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Post by Dougs on Jan 30, 2022 17:29:38 GMT
I've just sent in new meter readings. Essentially my gas and electric bill is now approaching £300 a month. For a 4 bed semi. The old shit boiler is part of the problem, but fuck me. I knew getting screwed by Avro would be bad but that's £50 a month more than I thought it would be.
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anephric
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Post by anephric on Jan 30, 2022 17:48:20 GMT
I'm still fixed on my old rate so it's okay at the mo but I imagine I'll be bent over come April.
The NI increase is going to make a big difference as we're moving house right up to the limit of affordability, and no pay rise this year or probably any time in the middle future. If I cut my charity donations it will just about balance out, but I've always assuaged my guilt by giving to homeless and conservation charities.
I dunno, if inflation goes crazy and interest rates go up considerably it's going to be stay at home eating Branston beans grim, I don't have anything else left to cut. I don't have subscriptions to anything other than cheapish broadband and a dirt cheap phone. I don't plan on any holidays for years.
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Bongo Heracles
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Post by Bongo Heracles on Jan 30, 2022 17:54:08 GMT
I don't think I could (or more likely would want) to afford my own house if I was starting from zero or even on a second move. The future looks so grim, when we are planning work on the house, we keep half an eye on the fact the girl is pretty much never going to be able to move out unless she invents the next bitcoin.
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anephric
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Post by anephric on Jan 30, 2022 18:05:57 GMT
My missus has had a promotion that, when she gets to the top of scale in five or so years, will make life a little bit less fraught, but until then it's not gonna be great. But I know how much worse it could be, I've lived through much worse, and I used to work at DWP and I've seen how day-by-day some people have to live, even in the fifth richest country in the world.
It. Could. Always. Be. Worse.
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dfunked
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Post by dfunked on Jan 30, 2022 18:06:06 GMT
anephric - probably worth switching to a new tariff just before April. If you wait and let it happen automatically you're going to be FUTA.
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Post by TheSaint on Jan 30, 2022 18:06:27 GMT
Branston beans are half the price, nicer than Heinz and they stack so win-win-win 🙂 Only thing missing is a ring pull. Pretty much the only thing I have to dig out the tin opener for.
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Post by Blackmarsh63 on Jan 30, 2022 18:06:59 GMT
I've just sent in new meter readings. Essentially my gas and electric bill is now approaching £300 a month. For a 4 bed semi. The old shit boiler is part of the problem, but fuck me. I knew getting screwed by Avro would be bad but that's £50 a month more than I thought it would be. Blimey that's a lot. Mines half that albeit a bit smaller house but the heating's on all day.
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dfunked
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Post by dfunked on Jan 30, 2022 18:11:45 GMT
Eh?... Pretty sure the tin I got had a ring pull. I think I still prefer the taste of Heinz slightly, but probably because I've been conditioned to it over the years. Tried supermarket own brand ones a few times they're just not the same. Chalky beans... Mmmm!
/edit The ring pull on Branstons is a new thing since last August apparently.
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Post by technoish on Jan 30, 2022 18:13:05 GMT
Weirdly our leccy bills haven't moved at all, and I haven't done anything to change / fix it.
After the mortgage which is fixed for another 2.5 years, the main outgoing is ridiculous nursery fees (£2k+!). These haven't changed since 2019, and the nursery was recently taken over by a group, so I expect with everything going up to see quite a bit of an increase in the near future!!! If the boy gets into the state school we want later this year we will save a bunch of this, luckily.
Inflation likely to hit 7%, but fairly confident the max pay increase civil servants would get is 3%.
Tbh a bit of inflation for a couple years with some pay rises, and then back down to low interest rates would nicely inflate away some of our mortgage!!!!
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Post by TheSaint on Jan 30, 2022 18:19:09 GMT
Can’t believe the amounts some of you are dropping on childcare. Absolutely insane.
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Post by gammonbanter on Jan 30, 2022 18:22:14 GMT
I hate, hate the heating on over night! Also, if we're home during the day - big jumpers and thick socks time! I succumb in the evening to pleas for warmth and obviously it clicks on 30 minutes before we wake up! It does help that the loft is incredibly well insulated.
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Post by Danno on Jan 30, 2022 18:30:00 GMT
Can’t believe the amounts some of you are dropping on childcare. Absolutely insane. Innit. Can't you just crate train them
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Post by Jambowayoh on Jan 30, 2022 18:30:31 GMT
So when do you actually turn the heating on?
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Post by TheSaint on Jan 30, 2022 18:43:36 GMT
What kind of mentalist has the heating on overnight?
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H-alphaFox
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Post by H-alphaFox on Jan 30, 2022 18:45:21 GMT
Just shove the largest log in the fire before bed. Or move to the tropics.
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anephric
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Post by anephric on Jan 30, 2022 18:47:02 GMT
My sister has poor circulation and when we used to live together for a while couldn't abide not having the heating on 24/7.
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Post by gammonbanter on Jan 30, 2022 18:47:56 GMT
So when do you actually turn the heating on? Timer and thermostat set to 19°c for 6am to 8am and then 4pm to 10pm
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Post by technoish on Jan 30, 2022 18:53:51 GMT
I have it on all night / all day, but it would only come on if a room required it. At night downstairs & non bedrooms are set to 10 degrees, bedrooms set to 16, except baby room which is at 20. During day I believei minimum is at 16, with office areas at 21 and kitchen at 20.
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Post by Danno on Jan 30, 2022 19:15:10 GMT
Can’t believe the amounts some of you are dropping on childcare. Absolutely insane. My sister is a manager at a nursery and she's only at £11/hr, with the other workers at £9.20/hr. For £2k a month you could offer to hire a nursery worker full time and you'd lose an arm.
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Post by technoish on Jan 30, 2022 19:47:36 GMT
Can’t believe the amounts some of you are dropping on childcare. Absolutely insane. My sister is a manager at a nursery and she's only at £11/hr, with the other workers at £9.20/hr. For £2k a month you could offer to hire a nursery worker full time and you'd lose an arm. We have indeed considered a nanny, but hopefully the 2k is only temporary for when they are both at nursery until school starts. Once it is only one at nursery it isn't as much sense. But then we will also have to pay for after school care / pickup as school days are shorter. Also, the maths seem simple, but note the nursery takes them for 10 hours a day, and includes all materials and food. We couldn't employ one person to work 10 hours a day, and then also you have extra employer NI costs and pension.
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Post by Danno on Jan 30, 2022 20:08:35 GMT
My sister is a manager at a nursery and she's only at £11/hr, with the other workers at £9.20/hr. For £2k a month you could offer to hire a nursery worker full time and you'd lose an arm. We have indeed considered a nanny, but hopefully the 2k is only temporary for when they are both at nursery until school starts. Once it is only one at nursery it isn't as much sense. But then we will also have to pay for after school care / pickup as school days are shorter. Also, the maths seem simple, but note the nursery takes them for 10 hours a day, and includes all materials and food. We couldn't employ one person to work 10 hours a day, and then also you have extra employer NI costs and pension. Shame about IR35 killing off the company contractor biz in that respect. You engage the company, which is basically the nanny, no obligations around NI, pension, liability insurance on your part, the nanny gets to earn a living wage by paying dividends from the company, thus attracting lower tax.
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Post by Honk If You're Horny? on Jan 30, 2022 20:34:17 GMT
The heating battle is one where I gave in.
I was very anti having it on 24/7 but the difference in bills was minimal so I suspect there is some validity to the reheating the room not being very efficient.
You pay more but fuck wearing coats in your own home.
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Post by Jambowayoh on Jan 30, 2022 20:41:59 GMT
The heating battle is one where I gave in. I was very anti having it on 24/7 but the difference in bills was minimal so I suspect there is some validity to the reheating the room not being very efficient. You pay more but fuck wearing coats in your own home. Yeah I've never got on board with that whole wearing jumpers and socks. It almost feels like that you thing you do in video games where you get a special weapon with limited ammo so you're really careful about not wasting it and end up not using it at all. I like not being cold so if I'm cold I'm turning the heating on.
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Post by Zomoniac on Jan 30, 2022 20:53:35 GMT
Financial benefit is the second best reason to not have kids, just behind not having to have kids in your house.
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Post by Danno on Jan 30, 2022 20:55:00 GMT
Never considered the idea that the boiler is, in fact, a megalixir
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askew
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Post by askew on Jan 30, 2022 20:59:32 GMT
🤣 One of life's mysteries. I noticed Asda's own shite stacks perfectly fine. Also, own brand beans cost about a 1/4 the price of Heinz beans. I always buy whatever is the cheapest brand. No they’re not as “nice” but you get used to them and you save a lot of money. It’s not a great feeling looking at the name brands you like and grabbing the supermarket’ budget brand, but its better than your bill at the till being double. And to be honest, the difference in taste isn’t that great. Tbh, most of the time I get Sainsburys own 25p jobbies. Was feeling a bit flush and thought I’d treat myself.
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Post by Danno on Jan 30, 2022 21:05:24 GMT
I hate beans. All of them. It's a textural thing. We used to have beans with about 75% of our meals - as was the style at the (80s) time - and I would be flogged for not finishing my dinner (also the style at the time) because we were poor (hey, look, style of the time #3), so I had to gulp them down rather than chew them. Fortunately that "sauce" lends itself quite well to that approach or I'd have Letsgo'd myself by the age of 8
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askew
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Post by askew on Jan 30, 2022 21:06:18 GMT
I mean to try the ol’ baked bean mush that got spoken about here at Christmas
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Post by Jambowayoh on Jan 30, 2022 21:08:20 GMT
I hate beans. All of them. It's a textural thing. We used to have beans with about 75% of our meals - as was the style at the (80s) time - and I would be flogged for not finishing my dinner (also the style at the time) because we were poor (hey, look, style of the time #3), so I had to gulp them down rather than chew them. Fortunately that "sauce" lends itself quite well to that approach or I'd have Letsgo'd myself by the age of 8 Did you have access to a horny Silverback gorilla when you were 8?
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Post by Danno on Jan 30, 2022 21:09:49 GMT
I hate beans. All of them. It's a textural thing. We used to have beans with about 75% of our meals - as was the style at the (80s) time - and I would be flogged for not finishing my dinner (also the style at the time) because we were poor (hey, look, style of the time #3), so I had to gulp them down rather than chew them. Fortunately that "sauce" lends itself quite well to that approach or I'd have Letsgo'd myself by the age of 8 Did you have access to a horny Silverback gorilla when you were 8? Does a Volvo 240 estate count?
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