2025 Frugal Living Challenge

Cas

@Katiehound I'm so sorry to hear about you dog, I hope he continues to recover. A spaniel near us had a stroke recently and he's now able to walk along the street to one of the big grassy areas for a sniff and to do his business and aside from a slight tilt to his head you'd never know it had happened. Sending big hugs to you both.  

@Frugaldom glad to hear you're safe. We're near the Glasgow/Renfrewshire border and the winds have been wild, even our dog doesn't want to venture out. So far we've been very lucky as the only damage is some rainwater has seeped into our porch via the front door. Locally to us some of the bigger trees have come down blocking roads and the nearby Darnley Sycamore which is over 400 years old is badly damaged. Aside from that some fences and walls are down and sheds have been torn apart but so far no power cuts. It sounds like the wind has rebated a little bit so I'm hoping we've now seen the worst of it and it calms down overnight.

sheilavw

hi blackberrycurved. my water bill went from£38 to £21 a month. They gave me 2 years to change my mind

Frugaldom

@Katiehound I hope dog makes a speedy and full recovery.

@Cas The wind is dying down now and the forecast is for colder, brighter weather tomorrow so here's hoping.

The nighttime wildlife visitors have returned so that's tonight's entertainment after dinner of egg fried rice cooked on the log burner. Local power supply is said to be returned by midnight but we are off-grid for the weekend again. Yet another NSD other than a DD.

2Scratters

@kayannie re the water butts we also have 2 of them fed off DH's large workshop/shed. We pay just over £200 a year by doing exactly what you do. Combi does take just over 2litres to run warm. I also have buckets to flush the loo. I am OK with visitors to flush it I don't expect them to live how we do. If there is any way I can keep a utility bill down I will do. To be fair our tap water is of a very good standard.

Here in the North West we have had a lovely sunny day. I have not ventured out today but am aware of some fallen trees. Should be out with my chain saw to assist them 

Have a safe weekend

2 Scratters xx

boxer234

@Katiehound I hope your dog feels better they are such a worry.  I received a letter today apparently I over paid my council tax in my last property and am owed a refund.    Nearly pay day this has been such a long month.  I have recorded every spend will try to reduce this next month.  

Blackberrycurved

Hi Shielavw, that isn't an option here once you switch to a water meter, there is no going back, a few friends have, and found it more expensive and are stuck with it. `i suppose it depends on your circumstances for me it is worth an extra £200 or so a year not to stress about overusing.  It is the same with some companies with smart meters. My GP told me that anyone with anxiety should avoid them, if they are possibly going to worry about the numbers. My mum was given a medical letter from her GP to send to her supplier so they would stop pressurising her into having a smart meter as he was worried she'd keep her flat too cold.

Katiehound

There's an improvement with the hound today however he is an 'invalid' so will only eat certain foods! and refuses the things that give him a stable tum! I have just tried banana- seems that is good, and he loves them... usually!
His walker came to see him today as she was passing the house and he wobbled by the front gate willing her to take him out. The progress is he can get out of bed unaided, & stand to eat and drink.
I am hoping that I can just get him across the road onto grass tomorrow: that would be a big step.

thanks for your kind wishes.

I was lucky to be able to talk to the vet yesterday- Wednesday I was really in shock so didn't  absorb what he said. We are hoping for a gradual improvement every day. paws crossed.

When I was hanging out the washing today I spotted a teeny tiny snowdrop: Spring is on its way

Frugaldom

Good to hear your dog's condition is progressing in the right direction, @Katiehound. 

Still no electricity or mobile phone signal since the storm and some roads still blocked by fallen trees and broken cables here. Everyone I speak to has had damage done so there's going to be quite an aftermath and many emergency supply boxes to be refilled. Lucky we have stand alone logburner, camping stove, candles and small solar panels for recharging batteries, mobiles etc. Keeping a dry fuel supply plus matches, firelighters and kindling is important year round and I still like the off-grid 'escape room' idea at home. I think everyone should test that out regularly to establish how easy or difficult it is to cope without mains services, running water or central heating. But then I do love a good challenge.

Frugaldom

Good evening fellow frugalers. It's looking very quiet in here so I hope everyone is doing ok.

We are heading into day 3 without electricity so tomorrow's extra job is going to have to be cooking whatever can be salvaged from the freezer and made into meals that are safe to be refrozen if power is restored by Tuesday. Storm Eowyn has certainly taken it's toll on our neighbourhood with more trees down, more wires down and I've heard of another two power lines affected - flashes, bangs and warnings not to go within 10m of any broken cable. Scottish Power have put out a statement offering to reimburse anyone who wants to book into hotels and pay any hot meals up to £10 per person per meal. Where, exactly, folks from our neighbourhood are supposed to find hotels with available accommodation is a mystery to me. DD said the town carpark near her is busy with Open Reach and Scottish Power vehicles. So... Tomorrow, after seeing to all the animals, I'll be having an off-grid cookathon in the hut using logburner and gas stove. I've got a pack of cooking ham on the stovetop simmering away and will make lentil soup from the stock tomorrow.

I've checked interest rates again as the 5.5% regular savings plan I managed to get last year ends in a few weeks. Looks like rates have dropped again as many are showing just 4%

I still haven't worked out how to allow my phone to access my photos for uploading on here! There must be a popup blocker somewhere.

dND

Frugaldom said:

.........

I still haven't worked out how to allow my phone to access my photos for uploading on here! There must be a popup blocker somewhere.

Same here - after that one success at copy and paste I no longer have the option to do that with my photos on the phone either.  Using the picture button above works fine on the laptop  but no way on my phone, or my previous.  This phone is a Google one and my previous one was a Motorola so 2 different  makers but both Android.  I've gone through the setting repeatedly and set everything I can but no luck.  If I ever find out what's going on I'll post and let you know. 😁

I wish everyone having problems relating to Eowyn the best of luck with getting the repairs done as soon as possible.  It was windy on the south Wales coast but nothing like what others of you have endured. Dx