It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

kylebrad

Thanks Primrose. I'm going to go up to the library now and see if I can get it. Will have a look at the other books you mentioned as well. I have heard other posters discussing it and thats whats got me interested. Combine two hobbies in one now - reading and moneysaving!! Thanks again.

sammy_kaye18

It is crazy that prices of things are going so high.

Have been discussing our options for when babe makes her appearance with regards to feeding her etc. Haven't brought loads of clothes fro her just yet with the weather being warm though so she will be in baby grows for most of her first few weeks if not months.

Also jsut had the gas meter installed today - we had a debt of £554! :eek: so they suggested that and paying off £10 a week or £40 a month - which is better as in this weather it is barely used by us and neither is the heating and I prefer showers, as does boyfriend which is electric. Plus it will hopefully save us some money as I was paying £120 a month on the gas account but messed up payments at Christmas and so hoping if I put £60 - £70 on a month then we will be ok and I'll just top it up every so often or put a few quid aside each month in preparation for winter months and I will make sure to re read the 'preparing for winter' thread and the 'not using gas/electric' one too!

hoping tomorrow to plan a big cupboard shop - I only have two weeks tomorrow until babe arrives and am treating myself to a much needed hair cut - have been doing it myself for the last 5 years but think I deserve a treat and it is literally a cut and style with me washing it myself first! I will however be cleaning out cupboards in preparation for flour/dried yeast/powdered milk etc

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my mother in law makes up a batch of powdered milk when her proper milk is getting low and then mixes the two in the bottle - then makes sure to shake it before putting it in tea/coffee and on cereal and no one is any wiser yet - bar me who distracted her one day whilst making tea and asked her if her milk was turning and she told em her secret so think i will give that a try with Ben and Owen as they are cereal monsters!

did find some cake tins eventually too - in B&M - two tins are £1.99 but still on the look out for tupperware!

The_Thrilla

Don't know if you can prevent the supermarkets from jacking up prices like that. I suspect that the price of palm oil must have gone up. Other countries, in the face of high price rises, have tried keeping staples at low prices. Doesn't work. The result is that the the items just become unavailable, and you can only get them at a high price off some spiv. As to panic buying. I am expecting VAT to rise on Tuesday. When the rise begins, I don't know. But I shall expect the worst and assume it will be midnight Tuesday/Wednesday. So I shall be panic buying before then - just like I did recently when they put the price of postage stamps up.

HoneyBee83

Afternoon all,
This is only my second post but thought this was the perfect place to start as i dont have many tips to give in many areas.

We are a family of 2,mummy and daughter.I work and must admit that money isnt as tight as last year but im still looking for advice and ways to save more!

My top tips would be:
1) Extra layers! I've never been one for having the heating on 24/7,just an hour in the morning for getting washed and dressed and then an hour in the evening for daughters bedtime...not in warmer months obv!
2) I do my main food shop online. This way i get to keep an eye on my basket total and avoid buying items because of a 'not-to-be-missed-too-good-to-be-true' offer.
3) I meal plan for the week.This way foods dont go off as quickly and theres no messing about in shops on my way home! I use up all leftovers:I've come up with some really tasty dishes doing this! With leftover veggies i pop them in a oven dish,cover with grated chese then cook until cheese is bubbling! I also take alot of leftovers to work for lunch...pasta salads and unusual jacket potato fillings!!
4) GreenFingers. I've been growing my own for a couple of years now. Just the things we eat alot of:Potatoes,Carrots,Runner beans,Dwarf beans,Cherry tomatoes,Salad tomatoes,Cucumber,Salad leaves,Spring onions and a good selection of herbs.
5) Made friends with my freezer. I make up large batches of foods like cottage pie,bolognese,pasta sauce,lasagne etc and freeze them. Always a filling,homemade dish which simply needs defrosting through the day and then zapping in the microwave-i think this works so well for us because we are a small family and things would go off quickly plus its no fun eating the same thing 3 nights in a row.
6) Use my oven more. I tend to cook 2 or 3 dishes at the same time to save sticking the oven on again and again-these dishes are then frozen.
7) Leave the dryer alone!Cool wash all clothes. Use a washing line for warm/dry days and an indoor airer next to the heaters in the winter months.
8) I switch everything off at the mains. Kettle,tv,lights etc it all goes off when not in use.
9) Walk.I dont own a car,i live in a small town where everything is within 30 mins walk,theres also a very good bus service to the cities if needed. Cheaper and better for us!
10) Shop around.Im lucky to have a B+M store nearby and pop in to check out bits and bobs. I always find bargins and their dates are quite long! I mainly use them for cat food...i have 2 and it used to be very expensive but they do a 2.7kg bag of IAMS for £4.99 a 3kg bag is around £13.00 in most supermarkets and this will last them just about a month!
11) I had trouble getting my shopping bill down at first as i love to cook and try new things,so...i kept a list of what we ate and kept the receipts for a month and then looked at things i'd brought because of 'fancying' and popped them on a 'odd treat' pile. The money i saved went into a jar and its amazing how much i've saved!! I use it to try 2 new dishes a month and towards the next food shop.
12) Saving stamps. I do pop to morrisons everynow and then for bits like milk,veggies and fruits and i collect their saving stamps at £1 each,my mother always shops there and get her to pick up 2 each time. By christmas i've saved about £100 which i can then use on presents or food shop!
13) Bulk buy. I take advantage of B.1.G.1.F,half price,2 for 1 etc etc:bread/butter/cheese/milk etc (freezer) tinned tomatoes etc (store cupboard). Tip on freezing cheese: when defrosted it can be a pain to slice and grate so i... grate the whole block and divide into freezer bags,this can then be used straight from the freezer to top dishes and use in warm sauces plus the bags fold down saving you room in your freezer!!

Not sure how helpful these things will be but they have made a difference to my bank balance!!

charlies-aunt

The_Thrilla wrote: »

Don't know if you can prevent the supermarkets from jacking up prices like that. I suspect that the price of palm oil must have gone up. Other countries, in the face of high price rises, have tried keeping staples at low prices. Doesn't work. The result is that the the items just become unavailable, and you can only get them at a high price off some spiv. As to panic buying. I am expecting VAT to rise on Tuesday. When the rise begins, I don't know. But I shall expect the worst and assume it will be midnight Tuesday/Wednesday. So I shall be panic buying before then - just like I did recently when they put the price of postage stamps up.

Hi Thrilla - what are you going to be buying between now and Tuesday please? I was going to do two weeks shopping in one this week but am now thinking in terms on buying an additional months worth of food on cc and pay it off when I get paid at the end of the month.

Wee_Jo

charlies-aunt wrote: »

Hippeechiq - How can they justify this - thats approx 28% price increase :mad: when the price of basic food shoots up - the ready-made foodstuffs are sure to follow.:(

I noticed this morning that Asda own brand butter is now £1.20 a pack...dearer than some of the brands!

Thanks for the warning though - I am doing a big store cupboard shop and will be getting a big stock of baking stuff in so I'll be price checking cooking marg along with sugar and flour prices carefully and will try to post my best buys on here

Do you think we will see supermarket shelves being stripped bare in the next few weeks because a lot of people will be trying to buy before the prices go up again?

Hi CharliesAunt :hello:

I think that a lot of the population will be oblivious to the changes until they get really bad, because I think many people don't pay attention to the individual prices. They may be surprised when they get to the till, but would probably put it down to something they did, i.e. bought something different / more than usual. So I think it will be a while before a lot of he general public notice.

I know that when I'm in work and I talk about, for example, the price of milk / butter rising, most people look at me like I have 3 heads, as they either don't care, don't do the shopping themselves or don't make things from scratch so don't know the price of the "raw materials"! I don't wish to generalise or insult anyone, this is just my experience in my area.

Jo

charlies-aunt

IKWYM Jo! The lovely ladies I work with food shop in M&S and Waitrose ...so I keep quiet about my Basics and Aldi shopping

mardatha

I'm reading London 1945 and Austerity Britian, but for some reason my copy is entitled "Smoke in the Valley" but its the same book. Some of it must be rubbing off because I just made a lovely tea out of some old cabbage, Asda sausages and a bit of bacon !

mardatha

Just bought this one :j
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0091903874/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&seller=

greengoblin

mardatha wrote: »

I'm reading London 1945 and Austerity Britian, but for some reason my copy is entitled "Smoke in the Valley" but its the same book. Some of it must be rubbing off because I just made a lovely tea out of some old cabbage, Asda sausages and a bit of bacon !

For some reason when I read that I thought you meant a cup of tea :eek: (possibly to do with the one in my hand?!). Cabbage and sausage tea definitely have a strange flavour :think: Haha!