Best Foot Forward with energy!

Month 1 - Bite 25

Energy bills are big news at the moment. I suppose they always are at this time of year when we need more heat and light and so on. All the more reason to be on top of useage.

Today's task is to check the meters and locate the last couple of bills so that the amount of energy used matches the totals given on the bills. This will need to be a regular check to ensure that the energy company's records are as accurate as possible. It's all very well knowing that overpayments will be refunded, but it would be better to nip this in the bud before the extra money is taken!

I'll also need to check on the dates for reading and submitting the figures so that there aren't any of those nasty estimated bills....

          

                                           

Month 1 - Bite 26

The next bit of paperwork and information gathering for that ever expanding box of mine concerns all those official bits and pieces that might need to be updated, especially now travel and getting about are loosening up.

Collecting such things as passport, driving licence, bus pass, EHIC/GHIC card and so on and keeping them together makes tracking them down when needed much easier. While collecting them it's worth a check on expiry dates and new documentation needed. I already know that my EHIC card is due to run out and needs to be replaced with its newer cousin before we plan to leave the country! It's only a couple of clicks on the laptop to do it so why not update now?

Month 1 - Bite 27

Diary/Calendar out and in with all those screening checks, dental check-ups, foot appointments....

All of these need to be noted, attended and followed up. It becomes all the more important now I've recently had a call back from a mammogram - all clear thankfully, but even if something was found it would have been nice and early for any further treatment. The cost of catching up on any conditions in more ways than just financial far outweighs the amount to be paid in regular checks.

                                          

A Transport of Delight

 Month 1 - Bite 22

I'm definitely guilty of running out of time and then grabbing the car keys and the lockdowns/pandemic only made this worse!

Admittedly at the beginning there was plenty of time and no distance to go so the car stayed firmly on the drive and walking was the order of the day, but it didn't take long for bad habits to resurface!

The next few tasks concentrate on assessing the how and why of using forms of transport.

Firstly then - what transport options are available? As I say, with enough time and forward planning there's usually options from walking to taxis, buses to car shares, bikes - well probably not for me, my last entanglement with a bike was exactly that - even on a nice, safe, empty car park while practising, and I had the bruises for ages to show for it!!!

I need to gather all the timetables, contact details, routes, maps, fares and length of journey together for the travelling I do and get them all into one place....

Month 1 - Bite 23

What about the car?

Well, knowing exactly what's in there and whether it needs to be would be a good idea. Emptying the boot (why am I carrying four empty egg boxes when I pass the egg farm on a regular basis and could just drop them in?) and the glove compartment (parking stash - don't imagine I need that much change as I usually use a swipe card - hello piggy bank). Any extra weight will add to the fuel consumption.

I need to take the service book out too so I can record the dates for the service and MOT on the calendar before replacing it. Finally I can add the insurance renewal date to the calendar too....

Month 1 - Bite 24

Having broached the subject of car insurance and the calendar it's an opportune moment to move onto the next task and note other 'whens'.

What are my known times, dates, regular appointments and are they recorded?

As well as listing these I'll make a note of what's needed for any appointments - details/addresses/contacts - that should make keeping on top of it easier and more convenient, stopping those panic moments that eat into my time and force me back into the car.

Month 1 - Bite 25

Finally while in 'sorting out where the time goes' mode there needs to be a list of all the regular tasks and jobs that make up daily life.

What do I NEED to do - food shopping, washing clothes, cleaning, regular maintenance tasks that keep the household running. I can then see where these best fit and think through a schedule to get them all done.

This Little Piggy... and a few quick bites

 Month 1 - Bite 19

Today I've tracked down a piggy bank. It didn't have to be this little chap, a box or tin with a slit in the lid would have served the same purpose, but as I had a ready made money box why not use it?

This needs a place near to the front door where coats come off and pockets get emptied. That's so that any loose change I find has a home.

Month 1 - Bite 20

I know this won't take long as I had a prune of all the household linens not long ago. Time to empty the airing cupboard and sort through all the blankets, bedding and towels - I know there's still more than I need in there and with some looking a bit past their best a sort out is on the cards. Any unnecessary spares are going into a box for the loft - I've got plans for them!

Month 1 - Bite 21

While near the front door, piggy bank in hand the outdoor 'stuff' rather loomed into view. This isn't all of it either!

There are more coats, scarves, gloves and other outerwear than can all be worn in one season. Rationalising this is called for. The spare items can go off to new homes (our local library has a rail for people who need them to help themselves).

Before parting company with any of these or replacing them in a more orderly fashion checking all the pockets is essential. As with the bags there's bound to be tissues, old face masks and so on that need to be sorted. Who knows, there might even be some coins for that piggy bank?!

The heat is on .... perhaps that’s the problem!

 Month 1 - Bite 18

This is one to focus the attention, especially now we’ve had a couple of hard frosts. It’s time to work out how low we can go! Obviously it’s not a good idea to let the home get completely cold or damp so some heat is needed, but how much is the question.

Today’s task is to check the temperature throughout the building. What will trigger the thermostat to fire the boiler? Can we cope with it a bit lower? All the radiators need checking as each of them have thermostatic valves so there may be some that could go lower than others or even be turned down to the frost setting.

The presets need looking at too... now’s the chance to look at the schedule for when the heating and water are programmed to come on and see if that tallies with the times we need them the most. Do the two tie up?

A fairly quick task then, as long as I can remember how to use the system!

Getting the picture

 Well I guess this first month has all been about getting the picture of what's all around the place.

One group of items that surfaced while in the loft was pictures.

Month 1 - Bite 17

Before we moved to our present bungalow (16 years ago yesterday!) we lived in a three storey townhouse. There were lots of walls and hanging spaces for pictures. Once we'd moved most of those had to be stored in the loft and that's where they've been ever since. In fact even more went up there as we acquired or I created more like this one.

The next task of finding out what we've got to establish the size of our elephant is to unwrap all these and more to decide what we want to keep and move a few round.

One or two could be reframed, but many I suspect will be on their way out. Over time some will have faded and the frames may be available for me to play with too.... More excuses to make stuff beckon.

Still it's out with the duster, off with the bubble wrap and time to ship some of these rather large clutterbugs out to new homes....

What's Aloft, Attack that Attic - What's in Your Glory Hole?

 Month 1 - Bite 16

Things are getting serious now. It's time to address some hidden horrors!

I'm not attempting to dig into our shed or motor into the garage - largely what's in those isn't in my remit (hooray) - tools, lawnmower, endless bits of wood, plant pots... Those I leave to other very organised and tidy hands!

My walk of shame will lead me upstairs into the loft!

It's the day of reckoning for all the boxes and suitcases hiding above.

Thankfully the photo is awful so you can't see all that's up there - the worse part is that's only some of the haul.

Now's my chance to rummage in the boxes and find out exactly what is in all those boxes, bags and suitcases.

I know that there are manuals I used in my former working life that I now have on my hard drive that can be recycled and a stack of cardboard boxes that I was saving to use in the post - but even I don't have that much to put through the Royal Mail! So those are two piles that can come down immediately.

I need to know just how much yarn, beading, fleece and fabric to name but four categories of 'stuff' before I'm further tempted into adding to.

Nothing for it, but to just grasp the challenge and go for a day of exploration...

End of the Week Catch Up

Spending recorded - tick

Receipts filed - tick

Bag completed to hide battery pack on lights - tick

This is some fabric from a fat quarter that’s my sister gave me. To try and brighten up a fire that isn’t working we’ve got twinkly lights round it, but the battery pack isn’t that decorative! Over Christmas we had a festive gift bag concealing it and now that the other decorations are packed away it doesn't look right.. enter my sister’s gift!

And while on the subject of bags...

Month 1 - Bite 13

All those handbags, evening bags, holdalls, purses,etc. scattered throughout the place need sorting. They need to be gathered together and the collection surveyed.

First I need to remove all those that have reached the end of their life with me and decide if they should be scrapped, donated, recycled, swapped or dumped. The same rules apply as to clothes - they are only to stick around for a very short time if they are going out.

Before saying goodbye to or packing away any bags, each one needs going through. Contents need checking and any scrunched tissues, dried up lip salves, fuzzy looking sweets (sorry, but it happens) and so on need binning. Mind you there’s always the possibility of finding the odd coin or two.

Month 1 - Bite 14

Okay, after that rummage through the wearables have I created any space?

I need to hunt down or clear a corner or two - a drawer hopefully, or a box to go in the bottom of the wardrobe or even a suitcase, it needs to be easily accessible and convenient.

This is where to store some clothes later in this sorting and saving process so I can really get to grips with everything that gets worn - really gets worn, not just hung onto because it cost a lot,or I’ll be that size one day (I won’t) or, well, just because.

That should be a quicker and easier task than the last few!

Month 1 - Bite 15

No recording or filing to do today as there's no spending going on... or is there?

There are, however, some expenses that are invisible (think electricity) or won't crop up this month (the TV Licence for one). Good idea to start a list of these so that when a review of spending happens next month (as it will when the elephant meal moves onto its second course) these other bills can be taken into account.

So what's paid for over a longer period of time? Well as mentioned there's the TV Licence, then insurances, land line rental, subscriptions. On the list go the other utility bills - those invisible ones that just come out of the bank account leaving no trace, but a financial gap! - council tax, mobile payments, thankfully no longer rent or mortgage. At the moment I've no loan repayments, but there might be in the future who knows? Finally there's the car - servicing, MOT and so on.

The list once it's as complete as possible will go onto the financial paperwork box to be added to as something occurs to me that I've forgotten.