Statement of intent

StuartGMC

EH
I'll need to look at that; don't want to pay both minimum and full on top, becasue, as we all know that small amount offsetting all adds up...

StuartGMC

In true MSE spirit I have been starting to get comparisons for the buildings & contents insurance which is up for renewal at the end of September. Thought it a good idea to check now before getting busy with work in Sept :rolleyes:

Have checked Hiscox and DirectLine, but can't progress the comparison on Onlyinsurance.com as recommended in the MSE insurance article http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/insurance/home-insurance because we had a claim for a blocked and damaged sewer which is not listed on their "drop-down" list when adding claims in the initial data forms :mad:

Anyway their team should call back tomorrow to advise so I can get a number of comparisons.

So far, current insurers (Zurich, with £75 excess) in 2007 was £448.30, and I guess at least this figure in September.
Hiscox (opting for £100 excess) quoting some £527
DirectLine (£100 excess) quote of £277.20

We have found Zurich very reliable when we had a burglary in 2000 for buildings insurance (unlike Norwich Union for the contents) and again this year for the sewer problem, but I would still like to leverage discussion on their renewal quote as it could be some £200 more than DirectLine it seems.

My main concern is getting true "like-for-like" cover on all the additional parts like garden furniture etc. So I hope to make a saving, but, I don't intend to opt for the cheapest if it looks like cover will be less than present :rolleyes:

Of course, I should look to pay the difference into our savings, but it will contribute a little to the car service tomorrow otherwise.

Right, where else can we save some money....:D

StuartGMC

Not so much moneysaving, as it is an increase in our costs. DD has been asking that we get a cat for some 18months or so, and I had conceded, but last autumn tragically witnessed a cat hit by a car outside our house and was with it as it died. It somewhat put me off for a while, plus this does involve additional expenditure and I don't want a cat-flap reducing security on the door/acting as a draft entry point....

I know you'll all accuse me of being harsh...

Anyway, having returned from holiday we are now looking at local cat rescue centres etc and she is at this moment with OH looking into the annual costs of cat ownership.

We'll also look at the article on pet insurance.

So, with this extra spend, something will have to be reduced elsewhere, but I can't see many obvious candidates in my spreadsheet presently.

StuartGMC

However, the good news is that our groceries average spend is presently looking something like £82.48 per week, of which £67.17 is food & drink, and £10.03 on toiletries & cleaning etc.

This equates to about £356 per month for the three of us. So I think my wife is doing well as it covers lunches for her and DD in this total (I still indulge in the "luxury" of a cooked lunch in the staff restaurant, although recent price increases are making this less attractive than a year ago) :T

One "alternative" I'd missed in my spreadsheet listing is Sainsbury's ketchup rather than Heinz; DD and wife tell me the former is not only cheaper but they prefer the taste (I don't eat it). So that alone is a saving of about £30 per year.

Clothing and shoes is high, due to purchase of "summer" items which we needed for the holiday in Crete (doesn't look like we'll need T-shirts and shorts here until next year though :rotfl:) and the autumn items for DD to return to school such as shoes etc. We think purchases for me and OH will however be limited as there aren't many things needed, so I hope the average will drop back from the £265 per month :eek: to something a little more reasonable as time moves on and the spreadsheet spend is averaged over a longer period. Will need a couple of new suits each and to be honest, DW does need some more clothes so I won't press her too hard on this point

As we're with ScottishPower, we have not yet been advised of the price increases but based on those from other suppliers, I think it will be about 25%. I'll read the meter as soon as they do post this information to make sure consumption at the cheaper rate is captured. Next monthly reading is due in a week's time anyway for online submission and update of consumption data.

Finally, today transferred £1000 from current a/c to savings; this is still offsetting, so it is only for the psychological benefit of replotting the savings graph and seeing an uplift in the spreadsheet straight after the holiday, which in itself is good as we only drew down £1500 from savings to cover the holiday costs in the first place (about 1/3 of the total cost) :j

StuartGMC

The title may just catch your eye..

OK, one final post today. Thinking about extra money I hadn't checked the situation regarding the revision to tax for the 10p rate. Popped by http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/employers/epa-understanding.htm#5 and find that DW will be worth up to an extra £120 to me per year :rolleyes: :j
(she is of course priceless - in case she reads this )

However, my net pay won't change, which is galling when I didn't get an increase earlier in the year either :mad:

Anyway, I think increased costs will absorb that money without any problem :rotfl:

EssexHebridean

Yes - we both get the advantage of that extra £10 per month too - as from 1st September it will be included in our regular OP. We're actually quite impressing ourselves with our level of organisation at the moment! :rotfl:

setmefree2

Hi Stuart,:hello:

Interesting reading:D Well done on the food bills:T

Re Clothes.

Are you anywhere near an outlet village? We always go to visit relarives in Cheshire at Xmas and there is a massive outlet village there called Cheshire Oaks (this is the biggest one in the UK).

[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]http://www.shoppingvillages.com/cheshireoaks/cheshireoaksdesigneroutlet.htm[/FONT][/FONT]


It's fantastic for work clothes - if you need something posh at regular prices (Jaeger suit for£150). They are also good for getting uber trendy clothes for teens at reasonable prices. There are others in the UK - don't knoiw if they are as good.

Of course the cheapest thing is to buy none:j at all which is what I'm trying to do. I have a "use it up challenge" going on. This involves wearing clothes out....giving clothes to the charity shop doesn't count;)


Good Luck and well done

SMF2

StuartGMC

SMF2
Many thanks. Intention is to buy suits in the sales, but if I buy more than one in store which is not in the sales I always try to ask for a discount (independent/specialists are better than national chains). It is also a matter of time, I usually only shop for clothes and shoes 3 times per year, so it needs to be available, no way am I traipsing around stores more often than that!

I do look to wear out work clothes, but only to the degree of slight wear, nothing is worse than seeing people in badly worn suits and shirts; not good for client relations either

Nearest outlet locations to us are a good journey away (I think about 140mile round trip) but I agree they can be very good provided you can get the sizes you need. I'll add to the list of things to do

I'm presently downloading the policy wording for Buildings & Contents insurance from a number of providers - it'll be a pain to review in detail but, I don't want to get caught out thinking I'm getting like-for-like when the cover is less. For example one I've noticed already seems to allow for the initial repair, of say, burst pipe, but not the rectification to decoration etc after effecting the repair... not something you want to find out if you thought the ceiling would be repainted or what-have-you, in a real situation. Some strong tea is required for this me thinks!

StuartGMC

EssexHebridean wrote: »

We're actually quite impressing ourselves with our level of organisation at the moment! :rotfl:

Getting more organized is on my "To-do" list :rotfl:

SuiDreams

Good luck on the Insurance comparisons, that will be my Job next month not looking forward to it at all.