It's STILL tough and not getting better - so how are we coping?

babyboysmommy

I'm sorry but I agree with moving to smaller accommodation. With so many on the housing list the fact a single person or couple can live in a 3 bedroom council house is quite frankly wrong. I've worked in housing & seen the devastating affect homelessness & over crowding can cause. We live in a 'me' 'me' 'me' society, it's a real shame that as a society we are not more considerate of those who have genuine need when others have 'wants'. There has been a scheme in place for many years to encourage council or HA tenants to downsize, money is paid for moving costs etc. In the private rented sector you can only rent the right size property for your need if on council benefit, why should that not apply to everyone? Why should I pay more of my taxes to keep someone in a house that is too big whilst others are homeless? And lets not forget that homeowners can also only live in properties they can afford to pay for. I know I'll be shot down in flames for saying this but I am shocked that others would rather see families in shelters or over crowded than in homes as a result of someone not wanting to downsize

parsonswife8

We've got things like tinned tomatoes, baked beans, mackeral, tuna, corned beef, dried soup mix, pearl barley, split peas, pasta, rice, tinned fruit in juice, Sainsburys teabags, coffee, sugar, milk powder, porridge, savoury biscuits, bread flour stashed away in the box room. I have bought these when on offer.
I also have quite a stash of frozen veg.
I think we could withstand a siege for about 6 months.
You never know what can happen in this day and age and I would rather be prepared as best I can.
I don't go out on my own, so have bought all this, when at the supermarket with OH or online when I have had a good money off code to use.

Larumbelle

The_Thrilla wrote: »

And I have nightmares of seeing elderly people on their own, forced into an unsuitable flat, with a drug dealer on one side and someone playing that dreadful technoslush music at full blast on the other. I mean, don't these council folk have parents? Would they want to see their mothers end their days like that?

Sorry, but I have to ask, don't they have brothers or sisters or children either? I mean, no they shouldn't push elderly people into places like that, but neither should anyone else be forced to live that way either. The elderly are not the only ones made vulnerable through circumstances beyond their control.
I do get the point that you're making, but it raises more questions about social housing than just that one. The facts are, we have too little social housing in this country. Too much of it is too poorly maintained, and too many councils have allowed entire estates to 'sink' because it was too easy and there was too little incentive not to. Too many obligations on the parts of individuals and society generally have been allowed to decay. The entire social housing system is screwed, and this latest announcement from 'call me Dave' is nothing but smoke and mirrors. If we're all blaming the selfish empty-nesters for wanting to stay in their homes, we won't blame the successive 'leaders' since Thatcher who have allowed the system to collapse.

Larumbelle

I popped into T*sco this morning - only went in for catfood (Mittens is by far the least OS member of my household) but found loads of reduced tea. Boxes of 240 finest fairtrade tea (I'll only buy fairtrade) down from a fiver odd to £1.03 for OH and lots of 'posh' fruit tea (ie stuff to fiddly or expensive to make myself) for literally pennies for me! :beer: Definitely worth a look in if you're passing, as it looks like they've just changed the range they stock and it's bargains galore. I've just staggered home with as much as I can carry.

BTW I know the Sainsbury's basics are fairtrade and have a good reputation on the boards, but can I get OH to drink them? You know the answer. He never even opened the packet to try them. Now we've got loads in stock I'm going to start mixing them in to see if he can actually 'taste the difference'. If he can, I swear, I'll never say another word

Souk08

Good tip re the tea SC, I'm down to my last teabag!

narabanekeater

well ive bit the bullet and joined in the grocery challenge. Im doing it a little different for a few weeks as my freezer and cupboards and full. Im alllowing myself £30 a week for a top up until my freezer looks less jammed and I can once again see the wood of my cupboards.
The washing already on and will be lined dry. DS is watching his favourite Thomas Dvd. The terrible 2s have certainly arrived. DD never had them and boy am I feeling it.
Wishing you all a wonderful day

lilac_lady

If you've got a large stockpile did you buy everything out of your food budget or did you "dip" and spend extra for it?

parsonswife8

lilac_lady wrote: »

If you've got a large stockpile did you buy everything out of your food budget or did you "dip" and spend extra for it?

I just gradually built up a stockpile over the months. We may have spent a bit more at the time, but the way prices are rising, I think any extra spending will now, be cancelled out.

Austin_Allegro

mardatha wrote: »

I was ready to throttle Nella Last's husband by the time I'd finished her book. Glad its not just me !

I haven't read the book but saw the TV version. I found it quite touching (though true to the period) that Mr Last only told his wife he loved her when they came close to death in an air raid.

Another good austerity book is 'Our Hidden Lives' edited by Simon Garfield. It's the diaries of a number of people from the end of WW2 until the late 1940s. Some very good insights into coping with austerity.

Larumbelle

lilac_lady wrote: »

If you've got a large stockpile did you buy everything out of your food budget or did you "dip" and spend extra for it?

I never had a stockpile until I found this forum. What I did was, cut back on my 'actual' food bill (ie the weekly shop of food for that weeks' meals) and used the difference between that and what I used to spend on 'stocking up'. I think I focussed on dry goods first, saving to buy huge sacks of rice etc, then as I acquired those and started to grow my own my 'actual' bill decreased further and I could afford to stockpile further. Now I am lucky enough to be in the situation that if I find a proper bargain, like the tea, I don't have to think twice.

I did read about a further extension of this system that could work if you need to be disciplined: Let's play shop when you buy a big sack of rice or whatever, 'pay' yourself for it each time you use it, at the price of the smaller packs you used to buy. This forms the seed money you need to buy other items in bulk as well as to make sure you can afford to replenish your stock when you've used it up.

I daresay I will never need to have quite so much food on hand, but I am relieved that I do.