From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

teapot2

No sun here today after being spoilt by lovely weather for the last couple of days.  We got our council tax bill emailed through earlier this week, [it includes water and sewage bill in Scotland].  Gone up by 10% whilst also announcing senior councillors are getting a 40% rise in their pay 😲

Greying_Pilgrim

Oh teapot - that's rough.  I know that our water and sewage will be going up too, as the company emailed a 'good PR' email to us a week ago, "letting us know we'd be paying more, but how we were playing our part in helping......" 🙄 But of course, this "softening up" email didn't contain hard figures 🫤 So by the time our figures are all in, I don't suppose we'll be any less (and may be a bit more), than 10% rise 😬  I really don't know what income anyone needs to be on these days to be able to accommodate all these rises.  We've done all the 'low-hanging fruit', and are firmly in the cutting out/and doing without camp now.  

The sun is behind houses now, so I got the washing in.  It's not bone dry, and a little cold (despite the sun, I think we've stayed in single figures for the temperature today), but it's another day without needing to trouble the launderette or the dehu, so that's a win.  

The credit card bill came earlier.  It's the second month that I've only put petrol on the card (a clothing item for LG was returned, and the purchase was cancelled out by the refund), and I was amused to see that I had spent 1 whole penny MORE on fuel 🤣  Anyone else find it hard to stop on "exactly" a round pound figure 🤣  In fact, I think there was a segment in a game show that got people to try, I think they won the fuel top-up for free if they stopped on a round pound agreed figure.  

Greying X

redofromstart

I hadn't even looked at the water increases, mine (ST) says on their website: A typical metered household bill (full service for combined water and sewerage services) is increasing by 27%.  Ouch.  

Happy thoughts, happy thoughts.  At least sitting outside in the sunshine is free. 

Greying_Pilgrim

redofromstart said:

Happy thoughts, happy thoughts.  At least sitting outside in the sunshine is free. 

True sweetie, and being able to value that is priceless.  

Greying X

edinburgher

We are 8% for Council Tax, not sure what water is yet, but probably another wodge. I definitely never envisaged spending £275ish on this bill when we moved here.

Greying_Pilgrim

We will be at something like that expenditure (hopefully slightly less) for the two bills of CT/Water come April ed.  Our water company have been installing meters in the street lately - but they seem to put them in ad-hoc (not consecutively), and they are not necessarily set to work.  If they put one in for us, I would ask for it to be set to work, as I'm pretty sure we'd save money.  But I'm loathed to request a meter, as a worker told me that they first look to see if meters can be put in the house - under the sink - and I don't want that, as there is hardly any space as it is.  But apparently, if they deem it possible, then that's the only place they will install a meter (despite putting meters in pavements on a random basis...... 🙄).

Tea worked well last night.  I'm getting a bit more used to using the SC, and I got the liquid ratio better yesterday.  I only used 1 tin of mushroom condensed soup and more like half a tin of hot water and a splosh of white wine.  I knew that the courgette would lose liquid as it cooked out, and I was right (thankfully).  I shredded up the whole bag of sprouts, and cooked down they were sufficient for 3 generous portions, topped with boiled basmati.  Clean plates all round.  Pud was yoghurt, sliced banana (MrL box) and the papaya out of the MrS box.  This was labelled as 'ready to eat', and whilst the outer peel was starting to look battered and bruised, the inner flesh was firm.  It wasn't as fragrant as I believe papaya to be, so I can only guess that it was still underripe.  It was edible, but LG didn't like it, and left the small amount I had put in their bowl  They did eat up the yoghurt and banana.  

I slept thru from about 10pm to 7am this morning - first time in ages that has happened, I feel vaguely human.  Weird random dreams though, about subjects that I've no experience of and am unlikely to have.  I can't see me being an "ice-skating mom", at a snow covered 'rink' held in an American mid-west barn anytime soon, can you?  🤣

I've a wash on (school uniform mostly), as it's going to be another fine day.  Likelihood of slightly less sunny spells, but slightly more breeze.  

Right, time for a second cup of coffee I think.  

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

DH and LG have gone out on their bikes.  I whipped up a batch of Welsh cakes (Yup, a day too late, I know 😔), and I managed to cook off and allow to partially cool, several before they headed off, so they have a little treat to accompany their hot drink.  

I've sorted out the finances, as DH needs to pay his cc bill today.  Not much gone into the windows pot this month 🫤 I'm constantly amazed that not having to pay rent still doesn't make us feel "richer", but the truth of the matter is that we were existing by the skin of our teeth and robbing pete to pay paula when we were renting.  Now at least we put money into budget pots/silos each month.  Things like the blessed car empty those pots on (seemingly) a monthly basis, but I'd rather be putting something towards them, than not.  

DH isn't getting a pay-rise this year (that I know of), and the 'new broom' has set up a bonus scheme so complicated, that no-one is likely to hit any of the targets to receive bonus anyway 😟 Overtime opportunities are pretty non-existant - unless the firm "needs" something in a hurry, then it gets put back on the table - but certainly the regular extra hours/weekend working/longer days/earlier starts/later finishes have been put on the back boiler.  I have to say, I'm in two minds about the loss of weekend working, as whilst LG is young, I'd rather DH has the 'time' with family - but of course, that doesn't pay the bills, so it's a perpetual balancing act.  

Greying X

edinburgher

I very much understand how you feel about overtime. Looking back, excessive overtime was probably partly to blame for my burnout earlier on in the year. The root cause was excessive workload, life demands and wanting out from my job, but I didn't have the clarity of mind to realise that no amount of overtime was going to speed that up all that much :'(

I don't know if it's something that DH has ever mentioned (you've said that he comes from a perhaps affluent background where keeping up with the Joneses is the norm), but I've had to deal with the loss of financial "status" that comes with not boosting my 4-weekly wage and pension pot with those chunky overtime payments. Looking deep inside my lizard brain, I was probably slightly ashamed that I was earning less, even though I've always been the "breadwinner"/person who earns more by accident of fortune. It is no doubt partly why I'm such a motivated survey participant!

Now that it's coming up to 6+ months since I returned to work, I need to consider whether or not I'm willing to face the possible rejection of asking to do some (limited) overtime again. It pays better, but I'm not sure if I want to ask (or even to go back to it).

It's complicated being a grownup and a parent, eh?

Greying_Pilgrim

Ha ha - dearest ed - I have long said that 'Adulting' is waaaayyyy over-rated 🫤 

No, DH isn't about money from a status point of view - his background is very similar to mine, but perhaps with more familial "striving" to 'keep up appearances' and mix with a different set - iyswim. Although his family would never have admitted that was what they were doing......😉    

DH has always been a grafter, and I would never fault his work ethic - other than to say he probably gives a damn far longer than anyone else in the company does, which causes him too much self-imposed stress.....  Perhaps if anything, his background has led him to believe you have to work, work, work to pay the HP, loan, finance etc to have all the things to keep up with those darn Jones.  I'm much more about budgeting, but cutting your cloth accordingly.  We've been together yonks, but I still have difficulty in persuading him that most of the time we have "enough", and that now we have LG time is a more precious commodity.  

Greying X

edinburgher

By "financial status" I just meant being able to afford things that overtime makes more possible. When you go from having that additional clout to losing it, it can be difficult. I might have explained that badly