Cost of living crisis

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I've been noticing that in a few shops they're starting to sell individual fizzy drinks for like £1.80 despite the fact that the size of the bottles have shrunk. It still says 500ml on the bottle but it looks like the size of bottles that would be put into multi packs so not sure what's going on there. I can't justify spending that much on such a small bottle.
 
T
thrasherpix
Been seeing things like that everywhere. Also, fast food. Hadn't eaten at one in over 2 years (starting before pandemic) to trying it again and finding the meat smaller, thinner, and something wrong with the taste, at greater expense.
Bop said:
I've been noticing that in a few shops they're starting to sell individual fizzy drinks for like £1.80 despite the fact that the size of the bottles have shrunk. It still says 500ml on the bottle but it looks like the size of bottles that would be put into multi packs so not sure what's going on there. I can't justify spending that much on such a small bottle.
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I think the problem is that all of the issues surrounding the pandemic allowed companies to raise prices. Problem is, with the pandemic having been done for some time now, they haven’t brought back the old quality or the old prices.

I do understand that there are shortages of some materials, but they certainly aren’t bumping the price down to accommodate. It’s very Hoggish Greedly behavior
 
Bop
Bop
Yeah I wouldn't mind it being smaller if the price had gone down but it's the same
Bop said:
I've been noticing that in a few shops they're starting to sell individual fizzy drinks for like £1.80 despite the fact that the size of the bottles have shrunk. It still says 500ml on the bottle but it looks like the size of bottles that would be put into multi packs so not sure what's going on there. I can't justify spending that much on such a small bottle.
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A lot of companies are finding that it's sneakier to shrink sizes than to raise prices. I would say it's harder for items that are defined by their size, such as US's 2-liter soda bottles, and yet the half-gallon (1.89 L) of ice cream was once standard, and now it's 1.5 quarts (1.41 L) or even 1.25 qts. Though if it still says 500 ml and it's not, that seems illegal. I'm noticing a lot of items are suffering from "shrinkflation" lately, but the companies are right that it's harder to notice.
 
Stake fodder said:
A lot of companies are finding that it's sneakier to shrink sizes than to raise prices. I would say it's harder for items that are defined by their size, such as US's 2-liter soda bottles, and yet the half-gallon (1.89 L) of ice cream was once standard, and now it's 1.5 quarts (1.41 L) or even 1.25 qts. Though if it still says 500 ml and it's not, that seems illegal. I'm noticing a lot of items are suffering from "shrinkflation" lately, but the companies are right that it's harder to notice.
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Yeah not everyone notices, I was with my friend when I noticed and I pointed it out to her- she said it's always been that way. But it hasn't 😂 I considered taking it home to see if it was actually 500ml as it says on the bottle but I didn't so I can't confirm that it's not.
 
By coincidence, I just came across an article on the subject of shrinkflation. It suggests the following:

- Pay attention to the shelf tags with price per unit of weight. Check if "family" or "party" size is really a better deal per unit of weight.
- Try store brands. They are often packaged by name-brand companies anyway, and they are often the last to downsize.
- Check not just the clearance racks, but the regular locations of your staple items for clearance tags. Stores will sometimes put an older, bigger package on sale, in order to clear space to stock a smaller new one.
- Beware of labeling such as "new and improved." A change in packaging may be camouflaging the fact that the size has changed.

I actually saw the third point come true a few times recently. For instance, a supplement that I buy that is usually $10 a bottle was "clearance" marked for $7, so I bought all the bottles they had. Now the shelf is refilled, at $11.65 a bottle!
 
Bop said:
I've been noticing that in a few shops they're starting to sell individual fizzy drinks for like £1.80 despite the fact that the size of the bottles have shrunk. It still says 500ml on the bottle but it looks like the size of bottles that would be put into multi packs so not sure what's going on there. I can't justify spending that much on such a small bottle.
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I was the one that was going to pick up the bottle up and still buy it lol. I didn't notice. No wonder there was tons of them left after a busy hot day.
 
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Current estimates have gone up to 78% price rise on the energy price cap in October, and I already switch off the majority of things, the only ones left on are the hard to get to plugs.

I need to get my food shopping under control again, and stop buying so much and then not eating it.
 
nightshade,
there is your problem in a nut shell, (theoretically speaking) if you didn't turn things on in the first place you could save your cost cutting exercise of turning things off. About those things that are left on, those have a hard to reach plugs, don't they have an on off switch on the item?
Alternatively, turn off everything at the control panel then for those hard to get to plugs I'd suggest wire cutters, or maybe just one cutter. subtle tee hee

About your food shopping trips, when you say about not buying so much and not eating it. Is that a case of you buying things you don't like? Or
heaven forbid, you actually buy things you like and don't eat them?

Here's a tip, give unwanted food to the homeless, or if you live in a rural setting give that unwanted food to a pig farmer..
 
I take it you do not mean lettuce, them being so expensive. That and I'm guessing you want to be friends with Anya.



 
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Amazon Prime goes up a pound in September , glad I got out early . I do miss the overnight delivery ...but it's not like I've got money to buy things anyway 😛 😀 . I've got stacks of books and blu ray/dvds to watch from easier times , ebay at my fingertips for minor needs .

Theoretically, all I need for winter is some petrol and maybe a chainsaw , if I see what I like for the right price . There was a deal during Prime day that was tempting but I wasn't convinced it was a genuine bargain . Went back and checked . It wasn't 😛 . Found a cracking deal on Argos but I'll have to go on a 70 mile roundtrip to get it . If I can multi-task a voyage I might go for it .

Aside from the electricity costs , I'm in good shape . Wood in store to burn , ready to cut and seasoning outside . It's too overgrown to cut much at the moment . Waiting for the undergrowth to die back a bit .

It could well be that the next electric price rise is the one that bankrupts my life . I've got a few grand in savings . I am not walking away from here next spring penniless . My chances of regular income over winter without using 2000Kw/hrs electricity are slim to none . So I've got a choice , pay ruinous costs and hope to break even , or , shut up shop and eke out a basic existence until spring . Both options suck ...and there's no end in sight either .

I just got an overbill from the electric company . The Value Added Tax alone was enough to rent a scabby bedsit for a month . At some stage I'm gonna have to read the writing on the wall . I've started to be jealous of homeless people ....those lucky , jammy gits 😛 😀 .
 
Just popping to say that it is really incredible the difference in cost of living in different parts of the country. If you're struggling with the cost of living where you are and if you are able, you should condor making a move to an area where the cost of living is lower. It's only going to get worse.

I just bought a house in Tulsa, OK and I am here this week getting all the utilities set up, cleaning it and getting it ready for move in.
I was paying $100 a month for water/trash/recycling pickup at my apartment in Tacoma.
And previously when I rented a house in Seattle I was paying $300/month for that service.
At my new house in Tulsa? It's average $40/month.
Mind blown.
 
Reason: Spelling
TamsinValencia said:
Definitely not ordering food online as often as the prices especially on Morrisons have risen.
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I need to get back to meal planning and using what I have, but also going at the end of the day and seeing what's been reduced and that I can put in the freezer.
 
Joan the Vampire Slayer
Joan the Vampire Slayer
I've been watching a lot of cheap vegan food meal prep on YouTube. (I'm not actually totally vegan but I figure it doesnt hurt)
I went to the zero waste stall, and got a few bits, mostly potatoes, so I've made a rough meal plan, to use up what I have.

Got courgettes as well so I'll use those in a risotto later in the week, have to use up the leftovers first.
 
My 'Watch later' on Youtube is full of German cooks doing wonderful things with courgettes(zuchinni) .

I stopped buying fresh cooking veg over the summer months . I was reluctant to use a lot of electric for cooking and was throwing away a lot of potatoes . So I switched to pouch rice and instant cous cous and that sort of low input fare .

Was pretty much desperate for a proper meal though 😀 . I had turkey , mash , broccoli cheese for dinner today ....mostly freezer fare and instant sauce but I did get a bag of fresh spuds . It was a decent meal . Once the woodburner is lit for winter , I'll be able to start cooking normally again .

I don't know how bad it's gonna get but I'm ready for it . I was dearly hoping I could keep buying bread for freezing and run hot water off electric . However , I could make my own bread , heat water with wood , turn off the freezer and fridge during winter . Depressing stuff though : things are going to have to be pretty bad .

Much worse and I may as well sell up and move somewhere more practical for an austere future. In theory I'm fairly okay financially ... but you can't spend theoretical money . Only actual money works on bills 😛 .
 
Making another round of my turkey , mash and broccoli extravaganza for dinner 😛 . Yum ! I had an Asda food delivery today . I'm very proud of myself cooking a real meal and not gorging the new fresh food in the fridge like I usually do 🙂 .

Bought cheap eggs , already hate myself for it but needs must .... Got to do some baking , also want to knock up some beef/turkey/pork burgers for the freezer . In theory I'm looking to slash my portion costs . I don't eat much meat : which is handy because I already can't afford most of it 😀 .

I wish I had a slightly bigger freezer so I could make my own dogmeat as well . Tinned dogfood is pricier every week recently . Fortunately I've only got one little old dog left , but she's a bit of a princess with her diet . You can't fob her off with biscuits and cheap gravy 😛 .

Fairplay to Asda , their 'basics' range was decimated by the pandemic . Now they are slowly building it up for the depression crisis . Cautiously sampling their new range .

My electric has been so dear , it's hardly been worth adjusting my Housekeeping budget . Now I'm taking a long look at it . A disturbing amount of my domestic spends goes on hot beverage supplies ...and tobacco . I don't even smoke properly anymore 😀 . If I downbrand a bit here and there , switch to powdered milk 😱 , shop a bit more rationally , I could shave one delivery per month, maybe 2 . That's a 25%-50% saving . I've already been through this with the electric though . You make loads of changes and a few sacrifices ... but end up in exactly the same place moneywise .
 
In Tesco's there was like a pack of watermelons and it had like three or four in a pack for about £3. It was crazy.
 
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