Any old style tips for newly single older vegetarian lady

shandyclover

Being vegetarian I'd recommend signing up for Olio. We are a vegan/vegetarian household and a surprising amount of our food comes from Olio. We cook from scratch and so we often get the fruit and veg as most others request the meat and convenience type food. I often make a veg and lentil soup at the weekend and this is packed lunch for hubby and I along with bread, fruit and yogurt also collected from Olio.

I second the heated throw, we live in a house with very high ceilings so if it's just us at home its easier to sit under the throw rather than put the heating on just to watch something in the living room. The cats also approve!

I'd also recommend a warm light for where you usually sit in your leisure hours. We have a salt lamp, it doesn't give off any warmth but it is a cosy light that creates an impression of warmth and 'hygge'.

MayDogsandCoffee

I am swearing by my M&S thermals, I bought long sleeve Tshirts last year and got  leggings this year, I work from home but don't have the heating on very often in the daytime. I think because you are at work during the day you are coming home to a cool house when the temperature has dropped which makes it feel colder.  I live by myself and do batch cook, the days I put the cooker on I don't need the heating.  I only tend to have it on for about an hour in the evening and get snuggled under dressing gown and throw to watch TV.  Make the most of the gym membership in the evenings, have a few candles instead of lamps, it is all about feeling cosy.

Rosa_Damascena

shandyclover said:

Being vegetarian I'd recommend signing up for Olio. We are a vegan/vegetarian household and a surprising amount of our food comes from Olio. We cook from scratch and so we often get the fruit and veg as most others request the meat and convenience type food. I often make a veg and lentil soup at the weekend and this is packed lunch for hubby and I along with bread, fruit and yogurt also collected from Olio.

I second the heated throw, we live in a house with very high ceilings so if it's just us at home its easier to sit under the throw rather than put the heating on just to watch something in the living room. The cats also approve!

I'd also recommend a warm light for where you usually sit in your leisure hours. We have a salt lamp, it doesn't give off any warmth but it is a cosy light that creates an impression of warmth and 'hygge'.

Olio is helpful but avoid getting into the trap of becoming a volunteer, as you will end up with a load of food that no one else will take in time (collections tend to be late in the evenings) and you wouldn't eat yourself so have to dispose of.

kimwp

How are you getting on?

Cornwell27

Hi sorry to go missing, I decided as it’s my first Xmas and new year on my own for 30 years to go away, found a last minute break so am away until 2nd Jan. it’s lovely to avoid the madness of the UK. I’m having a smart meter fitted in the new year so hopefully I can work out what item(s) are using the most electricity and stop using them! My immersion heater is now switched off and I will just shower at my gym as it’s close by. I’m hoping I can stop panicking a bit when I get home as my son is moving into my spare room for a while and will contribute a little to bills. Hope everyone is well x

PipneyJane

Big hugs to you  @cornwell74 and hope you have a good break 
- Pip

Rosa_Damascena

Cornwell27 said:

Hi sorry to go missing, I decided as it’s my first Xmas and new year on my own for 30 years to go away, found a last minute break so am away until 2nd Jan. it’s lovely to avoid the madness of the UK. I’m having a smart meter fitted in the new year so hopefully I can work out what item(s) are using the most electricity and stop using them! My immersion heater is now switched off and I will just shower at my gym as it’s close by. I’m hoping I can stop panicking a bit when I get home as my son is moving into my spare room for a while and will contribute a little to bills. Hope everyone is well x

Just be a little careful - whilst this did help me see where my energy was going without benefit, the visual reminder means that I have barely used my heating this winter and my home is undeniably cold. I accept flicking that switch is an inevitability once the weather turns to ice in the New Year! I however am warm thanks to my mobility (tendency to dance around the house whilst doing housework) and heated blankets when seated, but there is no way I would be doing this in retirement.

One thing I found to be of use is my electric soup-maker, which I used for the first time recently. It produced a good result with almost no effort as I used a YS bag of chopped veggies from the supermarket and crucially minimal smell! It took about half an hour to make a silky smooth soup and must have consumed all of 10p in electricity. 1600ml of soup goes a very long way for me!

Pixie_Cosmo

I was in a similar situation many years ago! Good luck and enjoy your new-found freedom :-)

My house has storage heater energy vampires and I resent paying my electric company anymore than I have to! I now have a log burner which helps. I also have many blankets and a 'snuddie /oodie' to wear. It's toasty! Decent boot slippers are a must too. 

I didn't have much spare cash to start with, so I did the usual batch cooking. Saved me effort when I got home from work and made sure I had healthy food to easily eat.

Do you have cheap rate hours / Economy 7? I boil a flask full of water on cheap rate to last me the day, do my washing etc on cheap rate.

Good to hear you have someone to share the bills with, but do make sure it's a fair split and they know how much the electric costs are!! 

kimwp

I forgot to say before, my friend has a heated jacket, it runs off a rechargeable battery and keeps him toasty warm in all weathers.

My heated blanket has broken, I discovered last night when I got into bed, it was a bit nippy and I was tired, so I just went to bed fully dressed 😊

Cornwell27

Unfortunately there’s no Economy 7, just a standard rate. I really think I’ve made a mistake buying this flat and I’m trying not to panic too much 😔.  This year has been hideous and now I’m questioning why I rushed into buying it, even though I know it’s because I can’t afford a house, but it’s too late now, all I can do is try not to let it overwhelm me