The decision was made - Suffolk County Council take back the running of Suffolk Libraries from June. No doubt things will stay the same for a while and then we will see what happens. 20,000 signatures on a petition meant nothing.
Meanwhile...............
Two letters arrived................... Council Tax up by £70 a year for 2025-2026, electricity probably up by about £30 a year? and an email - Broadband/phone up £3 a month.
More frugalling needed in some places to afford all these!
I keep quite detailed accounts of what I spend, it's very useful when letters like the above arrive and I can look back at how much things were costing in previous years. I divide my page into these categories and can see how much I spend each month. Some can't be avoided or changed, some can be altered . This is the way to work out which is which and where spending needs to be cut to take account of price rises.
Council Tax - with 25% single person discount
Phones and Broadband
Charity Donation
Water/sewer (based on water meter readings)
Heat and Light (electricity and heating oil and boiler service)
TV licence
Food - This one I Must try and spend less - stop offering to pay for meals out when the family are here!
Christmas. (Cut this by £100 last year from the year before)
Birthdays/gifts and cards (5 adults and 5 grandchildren for gifts and several more for cards)
Grandchildren (things I find at boot sales)
Postage
Car (includes diesel, MOT and service, Insurance and Breakdown cover - No road tax to pay)
House expenses (other than below)
House buildings and contents Insurance
Laundry
Bathroom (soap, shampoo, toothpaste, loo rolls etc)
Kitchen (dishwasher and anything used in the kitchen etc, etc)
Garden (seeds, plants, compost)
Wild birds
Personal Spending (includes exercise groups, haircuts, swimming, books, memberships, outings)
Clothes/shoes
Health (includes dentist, paracetamol etc, cholesterol reducing drinks )
Miscellaneous - any thing else.
There was a section for holidays but I'm not having any this year.
Two expenses this week, first I had a haircut, it seemed to be growing like crazy and I thought it was only a month since I'd had it cut - but it was actually 8 weeks, really needed doing. I'm not having the trimmers anymore, makes it a bit too short.
Then the car went in for it's annual service and MOT, thankfully not much needed doing although there is a note on the MOT certificate to say the car has an outstanding manufacturers recall on it for something. I rang a Ford dealerships to see what the problem was and it's nothing drastic and done for free but would be about 2 hours to update something to do with transmission? - haven't a clue. None of the dealerships are close to home and none anywhere to do something while waiting so I'll be hanging around a repair shop for a couple of hours sometime - oh lovely!
The forecast for the weekend is OK, not quite as warm as Thursday or yesterday but should be dry enough for my early morning walks with a purpose (car boot sales!). There's a model railway exhibition on locally - the layouts fascinate me. I might go and look although there is an entrance charge............and if I'm cutting expenses can I afford it?
Another photo of a print for spring from the Angela Harding book - A Printmakers Year
Have a good weekend wherever you are and whatever you're doing and I'll be back next week.
When I look at how some of these costs are increasing, I have to question the official inflation numbers - our cost seems to be going up much more...
ReplyDeleteI agree with you there, as things aren't just going up a few pence. Take good chocolate - we used to buy the Lindt dark chocolate at £1.85. Looked the other day and it's £3 now! Rapeseed oil was around £1 before Covid, now it's doubled in price.
DeleteIn Sainsbury's yesterday I spotted a 250g bar of Lindt Pistachio chocolate which really tempted me until I saw the price. I had to call my hubby over to check because I couldn't believe my eyes £10 !!!
DeleteNeedless to say, it stayed on the shelf....
Angie
Good grief Angie that's a crazy price!
DeleteJennie I noticed the Lindt 70% which I sometimes buy as it's supposed to be good for high blood pressure! was Asda Roll back and a bit cheaper than £3
Does there come a point where one thinks, right, if I’m lucky I might have roughly X number of years left so it’s OK to start using up some savings. Or do the savings have to stay squirrelled away forever? If so, why? Am very interested to hear what you and others think about this as I’m approaching pension age. My pension won’t be enormous but I’d always assumed we would also be drawing on savings.
ReplyDeleteI used savings for the 3 years between Colin's death and me being 66 for pension and I think the children are expecting me to leave them money!
DeleteSorry, meant to sign that “Ingrid”!
ReplyDeleteI am using some of my husband's pension pot for holidays whilst I am still fit and able. Time enough to "go without" when health issues deem it necessary. My children have told me to do this and within reason, I shall.
DeleteI have this dreadful habit of looking at boxes of sweets or packs of biscuits in shops, and saying "those chocolates cost ten shillings each, that's ridiculously expensive" and my family remind me we haven't had shillings for over half a century, in the days of The Old Queen.
ReplyDeleteWas it 1971 when we went decimal? A while ago now
DeleteI think the idea of drawing on savings is very common. We've tried to keep a 'rainy day' fund for most of our life. That usually meant replacing the fund after one big spend in time for the next big spend (replacing car, boiler, wiring, computer, and such like). 'Saving to leave something for the next generation' was never an option, and I think it's better to use savings sensibly (if you have any) to stay afloat now.
ReplyDeleteThere’s a “rainy day” fund which I agree is very important. And then there are people like my old mum who have substantial savings, way beyond what she might need to, say, replace a car. And yet they deny themselves pleasures out of, I dunno, habit.
DeleteIt is hard to change the habits of being frugal and who knows what's round the corner
DeleteThanks for sharing your outgoings. Our Council tax has gone up quite a bit, as you say it's got to be paid so cuts will have to be made elsewhere to help with this and other utilities. There is still some spare to cut in the budget,thank goodness, we just have to grit our teeth and do it! Good to share ideas.
ReplyDeletePenny
I've not shared actual numbers - it's too frightening!
DeleteAs you say all bills are rising, but it angers both of us when Southern Water puts their bill up by almost £200 per year, yet they constantly fail and pollute our water ways. With paying shareholders and fines, I can't see much scope for improvement.
ReplyDeleteOur water comes from Suffolk and Essex water which are part of Northumbrian water which are part of a French company- wonder how many bosses there are!
DeleteVery sensible the Keeping of Accounts, the only thing that is worrying is that you can't stop things from going up. What is the drink by the way for lowering cholesterol?
ReplyDeleteContains plant sterols - I buy from Aldi and hope they do me good - actually they do work - keeping my Cholesterol levels at an OK rate
DeleteI have private water and sewerage, but I still have to buy UV filters, bulb, glass liner etc for the water but still very much cheaper than paying for water. My recent holiday was a real indulgence, but I felt I had earned it and will go for more holidays whilst I am still fit enough, having gone without them most of my married life.
ReplyDeleteI need to try and keep the grocery bill down, but with 4 cats, a chunk goes on cat food (and occasional vet bills). Motoring is probably the big expense, especially with an older vehicle and running repairs (new gearbox or clutch on 31st March).
Buying our car at almost new in 2017 was a brilliant buy as it's in the Car tax exempt year. Fingers crossed it goes on for a while longer. It should - being a Ford and diesel.
DeleteIt's always good to have a record of what things cost and when. I have my blog posts to look back on for food prices and Alan has records of all the household utilities bills. It all makes for shocking reading, especially when there is little that can be done about it.
ReplyDeleteIt was always food that was one of the only places to cut when the children were small and we were on low income. Cheap marge from Asda in a round red and blue pack still haunts me!
DeleteI think you should go ahead and still spend money on some things you enjoy. What's the point of making your life miserable until you die?! Might as well have some enjoyment and scrimp on something else - like gifts for your adult children. Mine can afford to buy what they want so we just gather for a simple meal at my house and share the love that way.
ReplyDeleteI'm certainly not miserable!!
DeleteNo, I just meant that having some fun for yourself is valuable too. :)
DeleteI’ve kept household accounts for 53 years now-first a little notebook and now on a spreadsheet. The fuel costs are the most scary along with food. Catriona
ReplyDeleteFood, council tax and heat/light are my biggest expenses. I need to cut food spending
DeleteI like the spring print.
ReplyDeleteThe cost of living is rising all the time - very hard for those with young families.
Cost of mortgages is the big expense for them - it's so sad
DeleteSome dealerships have a drop off and pick up service for repair customers. Maybe you could find one in a place where you could be taken to do something nice. Mine takes me to the thrift shop. They think this is strange as everyone else wants the shopping mall.
ReplyDeleteI'm too far from any dealership and as the repair is free I don't think they would do that - maybe I'll get a free coffee - maybe not
DeleteWe had a ford recall a few years ago and went to Bury St Edmunds (EMG) the garage is in the are behind the Railway station. You have got Tesco right there in front which has a Costa inside - or if you want to walk a bit further, you can walk halfway up St Johns Street and go to Midga (independent Coffee shop). Lots of charity shops in that road too. I have just got back with lots of nice bargins as I walk past the shops on my way to catching the train home to Thurston :).
ReplyDeleteThank you , hadn't thought of BSE as I knew where the dealerships were in Ipswich Woodbridge and Halesworth
DeleteI think that we are in for a great many increases in cost. Here it is more because of our southern neighbours tariffs (and China's). However as a Canadian we will stand firm and fight back. No recalls on our GMC, but I dread trying to get anything fixed if it is necessary now.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
It's a crazy time for you - keep standing firm
DeleteLike you, I keep track of my income and expenses.
ReplyDeleteWithout exception, everything is increasing in cost.
Up and up without fail. Frightening
DeleteEverything (except car insurance for some reason) is going up. April will be more challenging because I have some big bills, need to pay the increased costs of rates, etc but the increase in pension, etc, doesn't impact until May (it arrives in April but counts for May). Tricky, isn't it? xx
ReplyDelete