Frugal Fright

I have been talking all week about my various frugal ways and inclinations but today I gave myself a bit of a fright. I checked my bank account on-line, first time for about three months. Its doesnt look good. Every bill seems to have increased.

I couldnt beleive it. I have spent this evening using www.moneysavingexpert.com to try to work out the best way of organising landline phone calls. I am thinking of buying something called a Orchid Dialler which will direct our phone calls via the most cost efficient service provider depending on whether they are landline, mobile, overseas etc. If this turns out to be as good as it sounds than I will be happy. MSE customers also get extra discount.

I was also trying to check out the price per call of various mobile packages. It seems to be almost impossible and I am no further forward now than I was three hours ago but I wont give up, although I might just for today.

I also checked my broadband bill online and they had taken too much however I checked the previous few months as well and found they had undercharged so overall I seem to be about even.

Tomorrow I will email the council and see if we are due a refund of council tax. We pay by direct debit so we should never under or overpay but they seem to me to take too much every year.

Anyway, must go, more frugal surfing to do!

I forgot to update my Freecycle diary. A young couple came today to collect our old sofa. It is cream leather (or maybe not) and I dont know what I was thinking when I got talked into buying it but anyway I am not sad to see the back of it & all the current furniture and hard wearing and can be recoverd so hopefully it will be many yers befpre we need any more chairs or sofas.