'supporting each other through really tough times'

mardatha

O god me too, I need my chicken suppers! never had Chinese or Indian or any weird stuff (!) - just chips

ginnyknit

We have 30 take-aways within a mile each way of us :mad: All we use is the local chippy mainly for a portion of chips and the occasional chinese. I really dont understand why such a poor area needs them or, more to the point, uses them?

I now buy most of my fruit and veg from the local market as they do trays 2 for a pound and they are perfect for us. As much of the produce is local as he can source and the tales he tells me of how the suppliers are struggling are awful. Last summer they were knee deep in water and really struggling. I do hope this year is better for all of us weather wise.

Just been to Mr S and managed to pick up a few nibbles for 25p-50p a pack including huge salted peanuts 900gms for 50p. Apart from that the prices were shocking.

Popperwell

Recently Tescos put beef mince in the reduced section and you only save approx 25p but if anything remains of it 4-6 hours later it is perhaps worth buying as the price comes down. But for 25p saving you may as well buy it at full price with a few more days on it.

Our takeaways around here must be making enough to survive but when I go passed them sometimes as early as 8pm, they are often empty so they are not as popular as they used to be.

They may be aiming at the so called "Poor" and yet a takeaway would be a treat for me. My own meals are much cheaper as are the ready meals in the SM.

[Deleted User]

I agree totally POPS I would rather pay the extra 25p and have a product that will keep for longer. I am noticing too that reductions are now just a few pence and on far fewer items each day. In fact even the sections for reduced things have shrunk to part of one shelf in the fridge and that gets moved very often so it's hard to find in the shop, Cheers Lyn x.

nuatha

Pops, many of the takeaways may be a lot busier than it appears from passing their shop. Now it tends not to be "collect and takeaway" but phone and receive delivery.
There are several "takeaways" in my area that have premises on industrial estates without any shop front or place for customers to collect.

A large part of the rise of supermarkets and visually perfect veg is down to delivering what the public wants - less attractive looking veg would be left on the shelf, so the supermarkets started to specify what they knew would sell in order to reduce waste. Specifications for fruit and veg became enshrined in law - appearance and size became part of the specs, flavour and nutritional value didn't. I'd far rather buy on flavour than looks.

As the move to online shopping grows, I expect that we'll see the decline of the supermarkets, leaving those who can't afford to own the necessary technology or meet the minimum order spend with fewer and fewer shopping options (at ever increasing prices)

shegar

mardatha wrote: »

O god me too, I need my chicken suppers! never had Chinese or Indian or any weird stuff (!) - just chips

Me too, ive never been into a Indian/chinese shop or pizza,I cant bear the smell of the !!!!!, hubby reaches at the smell of spice and garlic......:eek:..
Give me steak kidney pie mash and veg any day or chips, then a luvly bit of apple pie and custard go down well.......:D

Its always the younger generation that go into mcdonalds with the whole family and eat, yet they always moan they havent got any gas or electric on their metres:eek:, the money they spend on one sitting in fast foods shops would feed them properly for 3 days on home made grub, bloody hard up, they dont know their born......

We have had a home visit appointment made by Jobcentre , someone called a " compliance officer " is coming Friday pm, I done the worst thing ever in telling hubby about it, his poor head with the stroke and all this worry is not good at all for him, Ive told him not to worry and that I will deal with it.....

They will probaly take one look at him and realize just how ill he is mentally and physically with that dam stroke that has ruined his life, its left him epileptic, cant wash or bath himself, cant feed himself, cant barely walk ,DVT left side hemiplegia and wheelchair bound,but the jobcentre as put him in a work support group:eek::mad::mad:...Plus he have 24/7nursing care,he got all that yet his poor head keeps telling him that he will somehow have to work again and he fears for the appointment friday, ive told him 10 dozen times since the letter came on Monday not to worry, why do they worry the life out of the really sick people and yet the " shirkers " get away not having to work, every town and village have a work shy shirker , as I call them............

Weather, well its dull, damp, dank, frosty and really cold today, we did have a glimmer of the sun at lunch time but not for long, snow on the way next week, its better than all the rain we have had....Sheila

[Deleted User]

GRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!! I cannot find words adequate to say how cross that has made me feel for you both, just GRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!! That is monstrous SHEILA and they should at the very least say sorry when they've seen him, but I doubt they are allowed to, Chin up, Cheers Lyn xxx.

mardatha

Write to your MP shegar and give him it straight what you think of this awful. Gestapo tactics.

Popperwell

Many will feel the stress and worry like they have never done before as this year progresses. And I have heard some real horror stories so can appreciate your OH's distress. I hope that all will be well Sheila.

Good point nuatha about the takeaways...in time they probably will all be based off town. And depend on their meals being delivered.

Lyn, that is happening even more here too...but I may venture out in the next hour just in the hope that I hit lucky!

Ok so I ate it at lunchtime but I had some porridge and fruit for lunch and it is ages since I did that. I actually had the equivelent of two bowls:):eek:and it tasted fine even though well past its best before date.

Tonight I think I'll have the ready meal of chicken casserole and add some extra veg.

As I said on my blog a few minutes ago...and I know I am not alone...

I have had a bill from my energy supplier and I don't see how I can cut back any further. As you know many of my meals are cold and if I do heat a meal it is nearly always in a microwave. Usually only one good meal daily. But I try to eat well and am not hungry.

The washer is used perhaps three times in a month. I use the heating but often only for an hour and many days not at all. I heat the kettle using as little water as possible.

One energy saving lightbulb at night for safety and comfort, perhaps one DAB radio and a desktop PC. Again often turned off...

Yet they predict that by the end of the year allowing for VAT and changes in prices(and I am on a duel deal until October)that I will have spent £1,396. I seem to use such a small amount now...how can I cut back any further?

And yet this bill dated for December says that I owe £31 which I assume will have been paid by direct debit in the early part of January so I am starting afresh. I hope.

If that bill is a guide, that would suggest that I am spending between £30-£50 per month in total when they are combined and that would come in around £360-£600 annually. I'll just have to watch how things pan out and hope for no nasty surprises. They are suppose to give me a refund at the end of the year too. I forget how much but at least £100 which if I remain with NPower I may say credit it and put it towards next year's bill.

Its going to get even tighter I fear for many...

mardatha

We spend £140 a month in coal alone!