A frugal life is an easy life!

After three big bills came in at the same time, see how living week to week can be a struggle. Officially classed as "Working poor" here's my diary (updated through out the month).

After shaving more monthly costs off our household bills (already low) I wore a smile on my ugly mush, which lasted for all of a day.
My £48 a year saving, was wiped out the next day when a statement from the bank we are forced to have came in, which revealed the 20 day per month cap for charging £1 a day for our small overdraft was being "lifted"
As a result, we now have to pay £1 per day for 30 days instead of 20 for all the time we are in our overdraft.
Our £48 a year saving vanished into the bank's pocket, along with an extra £72 per year.

I asked Santander to comment on twitter, but they don't even have the courtesy to reply.

A poached egg on two slices of toast for dinner, then frankfurters rolled up in bread with fried onions for our Sunday tea (higher percentage of meat and not "mechanically reclaimed" as hotdogs are) so a rare treat.
Supper was a few broken chocolate fingers with a brew, picked up from the cheap cake stall on the outside market (2 for £1).
Rock and roll in our house...

UPDATE:

The value of eggs and spuds can never be under estimated.
The number of meals that can be made with these two ingredients is staggering and gets us through another week.
Caught our outdoor market green grocer as he was closing up, for a quid, picked up almost half a sack of washed whites, not the best, but good enough for baked spuds, a plate of chips and some roasties.
A tray of eggs picked up last week from the same place (£3 for 24 eggs) is lasting well. Should have enough to use for pastry, maybe knock up a cheese and onion pie tomorrow if I get the time.
Nipped into Morrisons for their "box of crisps for £3" offer - I can use them for crisp butties when the cheese runs out later in the week - of course they had none left. All 8 boxes went first thing in the morning, not the first time an offer has been blasted all over the tv, but none available when you turn up at their store.

That said, I did spot some tunnocks marshmellows and caramel wafers going on sale, grabbed a pack of each, went to the till, was overcharged. Price label didn't match the higher price at the till, another common occurance. It took 15 minutes to get the difference refunded. I wonder how many others have been caught like this?

Polished my footy boots, sprog's shoes and monkey boots for her indoors and burned another three "burn bags" of useless but confidential paperwork on the burner, great way to pre burn the fire ready for the logs coming in a couple of weeks.
Wanted to wash some of my footy kits ready for all the training next week, but no joy as we are now out of washing powder. Just my luck.
Only another twelve days until payday...

UPDATE 2:

I've been keeping track of my "5 a day" intake over the past couple of weeks.
5 a day - 0 days
4 a day - 0 days
3 a day - just once (inc. homemade apple pie)
2 a day - a few times
1 a day - most times

We lost a family member recently, a real blow to all of us.
Made me look at things a little differently, I tried to help in a practical way sorting out paperwork, etc. but their passing has left us all shattered, in a kind of daze. Memories will live on in our hearts for ever. For me, I miss them dearly. Always there for me for over 30 years, helping me with advice and practically without effort.

Work mates have been fantastic, supporting me throughout. They all helped more than they realised.

Have a small claims case to deal with also, £75 of my already over stretched working poor budget if I want to attempt to strike it out. A judge could have decided to strike the claim out, but has chosen to refer it to mediation, with which if I don't comply, will rule against the defence.
I'll post more soon, suffice to say without any proof, no contract and the company concerned revealing information that would close the case down, but failing to record it accurately on the account notes, I'm left in limbo.
Ombudsman and regulator have admitted they do not know the law that applies to what the case concerns, a full post is coming soon.

Managed to get to the end of the month with £7.40 to spare.
Wasn't enough to buy any fireworks for sprog2 this year, we managed to get some sparklers though, bless her, she loved all 10 minutes of them.
For those that know me, being unable to celebrate Bonfire night hurts, especially where little ones are concerned.
It's a tradition, one that I've always celebrated.
This year it has passed without valuable memories being made, terrible parenting on my part.

Maybe those with money to burn should use the "working poor" not celebrating bonfire night (because they cannot afford it) with their children as a tear jerker for their Christmas advert... which of course is a tax deductable (for them) as it's marketing.
Sprog2 is already making extravagant plans for Father Christmas' coming, let's hope we are in a position to do something about it!

UPDATE 3:

The boiler is on the way out, hot water stopping for no error message.
Our old back boiler system needed a good clean out (stripping down and cleaning inside) just once in 19 years, within 3 years this new fangled glory boiler (which has cost MORE to run, because it no longer heats water as it heats the home) has now developed a fault.
A quick look around the plumbing forums reveals it's a common problem involving a thermostiser? which is a small attachment to a pipe, measuring resistence through a small electrical charge, to gauge how much heat to use to heat the water to a given temperature, is going.
The part to replace is just £7.80 for a new one.
To fit it, British Gas would change a minimum £75... scandalous!
Yet another job to add to my long list.

I was working out roughly how much we recycle or reuse in our gaff, it would take some beating!
We burn plastic cartons (ideal for firelighters)
We have a constant supply of newspapers from family to use
We burn all the bills in our "bill bag"
We burn potato and carrot peelings as they simmer slowly and give off heat
We buy and cook all veg fresh
We make our own pies and pastries
The most luxurious thing we buy seems to be crisps and broken biscuits from the market!

The annual Christmas party has had to be cancelled this year, we just don't have the funds to spare.
£30 for a barely touched turkey dinner, plus drinks and a taxi home, can buy a lot of Christmas presents!
It shouldn't be a problem though, as I don't drink most of the year.

I end the month with (what I hope) is a ripped muscle in the back of my leg, I don't actually know if it is as I was unable to get a doctors appointment, as I couldn't convince the receptionist my injury was bad enough to warrant the precious time of my GP, she demanded I explain to her what was wrong so that SHE could make the decision that a GP should have been making.
She made it clear it was too much trouble for them, so I put the phone down.
Her time is obviously more important than mine.

This was highlighted in a letter that came today, from the tax office, by complete coincidence, revealing that only more than a fifth of our tax paid last year was spent on the NHS.

Finally a response from santander, regarding their increased overdraft charges.
They tell me they will kindly "feed back my concerns" - to exactly where, no one knows.
Will my complaint fall on deaf ears... I suspect so and no doubt they will continue to take from a family pot that shrinks by the month.
I just hope we get the shed load of snow this winter that the "experts" have been telling us about, then the corporates can lose money and put our bills up again once it's all passed.