Preparedness for when

maryb

2Tonsils, are there any winter predictions yet? The EU will be imposing sanctions on the big Russian energy companies in the next few days making it rather more likely that Putin will turn off the gas at some point. Europe has been maximising gas storage but if it's a bad winter it might not be enough

mrsmortenharket

What I've noticed is more people with shopping lists in the supermarkets.
It used to be me and generally speaking, the older generation.
I hear people discussing prices, see them putting stuff back.
My husband doesn't earn a bad wage. And he has been lucky to have small pay rises in the last few years. But we are no better off. And he isn't the worlds biggest spender, and I budget.

Now my son has started his SN school, I go past an Aldi every day so that will cut good costs a bit.

I'm glad I had my gran to show me what to do (my mother was carp) so I've inherited some of her OS ways. Of course to her, they were the way you did things!

For instance, I sponge down clothes if it's only a spot of dirt and the item doesn't need a wash. I still have huge amounts if washing mind!

1Tonsil

maryb wrote: »

2Tonsils, are there any winter predictions yet? The EU will be imposing sanctions on the big Russian energy companies in the next few days making it rather more likely that Putin will turn off the gas at some point. Europe has been maximising gas storage but if it's a bad winter it might not be enough

I will post them as soon as I am given them Mary, I know some people on here find them helpful I have ordered our wood to be delivered as soon as possible as Greece is dependent on Russian Gas and Oil for our winter heating. Glad we have an open fire we can use instead. No wonder the Greek government have agreed to a cut in the tax on heating oil.....there won't be any! It is 1.45 a litre at the moment:eek:

Frugalsod

GreyQueen wrote: »

These are my thoughts, too.

We've grown accustomed living in a consumer society and many people have no knowledge that things have only been this way for 2-3 generations and that this is very much the exception to the rule.

It's getting to the point that even those I know who are least inclined to trouble themselves about the big picture are starting to notice several somethings are badly wrong, and getting a tad concerned.

When the don't-worry-be-happy crowd are starting to worry, the wheels are about to come off the cart, big time.

Yes though whether it will culminate in a head rolling revolution is another matter. Further out unless there is a change in direction in economic policy then a revolution is the ultimate outcome. There is a quote about parties do not win elections but governments lose them. The same could be said for causes of revolutions. If the government in Tunisia had not crushed the poor for so long the Arab spring may never have happened. You only have to look at the militarisation of the US police to see that they are concerned about it there.

It does not have to be. That is the cruel reality. It was commented by Robert Peston on the Radio 4 today that the rise of the yes vote in Scotland might be the result of mistrust in the UK government and even the Labour Party. People around the world are more mistrustful of their leaders than ever before. Interesting times ahead.

GreyQueen

Morning all.

I don't expect there to be a revolution. If we Brits were going to do it, we would have probably done it at the same time as the French; gawd knows the ruling castes at the time had real concerns.

The thing about managing people is to make negative changes slowly enough that they become the new normal, and what would be unacceptable if it happened overnight becomes business-as-usual because it happened slowly over several years.

Thus we are damaged and eroded and wake up one day as paupers with no liberties and wonder how the hell that happened.

What does concern me is that in the vacuum we have at the moment, where so many people don't bother engaging with politics because of the perception that they're all the same (corporate hooors, basically) that you could see the rise of demagoguery of various stripes.

It typically happens that charismatic leaders try to use the disenfranchised and discontent could really fuel this. The result would be fragmentation of society, with neighbour turning on neighbour. One of mine is in big trouble at the moment for making vile racist comments about neighbours of a different ethnicity - and making them to the Police as well as in front of the rest of us. Got arrested last week because of that and is now slinking around the Towers like a whipped cur.

I've no sympathy at all; he's a get in many respects, quite apart from his vile personal opinions.

moneyistooshorttomention

GreyQueen wrote: »

These are my thoughts, too.

We've grown accustomed living in a consumer society and many people have no knowledge that things have only been this way for 2-3 generations and that this is very much the exception to the rule.

Living high on relatively cheap oil, then our deterioating wages mitigated by low-priced things imported from countries which pay peanuts, have disguised what is really going on. There's a lot of stealth inflation out there, with the liliputisation of groceries and other consumables. Getting less for the same amount of money seems to be de rigeur now.

My Dad retired 8 years ago. He's just seen the job he did advertised for a lower hourly rate than he was getting then. And, heaven knows, he wasn't paid shedloads when he was in work. And the money goes noticably less far and the things I buy are perfectly likely to go up 30-40% between one day and another, and I sneer at so-called inflation figures and their laughable percentages. Pull the other one, mate, it's got bells on it.

It's getting to the point that even those I know who are least inclined to trouble themselves about the big picture are starting to notice several somethings are badly wrong, and getting a tad concerned.

When the don't-worry-be-happy crowd are starting to worry, the wheels are about to come off the cart, big time.

I would say that's a dead accurate analysis of the situation, from what I can see.

I would say that it's probably founded on the fact that many of us (certainly I would say my generation - Baby Boomer) were brought up reading the history books in a pretty positive way. I learnt history in the tone of "steady onward progress of humanity". This version of history says:

- slaves were freed
- public sanitation got better
- women got the Vote
- trade unions secured a shorter working week/paid holidays/etc for us all
- women got The Pill and abortion became legalised.

There are "social" developments going on in Society right now that, I estimate will be successful, and will represent another piece in the puzzle of the "steady onward progress of humanity". So it's not all bad news.

BUT...over recent years...I've been reading another version of history. That version of history goes "Everything goes round in circles over the centuries. Empires come and empires go, etc, etc". I'm rather more inclined to believe the circular version of history from what I see going on around me in the world the last few years.

I have my own personal take on things regarding my own personal little life and that is "I am keeping what I have. I AM. Gawdhelpanyone who thinks I'm not. I've worked too hard and waited too long for what I have, so I WILL be keeping it." With a certain little exception personally that I see no way of dealing with, ie my missing State Pension money between my retirement age and my revised State Pension Age:mad:

We will all have our own personal take on things. Some will think "Well that's how things are and adapt to a 'new normal'". Some will take the same view as me that "We ARE keeping ours. End of....". Some look to me as if they are enjoying the thought of a "challenge".

There's probably endless permutations on views as to how to deal with the 'new normal' and you could say it will be interesting to see how things turn out (except, I guess, none of us wish to be labouring under the Chinese Curse we are in of "May you live in interesting times").

Goes off to put up the virtual barricades round what is Mine.:cool:

Frugalsod

GreyQueen wrote: »

Morning all.

I don't expect there to be a revolution. If we Brits were going to do it, we would have probably done it at the same time as the French; gawd knows the ruling castes at the time had real concerns.

The thing about managing people is to make negative changes slowly enough that they become the new normal, and what would be unacceptable if it happened overnight becomes business-as-usual because it happened slowly over several years.

Thus we are damaged and eroded and wake up one day as paupers with no liberties and wonder how the hell that happened.

What does concern me is that in the vacuum we have at the moment, where so many people don't bother engaging with politics because of the perception that they're all the same (corporate hooors, basically) that you could see the rise of demagoguery of various stripes.

It typically happens that charismatic leaders try to use the disenfranchised and discontent could really fuel this. The result would be fragmentation of society, with neighbour turning on neighbour. One of mine is in big trouble at the moment for making vile racist comments about neighbours of a different ethnicity - and making them to the Police as well as in front of the rest of us. Got arrested last week because of that and is now slinking around the Towers like a whipped cur.

I've no sympathy at all; he's a get in many respects, quite apart from his vile personal opinions.

There was serious concern about us revolting at the same time as the French.

I do not think a revolution here is guaranteed yet. It could take a long time to develop, over decades, but something in the future might trigger it. It is was the lack of a deal with the EU that triggered the Ukraine revolt. Who knows what will trigger it here? I could be long dead before it happens.

As to the political vacuum I agree. With our main parties being almost factions of the same party. They all have the same (failed) economic policy and it would explain why Fringe parties all over Europe are doing well. It might be an anti EU thing but I think not.

Karmacat

There *was* serious concern - the Peterloo massacre, anyone? And we'd already revolted - the Republic of Britain was set up when Charles I was executed in 1649! It was too early in social development to last, and it was founded on a civil war that split families.

daz378

Like GQ said its the slow dilution of living standards and the long term management of expectations..... the first shock to the system maybe a yes vote by Scotland..... market uncertainty ... small run on pound, affect on how we measure the deficit , loss off export income...... we just may get a taste of what life as been like in...spain, portugal, greece the last few years and a perpetual tory government anyone?

[Deleted User]

I am a very fortunate me today, my lovely DD1 without telling me has bought me a lovely pair of waterproof snowboots with a felt inner shoe that can also be used as a slipper. They were delivered this morning and all I really knew was there was a parcel coming, but didn't realise it was for me! Wonderfully comfortable they are, warm as toast and with really good grippy soles for snowy weather. They'll also take my YakTracks on top for when it's icy. Lace up fronts make them easy to adjust for fit, wow, I'm such a lucky Mum!!! Now. if we have a bad winter I'll still be able to get out and about and do all the things I need to safely.