A frugal life is an easy life!

I have never quite understood why Matalan requires membership cards?
To obtain favourable prices for goods? - Not judging by the prices on offer there.

Other than this, I cannot see any benefit for the customer.
The benefit is for the company, who (as with all clubcards/loyalty schemes) pick up valuable information on shopping habits, for demographics on the customers that shop with them and tailor their prices to maximise profits.

This demographical information is also shared with other companies that are part of the same group and sometimes, sold on for profit to other companies.

The store itself was tidy, a little quiet being a Wednesday afternoon.
Only a couple of cages were out in the aisles, one with stock inside, the other with rubbish.
The men's range of clothing was limited and not enough variety, a few plain T-shirts (which were priced at £4 - a £1 more than I found in Primark) and the usual wears.
A much larger range was available for women (A thing I have noticed alot of stores doing lately) perhaps women buy more?

The staff were dotted all around, although their customer service desk was limited to one lady, who was only able to help after dealing with another customer on the phone.
Friendly and helpful they were.
"Sale" racks, containing mostly women's and children's clothing, were not priced up, confusing as some full priced items (which had no original price on either) which were not in the sale, were displayed in the "sale" section.
Some clothing was placed under the "Up to half price" banner, but turned out to be full price but you could buy one for £10 or two for £15.

One thing that stood out, each of the various sections were named with big signs above them, presumably from a designer?
At each side of the design name, were large posters of women wearing various clothes of the design (I thought) it became apparent that not a single one of the model posters were wearing any clothing available to buy in the store!

In Matalan's cookware section, they had a couple of bays of cookware endorsed by Jane Asher, the actress come cake maker.
Well over priced, I don't know how much they are paying her to promote her range, wasted money if you ask me.
We picked up a plastic mixing bowl from Matalan's basic range, with a rubber base, for which we were over charged at the till, until I spotted the price on screen, the lady adjusted it down to what it said on the label.

Mystery shopper scores:
Layout - 8/10 - open and clean in all areas but the sale racks
Staff - 9/10 - helpful and friendly, if a little short staffed on their customer service bay
Range of goods - 4/10 - all too common nowadays, lots for women, men and children average at best
Prices - 3/10 - taking advantage of a lack of a primark in the area?

Overall:
I only went in for a cheap pair of work jeans, unable to find a pair for less than £12 and nothing like the range I have seen elsewhere.
Lose the membership cards and push down your prices, expand the range for men and lose the B celebrity endorsed products.

Eon staff really haven't got a clue what they are talking about. I have yet to speak to an Eon advisor or manager, that knows how Eon's own system works and how pre payment meters work.

Got my "statement" today, it was wrong again (As it has been everytime for as long as I can remember).

The statement says - "You have agreed to pay back the money you owe us for electricity"
Eon have kindly taken £2.02 from my payments, to clear the £2.02 balance they think I owed.
Eon advisor says - We don't charge you for any change in price between your credit going on your meter and the prices of our electricity. This was their answer to my question of how did I owe you £2.02?
When I asked about my "repayment arrangement" the advisor then started prattling about how accurate their meters were now. In a 20 minute call, they did not answer the question once, despite being asked about it 6 times!

The statement shows - "I have paid them £220 - I have used £213 of electricity - they have taken off £2 for their unexplained repayment arrangement - the balance shows nil" added to this Eon have printed the amount I now owe them is NIL.
I asked then where the other £4 odd had gone, the difference between what I have paid and what I have used.
Eon advisor says - Our billing system is only a snapshop and is not accurate!
I asked again, where's my £4 of credit?
- I was put on hold, the advisor came back and talked for 5 minutes about how this was the first full statement so was not accurate, but from now on it would be accurate to the penny (They told me this months ago when they got it wrong and the time before that, etc.)
I asked again, where's my £4 of credit?
- Put on hold again, the advisor came back and informed me that emergency credit on the meter and the £2 repayment arrangement (that she couldn't explain) must have had something to do with it.

I pointed out the simple maths:
Amount I have paid - £220
Cost of electricity used - £213
Unexplained repayment arrangement - £2
Statement balance (credit or debit) - NIL
This leaves more than £4 that I am out of pocket, unaccounted for. SO WHERE IS IT?

- On hold again for another 5 minutes, the advisor came back with great news - "As a goodwill gesture we will give you the £4 credit, which will go back on your key next time you go to the shop and quote the eight digit number I am about to give you!"
So you don't know where my credit has gone then?
- I'm giving you the £4 credit back now as a goodwill gesture
If I hadn't phoned up and asked about it, I would would be £4 out of pocket, Eon has more than 2 MILLION prepayment customers, how many more people are losing their credit?

The line stayed silent... This cannot be right I told the lady and put the phone down.

On further inspection of the statement from Eon, it no longer shows any current balance - which means if you are in credit, neither you nor Eon's advisors are able to see it.
This is worrying in itself, but begs the question, where is YOUR credit going?

It has been a week since I last posted, a week of complete madness!

Measles:
Sprog2 has been refused an appointment to see our local doctor, who then miraculously changed their mind and deemed it an emergency case and found a slot, once a rash came into the equasion!
The doctor told us the four days of anti biotics were a complete waste of time, as poor lil sprog2's "virus" was completely resistant to them.
If anything they made matters worse because they brought about vomiting and diarrhea, a factor of the anti biotics working... which was puzzling as the doctor not two minutes earlier said they were having no effect?
The rash - pin pricks of spots forming into groups all over her body and face - was the body "reacting" to the anti biotics and fighting the infection - again, despite being told that the infection was resistant to anti biotics?

We were given a stronger version of anti biotics and sent on our way. The high temperature was still there, but strangely, still on just her head, her body, legs, etc were normal body temperature, even her ears!
By the fifth day (first day of new anti biotics), the spots were in full view everywhere, the temperature disappeared, the vomiting stopped.
Clearly it was measles, I'm guessing that because the breathing difficulties were missing, measles diagnosis was missed?

Driving:
Wednesday - 240 miles round trip to Sunderland and back
Saturday - 360 miles round trip to Carsington, Derbyshire - Sunderland - back home
Sunday - 240 miles round trip to Sunderland and back

Visitors:
Rarely are we honoured with a family visit from my sister - a smaller version of me but with more facial hair.
Our kid is a bargain hunter and a master at kajoling things she can use at home. Always a hard worker, loves kids, she would give you her last penny. A real salt of the earth person.
So the prospect of her landing at our house for a couple of days was a rare treat.
Sadly for me... my sister is jinxed hehe.
Landing Wednesday night, going home Saturday, her two day break proceeded as follows;

• Wednesday - A call whilst I was at her house, telling me the chest freezer I had paid for wouldn't now be available until the following monday. After a nice sunny trip down, we got within a mile of home and it chucked it down, continuing throughout the night
• Thursday - The replacement fridge that should have been ready to collect, would not now be available until Friday, which meant that our payday and a day out would be hampered.
  A look around where we used to live was going well, until we headed back to the car, half way around our trek and got caught in a 40 minute drenching, we all had to go home and change.
  It continued to lash it down, washing out the rest of our day.
• Friday - A quick trip to the cash & carry in the van, was cut short when we only got 2 miles into the trip and the van conked out. A two hour wait for the AA to come out and fix a loose wire, Hoovergerl drove out and picked up our kid and I sat there like a plumb.
  Of course my auto electrician couldn't fix the wiring until Saturday, which meant that the fridge and freezer I was collecting couldn't now be picked up. I gave it a temporary fix and managed it, which left the kitchen looking like a complete bombsite when all the old stuff and the new stuff was moved around.
  I couldn't put anything outside as once again it poured down.
  We didn't get our day out and the pies I was supposed to buy and take up north with me on Saturday, were not bought.
  Eazylee landed for sprog1's birthday night out, but the bed that was supposed to be set up for him, was conveniently forgotten about.
• Saturday - With our kid and Ams (my niece) we headed out in the rain down to pick Mum up from her Derbyshire break and return them all to Sunderland.
  We got stuck in traffic going through Stockport so arrive 45 minutes late picking mum up.
  We stopped at one services on the way up north, to find they had closed not 10 minutes earlier (24 hour service station closing at 1pm?) - the next service station we pulled into had not a single parking space so we drove back on to the motorway, turning off at Scotch corner where I was stung for £23 for 4 burgers, fries and drinks!
• As if this wasn't enough bad luck, sprog2 was ill and gurny all the time she was here.

Of course, my driving jobs continued, at just 10 minutes notice, when sprog1, who was supposed to escort eazylee home, informed me, "I'm not fit to drive I feel terrible!"
Which of course is sprog code for, can dad do it for me because I cannot be bothered!

It worked okays though, as I took the now fixed van up with our old freezer up for our kid, that she had declared she wanted on her visit. Problem was, I only do a maximum of 65mph in the van, it was gone 4.15am before I got back home!

A sunny day today, despite only six hours kip, I got chance to mow the lawn, cut half the overgrown grass borders down, fitted two pieces of glass into the greenhouse, weed the strawberry patch ready for the new seedlings to come through and nip down to Asda for some baby bits (I did manage to pick up a couple of Christmas presentes as well!)

It's fair to say.... I am a tad tired.

Day 17:

When I last posted to my diary, it was Friday and a nice relaxing driving job planned.
The weekends have now started to melt into the week and with few clocks around hoovertowers* being the school holidays is turning into a normal way of life.

On Friday, the gripes over the better half working too much overtime surfaced, so not much was said. It had been brewing for a few days to be honest.
We are complete opposites in this regard, our lass sees it as an opportunity, I see it as too much of it makes her cranky and it's me that's the target or the "vent."

Anyways, finally home from work at a reasonable hour, teatime, and faced with a 120 mile driving job to Sunderland, to collect dear old mum and take her 150 miles south to Derbyshire for her break with my brother and his family, then a 60 mile trip home, I decided that I would travel up Friday evening and sleep over, ready for the trip south.
My better half decided to come along with sprog2, not an issue, except the packing, luggage and assorted baby things, filled more of the car up than the holiday maker I was taking.

What do women need lots of "stuff" for when they go anywhere?
Blokes just throw a change of clothes in a bag and assorted toiletries and away we go.
Now we had hair dryers, brushes, wipes, extra nappies than those I had put in already, two changes of clothes, two lots of footwear, etc, etc.
We hit the road about 8pm, a surprise landing planned, I like surprising people.
The added bonus, to those that think it's a routine drive, is that on the way up, I can test the car out, any break downs would allow me time to be towed back home and use another car, keeping mum on time for her holiday.

The drive was no problem the next day we set off for sunny (hopefully) Derbyshire and it was. You can view the pictures of Carsington by clicking this link.

A beautiful area Carsington is, close to Matlock Bath deep into Derbyshire, if you ever get the chance to stay there, grab it with both hands.
We had a cracking time there, but had to set off back... Saturday was over.
Sunday, saw the better half working overtime yet again, so off I went to pick up some bread, baby milk, etc.
Getting back into sprog1's car, I clattered my kneecap on the dashboard, it just missed the kneecap and heard the muscle rip, didn't feel that bad at the time, but come teatime, I couldn't bend my leg... OUCH!
The milk on Sunday turned sour, the fridge had iced up and was using large amounts of electricity. The fridge had finally conked out.
We bought it from the old Norweb electric showrooms, so it must be at least 12 years old.
Add to this, a banging headache, Sunday was not a good day.

Sprog2 had been hot and bothered on the Saturday, on Sunday it continued, cranky, gurning for no reason, sleeping alot.
Monday was no exception. Off we went to track down a fridge (we ended up with a fridge and chest freezer - got £45 knocked off for haggling with a local firm) Sprog2 was on form, bouncing around as normal, but a very hot head.
Three doses of the magic calpol, she was cool all over, just her head was burning up.
We got back around teatime, I called up the nurse, who got us an appointment with an "Out of hours GP" up at what's left of our local hospital.

A throat infection, which explains why shes been trying to scratch her throat and gagging on her fingers for the last two days bless her.
The long sleeps, the not eating, at least I was correct to up the amount of bottles she was having. Kept her topped up with fluids I have, checked for rashes and made sure she gets plenty of naps.

Only now, after shringes full of anti biotics, neurofen (for children) and calpol has her temperature finally come down a bit.
The nurse told me that neurofen and calpol could be taken together, it was not often used at the same time if the temperature didn't fall with just one?

So in the last three days, I've ripped the muscle under my kneecap, sprog2 has picked up a throat infection and temperature, I have driving jobs to look forward to on Wednesday and Saturday to come, I have managed to break the fridge and we have a new freezer coming as well.
I'd be proud of all that in a week... let alone just three days.

* Hoover towers = home, which looks like a building site

Day fourteen:

I don't go out with the intention of Christmas shopping, but when a real bargain comes along, not just the old "Now half price" offer thats been doubled in price the month before and returned to it's original price in the "sale," then it can save a fortune.

I ask myself these questions when buying Christmas presents, more so if it is for kids:

• Can it make noise without the need for batteries or be turned off?
• Can it make a mess?
• Is it something they would not normally get?
• Is it clearly well below its regular price?

If the answer is yes, then I will buy it.
I picked up a selection of acrylic paints, different size brushes, plastic mixing pallets, for just £3 - put it together with a pack of cheap printer paper, alibongo! One Christmas present all ready to go.
Think back to last Christmas - how much would it cost for an art set of various brush sizes, acrylic paints, mixing pallet, all presented in a snazzy box? £10 at least I bet!
Not only do I get to give Christmas presents to annoy the parents of children, but I save money... little victories people!

Around the house, seeing as it is raining still, we have progressed on to lifting floor boards, to check the heating pipework, ready to cut into it and move the radiator in the back room. Just got to measure up for some lats and then fit them in so I can run the pipes along them, then lay a new floor, so it's level with the old floor in the main room. Sounds complicated but it really isn't.
The van's not available this weekend, I've lent it to our neighbours, who are moving to the other side of town (saving them £80) they are attempting to lift a suite out of a first floor window without ropes... the wife (who is a riot) thinks they'll be able to have one person lowering it from the top and one person stood on the ground to support and lower it down. It's clearly not going to happen, but it would have been fun watching hehe.

Sprog2 and I are on the road tomorrow, or maybe even tonight.
A two and a half hour drive to Sunderland, then a brew and eats, then a four hour trip down to Derbyshire, then a two hour drive back home.
The wife will be off work for two weeks after Sunday, so I'm hoping for better weather and the chance to go places and get things done.

I have always wanted to visit the Lowry, I've been once but didn't manage to see a single painting. They have an exhibition on at the moment, showing his most famous works.
I've got a plasterboard to cut to size and place on the false wall, so I can hang a radiator in the kitchen, ready for the new boiler coming (which once in, will mean I can take all the old pipework out of the front room, move the cooker into it's new position - ready for the range to go in - remove the fire and back boiler and get the fireplace bricked up and the chimney swept, so we can put in a coal fire, in time for Christmas hopefully?)

I have two kitchen wall units I picked up off a neighbour the other day, they are having a new kitchen fitted, but I wanted the two hardboard cupboards for our "utility room" (for some reason I keep calling it the outhouse hehe) to fit in, moving the old plyboard units to the shed to store my plant stuff in, that is currently living under the sink.
Add to this, two doorframes to build and two doors to hang and mixer shower pipework to put in, there's always something to keep me busy.

Have fun in the rain gang...