Steadying the ship - a perilous voyage across the financial middle

edinburgher

• Inspired by @julicorn sharing details of a zero-based budgeting app (Zerosum) that is a good bit cheaper than YNAB and the new PM's largesse a la the small discount on our leccy bill, I am trying to explore avenues for small cuts to our outgoings. I think I've got so used to inflation that saving ££s or low £££s doesn't excite me any more, whereas it should!
  
• I have subscribed to Zerosum for a year. It has a few foibles that I'll need to get used to but it's a fairly faithful YNAB clone with a bit more functionality in other areas. Not quite as pretty a UI, in my humble opinion. Still, £25.20 for the basic version using the code "5PERCENTOFF" and well worth exploring if you currently use YNAB. No benefit to me from using that code BTW, just something I found on Reddit. £58.51 freed up for our "Future Projects 🔋" budget.
  
• Much as I can't be bothered, I am starting to think that I should switch to Eon Next for my utilities. I have been with Octopus forever but Eon are offering a 2-year fix that should save us £10+ a month. I use them already for our FIT payments and they seem ok (MSE energy comparison suggests typically "meh" feedback from other users).

Apologies to all for the surplus first bullet, can't seem to delete it. Work a bit of a grind at the moment, flailing around slightly because of competing priorities. A good prioritised list in a matrix chart has helped me calm down 😊

rtandon27

@edinburgher- every penny counts - good on you!

I too did a real world modeling of the 5% and what it means for us - which amounts to just under 4 pounds a month - a fancy coffee or a box of 15 eggs. Hardly life-changing but it's always good to see how a grand-promise trickles down to us plebes!

edinburgher

Thanks @rtandon27 - this ship steadying is very incremental 😂

I have submitted a switch request for our power, not sure why I have such inertia in relation to this particular service.

South_coast

I am with Eon Next, have been for years. Happy customer 👍

Baileys_Babe

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82077837#Comment_82077837

I too modelled what the 5% means to us, around £13 per month (for 6 months). In the summer we use an average amount of electricity, but October to April our usage is 4 to 5 times as much

edinburgher

Thanks all for feedback re. Eon Next and electricity cost savings, suspect we also fall into the above average users category in winter, mainly because of our old fashioned tumble dryer.

£27.24 banked from Prolific after a wee collection of well (if slowly) paid AI surveys were approved. My earnings from surveys have been c. £7/day since the start of the tax year, but it's slow just now as is always the case in summer. To be honest, I'm glad of the break, real work has been far more demanding of late and I'm exploring whether they will fund me to complete a Master's, as well.

rtandon27

ooooo - funded education - how exciting! - I'm very envious!

julicorn

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82077667#Comment_82077667

Thanks for the discount code - my trial is almost finished so I'll try and use that too, every little helps eh? :)

beanielou

Do the Masters if you can. My DS’s cost a fortune!

AgathaSquirrel

I would love a funded Masters. I got as far as a Pg Cert but there is no more funding so have given up and currently on a work based quality improvement course.