It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

gailey_2

Definatly tightening even more.

As its stummer we go but stuff carboots also ebay thinking about daughters 1st birthday and xmas.

Eldest daughter starts school sept so more expense least hundred.
just got back from sun holiday not as cheap as people think when you include adds ons.

foraging for food
growing own food
shopping in lidls more
having lots of no spend days.

we will be hit slightly by budget but are frugal as it is.

changed most thinsg over need to look at insurance and maybe power again.

This month car tax and mot so dreading it.
might mean we live on beans on toast this month.

tiff

Have been seriously tightening our belts since January last year, but being made redundant in July and job hunting like mad at the moment.

mardatha

Maybe it's cause & effect. Maybe when things are tough then people change. Maybe it's because we had it too easy that we got selfish... don't despair. Human beings are awful and yet they are amazing.:D
When they want to be !
I am more worried today than I was before though. With the Times front page hinting at secret talks to change the law on strikes, this might erupt into a class war and might be nasty.

Uniscots97

tiff wrote: »

Have been seriously tightening our belts since January last year, but being made redundant in July and job hunting like mad at the moment.

I was made redundant last year too, I got a job in Jan at a significant wage drop. So I know where you're coming from. Sign up with every agency you can. Good luck.

Pee

My boyfriend has not been working properly, he is self employed, for a few months but things are looking up now and there seems to be some more work coming in. Hopefully this means his clients are not tightening their belts too much!

A drastic drop in income has meant we have really been trying to be more frugal, and there are some easy cuts to make which hopefully we will keep up once work is back to normal.

Uniscots97

honeybun16 wrote: »

we are tightening our belts as much as possible, our youngest is only four months old and i want to have as much time off as i can, with number 3 we did not look at the money side of things i just took 9 months off and it left us in a really bad state which we are still trying to get out of, with this one we are all very very much aware of the cost of things and all of us are belt tightening where ever possible,

you've maybe already done this but look on freecycle for anything you need for the youngest (and the other kids too) and freecycle anything you don't need. Also check out Daily Clicks and the Freebies board. It might not be a lot extra but it could be extra off debt or money away for Christams. There's always toys etc coming up on the freebies board and cosmetics to treat yourself with too.

beingfrugal

My sister just called (she 'works for the council') They're cancelling all parking permits for workers parking in the city. It's going to cost her £9 a day to park in the car park or £1.77 a day for park and ride. £1.77 isn't bad but it's all these extra things that will need to be budgetted for. Over £20 a month for nothing.

How can that be cutting back though. It costs the cuncil nothing to have workers in their car park..aaah taking up revenue I guess.

Do you think it's a council idea that's always on the cards or orders from higher up?

northwest1965

Do you think that they might sell off the land that is being used for the cars?

The_Thrilla

shebrett wrote: »

Just wondering if anyone else was noticing friends/family etc starting to tighten up on their spending lately.

For the past month or so I've been reigning in my small overspends and finding ways to save myself money whether it be fixing what I have or finding newer or cheaper alternative for things. I've started to notice that friends and family seem to be doing the same thing, like we're all securing the hatches! Is this another sign of a second recession about to hit?:eek:

I know, money saving website, silly question to some degree.....but it seems like everyone I know has stepped up and started really working at saving.

The answer to your question is no, not really. I still have members of my family who think that spending in the high street will soon pick up and housing will be going up again and everything will be just fine 'n' dandy again. The UK media is churning out the same old dumbed down rubbish. A newspaper is full of photographs of celebs so minor that I have never heard of them. You have to go on YouTube to find out what is really going on.

Some of the things that are happening now, I was telling people about several months before they happened. But it doesn't seem to make any difference. I am not a prophet. I hear it from the Americans. They know things about this country that you will not find in the UK media. I knew that the UK debt was over 1 trillion US dollars a full month before Cameron admitted it. I also knew that the PIIGS were in trouble about three months before anyone in the media here ran the story, which was prompted by the Greek riots. I also know that there are about twenty countries in the world that would answer the description of "bankrupt"; and, yes, good old Blighty is one of them.

What I fear most of all is hyperinflation. That is what I am preparing for. However, my offspring are doing nothing about it. They are going to learn the hard way. I am glad to see that this government appear to be cutting public spending. But they will have to be VERY ruthless.

There are several places in the town where I live where you can take your scrap gold to convert into cash; even though it is obvious that if we have hyperinflation, you would be better off with the gold. But I am seeing more and more people at the kiosks and the Money Shop trading in their 9 ct bling. But there you are.

beingfrugal

northwest1965 wrote: »

Do you think that they might sell off the land that is being used for the cars?

Definately not. There would be an uproar. Durham is know for its lack of parking. 'They' wouldn't dare! Would they? lol