Sashaying into September savings, the frugality continues....

[Fluffycloudland77]

NSD.

[roguepixie]

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1869002-Austerity-in-October-blows-the-budgeteering-bugle

[claretandamberforever]

October thread here. www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1869002-Austerity-in-October-blows-the-budgeteering-bugle

Hope you don't mind Fluffy xx

[claretandamberforever]

PS - am also on EDF's blue price promise June 2014 which is supposedly the cheapest tarif for me apart from a company called Spark who I have never heard of. EDF write to me when anyone releases a tarif which will save me more than £1 per week

[claretandamberforever]

Morning all! I'll reply to this thread and then start an October one if no one else has done.

I'm not sure whether they can 'legally' refuse to review my account, but when I phoned them last month and owed £148 they said that as they were still working on my 2012 figures (when I used a ridiculous amount of fuel) they couldn't reduce my payments anymore than they had (from £191 to £166) because the computer thought it would put me into debit. But in January they'd review my 2013 figures when I was a fuel saving bad ass, so my payments should reduce by a lot.

Ripping off bawbags

[ilovepicnmix]

Claret - you're not boring me! It seems totally wrong that they won't review your account. Can they legally refuse to?

Im having a crappy day already as DS was sick three times yesterday so no swimming for us this morning. I despair at the thought of trying to amuse a grumpy 15 month old for the next 11 hours!! Im just desperately hoping he's not sick again else nursery will refuse him tomorrow and I'll be off work.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Claret have you used moneysavingexperts energy club to find out if you are on the cheapest tariff? I've switched to M&S because it was cheaper than any of the edf tariffs.

I switch every year in the summer when the rates are lower.

[AdoraBell]

Oh, Dr. was on my CC. I am not happy with this situación. Bank cards haven't arrived yet. Bank cards haven't even been dispatched yet.

[AdoraBell]

Fluffy I did similar for our tríp way down south earlier this year, it's the only way to gaurantee good weather.

[AdoraBell]

Just a quick update, didn't end the month with an NSD, I like start and end with NSDs if I can, because of DD's Dr. visit. That was £53-ish, parking was free, under Two hours. Snack before coming home as she was starving, £7. Shopping, as I was spending thought I'd Get stuff Today, £28. Roads, oh Loads. Couldn't find test resulta for Doc so had to Go into town and Get a reprint before going into town for the apptointment. And back of course because DD was in school, near on £10 I think. 70p parking at the shops. £20 replacing the fuel I'd used in the gas guzzler because OH took the small car in to see about tyres/service.

DD needs moré detailed tests to determine if she needs growth hormone. That'll be October's budget gone then. Dogs haven't been frontlined yet.

[claretandamberforever]

Am I actually boring the tits off anyone yet?

[claretandamberforever]

Also had £6 in my health lotto account so I have withdrawn that to come to my current account. Every penny is counting this month!

I wonder if it might be worth me trying EDF again to see if they will reduce my DD - do you think they might if I threaten to leave??? I have been spending £80 on fuel on average each month from April to september. No intentions of putting on the heating on yet. If I did 6 x £80 = £480 and doubled that 6 x £160 = £960 and divided it by 12, that'd work out at £120 a month, and they're currently taking £166. That £46 a month would be better off in myyyyyyy pocket

[claretandamberforever]

Have cancelled DD to Camelot and the Health Lotto which I had only just started playing but hey ho, I'd rather have £9 in my pocket as a lotto win is pie in the sky. I just wont ever check the numbers and then I'll never know if I'd have won.

A direct debit for my credit card came out today and was nearly double what I was expecting. It had been on 0% interest for 22 months so I'm guessing the interest free period is over now (ouch) so the £16 I saved on my fuel bill has gone (plus a bit more) to service my credit card (boo hoo)

[TheOnlyPink]

The weekend was spendy, but I had budgeted for it and didnt go over. Dh needed new work clothes and new boots (his old ones literally fell apart) and ds2 needed some winter clothes. We didnt get a coat for him, so going to have to put it on the credit card but he cannot do without it, if the weather changes he will be blue. He has a thick cardi and a rain jacket, but he needs a coat.

Today I did my weekly shop, came in €5 under budget so I'm happy, will put it away and pay it off the credit card.

[NK5BM3]

Ending the month with a spend. Brought lunch but bought 2 pairs of thinsulate gloves for the DCs. £3.50x2 but at 25% off from sainsburys. So I'm happy.

[ilovepicnmix]

£1 on yoghurts for DS and then £7.99 on blinds for my car to keep the sun out of his poor wee eyes. I've had crappy cheap ones since he was born and they've annoyed me on a near daily basis so hope these ones are better.

I found €30 in a kitchen drawer today. Do you reckon it would be worth my while exchanging?

[claretandamberforever]

Hello payday......

......goodbye payday....

Personal NSD for me (3rd in a row) although I have managed to save £5 + postage on a DAB radio which I am buying for my mother's birthday as a colleague's DH works at Tesco and they had a 20% off day today so she's got him to buy the radio for me instore for £20 instead of £25 + postage that I'd have paid had I ordered it online. I'll be giving her the cash tomorrow.

DH's spending like Beckham continues as he's forked out £27 for a pair of footy boots for DS2 today. Apparently he did need them as he's gone up a size. Prompt lots of huffing, tutting, eyerolling and sighing from DS1 who thinks we should now buy him Fifa14 even though he has some of his birthday money and could easily buy it himself! I'm standing firm and saying "no".

I'm all excited because I look like I now only owe EDF £65 now! In April 2013 I owed them £648. My direct debits went up from £117 to £191 but being a fuelsaving ninja throughout the summer means my debt to them has been drastically reduced. Although they are a strange lot because they're refusing to review my payments until January and the least they will reduce my direct debit to is £166. Oh well, at least I should clear the debt by the end of October (woo).

[Fluffycloudland77]

I've bought two thermal long sleeved tops and stirrup leggings from the M&S heatgen range, £22 in total using vouchers and the outlet sites BOGOF on ladies thermals. I now predict we will have a mild winter and I hope you appreciate my efforts.

3 sunscreens from superdrug 4.47 (apply it everyday, cheaper than anti wrinkle cream but you've got to start young)

£1.79 on hair removal cream & saccharine from homebargains

£10 petrol.

My new halifax account is all set up, applied late last Monday, had my card and pin by Friday. £100 cashback & £5 a month if you stay in credit. Santander can feck off.

Just got to give my meter readings to M&S energy and its goodbye to eon too.

Ooh I feel cleansed now.

Confused you are doing brilliantly with furnishing your house.

Ohhelp I hope your poor cats better today.

[confusedofengland]

Oh yes, forgot the £20 I spent on renewing my driving licence

[confusedofengland]

creme hope DS had a lovely birthday

ohhelp hope cat is on the mend

I had a very spendy weekend On Saturday, we went into town for lunch & spent just under £10 on lunch for me, DH & 2 DSes (free burger voucher for Yates'). DS1's cheesy peasy pasta was a very small portion & not very nice, though, so will email to complain. Then to Specsavers where I got a new pair of glasses for £10 (free up to a certain amount with contact lens scheme). Then 2 sealed money tins from Home Bargains, 59p each. We also went to Tesco in the morning (me & DSes) & I spent just over £11 on birthday beers for a party we were going to, Muller mini-corners (B1G2F + 25 extra points voucher) & something else. Plus £10 diesel for car. Plus about £8 at Farm Foods on bread, milk, bananas, juice, crisps.

Sunday was the really spendy day - a sofa from Ebay (£200), bed from Ebay (£36, will get new mattress), wood from Ebay (£40), van to transport above (£70), diesel for van (£20). Then £15 on Tassimo pods as had £10 off voucher code expiring yesterday. Then £44 on birthday presents for my DSises who came round rather unannounced (birthdays this week, on the same day, not twins). A lot of this money did come from money we had saved from selling stuff (£150.09) & our £2 tin, in which we had been putting any £2 coins we got (£127 in about 6 months), so it could have been worse, I guess.

DS1 seems to have developed a talent for spotting coins on the ground. So, one of the money tins we have bought will be solely for money found outside of the house. We will open it in a year from yesterday to see how much free money one can find in a year It already has 23p in 2 days, not a bad start

Today need to spend class money for DS1 50p, toddler group for DS2 50p, football for DS1 £1. Have also bought DS1 some smart jeans from Asda for parties as the pair I got secondhand in a bundle have developed a hole in the knee & I think with secondhand, you never know how much life they will have when you acquire them, so one 'best' pair is sensible. Also need to buy mushrooms later to make leftover duck risotto.

[jonbonjovismissus]

NSD yesterday, will need petrol today which will be about £40. adora dp's foot is fine - the piece of glass was so tiny you'd have needed a magnifying glass to see it!

[Fluffycloudland77]

I hope your ds had a good birthday creme.

[northender]

£20 today on cake/ice cream etc after we'd been for a walk. Shouldn't have really but it was a lovely treat after a tough few weeks.
Should be a reasonably good week this week (desperately clinging on to optimistic thoughts!!)

[Thatsinteresting]

I went shopping today for milk and fruit and somehow spent £30. I did gets vests for ds but they were about £3.50. It was just one of those shops where you feel you've bought nothing.

Think I'm going to be a little overspent this month so will need to be careful next month.

oh help glad your cat is recovered. Vets bills are never cheap but a necessary evil to look after our furry loved ones.