How far would you go...

attentionseeker1

Hi all,

Just posted in another thread about feeling enraged by my massive energy bills that have gone up by so much. Obviously the MSE response is to change supplier but I have already done this and am with the cheapest supplier already.

This made me think that with prices rising on every side (food, energy, petrol, rent), soon all the OS/MSE tips might not even be enough. Although I try to be OS, I know I have a long way to go compared to some of you, but when I hear about how people are still struggling after having implemented all the tips, it makes me think, what will we do in the future if prices are still rising and we need to find even more cutbacks to make? What else can we do?

For me, I think the main thing would be getting rid of the car and walking everywhere (although public transport to work would be more expensive than petrol come to think of it), moving house or never going on a foreign holiday again (which seems indulgent as I know a lot of people already might not go on foreign holidays but it is my one passion that I love and save up for!:o)

floss2

attentionseeker1 wrote: »

.....For me, I think the main thing would be getting rid of the car and walking everywhere (although public transport to work would be more expensive than petrol come to think of it)...

It's not just the cost of petrol - what about the purchase costs and depreciation on your car, maintenance, road tax & insurance?

Popperwell

What you say is something everyone of us has thought or worry about. All I can give up is the internet and the phone. After that it still comes back to energy costs, rent and council tax and food and how far can you keep cutting them?

If all treats are cut out its going to be a very boring and sad life(if you can call it a life)

Especially if you are working and have such a basic life. Those of us who have to take state help are trapped.

quintwins

we're in a good position at the moment and only do old sytle things by choice, for us the main thing would be giving up on our dream of building our own home as we can no longer save and getting a mortgage on a small town house that we don't really want but can def afford to insure our kids had a roof over there heads.

getting rid of our car isn't an option for us, first off it's not our car as such it's a business car and there for we don't have pay insurance, tax or mot the only cost to us is the desil and odd repaires here and there during the year (usually abit of oil and wipers, most recent was a steering belt, and a new door cause i crashed into a pillar) hubby does most of the work himself other than the mot as we don't acually pay for that so don't need to keep costs down, it's one of teh perks of working in the family business. And 2 we can't get rid of it hubby needs it for work.

If we got rid out our expensive fast internet connection hubby would have to do any of his own jobs at work to use there internet to upload peoples websites and programmes so again a no go for us and not something i'd want to do.

mobile phone contracts could go, and skys already gone.

southantrim3

Would be time to become as self sufficiant as you could. Plant a vegie patch in the garden, go for basic brands in everything, including clothes. Get rid of all pay tv, go to pay as you go mobile and basic internet package. Downgrade to a simple 12-15 yr old Ford Fiesta (or similar) that still runs and keep as long as you can and look to Free Cycle sites for everything else.

attentionseeker1

Hmm we don't have any pay TV but mobile phone contracts could definitely go- hadn't thought of that one.

Car is a tricky one- costs £7/day on public transport to get to work versus about £3 a day by car but hadn't thought about the other costs associated with it. Mind you, car journey is 30 mins versus public transport 80 mins so would be loath to go down that route as my first choice..

I think that is part of the frustration though- I am lucky enough to have a job that I enjoy and work hard at and yet it still feels like you have less and less money at the end of the month. Maybe should have sold my soul and become a banker instead...:eek:

mcjordi

only thing i could get rid of is my internet but no way am i doing that.. im on the cheapest unlimeted package they have.. already got rid of sky ages ago.. dont have a car atm.. so i think ive cut enough atm

chirpychick

I feel like we have given up so much over the past 18 months.
But if we needed to then we still have the option of giving up a few things - we have Sky right now because we left and they gave us a 1/2 price deal so we get all movies and things for £21.50 a month which seemed a really good deal. It ends in November which coincidently is when our baby is due so will give it up then.
We have a car which we need to reach my poorly dad and my very old inlaws mainly. we have a £25 a month budget for petrol, hubby walks to and from work but we worked out the upkeep for the car (MOT, Service, wear and tear etc) is about on par with public transport but much more convenient.
We do have one holiday a year on average which is a week somewhere in this country, we erm don't pay for that though my inlaws tend to treat us to that bless them.
We both have mobile phones hubby tops up £5 per month but some months not at all if we are tight, mine is £11 a month as i am still in a contract. I am torn at the moment because my contract ends soon but i get a very good deal, i could save myself £6 a month by going onto pay and go but it could be false economy and if i cancel my contract then i wont get another due to the IVA.
We could go without a TV all together, it has been discussed but thats a last resort for my hubby.
I don't think there is anything else we could cut back on.
I find every month harder and harder!
We have been told we will have the option of extending our IVA when the baby is born to give us a bit more leaway each month but we hate being in it so much that we are doing everything we can to finish it when it is supposed to finish, hopefully that way our little boy wont know how skint we are as by the time he will be old enough to understand a bit it will be all over and done with.