Getting Obsessive About MPG.

It seems ages since I talked about money, or to be more specific how to be thrifty.

Cars are a major cause of expense for most people and personally it costs me £200 per month just to get to work. A noteworthy percentage of my salary, exclusive of tax, insurance, and wear / tear.

So anything I can do to ensure I am getting the most out of my fuel consumption is always worth considering.

With this in mind, I have been keeping an eye on my mpg the last few weeks. It seems like I am getting roughly 43mpg on my little 1.2 POLO.

This is within Volkswagon’s parameters for urban fuel consumption.

I am pleased with this, but I thought you might be interested in noting a few ways of making sure you are getting the most out mpg out of your car.

1)      Check your tyre pressure regularly. At  least once per month. Suggested pressures will be written in your manual. In my POLO they also have them printed inside the fuel lid.

2)      Remove all additional weight from your car. Do you need all that junk you keep in your boot?

3)      Reduce your speed. Keeping to the speed limit is not only the safe way to travel but it also ensures that you are getting the most out of your engine in the most economic manner. Try using cruise control if your car is posher than mine. You may also discover it will save you points and fines in the long term.

4)      Drive smoothly. Pulling out at junctions in a smooth manner, reduces your RPMs and therefore your fuel consumption.

5)      Avoid breaking abruptly too, which just wastes the impetus from the fuel already burned, leading to burning more. It is also a safer way to drive.

6)      Keep your car properly serviced. An MOT is mandatory, but a service is not. By ensuring that your car is in good working order you keep the engine tuned and therefore at maximum efficiency. Delaying a service may seem thrifty, but in the long term it is not.

7)      Use the handbrake when at a junction. Keeping the car on the breaking point whilst waiting for a light to change only saves you half a second, but does mean you are using fuel when you do not need to.

There are so many ways to ensure you get best possible fuel efficiency.

If I could recommend one thing, it would be when you fill up your tank push the milometer to zero and see how many miles a full tank will get you.

You may be surprised going forward, how obsessive such a little change makes you.

More information, can be found here. http://www.wikihow.com/Increase-Fuel-Mileage-on-a-Car

Frugally yours

Abigail

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Automotively Minded, I Am Not. But I Can Use a Search Engine.

I mentioned last week that I recently had a flat tyre, the second this year.

On Thursday last week I had to stop on the way home from work at every petrol station to pump the tyre back up (20p/garage to use the machine). It entailed about 5 stops on a 50 minute journey.

It made me think.

After an "argument" with "Greedy Bastards" emergency service a while ago, I refused to renew my cover with them back in April this year. Saving myself about £50 per annum.

But, it has always made me nervous that I am now driving around with all the automotive expertise of an arthritic goat, and no back up.

As I have now reached the grand old age of 36 and it is becoming physically apparent I have a passion for maltesers and the sofa, any hope has faded of being able to entice strong handsome young men to assist me by only baring a winning smile and flashed knee, should I ever find myself on the side of motorway in mechanical distress.

So last night, I decided to investigate the possible cost of breakdown cover comparing AA, RAC and Green Flag.

Green Flag are offering a rescue package

• Roadside Assistance
• Local vehicle recovery and they will take me to the nearest garage if far away.

Green Flag respond to most calls within 42 minutes, and their representative stated that over 80% of the time they can fix cars roadside.

It does not involve homestart.
As I cannot change a tyre myself, (who can in these days of hydraulic wrenches?) I think really cover for me when I travel c1000m/month is a must.

The best part Green Flag only charge £20.00, RAC - £29.99 and AA - £30. I would advise you to check them properly against each other.

And when I rang up to speak to their rep they also confirmed I would get an online discount. Final cost? £16.97 (I think it was 97p but I forget the exact figure)

You can increase the level of cover at any time, as with all the 3 big recovery firms they will automatically renew your membership unless you tell them not
to after receiving their renewal letter.

£16.97 is my kind of car cover!

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November means a glut of birthdays for friends and family.

One of my pet hates is Birthday cards. How many times have you picked up a lovely card with some heart wrenching sentiment that brings a tear to your eye, only to take it to the till and be asked to take out a second mortgage to pay for it?

£4.95 is not an acceptable amount to spend on a piece of folded card which will sit on the mantelpiece for 3 days before being resigned to recycling. I do not card how much glitter / bows/ or collages it entails.

So a while ago I gave myself a budget of £1 per card. It is actually not easy to find something suitable and good quality for this amount of money. M&S / Next had been my "go to" shops of choice, but recently their choice had been limited at the £1 mark, and most were creeping up to £2.75.

M&S £1.

So imagine my delight when today as I walked past Card Factory I saw a good selection of low priced cards.

I bought 10.
Yes, 10.
For £1.

Nope, not £1 each, but all 10 for £1!

Now that is a bargain and hopefully the mix of cards I chose should cover a multitude of ages, sexes and occassions.And all are really good quality card.
Worth a trip I think!

Frugally yours
Abigail
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Ahh Heck!

You know that feeling when you think finally you are ahead of the game?

That was how I was on Thursday when it was Pay Day. I was finally beginning to get my savings to some sort of respectability.

Then Friday happened.

I had a meeting in the late afternoon for work. As, I got back into the car , I happened to glance at my front wheel as I had gone into the space at an angle and the wheels were turned out.

Oh Dear!.... Oh Sh*t!

That front driver side wheel did not look good..... neither for that matter does the the passenger side.

I had thought the car was being a little odd, but with an MOT booked for September I had decided it could wait.

Apparently not.

I stopped at the first available garage on my way home, and got them to check the tread. Yup, both tyres needed changing on my little VW POLO. Cost?

£130 plus another £45 to check the balance.

Umm, I don't think so!

So the drive back to W Towers was interspersed with 4 stops at garages for quotes.

I managed to get the price down to £50 per tyre.... actually they wanted £51 per tyre, but I gave then my winning smile and they knocked £2 off.

Saturday then saw me at this tyre specialist, getting them replaced.

I could have REALLY done without this additional cost, but the reality is tyres save lives and if I had been in an accident my insurance would have not have covered me.

Plus the POLO has it's first MOT next month, so I suppose I am just spreading the cost.

Lesson.... never accept the first price on car repairs. Get quotes, I saved £30 from the first garage.

Frugally yours.
Abigail
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A little something to look forward to..

The last few days before pay day (tomorrow) are always incredibly tight.

I am eating whatever is left in the house and spending the barest minimum.

Also, I used a big old chunk of the savings to pay for a weekend away next month for The Chap's special birthday. We are off to Amsterdam from Friday to Monday. Actually we are going between both our birthdays. A nice way to celebrate for both of us. Plus, I think we will by then, have been together for a year. In a very unromantic way neither of us can remember exactly when we had our first date. We think it was around the beginning of May.

So with paying for our weekend away, and having to fork out for the car it looks like for the first time in a long time tomorrow I will not be able to pay back a lot on the credit cards in April. I am very disappointed about this. Must try harder..

In fact I am really fed up about this.

Am I being stubborn? As two people have recently offered to pay back my debt for me just over £1300. Incredibly kind of them both, but I said No. I think they feel a little sorry for me as money is tight after paying for the weekend away. But, I got myself into this situation and I really feel it is my responsibility to pay it back. Hopefully, too remembering the hardship of paying the damn money back will deter me from allowing this happen again. So, I repeat, am I being stubborn?? My answer, "No, just taking responsibility"

My little Polo went off today to the garage to be repaired after that git bumped it and drove off. I should get it back either Friday or Monday and have a courtesy car to drive a nifty little automatic Micra. Quite nice actually, though a little to acidic blue for my liking. I am rather hoping they will clean it for me .... to hope! Then just the excess on the insurance to pay......sigh....£120.

Everything comes at once doesn't it? Plus I think the utilities should be arriving sometime in April. Great!

And the front door is still not replaced, I have bruises all over my hip from having to hip thrust it to open it.  Sexy!

Frugally yours
Abigail
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Trashy Tv and Stressed out Blogger

It is 9.51PM and I am sitting in bed in my pjs writing this, listening to my neighbours going about their nightly ablutions. Ah the joys of a flat!

I am shattered. After the stress of finding my car so badly damaged on Monday by some rotter who drove off without leaving contact details, I just went into a complete decline on Monday evening. Not exactly crying, but very very down. The Chap came round after working late and gave me a huge hug, which helped then very kindly looked at the damage and helped me sort out what to do.

I hate to come across as a pathetic female. But, a bit of help is worth a lot of pity.

Thank you.

It was such a shame as I had some fantastic news during the day.

I then spent most of yesterday on the phone at work sorting out getting the damage repaired. Result - £1200 of damage and it goes in next week for 3 days to get all shiny again.

Car insurance is so important, and I think it is easy to get into the mindset of "reduce the cover" when arranging it annually.

I renewed in November last year. I know I could get my car insurance for about £300 after 17 years of driving with no incidents and (currently) a penalty free license. However, I have always taken a broader view and paid for some "extras" on my policy. This week I am glad I did. I paid £50 extra to have my no claims protected and I paid another £50 to have a very low excess. I noticed that normal excess tends to be between £250 - 500 pounds. I am SO glad now I got them to reduce it to £120. A lot less to find this month than it could have been. Yes I pay £100 extra a year than I could, but it has made the last 48 hrs a lot less stressful.

However, it depletes my savings and since I have just forked a lot to pay for the TC's birthday present next month and I still have to sort out a new front door, well it has left me quite upset to see my savings dwindle by so much.

Yesterday, after work was evening class and today i had to see family which meant I got home about 8ish. I ate then sat on the sofa and indulged in a guilty pleasure. I love, and I mean Love crap tele. I sat and munched my way through a packet of pretzels whilst watching "Murder She Wrote" I had recorded and then "Extreme Make Over - Home Edition". You gotta love that show. Why am I worrying about my paltry problems compared to some of those poor families in such desperate circumstances?

But, it did mean I did no housework and the flat looks a mess. Poor TC coming over for dinner tomorrow...

Do you have a guilty pleasure? A tv program you are ashamed to admit you love? If so please tell so I do not feel quite so trashy.

For a blog supposed to be about "keeping it simple" I could do with taking own advice. Don't hate me.... :o(

Frugally yours
Abigail
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Letter To An Unknown Friend.

Dear Sir / Madam

I know you want to keep your anonimity.

However, sometimes I believe the right thing to do under these circumstances is to share your benevolence with the universe.

What you did was absolutely the right thing to do. When you felt the bump and heard the crunch, sure the conservative action would have been to get out of your car and survey the damage then leave a note with your insurance details if you could not contact me. Besides I would have been tricky to track down, with it being our secure office car park.
But who wants to do that? Travel the road less travelled friend. Get back in your car and get out of there. Don't worry about me.

I have loads of money, and paying the excess on my insurance is no problem. It is the price of packet of tic tacs to me, dear one. I am rolling in dosh and I am happy to clean up after you. That is of course why I write a thrifty blog..

Infact I think it makes me a better person to do so. So Friend, Thank you. £1500 of damage to body work and chassis is nothing for You to worry about. I am grateful, really I am as just having paid off the car this month, you wrecking the passenger side just makes me more proud to own in. You made it unique...bespoke really.
Besides the passenger side, phuff I will not even see the damage.

I am grateful too, as your kind actions enabled me to make new friend today as I spoke with my insurance company. And who doesn't love a call centre at 8pm on a Monday night?? Really friend, you are kindness personified. I hope one day I get to shake your hand.

I just want to leave you with this little prayer of thanks... especially for you "May your children be strong and kind, may your garden flower, and your ears turn green and fall off"
Frugally yours
Abigail
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P.S. I was going to post part 2 of the wrap dress, maybe another evening when I have calmed down.

Food Waste and

This is my food waste for this week:o(. Rather a lot - left over from last weekend and I just forgot about the ham, *bum* after buying so much for my visitors last weekend and spending 4 days then chomping through the chicken leftovers, I missed the pepperoni and the ham.

It would have been so easy to have it for breakfast.
Off to see The Chap again this evening and staying there tonight. Seeing him last night was lovely, I had missed him so much!

As he bought us fish and chips for dinner, it is my turn to provide the food this evening so going to make either a lasagna or a cottage pie to take with me. Plus a bottle of rum. So a quick trip to the supermarket tonight I think. I will update the food budget over the weekend. I only need to buy more cheese though, unless I see a good offer on mince meat so i can save the packet I have frozen.

I am not a big drinker and a bottle of rum tends to last me months, and since I do not drink wine. 1 bottle of rum per 2months is not a big expenditure on alcohol. I am an alcohol snob though and will always buy Bacardi as the own brands (and I have tried them all) just taste strange to me.

I have done a comparison and Asda is the cheapest at £16 for 1 litre(a far cry from the £11 I spent at Christmas on the last bottle) but since it would be out of my way I am going to Tesco which is £1 more. Blooming supermarkets!

What is your tipple of choice?

Just bought the tax for a year - £115 not £95. Blooming expensive things aren't they?

Frugally yours
Abigail
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A Woman Is Like A Fine Wine, She Only Gets Better With Age.... Utter Rot!

I have been thinking about birthdays for a large proportion of this week as The Chap has a bit of a milestone coming up next month, and I want to do something special. Plans are undecided currently, but watch this space. A decision has to be made soon.

It reminded me that not long after his birthday mine looms. I will be making a transition to "late 30s", this is not making me happy. No sir, not at all. I seem to be having a mental block about it and I keep thinking "Oh My God, 40! soon".

Celebrating our birthdays will involve spending cash, which on top of the new front door (this is still "ongoing" with the HA) means over the next 6 weeks savings are going to be severely depleted.

For me there is no decision to make, I will be splashing the cash, as I can afford to, but in the meantime I need to continue ensuring that I do not spend when I do no need to.

Budgeting, budgeting, budgeting. With 3 weeks to go until pay day, the bank account is looking okayish, but I cannot see any treats in store. Also the car tax arrived yesterday evening £95 (I think) for 12M. It is at times like this I am so glad I downsized from a 220 Merc to a 1.2 Polo. I will buy 12months I think as it is better value.

No or Low Spend Days really help, it amazes me how much it is possible to fritter away. Even my 70p can of pop per day (I bring lunch in) would net £14 towards paying off the debt if I stopped.

The roast chicken from Sunday is finally finished, a day early as after 5 consecutive days of roast chicken and / or chicken soup last night i troffed the lot as I was sure after the last lunch today of chicken soup I would not be able to face it again. I was right. However it does review my price per portion to 41.2P.

Blogging early today as off to see The Chap tonight. I have not seen him since Sunday 26th, and my gosh I have missed him. With friends visiting, evening classes and work / family commitments we just could not meet up. This week I have been out every evening after work - book club, evening class, and seeing family. Seeing The Chap is always something I look forward to, but he probably is not getting my best this evening. Quite frankly, I am shattered.

I need a long soak and huge hug.

Thank you for the nice comments about my dress, I am quite pleased too.

Frugally yours
Abigail
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