I’m taking control of my life, now.

Suffolk_lass

I'm noticing things increasing. With shopping infrequently I think I notice. Although basics butter is down since Christmas from £1.50 to £1.45 (up from £1 a pack before the B-word came to pass), crisps are up from £1.60 to £1.70 for 6 small bags so I will only buy these if an offer occurs that makes them cheaper. Bread has also increased, with H-wheatgerm up from 55p pre-B to 75p last year and 95p today (academic really as none there). Milkman milk is up 3p per pint too; 98p for organic full-fat.

I bought both celery and grapefruit on offer (39p each) today and 40p for a kilo of carrots so not everything is awful. And I bought whatever ready made pasta sauce (store-cupboard emergency standby) was on offer for £1 a jar.

EssexHebridean

Brexit's made no difference to to the cost of our butter as we only buy British anyway - it's been £1.45 for the "value" type or £1.48 for the own brand for a good while now round our way though - certainly pre Covid times anyway. Milk we've noticed an increase on - up from £1 a 4 pint bottle a couple of years ago, through £1.09 and now at £1.15 IIRC.  Bread I couldn't tell you as it's only when we're away we buy bread - but our bread flour (Als or Lils) has been the same 55p a bag for a decent time now. 

Crisps are an interesting one - we've had a "target price" of 10p a packet for "everyday" ones for as long as I can remember - it is *just* approaching the point that we'll need to accept an increase to that now as the big packs of 30 "meaty" T's own label are now £2.99 I believe. 

savingholmes

I think there has been food inflation - but it depends what you buy - and there are still often options to buy it elsewhere for less.

boxofpaws

savingholmes said:

On the grocery challenge - it's still worth using up your older food. By all means have a stores budget on top. However, if like me you already have too much stuff in your house - it may be kinder to yourself to not overbuy food on top and take the inflation hit when it comes.

Good point. I probably need to do some stock rotation. I am slightly afraid of what might be lurking though

Suffolk_lass said:

but I am prone to smugness with budgets. 

This. I have been congratulating myself this morning on how well we are doing. This way complacency lies...

EssexHebridean said:

I think it's great that you can analyse that the consolidation hasn't been an unqualified success - but also that you don't regret the fact that you did it. Your analysis also sums up why generally we encourage people to NOT convert unsecured debt to secured. You have sufficient MSE-type knowledge and experience behind you to not be at too high a risk of it all going to carp and your home being at risk - the vast majority who arrive on here with that as a plan are NOT in that position though. 

We run a storecupboard but regularly eat down the freezer/storecupboard then re-stock from the regular budget which works for us. Right now we are tuned in for even the slightest hint of prices rocketing/panic buying kicking in again and will be re-stocking pronto if needed. Right now I'd say that the majority of grocery prices seem to be holding steadier than many would have you think - prices DID increase during the first lockdown in particular, and again to a degree through the one at this time last year, but not dramatically since,  IMO. 

Thanks EH. I don't suppose it was mindless frittering that has caused this overdraft, just bad planning really. Mindless frittering was the downfall in the past.

I work in the food industry and its tough! I cannot see how rising costs won't be passed to the consumer soon. I hope I am wrong.

Edited to say - I don't think Brexit has made a difference. All the challenges we have are worldwide or at least Europe-wide. 

savingholmes

I also eat out of date food. Often. Don't let influencers convince you that tinned or packet food etc should be auto thrown just because it's out of date.

boxofpaws

Evening all

Good Things

• Payday finally arrived
• I got paid another £50 this month due to my tax code changing because I applied for the working from home tax relief. I guess I will get that again until April when it will change again. For anyone who hasn't done it, I would recommend it, its very easy
• Have discovered Ninja pressure cooked ham joints - amazing! just like from the butcher
• Now have £1200 in EF

Bad Things

• All other accounts/card balances remain pretty static
• Succumbed to another takeaway on Friday
• Probably going to fail the grocery challenge, mainly down to 2 takeaways

Other Things

• Ferry for May holiday is booked and paid for. All accommodation is now booked but all cancellable 
• I have had a few mails offering free bets, enough to cover the subscriptions for 0ddsm0nkey, so considering starting back up the forbidden thing. Need to get this interview out of the way, then I will restart it.

Spends in addition to groceries 
£2.50 pens
£2.50 soap dish
£9 yet more things for my home gym (kept buying the wrong thing, anyone need any barbell collars?)
£10 new hot water bottle so i can have one at my feet and one at my back in my office

Saintliness 4/10. Can't really afford this holiday but doing it anyway

EssexHebridean

Sometimes we DO just need to "do it anyway" Paws - the difference now is that you're aware it's tight financially, and you can plan accordingly. (You've got travel insurance in place I assume as you've now started booking things?) 

boxofpaws

Ooh it’s a good point, I hadn’t considered it. It’s to Northern Ireland. Do I need it if I’m not leaving the UK?  The ferry is a flexi booking, can be changed up to 24 hours before, and all the accommodations are cancellable until a week before. It’s NI, so all covered medical wise. 

savingholmes

Well done on the EF. 

With regards to holidays - I think they can really help with MH and with memory making... 

boxofpaws

Thanks SH, precisely. He really wants to see the North West 200, so that’s what we’re doing.

@EssexHebridean - you challenged me to offset the cost of the expensive watch. I managed £250 against the £510, so I’m pretty happy with that. Plus have really been watching the spending since then (apart from the stupid spring clips!) so thanks for the nudge. I’ll do that again for the holiday. 

Good news today, the ombudsman has got the insurance company to agree to pay my claim so £600 coming back to me plus interest. I had long written that off so it’s a real bonus. They were so kind at the ombudsman, it almost made me emotional. I know I don’t have it yet, but I put a payment on the credit card straight away to clear the ferry payment.