Not really a real sauna - since those are pretty cool - but my dog, some workplaces! As part of my job I often visit work sites in evenings, meaning I can arrive there at 6pm, or even as late as 10pm if I have a lot of places to get to that evening. On Sunday while it was only a few degrees above freezing outside, I stepped into a local Professional Businessy Office and nearly keeled over from the Hell-type blast of heat that greeted me. 10pm at night! Boss lady and receptionist person, what are you doing, does your photocopier start shivering if it's not like the Sahara in there or do your empty office chairs appreciate the warmth? Or do you maybe own part of the power company so it's in your interest to be this wasteful with your energy? I've even seen it in huge, cavernous car showrooms, those triple-storey aircraft-hangar-sized glass houses, heated to the point they are seriously uncomfortable and it's actually a relief to step out into the cold. But hey at least the sensible family vehicles on display will have nice warm door handles even if nobody's there to touch them.
The thing is, these people must notice early in the morning when they walk in and the place already feels like the inside of a toaster, so it makes me wonder if they also heat their empty houses around the clock. And it's not just one or two people, some of these offices have 50 employees, and you'd think that at least one of them might think to say: hey, should we turn the heating down a bit when we're all leaving for the night?
The fact that this isn't happening, and so many workplaces are heated day and night, it tells me that this is normal, that so many people must do the same at home. Is it any wonder so many people say they can never save money, and are only barely getting by? That maybe, a lot of us assume that we have already tightened the belt as far as we can, but really, someone else would notice ways that we're wasting money.
I am going to try to see it as a challenge, to examine my own spending and see if there are ways I could do even better.
Sunday 27 January 2019
Monday 14 January 2019
Fairly Standard
Side effect: I didn't get a chance to go grocery shopping, making for very boring food sustenance from my freezer and cupboards, but it saved me a bit of cash.
Side effect: I spent that saving by ending up in Subway, eating dinner with my supervisor.
Side effect: You don't use much energy in your home when you aren't actually home!
Friday 11 January 2019
I Never Practise What I Preach
But I am optimistically calling myself a Work In Progress!
I (again) left my job without another one to go to. Uncharacteristically of me, I was doing an absolutely appalling job at the position I was in. Mistake after mistake and me not really grasping the systems. The people were lovely, but if I'm honest, it was a job I fell into and approached with optimism but without much realism. It just wasn't the right role for me at all. So I finished there and then had zero enthusiasm for looking for work - I had a bit a of a grump to myself over New Year, but halfheartedly put in an application for 4 hours per week cleaning with a company that I could see had several other cleaning positions. I figured that they might give me enough hours to cover my bills.
And by accident, (again) I ended up in a job I didn't apply for. Turns out the big boss was in town and wanted to meet me, and they hired me on the spot to do supervision and support, and I started that same day. They issued me a company vehicle the next morning - with mobile phone and iPad to follow. It's completely different role with a good mix of office and on-site duties, plus I have a really wonderful, dynamic and energetic supervisor who is great company and with whom I'll be working closely, so I am very pleased. I will be sitting in on interviews on my third day, helping recruit new staff to join us - I'm just blown away with the trust placed in me! And only one day of actual unemployment, so I am still pinching myself.
In financial news, two of my existing credit cards gave me increases (which I am not going to use any further, but which will help with my credit rating - why - because your credit score is impacted by the percentage you don't use - so the larger the limit and the lower the balance you actually use, the better it looks). I have also applied for a balance transfer credit card. I don't actually need it - I had put £600 in bills on one of my existing cards just to delay paying them for a few weeks while I found work - and then I unexpectedly found work quickly anyway. But after studying the offers, for a total cost of £36 this will allow me to tackle some other bits and pieces first and I will have six months to pay it out for no interest charge. Applying for the card will of course ding my credit rating a bit for a while, but since I have no expectation of applying for a home loan this year, I think I can live with it being in the "fair" bracket.
Remember kids, borrowing is not the end of the world but it should always be informed and considered properly first. I first made sure it was a benefit to me, then used the Experian comparison site to look at offers, and went with one that has pre-approved me - no sense getting a hard search on my credit rating for no reason - and then I read the agreement completely and thoroughly. Don't ever go ahead with any loan or credit that you aren't sure you understand.
I (again) left my job without another one to go to. Uncharacteristically of me, I was doing an absolutely appalling job at the position I was in. Mistake after mistake and me not really grasping the systems. The people were lovely, but if I'm honest, it was a job I fell into and approached with optimism but without much realism. It just wasn't the right role for me at all. So I finished there and then had zero enthusiasm for looking for work - I had a bit a of a grump to myself over New Year, but halfheartedly put in an application for 4 hours per week cleaning with a company that I could see had several other cleaning positions. I figured that they might give me enough hours to cover my bills.
And by accident, (again) I ended up in a job I didn't apply for. Turns out the big boss was in town and wanted to meet me, and they hired me on the spot to do supervision and support, and I started that same day. They issued me a company vehicle the next morning - with mobile phone and iPad to follow. It's completely different role with a good mix of office and on-site duties, plus I have a really wonderful, dynamic and energetic supervisor who is great company and with whom I'll be working closely, so I am very pleased. I will be sitting in on interviews on my third day, helping recruit new staff to join us - I'm just blown away with the trust placed in me! And only one day of actual unemployment, so I am still pinching myself.
Remember kids, borrowing is not the end of the world but it should always be informed and considered properly first. I first made sure it was a benefit to me, then used the Experian comparison site to look at offers, and went with one that has pre-approved me - no sense getting a hard search on my credit rating for no reason - and then I read the agreement completely and thoroughly. Don't ever go ahead with any loan or credit that you aren't sure you understand.
Friday 4 January 2019
Ten Financial First Aid Tips
Many of us get money blues in January. It's that sobering time of year that people realise what they spent in December and the things we have put off can catch up with us. With that in mind here are ten things you can do to help ease the pain of the "New Year Slim Wallet" Syndrome.
1. Eat from the freezer. This is an expression my ex-work colleague D liked to use, but it also includes eating from the cupboards. Check what you've got and see if you can concoct a meal (or three) from what's lain forgotten at the back shelf. It's a good opportunity for a clear-out too.
2. Delay your grocery shop. By a day, or even a few days, if you can. Scrabble around to see if leftovers could do the trick to keep you going a bit longer. Maybe you can even get enough meals together to skip the shop, and just grab a few essentials to keep you going.
3. Eat your eggs. Eggs are really versatile. Beat 2 eggs with the same amount of milk, and throw in whatever you have lying around (chopped ham, leftover vegies, a handful of cheese). Cook it in the microwave until there's no raw egg in the middle when you push it apart with a spoon. You now have a yummy dinner that you can chow down on with some toast, or more vegies, and that's one less meal you need to spend on.
4. Plan. While you're doing the top three items, keep a note of what you actually have. Think about what you could skip while shopping - if you've got three tins of peaches, maybe you don't need to buy apples this week, and if there are frozen vegies, you could use those and skip the fresh broccoli.
5. Ration the car use. Make it a rule not to use it unless you can combine two errands. If you drive to work, have you checked out the alternatives? Have you considered car pooling, or even park and ride, if you currently pay for parking?
6. Ebay it. Perhaps you got Christmas presents you just don't need. Perhaps you have things in the house that you no longer use. Be methodical and see what's just taking up space. A good declutter is also great for feeling refreshed.
7. Go prepared. Actually, make this a habit. Make a decision that you will not spend any money during your work day, and stick to it. This means preparing coffee or tea in a flask, and packing a sandwich or leftovers for your lunch. True frugalists have already conquered this money sieve, but the average punter is still spending every single day on "meal deals" or even on full takeaway meals and coffee - and then realising that they have no savings! If this is you, it's time to tackle this as a matter of urgency. You can do it.
8. Check for vouchers. Apparently quite a lot of us lose the Tesco vouchers, forget about our Nectar, Co-op and Boots points, and have long-overlooked gift vouchers walking around with us in our wallets. Look around and see what you have (and don't ever spend Nectar points on groceries - you can get much better value looking on the Nectar website for deals).
9. Your wardrobe is on sale. Seriously, don't go near the store sales. Take some time to rediscover pieces you like but don't wear often enough.
10. Close doors. Your bedroom might be too warm - 12-15°C is fine, so turn down those radiators and close the doors off from the rest of the house. Ventilate bedrooms in the mornings for 20 minutes to help prevent mould, of course. Humans sleep better in slightly cooler rooms, too, and heating bedrooms less will save you money.
1. Eat from the freezer. This is an expression my ex-work colleague D liked to use, but it also includes eating from the cupboards. Check what you've got and see if you can concoct a meal (or three) from what's lain forgotten at the back shelf. It's a good opportunity for a clear-out too.
2. Delay your grocery shop. By a day, or even a few days, if you can. Scrabble around to see if leftovers could do the trick to keep you going a bit longer. Maybe you can even get enough meals together to skip the shop, and just grab a few essentials to keep you going.
3. Eat your eggs. Eggs are really versatile. Beat 2 eggs with the same amount of milk, and throw in whatever you have lying around (chopped ham, leftover vegies, a handful of cheese). Cook it in the microwave until there's no raw egg in the middle when you push it apart with a spoon. You now have a yummy dinner that you can chow down on with some toast, or more vegies, and that's one less meal you need to spend on.
4. Plan. While you're doing the top three items, keep a note of what you actually have. Think about what you could skip while shopping - if you've got three tins of peaches, maybe you don't need to buy apples this week, and if there are frozen vegies, you could use those and skip the fresh broccoli.
5. Ration the car use. Make it a rule not to use it unless you can combine two errands. If you drive to work, have you checked out the alternatives? Have you considered car pooling, or even park and ride, if you currently pay for parking?
6. Ebay it. Perhaps you got Christmas presents you just don't need. Perhaps you have things in the house that you no longer use. Be methodical and see what's just taking up space. A good declutter is also great for feeling refreshed.
7. Go prepared. Actually, make this a habit. Make a decision that you will not spend any money during your work day, and stick to it. This means preparing coffee or tea in a flask, and packing a sandwich or leftovers for your lunch. True frugalists have already conquered this money sieve, but the average punter is still spending every single day on "meal deals" or even on full takeaway meals and coffee - and then realising that they have no savings! If this is you, it's time to tackle this as a matter of urgency. You can do it.
8. Check for vouchers. Apparently quite a lot of us lose the Tesco vouchers, forget about our Nectar, Co-op and Boots points, and have long-overlooked gift vouchers walking around with us in our wallets. Look around and see what you have (and don't ever spend Nectar points on groceries - you can get much better value looking on the Nectar website for deals).
9. Your wardrobe is on sale. Seriously, don't go near the store sales. Take some time to rediscover pieces you like but don't wear often enough.
10. Close doors. Your bedroom might be too warm - 12-15°C is fine, so turn down those radiators and close the doors off from the rest of the house. Ventilate bedrooms in the mornings for 20 minutes to help prevent mould, of course. Humans sleep better in slightly cooler rooms, too, and heating bedrooms less will save you money.
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