Turning Straw into Gold: Creating Long Term Security & A Solid Home

vampirotoothus

Hi FaceB may be a good place to get that. See if you have a local recycling / free group near you and ask on there. It is the kind of thing that you use a bit of and then store, so you may be able to get it for free. Good luck V x

MillQueen

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82089512#Comment_82089512

Thank you, that's a good shout, I will have a look 😊

MillQueen

This morning I have finished off the worst shampoo I've ever had, which is quite an achievement. I have maybe a year's worth of haircare still left, so I am using bad ones amongst the good ones to get my money's worth.

The meter fitter has just come and said it's best not to get a new smart meter fitted and just manually input the gas reading instead. He said fitting one would involve having to pay to get some recently fitted kitchen cabinetry removed and then even then he doesn't think the gas meter would communicate properly, as the gas and electricity meters are so far apart. The gas one, which isn't sending data, is already a smart meter that looks quite new but it's not working due to the distance and with the walls being stone it's unlikely to work even if he replaces it all, so I would spend money and probably ruin the kitchen for nothing. I'll have to add the meter reading task to my end of month money sorting out process, so I don't forget to do it, as that's likely.

I get a free lunch at a work event tomorrow (considering shamelessly taking a box and putting leftovers in it) and I am thinking I can last a few more days without doing a grocery shop, as there's things I can use first. With it only being a 4 week month I am going to see if I can get away with only 2 grocery deliveries. Today's cooking will just be roasting a bag of sweet potatoes and grilling some halloumi, which will be enough for tea today and tomorrow. I also have 4 portions of vegetarian spag bol in the freezer and can make a big omelette with veg from the freezer. Now I have the new microwave I can eat leftovers much more easily.

ellenvan

Taking a box for leftovers at work lunch, sounds a really good idea.

No point in good food going to waste.

You are doing well with the grocery budget.

MillQueen

@ellenvan, sadly it didn't end up being logistically possible to take leftovers from work, as it was going to be many hours before I could get back to my site and put anything in the fridge. I made up for it by stuffing my face while I was there. Got to make the most of anything work is paying for 😂.

I have another work lunch on Thursday, but this one involves spending money. A busy few days with a partner event I have organised on Thursday and my interview for the training development that same day. Both of which I need to finalise preparations for tomorrow around a day that's jam packed with meetings and people needing things doing from me. I will need to allow a couple of days of not thinking about money.

I keep wanting to make a stew or risotto involving green lentils, mushrooms and kale but it will have to wait. Just need to focus on work and getting enough sleep until Friday.

MillQueen

I have updated my signature and also paid a few round downs, which were £13 towards my postgraduate loan and £33.34 to my energy account, so the latter is owing £500 now. It's weirdly satisfying to move debt down a bit to a round figure or get it below a big number. It's helped by the fact I've not had the heating on in months and I am going to go as long as I can until the energy debt is paid off as it's an easy way to save cash. I want to be in a position where I build credit on there next summer. I got really excited as I won 800 points on Octopus on the spin the wheel thing, but then it turned out to be only worth £1 when converted to credit 🤣

Rhyddid2026

I have that problem with the gas meter too. I have a really old gas meter and when they came to install smart meters years ago they could only do it for the electric meter. I also have ridiculously thick walls. It doesn't stop them contacting me regularly and trying to convince me to get a smart meter installed on my gas meter. I try to explain that they've tried and it won't work but they still keep insisting it will. I think maybe they get commission on the number of people they convince. So yeah, I have to try to remember to read my meter monthly and manually input it on the website too.

Rhyddid2026

How weird! I wrote that message a couple of days ago.

MillQueen

@Rhyddid2026, they must have convinced the previous owner at my place to get one installed, despite knowing it wouldn't work, as the one that's there already there looks quite recent and is already a smart meter but it's just not able to function as one. Apparently they could replace it but there's no point, as he said it's probably working fine it just can't connect to send data. He said all this as soon as I opened the door that I couldn't get one, so someone must have convinced someone here at some stage to try it anyway.

I am in work today after a not good night's sleep. I have blocked out everything so I can focus on writing a speech for an event I have to present at later (and then discreetly stuff my face with free sandwiches so no one senior sees I messed up the sandwich order and overspent our budget as people have now dropped out from attending, as it's impossible to get reliable RSVPs), Now finalising my presentation for my interview for the staff development training, which is this afternoon. Feeling vaguely sick and under pressure. I spent £20 in Home Bargains buying drinks and some cakes for later, as otherwise there's only hot drinks and it's boiling.

foxgloves

Hope it all goes better than you are anticipating.