Cost of living crisis

[BuffyNvrForgets]

Geez. I picked a darn good time to "protest" Amazon. It feels good to support small businesses, but I just bought ONE leo and skirt for ballet and it set me back close to $70. And that was after hours of finding the cheapest, best deals. That isn't even a neccesity of life.

How many of you find yourself fighting the urge to sacrifice quality for price??? Because it's getting harder for me...

 

[Hunga Munga]

'Splurged' 33 quid on another cheap chainsaw . 🙂 Got an Ebay sale bargain that fits a battery I already have . Theoretically that'll do me for winter ....look again in the Spring if I need to . That's pretty handy . I would have spent 200 quid+ if I'd seen the right saw for a good price . 33 quid barely registers on the wallet 🙂 .

Stripped out all my frivolous spends now . My direct debits are back to the bone . The Lottery was the last to go ...but I feel better for it .

 

[Stake fodder]

How many of you find yourself fighting the urge to sacrifice quality for price??? Because it's getting harder for me...

It's hard, unless you have so much money you don't have to care. (I don't!) It's also why I don't eat better at times, because healthier options cost more. But I was pleased to see that "Impossible" meat (plant-based) is now selling at my store for almost as cheap as real hamburger, 4 cents/ounce, vs. 3.75. Makes it easier to choose it, as it really does taste pretty authentic.

I also find that some things I can only find on Amazon now, as stores stop carrying less profitable items.

 

[Hunga Munga]

I'm beginning to see a pathway to get through the winter without spending every penny I have . A couple of sacrifices coming for me in the autumn .

Usually , I heat 2 spaces over winter , one for living and one for work stuff . I tried to mothball the workspace for economy but it cost me income . I actually lost money in the 3 months before spring because of it .

So I'm sacrificing my bedroom for 4-5 months so I can be able to work in the depths of winter . It's going to be a tight squeeze and I am not looking forward to it ...but it's a no-brainer . Turn off one heater, it's a grand saved over 6 months at the ripoff prices I pay . Considered doing it last winter but didn't have the stones ... Then they raised my unit cost by 50% 😛 .

 

[nightshade]

I'm planning on not putting the heating on at all this winter, at least in the living room, might have to in the bedroom to dry clothes, but that will be last resort if dehumidifiers don't get it dry. I've got hot water bottles and blankets, and if it gets really cold I'll put the electric blanket on and go to bed!

 

[Hunga Munga]

At least you'll get that 900 quid bunce off the government , 300 quid through your bill and 600 , (I guess) through your tax code .

Natch as a business user , I'll only get the 600 pound tax credit myself 😛 ...but I'm not grumbling . I don't have to pay water or sewage , so I must be raking it in from those . I wish they'd just stop collecting the VAT (tax) on my energy until the worst is over . Doesn't seem appropriate while the unit price is double/triple what it should be . You could sponsor an African village with the VAT I paid over the last year 😀 .

For low cost heating , I rate the flat oil filled radiators . Fallen out of favour on the high street but Ebay still has plenty . Cheap to run , thermostat , safe, can air damp clothes in a pinch . My main living space fire is/was a 700watt panel . It delivered in all but the coldest weather .

 

[nightshade]

As far as I know all I'm entitled to is the £400 October energy reduction thing. The one that goes straight off your bill, so you don't see if as it'll not be enough to cover the price increase.

 

[Hunga Munga]

This energy crisis has really found me out . I used to run wood, coal , some bottle gas and just a bit of electric for convenience . I was lean , mean and frugal . Then I got really ill and it took actual years to recover even half my strength . I started using the electric as a crutch and ended up with one big bill but sufficient income to cover it. Enough left over for a comfortable , mildly frivolous lifestyle 🙂 .

Been ticking along like that for several years . Now my unit cost has tripled in three years . While my income potential is pretty much maxed out . Can't pass these costs on to other people in similar situations . I'd end up pricing myself out of work .

By rights , should have moved a few winters ago , can't really manage the place properly anymore . Objectively I knew all this before the energy crisis . I'm just stubborn and romantic ; a really dumb combination 😛 . My old dog is basically a wild thing who's never really lived in civilized society . Don't know how she'd cope either .

Fortunately I'm well enough now to do a bit of wood cutting and chores . The pandemic was good for my general health . Already cut my electric consumption in half . The woodburner could take another half off that, maybe more . I'm sure it won't take a penny off the bills when they come though 😀.

 

[nightshade]

Feed my dog or children? Record high calls from owners who cannot afford their dogs

I find news stories like this hard, I can't imagine giving up my cat, I might have to change his food to cheaper brands or something, but he will be fed even if I have to go without.

 

[Hunga Munga]

Been living the low cost life last week or so . Thought I'd try to go down to a skeleton budget while I still have money .

It's been alright . Was most surprised how well I could eat with a bit of prep and portion control . Fresh Veg is still affordable , as long as you eat it 😀 . I had a bad habit of ignoring small potatoes ...or buying fresh but opening a can ...or cooking far too much and not getting 2 meals out of it . ...or gorging on the contents of the fridge rather than make a proper plate up . Mostly laziness has been costing me money and food satisfaction .

Taking advantage of the warm weather , been warming water for bathing with solar . Done a huge load of handwashing , including stuff I usually put through a machine . It came out okay , well enough to put another load on soak tonight 😉 . One lucky break is we've had a lot of rain in Wales , I've got loads of free water on tap .

 

[Bop]

This will only make a small dent but I've been getting Pepsi Max Raspberry 2L bottle from Morrisons online for £1.87 instead of regular coke. I hardly taste the difference now.

 

[nightshade]

Have a look at approved foods, they do discounted foods, but it's still worth checking out if you can get cheaper elsewhere with deals etc.

 

[Stake fodder]

I just read an interesting article in the New York Times (link, though it may be paywalled) that some of the continued inflation may be attributable to income inequality. Obviously, downturns will always hit lower-income people harder, but right now, not only are higher-income folk less affected by price increases, they are also eager to continue taking vacations, dining out, shopping - things they couldn't do during the Covid lockdown.

All this demand continues to fuel inflation. In short, we need wealthier folks to cut back too, even if they don't need to, in order to slow inflation. I don't see it happening, though: convincing better-off people it's their patriotic duty to stop spending!

 

[Hunga Munga]

Had an Asda delivery today ...half a dozen of the economy lines I ordered were out of stock . I suppose that's one way to save money 😛 . It seems I'm not the only household slashing budgets early 🙂 .

Doing okay with the lowcost life . Over ordered salad and bread ...some sort of mixed ploughmans salad plate for dinner tonight to use up the overstock .

I've got a vegetarian cottage pie with mixed veg on the menu . Need two meals out of that @ 98p a plate

I'm doing a homemade slugburger with mash and spinach @ £1.35 a plate . Two portions of that too . Bit more that I was hoping for . If I can stretch the beef mince to 2 and a half servings I'll shave that plate cost down .

The rest of the week will likely be simple meals , baked potato and beans with salad , an omelette with toast, vegeburger sandwich , a basic veggie breakfast, tuna salad , cheese toastie with beans ....all priced well under a pound a plate ....some under 50p .

I'm eating toast and marmalade for breakfast @ 12 pence a meal . Got some cheap weetabix too for variety . Don't even like marmalade much , it's just cheaper than dirt 😛 .

Next week liver and onions with mash and cabbage is on my guest menu . £1.30 for a massive plate . It's an oldschool cafe classic from my youth .

I think that's the way to play it for me . Keep the small freezer and fridge at full capacity , invest time into food prep to add value , make a menu plan ,cost my ingredients , focus on putting quality full meals on the table as much as possible ....even if I have to eat the same meal twice in a row .

 

[Bop]

Next week liver and onions with mash and cabbage is on my guest menu . £1.30 for a massive plate . It's an oldschool cafe classic from my youth .

That sounds delicious to me.

 

[Hunga Munga]

That sounds delicious to me.

Liver , in fact offal in general , has fallen well out of favour in the UK . So it's cheap , quality and not sought after . You would have enjoyed the old timey cafes and eating houses . I think there's still a few left out there with liver and onions on the menu .

The one my Irish buddies like is boiling bacon(any pork would do it) mash , cabbage (or turnips) and a white sauce . It's a supercheap old school plate . It was a new one on me but really tasty when I tried it .

 

[Bop]

Liver , in fact offal in general , has fallen well out of favour in the UK . So it's cheap , quality and not sought after . You would have enjoyed the old timey cafes and eating houses . I think there's still a few left out there with liver and onions on the menu .

The one my Irish buddies like is boiling bacon(any pork would do it) mash , cabbage (or turnips) and a white sauce . It's a supercheap old school plate . It was a new one on me but really tasty when I tried it .

I feel like I would love that meal as well, I do have some Irish heritage so maybe that's it but I find most of that type of food really tasty. Why is liver not that popular in the UK?

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

Thought you all may be interested in this! Eating vegetarian/vegan can be cheaper and healthier than eating meat, especially if you live in an area where meat is expensive.

 

[Anyanka Bunny Slayer]

I've noticed that Ralph's (my former employer) has REMOVED the less expensive brands and replaced them with ones that cost A LOT more. Also, Simply Lemonade has watered down their product!!!! Damn, it used to be my favourite.

My cigarettes now cost $11.50 a pack...and I smoke a pack a day. Ouch. I haven't had a mani/pedi in four months which REALLY sucks. But it costs $80 (including tip) and that money can go in my gas tank or towards cigarettes.

One thing I shall NOT give up is my $30 a month carwash membership. For awhile I enjoyed hand washing my truck, but the recent heatwave changed my mind about THAT.

 

[Hunga Munga]

Yeah I'm right up for vegan/veggie solutions . I'd love to DIY a vegan sausagemeat , a slicing 'meat' too . Need a bit of space free in the freezer for those sort of projects 😉 I follow a few vegan channels for cooking tips and food ideas . I linked my favourite earlier in the thread , 'Those Vegan Guys' , a bit UKcentric but they are lovely lads .

I feel like I would love that meal as well, I do have some Irish heritage so maybe that's it but I find most of that type of food really tasty. Why is liver not that popular in the UK?

I think a lot of post war UK foods fell out of favour when we had a better standard of living . My old nan used to spend pennies at the butchers or the wet fish shop every day to put food on the table .Go down the open air market for veg .

We got freezers . We shopped at supermarkets . A whole swathe of British working class custom just fizzled out , most still hang on as oddities ...eel and pie shops , indoor markets , meat auctions, meat raffles , butchers that only sell pies 😀 .