Cost of Living #7

[NotASlayer]

Supermarket own brand noodles are usually cheaper too. Morrisons are 50p each, or 35p for the probably tasteless Savers ones.

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

Whew, I’m so relieved guys! I have a second interview tomorrow at the casino. I aced the first one, so I’m sure I’ve got this job in the bag.

I’ve now been unemployed for two weeks and I’m over it! I’ve made the best of it; done a lot of cleaning around the house, cooked a lot, spent time with the dogs (they love having me there all day) done a lot of reading and exercising, but I’m ready to be back at work!

This is a good job too, with higher pay and benefits! So maybe getting fired was a blessing in disguise.

How is everyone faring? Times are tough now for sure.

 

[nightshade]

The last bank in town is closing later this year. I switched mine to an online one years ago but it's still sad that there won't be any left, and another empty building.

 

[NotASlayer]

Bank closures are making me uncertain about how to do the things that you cannot do on a website/app/the phone.

I mean, none of those can change a bag of loose change into notes. There are machines that do it, but the ones I have seen you have to pay a fee to use them (I use change as a source for some of the money I use for presents).

Some things I think can be done at the Post Office, but not everything.

 

[nightshade]

Bank closures are making me uncertain about how to do the things that you cannot do on a website/app/the phone.

I mean, none of those can change a bag of loose change into notes. There are machines that do it, but the ones I have seen you have to pay a fee to use them (I use change as a source for some of the money I use for presents).

Some things I think can be done at the Post Office, but not everything.

I believe you can exchange change for notes in the post office, but often local shops will do it for you as they get charged for getting change.

 

[NotASlayer]

So, Morrisons have removed the 10% discount from the Dairy Milk bars. Even worse, some of those bars, though not all of them, have had the price increased by 10%. Which means bars went from £2.25 to £2.75.

 

[Kendar]

Whew, I’m so relieved guys! I have a second interview tomorrow at the casino. I aced the first one, so I’m sure I’ve got this job in the bag.

I’ve now been unemployed for two weeks and I’m over it! I’ve made the best of it; done a lot of cleaning around the house, cooked a lot, spent time with the dogs (they love having me there all day) done a lot of reading and exercising, but I’m ready to be back at work!

This is a good job too, with higher pay and benefits! So maybe getting fired was a blessing in disguise.

How is everyone faring? Times are tough now for sure.

How did the second interview go?

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

How did the second interview go?

Really good! I got the job!

Post automatically merged: Mar 21, 2025

Well, I did my grocery haul for this week and managed to stay under $75, which I'm pretty proud of. I shopped at the Dollar Store and the Mexican Supermercado near my house. And that included batteries (which are always expensive). dog food and paper products. The same bag of dog food is only $10 a the Dollar Store, but $16 at Walmart! Insane! I've been taking advantage of the Dollar Store app - there's some great coupons on there! The cost of eggs and butter is insane now - $6 for bad eggs and $5 for butter! Sheesh.

Did manage to make a payment plan for my gas and electric bill. I'm still chipping away at my super high water bill, which doubled when my roommate and her boyfriend was living with me. Being unemployed for three weeks is really affecting me! I start my new job next week with paid training, and can't wait.

We're also swiftly approaching the growing season here, which means I'll have to start paying the lawn guy bi-weekly to mow my lawn again.

And to make matters worse, my truck is making weird noises. I can go get it inspected for free, but I'm honestly scared to...

 

[NotASlayer]

Really good! I got the job!

Some good news!

And to make matters worse, my truck is making weird noises. I can go get it inspected for free, but I'm honestly scared to...

If you do not know for certain that something is wrong then maybe there won't be a problem? I have done that myself.

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

If you do not know for certain that something is wrong then maybe there won't be a problem? I have done that myself.

It's running, just really rough.

 

[November]

The missionaries are coming out next week to help me with my car. I duno how much help they will be but Im stuck and my capacity to deal with it has run out. I've had it parked in the sun to try and keep mice out of the engine - good idea @nightshade !

‘Staggeringly high’: Australian renters need $130k income to afford average property, report shows

People earning $70,000 a year spend more than half of their income (52%) on the national median unit rent

www.theguardian.com

Australian renters now need an annual income of $130,000 to comfortably rent an average unit, with even six-figure earners facing housing costs exceeding 30% of their income in capital cities and many regional areas, a new report has found.

I'm so bloody lucky to have this place. But I do think this article is a bit misleading, in that even 50% of 70,000 is a decent amount to live on and save for a house deposit. Its much harder when you have much less cash to live on! But meh, the more people say they need to live on, the more I end up getting every fortnight. Just scary to see whats happening in the UK right now, I assume AU will follow suit, as usual. Maybe we will follow canada, which would be far less stressful. Totally helpless against the system anyway.


I spent a bit at the town show yesterday. Mostly on food. Thats my community donation for the year lol. I should have got more from the bushfire brigade but they were at the opposite end of the show with food and I didn't see them until after the $15 burger from the golf club stand. At least the bush firies are volunteers! I wanted to sign up to at least 3 different stalls calling for volunteers but then remembered I can hardly manage my own home, let alone trying to do anything for anyone else. Its much worse when I sign up and then cant physically keep up - it just lets them down and sends me spiraling. I'll stick with religion and the horse peeps - I know I can manage letter writing and mucking out. No pressure if I cant turn up for them, they seem to be the only ones who accept limitations.

 

[November]

We're at this stage of the news cycle again and its making me depressed.

The only reason I can find for the shire not letting me hire the horse paddocks or join the gym is because I am a renter and not a rate payer. I cant see any other reason to be outcast from community, besides the fact that I am disabled and it would be illegal for them to admit that. Im lucky I have a nice house but it sucks not being allowed to be a part of anything here because I'll never get out.

A new report from campaign group Everybody's Home has found that a single person needed a $130,000 income to comfortably afford the national weekly asking rent for a typical unit.

Currently two-thirds of 200,000 retired Australian households who rent privately live in poverty, according to a Grattan Institute report. That figure rises to almost 80 per cent for single retired women.

More Australians believe they'll be 'forever renters'. What does it mean?

More Australian renters believe they may have to rent forever, either by choice or because they are priced out of the market. So what does this mean for "forever renters" in the long term?

www.abc.net.au

My savings are getting there for the car. Next bills are gas and electricity. Its actually easier to have my grocery bill set at $110 a week for two deliveries. Its more than i should spend but it does make life much easier and I cant handle harder right now. The adli shop did save me because now I have room in my order for half price laundry powder and baking paper 😀 my freezer meat is lasting ages.

 

[NotASlayer]

The painful price rises and household bill increases hitting UK homes in April

From energy bills and council tax to passports and postage stamps, Yahoo News rounds up the increased costs coming your way from 1 April.

uk.yahoo.com

 

[nightshade]

Just remembered that I think my internet bill is going up next month as well. So that'll be, council tax, water, internet, I've fixed my electricity bill so that's already gone up. Hopefully my phone doesn't, so far that's not told me it is.

 

[NotASlayer]

My mobile bill is going up, but I really need to get a new phone and supplier anyway.

 

[nightshade]

My mobile bill is going up, but I really need to get a new phone and supplier anyway.

I think my contract ends around November time, so I'll be looking to get a cheaper one again then. However it's currently sim only at £15 a month, so I doubt I'll find it much cheaper.

 

[NotASlayer]

I think my contract ends around November time, so I'll be looking to get a cheaper one again then. However it's currently sim only at £15 a month, so I doubt I'll find it much cheaper.

I have been out of contract for a couple of years - I have been that slow at getting a new phone! - so I am basically on a one month cycling one at the moment.

 

[nightshade]

I have been out of contract for a couple of years - I have been that slow at getting a new phone! - so I am basically on a one month cycling one at the moment.

It's definitely worth changing it then, but look at if it's cheaper to buy a second hand phone and sim only contract, rather than a new phone and contract. Depending on how new a new phone you need.

 

[NotASlayer]

@hoponlilmama Apart from monthly price - I can get a better deal - the only reason I need to upgrade is I cannot install all the banking apps on it that I need! Either to log into accounts, or because there is no longer a website.

It's definitely worth changing it then, but look at if it's cheaper to buy a second hand phone and sim only contract, rather than a new phone and contract. Depending on how new a new phone you need.

When I last had a look - I haven't completely done nothing! 😀 - I was offered a monthly payment on a two year contract less than I am currently paying with no upfront cost for the phone I was looking at. I don't really need that new a phone, which does mean I can get suitable phones without an upfront cost.

 

[hoponlilmama]

@hoponlilmama Apart from monthly price - I can get a better deal - the only reason I need to upgrade is I cannot install all the banking apps on it that I need! Either to log into accounts, or because there is no longer a website.

You're like me, upgrading out of necessity! Good luck, and hope you find the phone/plan you're after at a good price!