Frugal heating

Dear reader,

It started with the most horrific sore throat and I now have a really bad cold and cough. Hot and cold shivers and feel terrible. Have gone sick from work which I try not to do. The thing with my job is that if you take more than 18 days sick over the last 3 years they will not let you apply for anything else that comes up, promotion or otherwise. It's to catch out the shirkers. The trouble is it makes people who are ill struggle into work and pass on whatever they have which is where I caught this. I can even pinpoint it to the exact sneeze! It gives me the hump.

Today, while I dozed in the lounge big man went out for shopping essentials and remedies for me.

We also bought non smoking patches which were half price and the spray for me to try as well as some fruit, cooking oil, cough medicine and dish cloths. £40

He also bought some coal for the stove as the "seasoned" wood we bought is not and is still above 20% dampness. Too high for burning. He has one of those little machines with prongs on that measure the water content in the wood as too much water causes creosote in the chimney which damages it. He got it off e-bay for £13. We think we may just use coal now which is £8.40 per bag of 25kg. Less storage space and no worries about seasoning. It seems to burn longer as well.
So we spent £33.60 on fuel as well which was not budgeted for but we will cut down the food to make up for it.

I have made a budget with all our outgoings today. I wanted to use any spare money towards debts and pay it out on payday rather than see how much is left then pay it out. Once it has gone its gone.
We have left ourselves £30 a month for pocket money. All a big change for a girl who could easily spend that on just foundation!

My shopping so far this month is now just under £133 out of £160 but that includes the coal and the quit smoking supplies.

I have found a really good new blog as well so have been catching up on that today, Chelmarsh Chunterings, some very appealing baking!

Sarah. X