Cost of Living #5

[nightshade]

Hit another 200 posts.

I went to warm welcome today, took biscuits with me and we had loads of strawberries donated. So I got to take a few home, but we're going to be moving premises soon and I can't wait, it'll be a bigger space where we can help more people. At the moment we average around 25 people that come in, some just for a hot meal and company, other thar require help with things, like sorting food bank vouchers, housing or benefits.
We had a new woman there today, and she'd recently moved to the town so afterwards I took her around, and went round while she made enquiries for jobs and just provided her with someone to talk to.

 

[ILLYRIAN]

Oh nightshade,
you meanie !
just because you had 200 posts there was no need to hit it!

 

[nightshade]

Well once again I've overspent on food this month. I'm hoping that I don't need to buy anything else this month now.
I did treat myself to some lego that was on offer, which I shouldn't have really, but it's going to be my reward for getting my flat properly cleaned. Obviously I have to actually do the cleaning first!
I did resist buying a takeaway with money I was given for giving someone a lift to her family, that went straight to the credit card instead. So that's a possibility to actually be paid off in December. Low possibility, but still a possibility, depending on if I can work a few extra hours this month as well.

 

[Ethan Reigns]

Toby, our 15-year old Border Collie has always like tomatoes. He will not eat his dog food unless we mix in some tomato sauce with every bowl. We always used pureed tomato sauce with nothing else in it. Two years ago, this was $1.79 but you could find it on sale for $1.25. Last year it went up to $2.29. My most recent trip showed it at $5.67. It is now cheaper to buy spaghetti sauce (which he also loves) than straight pureed tomatoes, but it has to be cooked to keep the onion content for upsetting his stomach.

Our idiot Prime Minister called a meeting of the heads of various supermarkets to a meeting in Ottawa to explain why the prices have jumped and what they were going to do about it as a show of Liberal party concern for the common man. He got no satisfaction form any of them and they hinted that his leftist policy of excessive taxing of petroleum fuel for trucks was driving up the cost and their boxed goods, whose prices they have no control over, were also going up and now that farmers were getting a living wage, their prices had gone up. It was just another fiasco for Justin Trudeau and his ultra-woke government.

 

[nightshade]

It's interesting to look at the card transactions and see if more people spend via credit card or debit card. The majority of times it's more debit cards than credit, so people are still finding money for non essentials. However this has been a quiet year for us. The town though is still doing well, shops tend to not stay empty for long, okay it's often a nail bar or hairdresser opening up but there has to be enough demand to support them.

Although not from me! I'm happy to let friends or family trim my hair for free.

 

[NotASlayer]

I pay for almost everything on a credit card, because that adds an extra layer of security, but I then immediately pay it off.

 

[nightshade]

I pay for almost everything on a credit card, because that adds an extra layer of security, but I then immediately pay it off.

A lot of credit cards do cashback as well, but it's not the majority of payments where I work. Cards are more popular than cash though.

I must remember to use cashback sites for Christmas spending, although it's usually not available on the sites I've used. I do try to use it for insurances though.

 

[nightshade]

Dehumidifier is back on during the day now as windows are full of condensation again, so I'll probably need to use the heated airer for drying clothes from now on.
Oodie came out yesterday evening too, but I'm hoping that it won't be too cold over winter as I'm not planning on putting the heating on at all. I've got a hot water bottle and electric blanket on the bed if it does get colder.

 

[NotASlayer]

My gas direct debit has gone up by over £30 a month. Which is not insignificant. I am trying to register for an online account - naturally British Gas's site won't let me do that currently - to see if it's gone up for a genuine reason or whether it is because they could not be bothered reading my meter.

 

[nightshade]

@NotASlayer have you checked the price comparison sites, see if anything is better?

I'm using up the frozen mushrooms today in a hopefully edible mushrooms sauce for pasta. Using up a pot of stock from the freezer too. Slowly slowly I'm using up everything and will defrost it by the end of the month.

It's looking like energy prices may go up again in January so I need to make the most of everything before then.

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

Hey all! I hope everyone is hanging in there.

Firstly, I am super stoked that I turned off the air about a week ago. That will save me for sure.

I just got back late last night from Indianapolis. I was there all weekend, though Monday, for a family reunion. It was really nice to see everyone. And it was all paid for so I didn't have to spend any money but I did have to take a weekend off work, so I lost a lot of money. Now I'm back home and trying to work out the rest of the month financially.

I noticed gas has gone down since I left town, from $3.72 to $3.21/gallon, so that's something.

I need to talk some time off next month to stay with my mother for a while while she recovers from surgery. So that's more time off I have to take. Needless to say, I am stressed, because I am so broke. At least I don't have to fly to see her though. She lives in Chicago, and I can drive it in one day, on a little over a tank of gas, so for about $80. My plan is to work literally seven says a week for the rest of the month and make as much as I can. I can take my dog with me to see her, thankfully, so I will not need to pay someone to care for her while I am gone.

I'm planning to eat totally vegan for the month too, maybe even the rest of the year, just to improve my heath and to save on costs.

Beyond basic needs this month, I need to pay for a long overdue oil change for my truck, which will be about $80, but beyond that I should have no expenses this month beyond necessities.

Lastly, I do want to do something for Halloween, my favorite holiday, but will try to find some event that's free or cheap. Luckily, where I live, there are many free events this time of year.

 

[nightshade]

, I need to pay for a long overdue oil change for my truck, which will be about $80

I think Americans do oil changes far more often that we do, I guess people get that when/if they service their car. I however have only had 1 oil change in 3 cars that I've owned! And that was as I had extra covid money so spoilt my last car to a service.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

I need to pay for a long overdue oil change for my truck, which will be about $80

Shit. That's really cheap! Last time mine was close to $200.

 

[NotASlayer]

Well, my gas usage was estimated. Unfortunately, the estimate is so close to the actual usage that it means the current direct debit is accurate. Guess it's time to try shopping around a bit.

 

[Ethan Reigns]

There is a church in Missouri that has started an oil change ministry. This is all done without cost to the car owner. Here is a comment from one of the guys working as a mechanic there:

"Resting this afternoon from a tiring day doing the oil change ministry yesterday. We've been doing this quite a few years twice a year, and this was the hardest one yet. We did 13 cars (scheduled to take 2 hours, which we usually make easily) but we had so many cars with obstacles this year! A Prius that the plastic cartridge filter housing cap was rounded off and when we finally got it off, cross-threaded to boot. Three cars with rounded off drain bolts that we couldn't get purchase on with a wrench. A Vise Grips worked on one, another we hammered on a smaller socket that deformed the bolt head to fit, but the third one we had to go buy $45 bolt extractor set. Those things work a treat. We'll definitely keep that kit around for next time. That car was a 2010 Chrysler Town & Country. When we finally got the bolt off, there was only about a quart and a half of oil in the engine. There was a Toyota FJ Cruiser that the sticker on the windshield indicated last oil change was over 19,000 miles ago. The oil looked it too. We had a return client from the spring oil change who was so grateful. She told the women that when she came the last time she was homeless, didn't know anyone in the area and the boyfriend she had come to town with had left. But the book one of the ladies gave her had sustained her, the things we had done for her car had kept it running, and she now had a job, an apartment, and her daughter was doing well in school. Another lady has a two year old son with leukemia and has to drive to the Children's hospital 90 miles away every week for chemo. But her car had died so someone had given her this Honda Fit Sport. It had brakes so bad it almost drove right through the work bay into the wall. When we checked the air filter it was a K&N that probably hasn't been cleaned and oiled in years. Caked with dust. One of the guys is going to change her brake pads and rotors probably on Tuesday and the church will pay for it.

More than ever before we were seeing cars that were barely hanging on, and ladies who are an inch away from not making it."

He said many of the men brought their sons to help and show them a life skill they would benefit from knowing. I have no doubt they saved some lives because getting stranded in a remote area is not conducive to a long life, nor are brakes that don't work.

 

[nightshade]

I don't keep track of how many miles I do!

We had over 30 people in yesterday, and that's with it raining all day. We think the numbers are going to go up and go as winter sets in. We're now just trying to source funding to keep it going, which is not the easiest right now.

 

[November]

I am going to have to move again. The cost of food and petrol is just too much now. Its weird how the world was so against lockdown, yet thats exactly how they expect disabled people to live. I was feeling really well on good food but have gone back to junk because it is cheaper and last far longer, already feel sick with the sugar crashes.

I have been collecting cans and bottles but havent cashed them in. Its such a risk with trying to report it as income correctly. I have messed it up and had my payments cancelled so often, it makes me hopeless. Thats why once off, cash jobs are useless to me. It costs me more when I mess up reporting and they fine me. I need a job gets me off disability. A job that is all real and proper paying super and tax. I dont need spare change I need a job for life, there is no way I can cut back further and be worth living for.

There is no chance of that here now. Everyone knows me and everyone knows me as "the invalid" so I dont have a chance in landing a job. And I cant afford to live here without one. Im devastated because I LOVE this house. I wish I could pick it up and put it closer to shops and jobs.

 

[nightshade]

I've worked out my hours for the month, and worked a little extra this month but not really enough to pay off as much as I'd hoped.

I'll have a look at selling a few bits next month as well. I need to get some money put by for my car insurance, unless I decide to pay it monthly but that costs more overall.

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

I am going to have to move again. The cost of food and petrol is just too much now. Its weird how the world was so against lockdown, yet thats exactly how they expect disabled people to live. I was feeling really well on good food but have gone back to junk because it is cheaper and last far longer, already feel sick with the sugar crashes.

I have been collecting cans and bottles but havent cashed them in. Its such a risk with trying to report it as income correctly. I have messed it up and had my payments cancelled so often, it makes me hopeless. Thats why once off, cash jobs are useless to me. It costs me more when I mess up reporting and they fine me. I need a job gets me off disability. A job that is all real and proper paying super and tax. I dont need spare change I need a job for life, there is no way I can cut back further and be worth living for.

There is no chance of that here now. Everyone knows me and everyone knows me as "the invalid" so I dont have a chance in landing a job. And I cant afford to live here without one. Im devastated because I LOVE this house. I wish I could pick it up and put it closer to shops and jobs.

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this. I can relate. The cost of living now is so insane. I just sat for an hour and looked at my budget and pretty much felt very despondent. I'm working as much as I can and still no making enough to pay my bills. It's really disheartening.

 

[nightshade]

. I'm working as much as I can and still no making enough to pay my bills

Look at how you can reduce your costs, can you switch providers for anything, are there things that you can stop paying for temporarily until you have more money.

Payday this week, and food shopping arrives on Thursday. I've defrosted my freezer finally, however I now have to try and find meals until Thursday with what I have left in the cupboard. It's only 3 days, so I'll manage, I'm sure there's something lurking in the cupboard I can make a few meals out of!

I do however, have plenty of cooking apples, so sweet treats are definitely going to be available.