Richard's Frugal February

Thrifty tips, ideas, news & experiences on anything around the home to shopping to re-cycling etc.
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Richard
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Richard's Frugal February

Post by Richard »

Last year, due to personal reasons, brought about one or two heavy financial blows.
After that along comes Christmas and another clice of the bank balance goes !

Luckily my Mobile Contract runs out at the end of February, so as my existing phone has lasted quite well, I won't upgrade and simply pay sim only on it.
This will save me £14 per month.

I seem to have got through a lot more Rayburn fuel compared to previous years, so I must get back into wood foraging more.

Although the web site is doing well on visitors, the revenue has gone right down and this of course supplements my pensions.

So for me it's a save as you go month, I shall look closely at my spending, see what I do and don't need with a look to save as much as I can.

Richard
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Richard
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Re: Richard's Frugal February

Post by Richard »

I actually started off quite well today.
I received an Invoice showing I owed X amount for something which I pay monthly.
Normally I may just say "ooops" and trust it to be right, but I checked my online statement back a year and found they had made an error (genuine) and I saved £42 leaving my account which shouldn't have done.

Richard
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Freeranger
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Re: Richard's Frugal February

Post by Freeranger »

Good starts, Richard )t'
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Richard
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Re: Richard's Frugal February

Post by Richard »

I work /do internet / watch TV quite a bit in the Shed Office of mine.

After dark I usually switch an outdoor light on, it's very dark !

I've now started just using a torch to go out there and back, probably saving 25 hours of light bulb electricity per week.

Richard )t'
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Richard
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Re: Richard's Frugal February

Post by Richard »

I'm afraid I let the side down this morning.

I went to Hythe to do some shopping and brought myself some Fish and Chips.
I succumbed to temptation !

Tomorrow I'm looking at my Power Supplier with a view to change for a better deal.

Richard )t'
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steveindenmark
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Re: Richard's Frugal February

Post by steveindenmark »

New boy here. First post. Be kind.

Biscuits are my vice. Especially when I am in the garden and fancy, yet another coffee.

But not only can it be expensive to buy them. They do not do my waist line much good.

So here is a cheaper, healthier and more interesting alternative. It is so simple.

Simple Cake

Making the mix takes 5 minutes. tops.

Put the following into a bowl.

A pinch of salt

2 tablespoons of sugar...any sugar will do.

2 mugs of flour...any flour will do..last week I used Italian Farmhouse breadmix flour that I had left over.

2 teaspoons of baking powder. We do not get self raising flour in Denmark. If you are using self raising flour, you may not need the baking powder. Let us know.

1 mug of milk.

Now you can add anything you have got. Raisins, apple, banana, nuts, apricots. Whatever you are trying to get rid of.

Mix it all in a bowl.

What no eggs or butter? Thats right. Its the healthy option.

Grease a bread tin with a little margerine and pour in the mix.

Put in an oven at 200 for 40 minutes.

Thats it. There are no eggs or butter in the mix.

Its great warm with butter or jam.

The good thing about this cake is that you can have as many variations as you want. I have even added coffee to mine. Its very cheap to make.

Someone please try it, so you prove I am not a fraud. :-D
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Meanqueen
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Re: Richard's Frugal February

Post by Meanqueen »

Welcome Steve. Sounds very nice. I don't do any baking as I don't use my oven at all. Perhaps you could send me a slice in the post, ha ha. :-D Only joking.

Ilona
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Richard
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Re: Richard's Frugal February

Post by Richard »

Hi

Things are going good for me.

SHORT TERM

Being on house sitting duties for 14 days I'm saving a bit here and there, but they leave me food, so that's probably a saving of about £40'ish

LONG TERM

Bingo !

I received a notification of price increases with my current supplier, so went on to uSwitch.
Being unsure of the procedure doing it myself, I rang them, gave them all the information ie. What I've used in last year, cost etc. etc.

and I'm now saving £29.63 PER MONTH (I'm electric only - no gas pipes down the Lane).
Also, my existing supplier was putting the price up at the end of February.

So, I'm pretty pleased this morning.

Richard )t' )t' )t'
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lancashire lass
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Re: Richard's Frugal February

Post by lancashire lass »

Richard wrote:and I'm now saving £29.63 PER MONTH (I'm electric only - no gas pipes down the Lane).


)t' well done. That should be quite a substantial saving over the year.

I am a bit of a wuss at wanting to change - I'm sure I can get a better deal if I looked around but I'm not confident. If something goes wrong, what is their customer service like? So far my current supplier has been good and dealt with problems whereas in the past I had my fingers burned when I inadvertently changed suppliers (I was conned into it - another reason why I was desperate to get out. And that was a well known supplier - also well known for bad customer service too which I can verify)
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Richard
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Re: Richard's Frugal February

Post by Richard »

Hi Lassie

I've gone for Scottish Power.
I appreciate the reviews aren't all that brilliant, but nor are they for any Energy Company it seems.

They do a 'Priority' Service for people of pension age, so should something go wrong, it should be sorted out quickly.
The scheme also applies to those with disabilities, chronic illness, partial sight, bad hearing.

I didn't do it online on uSwitch, although I did see what it was going to cost me.
I rang the uSwitch free 0800 number and someone does it all for you.

Richard

PS. The bad news is I should have done this before !!
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Richard
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Re: Richard's Frugal February

Post by Richard »

It's all going well so far, but one of the reasons is it's a month when I'm not visiting family in Southampton.
That's to say treating the Grandkids !!

Richard )t' )t'
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Richard
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Re: Richard's Frugal February

Post by Richard »

Forgive me, I have sinned...........Fish and Chips at Whitstable, that's about 50 miles worth of Diesel {warn}

Richard )run(
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bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: Richard's Frugal February

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

I like Whitstable .
Bob
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Richard
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Re: Richard's Frugal February

Post by Richard »

The rain kept me in today, so nothing spent !!

One big surprise was a tax rebate came through the post.

Not a lot but enough for about 500 miles worth of petrol.

Richard )t' )t'
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Richard
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Re: Richard's Frugal February

Post by Richard »

My Summary..

Fuel / Energy Savings - Long Term £29 per month by changing Supplier.

Electricity savings on not having outside light on for going backwards and forwards to my Shed - used Torch.
Only switched Electric Blanket on 4 nights (I suffer badly from feet cramps, I know it's better not to have it on at all, but it helps!).
Restricted longer birdwatching trips to only 4, normally do 6.

No Kit-Kats when down town!

Bonus - 13 nights house sitting
Small tax rebate.

All in all, I'm happy.
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