Wednesday 13 January 2016

Back to the beginning

Nearly half way through the month, and I still have yet to get to grips with the year's finances. What with the new job, the EF girls, the EFG being home, the flu and all, I just don't seem to have had the time to sit down and review things the way that I used to.  If we are to continue to spend wisely and save money in areas, I must get on top of this!

I made a start yesterday when I had a look at the current price of home heating oil.  It was triggered by me seeing on Monday night that Tesco were actually selling diesel for less than petrol - 99.7p/l compared with 99.9p/l - I know that that is a tiny amount, but I couldn't remember the last time I had seen diesel cheaper than petrol, and thought that perhaps the oil price had dropped again.

Image result for home heating oil
(image from which.co.uk)

I went through my usual price comparison procedure though - check Boilerjuice first and then, with that information, call my local supplier [because I like to support local businesses, but I also don't want to be taken advantage of by them...].  The Boilerjuice price was 25.37p/l and the local company quoted over 32p/l at first. Then I mentioned the other price I had, and all of a sudden, they could bring the price down to 25.10p/l.  So 600 litres at the new price was £46 less than it would have been if I had accepted their first price.  That is quite a reduction, and a bigger one than I have had from them before.  It still makes me mad that some people will accept the first price that they are quoted - just don't do it!!

On a separate note, we are waving good-bye to the EFG this morning as she makes her way back to Aberdeen for the start of term on Monday.  She's been here for nearly a month, and we have had a lovely time with her.  Weirdly [and perhaps some of the Scottish readers can comment] she has lectures on both Good Friday and Easter Monday and will not finish for her "Easter" break until the 1st April, so we will not have her home actually at Easter although she will come down afterwards.  I shall be looking forward to that. The YFG went to Aberdeen last February half term but has decided not to do so this year [at the moment] as she has mock exams looming this year.

Have a good day - and keep warm!


3 comments:

Sandra Ann said...

So pleased to read that you are on the mend. We are both having an odd start to the year I was admitted to hospital in Sunday but thankfully I am home now :-)

We usually get several quotes for big purchases but thanks for the salutary reminder about prices!

San

Sue in Suffolk said...

A good saving on the oil. Glad to hear you are feeling better again.

Mrs Shoestring said...

That was a great saving on the oil, we always stock up in the Summer in the expectation that the price will rise, we got caught out this year as it dropped !

The university terms in Scotland are divided in equal blocks so they do not take into account when Easter falls, I went to university in Edinburgh and found it very strange the first year. When Easter is early or late you notice it a lot as it may be a week or two before you get the 'Easter' holiday !