Put away your purse & become debt-averse

HairyHandofDartmoor

Well done on balancing your budget and I'm very impressed with how you've allocated money you're saving to other pots. Very self-disciplined .

I'm spending a lot more on food too, because I'm scared to actually run out of anything in case I can't get hold of it and I agree that prices are going up and value brands can't always be found.

foxgloves

Yes, I think that's a good point, HHoD. There isn't reliably the usual range of brands (inc supermarket own brands) available. We've noticed this with a few things, most recently yoghurt. We'd normally buy 4-packs of yoghurts from any of about 4 or 5 brands, depending on which was on the best offer, but yoghurt shelves have been pretty depleted. We also think that fresh fruit & veg might be going up in price. Even on our local market, which is good value, we seem to be paying a bit more & our milk delivery people have also just put their prices up. It is all making me even more careful than usual about not wasting any food.
F x

PurpleFairy26

We’re finding several reasons our costs are going up, including not be able to shop at L1dl at the moment, lack of offers where we are be able to shop (they seemed to remove some of the multi buy offers as there is a cap on quantities), not being able to use our wholesaler and lack of certain products/lines. 

We too are just grateful we can cover the additional cost albeit we would rather not be spending this amount. I do feel for those families that are struggling for claim for UC or just generally hard up it must be extremely hard for them in these times. 

foxgloves

Yes, PurpleFairy, I feel for all those who are struggling. The economic recession which will surely follow the Covid crisis will doubtless cause further problems for many people. With the 'austerity' agenda, I barely feel the country progressed out of the last one. Difficult times, & all the more need to be resourceful.
F x

PurpleFairy26

I’m just thankful, like many, we had our lightbulb moment when we did and found budgeting and money saving ways. Whilst this might be a time of high anxiety, it would be much worse if we weren’t in control of those areas. 

foxgloves

I absolutely agree, Purps. It took me a long time to discover budgeting, but when I did, I soon realised what a vital lifeskill it is. Had the era of easy credit & normalisation of borrowing not arrived, then my generation & those following would have continued to live more or less within their means. My grandparents borrowed nothing. They saved or they went without. My parents had a mortgage to buy our family home & I think may have bought a couple of cars using car finance for a proportion of the cost, but never any other borrowing & no credit cards or overdrafts. Then came my generation & the 'have it now, pay later' attitude just mushroomed. The only 'credit' I was really aware of as a child, was catalogue shopping. My Mum would sometimes look through a neighbour's catalogue & I'd wonder about the '20 weeks at 47p'. Mum used to call such payment schemes 'the never never' & if she did buy something from a catalogue, used to pay for it in full.
I opened a bank account at the age of 18, just before I left home. A year later it was in overdraft, which was finally cleared when I was approaching my mid-40s. This behaviour just wouldn't have been an option for my parents at the same age & not at all for my grandparents.
And I wish it hadn't been an option for me. It simply became utterly normal to have debt. It still is & it is a lethal combination with an instant gratification culture.
The most worrying thing is hearing about families who are having to put essential spending like food on credit cards not because of profligacy on their part, but because of poverty. This is a sure sign of a rotten system.
F x

foxgloves

Happy Birthday to me, 
BBQ leftovers for tea, 
Other bits gone in the freezer, 
Happy Birthday to me!
(Don't forget to sing this twice while washing your hands)
Verse 2:
Cakey cake day to me, 
Cakey cake day to me, 
Cakey cake day, Cakey cake daaayyyy, 
Cakey cake day to meeeeee!!
(you would never know I'm on the cava, would you?)
Cheers m'dears,
F xx
P. S Rain all day. Garden had blimming well better look perky tomorrow. 
P. P. S I'd probably better eat another chocolate (for the anti-oxidants) 

PurpleFairy26

Happy Birthday foxgloves 🍰🍫🥂

hope you’ve had a lovely day despite the weather. Garden will be thankful though. 

Baileys_Babe

Wishing you a very happy birthday @foxgloves 🎂

Onebrokelady

😂😂Happy Cake day Foxgloves xx