A frugal life is an easy life!

I have an absolute gutfull this week, of "tradesmen" quoting times and money for jobs, that are a complete joke!

I always compare what they will charge with the better half's wage - who does a job that only four companies in the world can do. Constantly in demand, her job has taken her all over the world over the years.
If I spent five years training, I doubt that I would be able to do her job, the same would apply without any shodow of a doubt, to so called tradesmen.

Rendering job:
I asked a plasterer working nearby, if he was available for a "foreigner" (Doing a job for cash in hand payment) that he could do in his spare time.
"Yes" came the reply, "I do them with my mate and we charge £100 per day each"
He had a quick look around to see how much the half a house would need and told me roughly, it would take around four days.

Some would say this is good value.... they would be wrong!
The better half would have to work overtime, after her 40 hour week and on a Sunday, to get £14 an hour BEFORE the taxman takes his cut of 33% (For a specialist trained job)
The tradesmen who can plaster, expect to be paid more than £1 per hour more, for working on a Saturday and having me labour for them.
It would take our lass more than three weeks wages to almost break even, with what the plasterers want for four days work.

How is this not a complete joke?

The company the plasterers work for don't pay them anywhere near £15 per hour and the cost of the full job to me the customer would be almost the same price overall, than any so called "foreigner" that these two jokers propose!

Rewiring:
I was quoted by a local electrician, that it would take four lads to come in and blitz the job, probably taking around four days to complete a full rewire. Price quoted was close to £4000!
That's a staggering £28 per hour per each of the four tradesmen I was told would be required!

I enquired through my contacts on the actual cost of wire - 100 metre rolls of twin and earth etc (100 metres is the maximum recommended length for a ring main, ie, all the downstairs plugs)
The cost per roll of wire would be around £67 each - surely there must be some mistake?
£67 per roll?
No mistake, roughly four rolls would be needed for main sockets/lights. etc. If I am generous and add on two rolls to cover any other wiring required, this brings the total cost for the wiring to £402 - a huge gap between the cost of wire and the price quoted of almost £4000 I'm sure you'll agree.

These tradesmen want wages, for four days, which would almost equal a months wage for our lass!
This quote is even more of a joke, as we don't have any ceilings, all wiring is open so there would be no floor boards to lift, just a pair of step ladders is required.

Don't get me wrong, I am not doubting that these tradesmen have worked hard and learned their chosen trade. I am not doubting their skills are up to scratch, but these quotes belong in a joke book!
Many will say that the tradesmen need to make a living, but this is just greed, plain and simple.

In the example of the plasterers - when we built the extention, our friend who is a roofer, ripped out, rebuilt and repaired the old roof and beams. They then fitted all the new beams, fitted all the new felt and then carried and laid two pallets of new roof tiles and reused half of the old tiles, charging me around the same money as both plasterers want for four days work, putting on a scratch coat and render.

When my local Tesco store were selling Lurpak at a 50p higher price than you could buy it from the same store, same shelf, if you placed an order online, I watched their shelf price for almost two weeks. Nothing changed.

Once we had run out of said Lurpak, I collared the customer service manager at the store, after I was forced to pay the higher price for it, than they were selling it for with online orders (See link above for full post) and "had a word."

In full view and earshot of the cigarette queue, I left him in no doubt that I thought he was ripping people shopping in his store off.

Imagine my surprise when 24 hours later, the same Lurpak pack sizes saw their prices in the same Tesco store, reduced to just £1 - from the £1.50 they were sold at for two weeks previously for online orders.
As they cannot advertise it as an offer - it hasn't been on sale at the higher price for two weeks according to their own price checker - they have been forced into displaying the £1 price as a standard price label!

So tonight, now that they have got some stock in, I picked up ten packs, saving me a whopping £5 - all this from one product line.
Even better is the fact that everyone shopping at the store will also benefit from the 50p saving per pack.

Amazing how, just by shouting Tesco management down in front of customers, they change their whole approach to pricing by demographics and hoping no one would notice the difference for people ordering from the store via the internet and those calling into the store.

Little victories my friends, little victories...

Little treasures children's trust charity have instructed a solicitor to act on their behalf, and attempts have been made to make, "the website with the name frugalways.co.uk, incapable of use, at least pending resolution of this matter."
If steps are not taken to do this and my personal contact information is not released (even though it would be a contravention of the Data Protection Act) then "Court proceedings maybe necessary against you." ("You" being the domain name company that I registered frugalways with)

By posting actual experiences of my dealings with little treasures children's trust and their collectors (working for east london textiles - ELT - or little treasures children's trust directly, the lady at the charity wouldn't or couldn't confirm either was correct)) at the link above, their solicitor has deemed this to be, "defamatory of our client and its business."
Using the Civil procedure rules 1998 - Defamation claims, the solicitor is demanding my personal contact information be made available.
The basis for this action I am told, both in the letter and on the telephone today from their solicitor, is from the text of my blog post, stated in their letter.
Unfortunately, the letter does not specify any specific text at all!

According to the solicitor representing little treasures children's trust, what "makes matters more serious," is the following;

• "A link from the frugalways.co.uk to the website of little treasures children's trust" - No such link has ever existed in the blog post concerned.
• "An invitation to people associated with our client, to contact the Charity commission" - No such "invitation" exists in my original blog post - I would strenuously defend that any such invitation, if it did exist, would be breaking not one single law, rule or procedure!

Facts ommitted from the letter sent by the solicitor representing little treasures children's trust, to the domain name company, include;

• Any text or links that are considered to be defamation
• Little treasures children's trust already have my personal details, these were given to the charity when I contacted them to report their delivery person - so why demand them officially and request this website be made "unusable"? Would this not be defamation of myself under the Civil procedure rules 1998?
• Both the posting of the bags and the later collection of bags in the area, without any form of licence being issued by the local authority, secretary of state or police authority, was an offence under the House to House Collections Act 1939 (and subsequent amendments)
• Little treasures children's trust charity and East london textiles ltd (collection agents of said charity) had both admitted to myself - in the case of the charity - and our local council's chief licensing officer - in the case of east london textiles ltd - that neither had a licence to carry out any house to house collections. They went further, admitting that neither of them had even applied for a licence!
• Staff at little treasures children's trust have informed me of how much they like the website frugalways.co.uk, especially "Your diary posts, we think it's really great to hear how a father handles school holidays and childcare!"

Little treasures children's trust can contact me anytime, they have my home phone number and address already. They can email me via the website, they are free to visit the website and leave comments under the original (or this) post.
As I stated to their solicitor directly, if they request I edit or review any part of my factual account, of my own personal experience, I will happily look at their requests, but as yet, they have failed to clarify which parts of my post they find defamatory.

What I will not do, is remove the post on the whim of a solicitor's letter, which is inaccurate in it's claims of website links and "invitations" to contact the charity commission in my original blog post.

I find it disturbing that a charity would go to such lengths and spend essential money, trying to have my website made "unusable" whilst they gather information that they already have in their posession?

If any staff of little treasures children's trust are reading this post, (I know you visit this website as you have told me so already) please feel free to contact me, as unfortunately, your solicitor, once I had asked for clarification of where I have posted what he claims I have posted, refuses to discuss the matter any further. (A point I will make vigorously in my defence should legal action be commenced!)

UPDATE:

Little treasures children's trust are not just targeting this website with solicitors letters - instead of sorting out the problem of doorstep collecting ILLEGALLY, they would prefer to frighten off bad publicity by stopping people from publishing their experiences on internet websites and forums.

I wonder why?

Many people still rent their televisions, freeview recorders, washing machines, tumble dryers, fridges, etc.
With a simple phone call, you can reduce how much you pay for these items.

Every so often throughout the year, the rental price of each item is reduced, normally when they are a year older.
The rental companies rely on people not knowing when this is and not checking that they are getting the best deal.

About twice a year, I contact my rental company (I rent my television) and each time the price is reduced. It may be only £4 per month cheaper, but even with that small saving, I have managed to keep another £48 a year in my family's pocket!

It's late here, very late, but I am compelled to post whilst this is fresh in my swede.

If you are considering becoming a parent, or indeed have just become one, you should be aware of many unseen jobs, that the humble parent must endure, all of course, without any recognition!

There is no way that I could list them all here and now, so to this post I will return with updates... this said, kicking the post off, is one unseen job, that many parents absolutely loathe with a passion.
The unseen wait!

Sprog2 landed back at home today, with a few friends in tow. Whilst on our way out, I was offered a small driving job in relation to two said friends. Accepting the job, it was a simple process.
Once said friends have been to the pub, parent will be texted by mobile telephone and said parent will pick up the friends and take them home. A simple, but useful task?

Now for the side that children do not see.
As I sat here from 10.30pm - keen on getting some shut eye, it is now gone 1am. Still no message or call.
In walks sprog2, calm as you like, announces that he is going to bed!
Hold on a mo... what about the driving you asked me to do?
Oh we didn't need you afterall, we decided that just after you left the house earlier.
So where is my message or call?
Errrrr sorry, goodnight!

Over two and a half hours waiting for nothing. I could have gone to bed at 10.30pm and had a good sleep, instead I shall be a tad cranky tomorrow because I haven't got enough sleep tonight.
Waiting around is bad enough, but the parent must wait for no reason whatsoever and find they have wasted hours of their own time, all of course, without any recognition!