It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

Larumbelle

Thats_me wrote: »

Personally, I find the term "living in poverty" in this country a bit offensive. I am not for one moment saying that there is no poverty but apart from someone who is living on the street with no income, how can anyone say they are in true poverty? By todays standards, I must have been brought up in abject poverty although I didn't realise it. My children must have been brought up in abject poverty although they didn't realise it.

It's okay, we don't do offended on this thread, just have different opinions

I've quoted a bit from your post because this for me is so important. You've hit the nail on the head. Every time reports like this start on about poverty they do so much damage. They confuse the issue because people who always thought they were doing quite well, thank you, suddenly have a different perception of themselves and/or their position in society. And it reinforces the sense of entitlement that you mention. The fact is, we all did without the internet and mobile phones and satellite TV until a decade ago, only a generation ago most of us did without cars or colour TV, and go back one more and you'd be lucky to have a fridge. We all forget that convenience must be paid for and is therefore a choice like anything else is!

I have been in a position that not many in this country have: actual poverty. By that I mean real homelessness (on the streets at one point), income of exactly zero, living off food from skips. Thankfully it was for a matter of weeks but even then things were extremely precarious for a few years after; minor events were major catastrophes that nearly wiped me out. I have no idea how I got through, but I suppose you just manage. Lucky I was naive enough to get on with it not knowing it was anything unusual and not so naive to get caught up in anything dodgy I guess. Plus as a teenager I only had myself to worry about.

Anyway, I'm not telling you all of this because I want pity (I'm in a pretty good place now ), just to say that I absolutely do understand how tough things are for some people, but also because I KNOW you need very little to 'survive' and not all that much more to live relatively well, even if you keep being told you are 'living in poverty'.

ETA: I always thought we were middle class growing up It never occurred to me that there might be a reason that we didn't have a car, or why our clothes were second hand, or why we got school shoes for Christmas...

annie123

Can anyone provide me with a link to a great thread about using less gas and electric? Tried the search facility and it came up with 300 threads!

I remember trying to make a solar cooker that ceridwen I think, posted about on there and I want to try it again.
It also had lots of other good ideas, want to make sure I'm not missing any tricks

MrsBartolozzi

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/1458207

Is this the thread you're looking for, Annie?

A tip to searching OS - because lots of threads have odd posts talking about just about everything - is to use the advanced search function and search just the title, rather than all posts. This works well especially when you have an idea of the title of the thread you're looking for - all I searched for was "gas" and up this came.

HTH

kidcat

Just wanted to say that while internet is not absolutely necessary, its is an important tool for money saving, most energy providers best products are internet only based and the savings that can be made on energy bills alone will provide the cash to pay for the internet. Added to the advantages from a shopping around point of view and the internet more than pays for itself. I worked out last year that our internet had cost us £100 for the year but we saved £500 on energy bills alone. When added to the discounts from phone providers for internet billing and all the other discounts (insurance etc) I was stunned to realise that the £100 spent had saved us thousands.
So in that respect if someone on a very low income was able to have internet access it would probably make a very large difference to the lifestyle they were able to lead. In effect they could get alot more for their money.

floss2

kidcat wrote: »

So in that respect if someone on a very low income was able to have internet access it would probably make a very large difference to the lifestyle they were able to lead. In effect they could get alot more for their money.

And they could use the cashback sites too

annie123

MrsBartolozzi wrote: »

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/1458207

Is this the thread you're looking for, Annie?

A tip to searching OS - because lots of threads have odd posts talking about just about everything - is to use the advanced search function and search just the title, rather than all posts. This works well especially when you have an idea of the title of the thread you're looking for - all I searched for was "gas" and up this came.

HTH

Thats it Thank you:D
I put gas and electricity into the advanced search, should have kept it simple

boultdj

Thank God it's raining here as well. I need it for my blueberry bush and my waterbut is nearly empty,feel sorry for those of you starting with the hosepipe ban, I'm luck not to be in that part of the country this year I'v been asked by Bro if I can grow more winter veg 'cause he's worried about his job. Best thing about it is he's got a horticutltral[?] degree!! and I'm 'just' a gardener:rotfl:Still at least he's starting to think about thing's.

lovelife_3

[I have totally changed from the person I was back last year and I seriously mean that. I'm a 'nicer' person having gone through adversity. I believe living frugally is helping me to get back to my roots, forgetting all the wasteful and selfish attitudes I aquired growing up in my teens and twenties. I am thankful for my adversity in some stupidly strange way. Its made me responsible. Every thing that I do is my fault, I'm careful now, in every way possible. That's why i'm 'nicer' in every way possible.[/QUOTE]

I know exactly what you mean, i am poorer than i have ever been but so much richer emotionally and spiritually. We had 18 months of hell when my business went down, due to the banks not lending, i had personally had to guarantee the business overdraft, so ended up going into an IVA, then June last year my Dad died very quickly with pancreatic cancer, then August bank holiday last year my 17 year old daughter was beaten up by three girls she had never seen before in her life, which resulted in a court case in November, i really thought i would crack up. But this year something changed and i appreciate every single thing so much more, yes we have tightened our belts beyond belief, but i can truly say i love my life and the people i share it with with all my heart. And i think i also have become a much nicer person

mardatha

No rain here, just a lovely sunny warm day but blowing a gale. A day for doing lots of washing ! I too want to grow more winter veg. Lots of nice turnip for a start. In Sainsbugs last week they wanted £1 for a single wee turnip.

Larumbelle

I would agree totally that having internet is a good thing, but in order to earn cashback you have to spend money which we didn't do a lot of! When we needed to switch gas or elec or do the insurance we used a friend's computer and did get our cashback. Visits to websites like this one could be done at friends houses or at the library. We missed being able to watch iplayer / read newspapers online every day, it was sometimes a nuisance not having it, but I still maintain that we didn't NEED it.

Anyways, I found this interesting reading:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/10540157.stm