th 2024! 18mths ahead of schedule. Since 2022 we paid over £15K in OPs.Challenges
EF #68 £550/£3000
.
Studies/surveys August £14.50
Decluttering items 771
Books read 14
Jigsaws done 8
My debt free diary...https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6396218/we-will-get-this-debt-d£own-the-savings-up4 -
Makingabobor2 said:2Scratters said:Good Evening Peeps,
it is pouring down here but I'm a bit happy so it can continue to fill the water butts that have a double job to do. We use this water to flush the loo and water the garden. We are in a bungalow so not carrying a bucket up any stairs. Each time we got our water bill I would be in competition with trying to keep it as low a cost as possible. This evening whilst at a friends we got talking about the water bill. Her bill is nearly £1000a widow living on her own. (Her DH passed away just 2 years ago and it was he who did all the bills all their married life. She has never looked at the account where the money goes from.) I said a meter would be a lot cheaper. She rang the company and was advised that she would be saving over £500 a year by using a meter and has 2 years to try it out with an option of a further 2 years if needed. Looks like we have more work to do to stop the leak of £s from her bank account in the meantime.
I said to DH I won't be moaning about ours being £250pa again and those buckets will continue being dragged in the house
Hope that the poorly pets soon recover.
2 Scratters xxFashion on a ration 2025 0/66 coupons spent
79.5 coupons rolled over 4/75.5 coupons spent - using for secondhand purchases
One income, home educating family5 -
I’m glad to hear that Soot is back on top form!
Thank you for your reply the other day. There is a serious mismatch between expecting everyone to take on huge debts to get degrees and then using less qualified and cheaper people wherever possible. What is going on with housing is indeed very concerning. Working families shouldn’t be put in a position where they are unable to afford the basics of life without government assistance.
We saved a lot of money by getting a water meter, even though the calculator didn’t indicate that we would. I expect it will go up significantly for all of us though once that higher revenue falls off, as more RV customers switch to meters.5 -
Thanks for all your comments. It's interesting about the water bills. We are still considering applying for a year's trial on a meter as £82 per month for a 2-person household is outrageous, esp when you think how much these companies are paying themselves in bonuses, rather than implementing progressive infrastructure.
It's still the veggie-growing season/garden & wildlife pond which are holding us back.
@Moorviews - I agree. Everyone should be able to afford the basics. I think that's what the true Living Wage calculation is based on - everyone being able to afford basic needs plus a modest 2nd hand car & an annual week of UK holiday such as seaside. I don't understand the mindset of the ultra-wealthy. They can't take their money beyond the grave & it won't alter the fact that, rich or poor, we all end as dust.
F2025's challenges: 1) To fill our 10 Savings Pots to their healthiest level ever
2) To read 100 books (36/100) 3) The Shrinking of Foxgloves 6.5kg/30kg
"Life can only be understood backwards but it must be lived forwards" (Soren Kirkegaard 1813-55)6 -
Afternoon Sunbeams,
First week of Mr F's new compressed working hours so he is off today & we think it's going to break up the week nicely for both of us. Today's budget-helping efforts:
*Grocery shopping came in well under this week's target. Took advantage of a '2 for 1' offer on fruit....& free coffee of course.
*Mr F got on with the rest of the weeding & re-gravelling in our refurbed kitchen garden area. I watered all the veg first thing (got to look after those future food supplies) & he's volunteered for feeding the already-fruiting stuff & containers tonight.
*Did today's survey - I am on Week 3 of a longer PA study & making sure I don't miss any days so as to get full payment amount.
*Re-planted a couple of areas of garden border which weren't really working. All plants for this were shopped from home as I moved or divided stuff I already have & filled gaps with homegrown bedding.
*Cut lettuce & rocket for tonight's salad. Also picked another small courgette to add to tonight's veggie fajhita mix.
*Free fitness marching briskly up & down our long garden to achieve my minimum daily steps target.
*Soot made a contribution to money saving this morning when he let us know in no uncertain terms that he doesn't like the meat Mr F bought them for a treat & would prefer his previous cheaper brand. Opinion noted, Soot!
Lovely seeing wildlife sharing our garden. Baby dunnocks, a red damsel-fly, a scarlet tiger moth, a speckled wood butterfly, as well as all the usual suspects enjoying the peanut feeder. Apart from cooking later, no more jobs for me today so am going to attempt to finish my current library book.
Hope you all have some of this lovely sunshine, though I'm sitting in the shade now.
F x
2025's challenges: 1) To fill our 10 Savings Pots to their healthiest level ever
2) To read 100 books (36/100) 3) The Shrinking of Foxgloves 6.5kg/30kg
"Life can only be understood backwards but it must be lived forwards" (Soren Kirkegaard 1813-55)10 -
foxgloves said:Thanks for all your comments. It's interesting about the water bills. We are still considering applying for a year's trial on a meter as £82 per month for a 2-person household is outrageous, esp when you think how much these companies are paying themselves in bonuses, rather than implementing progressive infrastructure.
It's still the veggie-growing season/garden & wildlife pond which are holding us back.
@Moorviews - I agree. Everyone should be able to afford the basics. I think that's what the true Living Wage calculation is based on - everyone being able to afford basic needs plus a modest 2nd hand car & an annual week of UK holiday such as seaside. I don't understand the mindset of the ultra-wealthy. They can't take their money beyond the grave & it won't alter the fact that, rich or poor, we all end as dust.
FMaking the debt go down and savings go up
LBM 2015 - debt £57K / Now £28,524....its going down
Mortgage Free December 9th 2024! 18mths ahead of schedule. Since 2022 we paid over £15K in OPs.Challenges
EF #68 £550/£3000
.
Studies/surveys August £14.50
Decluttering items 771
Books read 14
Jigsaws done 8
My debt free diary...https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6396218/we-will-get-this-debt-d£own-the-savings-up8 -
@Makingabobor2 - Yes, we have two, but with the lack of rain, we'd be struggling now if we were relying on them even to water just the fruit & veg. I think we'll give it some more thought. At least we'd be able to change back if it ended up costing us more.
F2025's challenges: 1) To fill our 10 Savings Pots to their healthiest level ever
2) To read 100 books (36/100) 3) The Shrinking of Foxgloves 6.5kg/30kg
"Life can only be understood backwards but it must be lived forwards" (Soren Kirkegaard 1813-55)6 -
foxgloves said:@Makingabobor2 - Yes, we have two, but with the lack of rain, we'd be struggling now if we were relying on them even to water just the fruit & veg. I think we'll give it some more thought. At least we'd be able to change back if it ended up costing us more.
F
I think its worth a try, you have nothing to lose.Making the debt go down and savings go up
LBM 2015 - debt £57K / Now £28,524....its going down
Mortgage Free December 9th 2024! 18mths ahead of schedule. Since 2022 we paid over £15K in OPs.Challenges
EF #68 £550/£3000
.
Studies/surveys August £14.50
Decluttering items 771
Books read 14
Jigsaws done 8
My debt free diary...https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6396218/we-will-get-this-debt-d£own-the-savings-up5 -
Bless Soot wanting to help pay his bills by opting for the cheaper food, so decent of him3
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I think I'm doing the same study as you. Finding it very interesting and payment is good.4
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