How is the cost of living crisis affecting you?

[cybershot]

I cook for my parents using a slow cooker, but even the so- called cheap cuts are expensive, even also now Lidl. I’ve waited for deals at Iceland then I swoop and buy months worth at once and freeze everything. Then there was the time I bagged 22 chicken thighs in the tramps buffet for £5. It’s the only way. But then I started worrying about how much freezing and cooking things would cost.

There's already food being returned to food banks and a shift in what food they want. People can't afford to heat the food let alone afford the food! It's only going to get worse. I honestly think we could are seeing riots come October.

 

[pinkmonkey]

"Deals" now are the regular prices from a year ago; the manager at a supermarket I shop at admitted as much...

That’s so worrying. I’m gluten free and a Barbie Doll sized loaf is now £2.75. Got a breadmachine for £20 off fb marketplace, that I use at my parents house, to try save a few bob. Dad also requires special bread, although not as disgusting as mine, the processed supermarket stuff makes him ill, none of us can eat cheap white loaves, everyone in our household is wheat intolerant to different levels, so a lot of cheap fill you up options are out of the question. I make us 3 or 4 loaves a week, coming in at about £1 each before electric. It’s like everytime you think you have a solution there’s a tripwire.

 

[pinkmonkey]

And I can’t imagine how coeliacs on benefits manage, I mean even if they can get flour on prescription you still need to pay increased bills to bake it.

 

[existentialist]

I've cut back my driving as much as I can, I've stopped buying "luxuries", bulk-bought staples, stopped using heating in the flat (when it's really cold I put the electric blanket on and get into bed). I need to stop smoking, so that's the next big economy, I've already cut down on weed, to microdosing levels, I'm going to the pub less, and am starting to cut back on booze anyway.

My spending on ebooks has gone up, and I imagine wear and tear on bedsheets, duvet covers, and washing of same will go up a bit too, given the amount of time I spend reading and sleeping.

Thank goodness prescriptions are free in Wales...

 

[panpete]

I have enough money.
Enough money is all I want.
I do overspend though.

 

[l'Otters]

I'm a bit apprehensive about next winter, on a personal level that is.
Using gas central heating at the mo, still been putting it on since the weather went freezing last week. But over the summer my fuel bills are usually low. I'm not totally skint, so can probably manage.

The price of diesel is still eyewateringly high, and altho that's not going to be such a big deal until next month, it is going to be more and more relevant and I have not yet tried to factor it in to a weekly budget. Been half hoping it might come down a bit. Doesn't look like it.

For the immediate future, most people I know are anxious about making ends meet.

I'd join a strike on paying energy bills but my meters are on prepay. Maybe I should look at getting a couple of solar panels and leisure batteries just in case it all goes tits up...

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

Even with the price of fuel, try and give it a fifty mile drive each week. Letting mine sit for a month in first lockdown cost me new discs and pads, which is a fuck sight more than a few gallons of fuel.

Leaving vehicles standing, failing to maintain them, failing to regularly move them, is one of the things that fucked the Russians.

Burst tyre on army truck shows Russia failed to keep military kit maintained, expert says

'They have a lot of kit but we weren't sure how well maintained it was - I think we're getting the answer to that'

inews.co.uk

 

[bcuster]

Seafood prices in my part of the US have become outrageously high. For example: Pacific cod (not the better Atlantic variety): $10 per pound. Sea scallops $30.00 per pound! I could go on...

Who can afford this? Not me...

 

[weepiper]

Fucking hell just realised I already replied to this thread and forgot about it. Helloooo perimenopause

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

Takeaways often do OK in recessions iirc. Obviously for some people it's a luxury they can't afford and have to cut out but for a lot of people they save on bigger stuff (holidays etc) and spend on smaller stuff.

I suppose it's also 'cutting back' for people who might otherwise eat out at a restaurant. If they order a takeaway from the same place they'd usually eat out at (or some place else), eat it with a bottle of wine or some beers they bough with their weekly shop from the supermarket, they're still saving on booze mark-up and travel costs or car parking or whatever, eating more takeaways is a cost cutting measure to some folks.

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

Some good news from mum, partly because of the bills shock and also because we qualify, I applied for attendance allowance for dad, mum and I both care for him, he can’t be left for more than a few hours.

Dad feels the cold, he plays thermostat roulette with the thermostat, puts it in the toilet (the coldest room in the house) so it doesn’t switch off, then falls asleep, then one of us notices, (normally when the canary looks like it’s getting heat exhaustion) and we bring it out of there.

He’s been awarded £61 a week, it’s going to really help with these bills.

Check with an independent welfare rights advisor at the CAB or a law centre, they will let you know if you and/or your parents are entitled to anything else.

Get Help

Find your local Law Centre below and contact them. If they can help you, they will!

lawcentres.org.uk

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

I cook for my parents using a slow cooker, but even the so- called cheap cuts are expensive, even also now Lidl. I’ve waited for deals at Iceland then I swoop and buy months worth at once and freeze everything. Then there was the time I bagged 22 chicken thighs in the tramps buffet for £5. It’s the only way. But then I started worrying about how much freezing and cooking things would cost.

I've often wondered about the cost effectiveness of the freezer economy, all those people who bulk buy stuff and then, eg store it in a separate chest freezer. I figure that the cost savings of buying in bulk or picking up yellow sticker bargains has to be offset against the cost of running the extra freezer capacity, surely?

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Single household income. I’ve just bought my flat, mortgage/service charge payments are slightly less than I was paying in rent, and I’m supposed to be getting a small payrise in May. I’m still going to be worse off each month due to all the cost increases elsewhere.

It’s insane, and I realise I’m in a better position than a lot of people

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

Starting to get worried. I don't know how much my bills are going up, because I've been a bit ostrich head in sand about it all, I'm just resigned to getting into debt and my life spiralling out of control and getting into loads of shit.

I'm currently only working part-time, because I have a weekly medical appointment that I need to attend. So I get a bit of a top up from Universal Credit, but not a penny in any kind of housing support, and my rent and service charge are around £550 a month. I've been using my savings, which have now run out, and I've started to rack up credit card debt already, almost maxed out my card.

Plus I've been off sick recently and seem to have only been paid Statutory Sick Pay.

I'm single and live alone. It's starting to irk me that married couples get a tax break and single people, even though we have to pay all the household running costs and don't have anyone to share those costs with. I think there should be a single person's tax break, to take account of the fact that we don't have anyone to share bills with.

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

There's already food being returned to food banks and a shift in what food they want. People can't afford to heat the food let alone afford the food! It's only going to get worse. I honestly think we could are seeing riots come October.

I saw some chicken the other day in the online shopping app and the thought crossed my mind to make a nice chicken, lemon, garlic and basil dish that I used to make a lot some years ago, but then I thought 'No, that will mean using the oven for about 30-40 minutes, don't want to use the oven,' so I didn't buy it.

I guess it's going to affect lots of people's shopping habits like that too.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Thinking about it, my best bet would be to take an extra 2 or 3 freelance gigs a month, as that would give me a decent bump to my income. Trouble is I’m already averaging over 50 hours a week and I’m permanently exhausted, so the prospect of more hours fills me with dread. But needs must…

 

[MickiQ]

I've often wondered about the cost effectiveness of the freezer economy, all those people who bulk buy stuff and then, eg store it in a separate chest freezer. I figure that the cost savings of buying in bulk or picking up yellow sticker bargains has to be offset against the cost of running the extra freezer capacity, surely?

We have a fridge freezer in the house and a freezer in the garage, I reckon the fridge freezer costs me around £50ish a year to run, the one in the garage a fraction that. During the winter months it costs nearly nothing especially since it probably doesn't even get opened every day. The advantages of buying in bulk far outweigh the relatively low cost of storing it and a lot of stuff we store in the garage doesn't need freezing anyway so I have some shelving for that.

 

[Pickman's model]

Might do a few extra shifts

 

[pinkmonkey]

Thinking about it, my best bet would be to take an extra 2 or 3 freelance gigs a month, as that would give me a decent bump to my income. Trouble is I’m already averaging over 50 hours a week and I’m permanently exhausted, so the prospect of more hours fills me with dread. But needs must…

I just near finished myself so I could earn a couple of extra grand for the big ticket purchases, yes fortunate because I can do that but 3 weeks and weekends without a day off was tough. I can only sustain it for so long.

 

[pinkmonkey]

We have a fridge freezer in the house and a freezer in the garage, I reckon the fridge freezer costs me around £50ish a year to run, the one in the garage a fraction that. During the winter months it costs nearly nothing especially since it probably doesn't even get opened every day. The advantages of buying in bulk far outweigh the relatively low cost of storing it and a lot of stuff we store in the garage doesn't need freezing anyway so I have some shelving for that.

The fridge freezer we binned was ancient and I suspect costing a lot more than that. The compressor never stopped running. We’ve checked and the appliances in the house, even though they’re not new are both A rated (F under the new ratings) which is ok.

 

[StoneRoad]

Four adult household.
Three state pensions, plus one retired teacher ... I intend to fully retire later this year, but ...

Things were OK, we managed a decent standard of living but the future outlook is grim in the mid-term.
There are going to have to be quite a lot of small economies to balance out the increased costs of energy & fuel.
I'll try again with the garden, to squeeze in more food plants.
Things like less day trips in the car, cheaper food choices, less luxuries - buying books second hand - and eventually only essential clothes / shoes.
None of us smoke and we haven't had a real holiday for maybe six or seven years - and the last trip was actually combined with business visits.
I'm not anxious about it, yet. But I am worried for the longer term.

 

[mojo pixy]

I decided to pre-empt any struggle I might have with money (my income is low but I get by on very little, my main expense is taking care of my son) by getting rid of my car. Saves the best part of £200 a month (fuel, tax, insurance) plus I lose the stress of driving and keeping a vehicle that always needs some attention (I hate fixing cars) and by cycling instead get fit again (it's been a while...!)

Food bill is already up as we're both a lot hungrier now .. but this cut will help to afford the price rises happening everywhere ... plus I can't deny, I do like getting a little bit of moral high ground back

The clincher for me was discovering that while I was shelling out £35-40 a week on petrol (just petrol!) for commutes and school runs, a weekly train ticket for us both for the same journey comes to £33.

(Relatedly, I suspect the bottom may drop out of the used car market this year as thousands of people try to offload their vehicles to save money)

 

[StoneRoad]

Much as I think stopping or greatly reducing car use is a Good Idea ... which it is, no question !

I have a problem in that I live 800 ft above and 1.5 miles from the local railway station, and whilst I occasionally see the local bus service, it is highly seasonal - as in it starts at Easter ! - and the route isn't useful to me as only a few of the journeys go down into the local "town", and because of the route it might even be quicker to walk down. The service is about as useful of the one out & return bus journey for weekly Market Day for a village near to where I went to school.

Like a lot of people in this rural area, cars are essential for us to do almost anything & everything in a timely manner, especially as we aren't spring chickens.
However, we are making serious efforts to reduce the car journeys !

 

[marty21]

I'm OK atm , I'm working , Mrs21 has retired & getting state pension & work pension. We can survive ok for a while , but if heating costs continue to be high for a year? 2 years ? More? It will be a problem for anyone on average incomes.

 

[bellaozzydog]

Just swapped my key meters for a smart meter so the jury is out till I get first bill. Other set of
Bills gone up what looks like 45 quid a month but moving into Warmer times and house is keen on reducing bills from a green point of view

My car parking has gone from £1.20 a day to £8.70 (60 quid a week to just own a car) so glad I’m fucking off for work for 3 months

Every bag of food from sainsburys seems to cost 40 quid no matter how little is in it

 

[SpookyFrank]

The cost of food is the thing that's getting us. Because I budget assuming that X per week will cover all the shopping, leaving me Y for rent and bills. But increasingly often I'm finding X doesn't cover it. These have been creeping rises in a random selection of items so short of going through my receipts one thing at a time it's hard to pin down where that money's going.

Doesn't help that the dog's ageing guts will apparently no longer tolerate own-brand kibble

 

[Pickman's model]

The cost of food is the thing that's getting us. Because I budget assuming that X per week will cover all the shopping, leaving me Y for rent and bills. But increasingly often I'm finding X doesn't cover it. These have been creeping rises in a random selection of items so short of going through my receipts one thing at a time it's hard to pin down where that money's going.

Doesn't help that the dog's ageing guts will apparently no longer tolerate own-brand kibble

Each time I go to the shop I put a can of tomatoes or beans or a packet of pasta in the basket, so there'll be a cushion any time I'm short of money

 

[StoneRoad]

Yeah, doing very similar on our deliveries - topping up after the winter storm season depredations on our stored supplies.

I have some old friends, living somewhere exceptionally isolated, that do really big bulk shopping trips, so they are eating on staples bought several months ago. House is heavily insulated and for power they have wind turbines and recently added some solar panels, backed up by a diesel generator and batteries. They run several big chest freezers and store a lot of tins & dried goods. They also have a large poly-tunnel and a couple of decent sized greenhouses, as well as what is almost a small-holding's worth of allotment space. I think they still keep chickens and goats, and "share crop" some wool breed sheep with a "neighbour".

 

[mojo pixy]

Much as I think stopping or greatly reducing car use is a Good Idea ... which it is, no question !

I have a problem in that I live 800 ft above and 1.5 miles from the local railway station, and whilst I occasionally see the local bus service, it is highly seasonal - as in it starts at Easter ! - and the route isn't useful to me as only a few of the journeys go down into the local "town", and because of the route it might even be quicker to walk down. The service is about as useful of the one out & return bus journey for weekly Market Day for a village near to where I went to school.

Like a lot of people in this rural area, cars are essential for us to do almost anything & everything in a timely manner, especially as we aren't spring chickens.
However, we are making serious efforts to reduce the car journeys !

tbh we live almost in the countryside, it's a good 1.5 miles to the station though that takes ~10mins on bikes. I didn't mention the other end though .. 1 mile uphill on a really steep gradient. We usually walk pushing the bikes most of the way (25 mins) but obviously the ride back down is awesome.

It's pretty taxing (and I have to do it twice a day, once for drop off once for pickup, ech....) but there's not much else I could cut from the budget anyway!

 

[Elpenor]

I think on balance I save money from working at home, certainly less electricity than petrol.

I’m picking the coach or train over the car for long journeys when I can to save on petrol. The trade off of course is it takes a bit longer and hasn’t got any flexibility so I can’t stop off and see folk mid route.

I still need to drive to a station, but I’m fortunate that my work has free parking which I can use. And of course the journey is in theory more relaxing as I don’t have to drive!