It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

annie123

Primrose wrote: »

annie - you'd better stock up on your favourite chocolate now. It's one of the food items already subject to VAT, so if it goes up to 25% in the budget next week, it will certainly be even more unaffordable. (However, it may be the final straw which forces me to give it up and improve my waistline).

I didn't know I paid VAT on my chocolate:eek: will be going back for more tomorrow.....
where to hide it so I don't know where it is? that could be a problem.:cool:

pagangirl

smileyt - I am on the frugal living challenge - (see my sig')
my live on £5500 includes all bills - everything !!! - has to.:( and hoping to come in under that, although it is only for myself.

meanmarie

Mardatha....how wonderful to have actually seen a cuckoo....I never have done and in fact they don't seem as common as they used to be.

Butter here is €1.79 per lb., would love to make my own again but cream is never reduced so would cost me a lot more than the one I buy in Lidl.

Marie

smileyt_2

pagangirl wrote: »

smileyt - I am on the frugal living challenge - (see my sig')
my live on £5500 includes all bills - everything !!! - has to.:( and hoping to come in under that, although it is only for myself.

Blimey pagangirl, how do you live on that? My rent alone is £3200/annum, council tax even with 25% discount is £800, so there's four grand! If you are only on £5,500 surely you are entitled to housing benefit and/or council tax benefit?

A quick calculation shows that, without rent and council tax and animals (!) and supported lodgings 'son', I could live on £4300 to include fuel, water rates, tv licence, phone and internet, and food and transport. So that's not bad. I could shave a bit off that too if I had to.

Hippeechiq

Winged_one wrote: »

I have good news for a change. OH had been looking and talking to another compnay since February, but was starting to despair as it was all taking so long. But eventually everyone had talked to everyone else and agreed, so he has got a new job!! He has an email of the contract, but we're just waiting on the hard copy in the post. But he gave his notice yesterday to his current job - celebrations!!

And because he's been there 6 months of this year, I am trying to persuade him to take the 2 weeks leave he has accrued - I think he was secretly hoping to get "gardening leave", but they didn't do that. So now I am working on the hols - even if he just stays home alone and reads and digs and relaxes a little!

That's fab news Winged one :T I'm really pleased for you

Jedilibrarian

mardatha wrote: »

There is a posh bit in Glasgow ? :rotfl:
...running for the door

The folk that live there think it is!!!

AnnieG

If chocolate goes up, well, I think that may be grounds to leave the country and not come back!
I used to be vegatarian and don't eat much meat these days, but think that meat is going to be for special occasions only, apart from the odd rubber chicken to last a whole week.
DS eats at the childminder's house at the moment, I kept her on when I finsihed my job in the hope that I'd soon be working again. As that doesn't seem likely at present, I'm going to have to start feeding him myself. He can get free school dinners if I'm not working, but giving him evening meals is going to push my budget right up. Either that or I persuade him that porridge made with water is a delicious meal..........

Primrose

annie - any food product which contains chocolate, I think, bears VAT, including chocolate biscuits. Snacks such as crisps and similar snack products also bear VAT. Ordinary biscuits at the moment are exempt, but who knows after June 22nd......? Twinks home baked Hobnobs will come into their own! Must hunt down her recipe and make some because I hate not having a few biscuits in store to nibble with a mid morning or afternoon cuppa.

Hippeechiq

Primrose wrote: »

Must hunt down her recipe and make some because I hate not having a few biscuits in store to nibble with a mid morning or afternoon cuppa.

Here you go Primrose - but don't blame me when you find yourself baking them almost daily because they're so damned fine.....I made them for the 1st time about 4 weeks ago and I've made them (cough) a few of times since then

twink wrote: »

this is the recipe i use
8oz sr flour
8oz sugar
8oz porridge oats
8oz margarine
1tbsp golden syrup
1tbsp hot water
1/2 tsp bic soda
mix flour, oats and sugar, melt marg, syrup and water in a pan stir in bic soda and add to dry mix, mix well, make smallish balls and put on greased tray and flatten slightly with a fork, 180oc for 15 mins, cool on the tray, you just want them golden in oven not brown

8ozs = 225 grams

annie123

Been reading up on VAT and chocolate, primrose you're right.
It is payable on chocolate bickies

All wholly or partly coated biscuits including biscuits decorated in a pattern with chocolate or some similar product

Gingerbread men decorated with chocolate unless this amounts to no more than a couple of dots for eyes

Cereal, muesli and similar bars with honey or other added sweetening matter

If the chocolate is part of the dough: ie chocolate chip cookies its exempt,.....for now!

EDIT......Idea. Chocolate covered Twinks hobnobs:T why didn't I think of it before!