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

MillQueen

I paid £38.50 off my postgraduate loan, as a round down. I had to get some milk so I allowed myself to spend £10 on yellow sticker stuff, to delay my grocery shop a bit longer. Got chocolate bites, oranges, grapes, baby potatoes, 12 eggs, mini wraps, kefir, green beans.

Also an unsung hero is those sachets of dried golden savoury rice in Asda. They only cost 28p and serve two as a side. These will be nice with chicken (or whatever else is in the fridge), as a work lunch. I make them at home and just eat it cold at work - it's nice with some of the "extra tasty" precooked chicken and peas.

MillQueen

I've come into work today for some management training about developing and empowering staff. I am going to get a cup of tea in a nice cafe at lunchtime and maybe a sandwich if it's not overpriced.

I've got a report to write that's hanging over me, but because it's increasingly urgent, boring and effortful, I naturally can't get started with it and will find any other task to do that's not the important one.

Someone told me about "the scary hour", where you spend an hour doing the tasks you're putting off.

ArtyJ931

I have discovered (been told about) binaural focus beats in YouTube. Headphones on, binaural focus beats on, this is how I get my big reports written. Might help ☺️

MillQueen

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82114025#Comment_82114025

I like that idea, I will try it, thank you. I failed at spending money on my training course today as I went to the nice cafe at lunchtime and ordered my lunch. It was quite busy and nearly an hour later my order hadn't come, so I asked the waitress as my lunch break was nearly over. She said there was a mistake in the kitchen and my lunch hadn't been made so I just had to get a refund as there wasn't time. Oh well!

MillQueen

I am crawling along to pay day tomorrow. Dishearteningly, I just read that energy prices are going up by 4% in October. Always seem to be paying more despite hardly using any. I am thinking I will just mostly live in one room over the winter and heat that. I don't know how they can keep justifying rises when making billions. Seems like we are all cutting back and cutting back all the time and soon there will be nothing left to cut back!

On a more positive note, I have ticked off some work things that needed doing and I have a big meeting this afternoon that will tick off lots more things, then I can give a bit more focus to that report I'm still avoiding (or so I tell myself). I need to find a way where I am money saving but it doesn't feel like I'm in survival mode. When I'm scrimping it contributes to a stressed and desperate atmosphere that I don't really like.

ArtyJ931

Is it worth fixing now to overcome that raise in Oct? I know what you mean. Was reading with interest about the new plug in solar panels that will be being sold soon in Argos/aldi etc

MillQueen

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82117017#Comment_82117017

Plug in solar panels sound interesting. I am not allowed to fit ones to the roof due to it being a conservation area, but I keep seeing the portable ones advertised on my social media. Have to see whether the initial outlay would be worth it. Yes, I am going to get on the comparison sites and have a look at fixes to see what's out there. I am already on one, but I think it ends after the change in prices. I have got loads of warm gear this time around that I have acquired gradually, like a heated gilet, thermal slippers, a hiking style puffa jacket etc. When I lived in a house with no heating I was toasty warm with a hot water bottle and a sleeping bag. I'll be charging all of my devices at work and wearing a woolly hat indoors. It's not helping with my moving away from the feeling of survival mode though 😂. I need to stop reading the news.

foxgloves

I've just read that the 4% rise could be followed by an up to 9% one so I do hope this turns out to be wrong. The model for energy pricing is all wrong imo - rigged to favour the oil & gas industry/shareholders rather than ordinary citizens who need an affordable supply of energy in order to live. I think one of the problems is that even electricity pricing seems to be based on global gas prices, which just seems ridiculous to me, as surely that means that even if the UK were to be pretty much independent for renewables from wind, solar, tidal energy, etc, it still wouldn't reduce our bills to a fair & just amount because of this pegging of prices to global gas tariffs. Standing charges also seem like one big fiddle to me too. If they have to charge for connecting us to the grid, then I'd rather this was added to per unit price because customers do have at least some choice over how much energy they use. Standing charges are the same for everyone so someone who lives very frugally has to pay the same daily rate as someone who is happily wasting energy right, left & centre. It all needs a massive shake-up, starting with the usurious private water industry.

MillQueen

@foxgloves, I agree it's all just a scam to make more money for shareholders. As it gets more expensive, we all use less energy so they have got to keep up their eye watering profits somehow, by overcharging us at the drop of a hat and immediately passing on any small change to customers in the form of charging as close to the price cap they can get away with. I never really see what I am paying come down again when things settle. I use far less now but still pay more than I used to. Basic needs like warmth and water should never be in the hands of profiteering private companies. I get really angry about being fleeced in all directions.

There it is, my motivation to hang onto as much of my money as possible 😂

MillQueen

I've been paid now, but with the bank holiday it's going to be a few days before some balances change, so I will have to wait until next week to properly see the new amounts of everything and do more movements. With a small over payment I should be able to get the mortgage under £220k though, once I can see how much is needed. I am still in that stage where over £1000 of my monthly mortgage payment is interest and it's only about £200 coming off the balance each time. I'll add a little extra this month to take it below £220k.

I'm pausing putting more in the investments for a little while and not making huge over payments until I'm more on an even keel. Things have been unsteady the past few months so it's best to stay sensible.