Learning to walk before I run

savingholmes

greent said:

   I dream of being one of those ultra organised people 😁😁

I share that dream

greent said:

I'm concerned about the rises - and I have no idea how my children are ever meant to afford to move out! I'm making tiny adjustments here and there (not always consistent- sometimes I need to readjust back for a while) to try and help. Again, we will be able to absorb the rises - the effect on our lifestyle will be less savings/ fewer discretionary spends such as meals out (never cheap for 6) as opposed to a choice between food and fuel. I think there is a dark Winter on the horizon. 

I think at the prices they are quoting now - only radical lifestyle change will prevent a huge chunk of people spiralling into debt - and for many it's just not an option. Every time they quote figures for energy they seem to go up. It will affect my plans I'm just trying to take action to reduce it. I also object in principle to paying that kind of £ for energy so will probably risk a freezing house instead and use an electric blanket and blankets. I know with little kids and for the old or some disabled that won't cut it... 

QueenJess

I just read the latest forecasts of 18% CPI in the first quarter of 2023 (RPI to be 21%) 😱. It just gets more and more ridiculous. I’m not even sure how to deal with that myself.

Suffolk_lass

It is deeply concerning and not a little scary. I was awake at 04.15 pondering. No State pensions this coming winter or the one after this so all down to what we thought would be enough in occupational pensions for everyday living. We plan to run the heating once a month to make sure the heating pump still works. Other than that we will rely on double glazing = no ice inside, unlike our single glazed childhood windows, and log fires in sitting room together with doors upstairs open to take advantage of the ambient heat from the range. And jumpers. And fleecy leggings.

I plan to cook long, slow meals padded out with cheap veg and lentils and try turning off the (always on, electric) range during the day, so it heats up overnight when the leccy is cheaper. I have been bottling and preserving in other ways to freezing so that as our stores reduce, we turn off more electrical devices and appliances. Lots of hot water bottles if we need a top up, and a fleecy blanket if I am sat watching TV (very possibly with a cat and dog on top). We may yet resort to copying @LadyWithAPlan and showering at the pool but currently, we have turned the temperature down on the thermostat so water is all lukewarm and good so far. Summer use is about 25% of winter. We don't have gas. I topped up the oil at the highest price point but I know the tank is full for next winter. 

I plan to get a small dual fuel generator this month, and we will use that outdoors and as a possible back up if power fails

edinburgher

@greent - meals for 6 must be a shocker - I was 1 of a family of 7 and we went out maybe once a year!

@savingholmes - I am just glad that DD2 will get to enjoy 1 winter of comfortable indoor temperatures before our switch ends next year

@QueenJess - The only positive I can think of re. RPI is that my feed in tariff for the solar panels will go up by a crazy amount. I certainly never thought when we got the panels 7 years ago that they would have paid for themselves already

@Suffolk_lass - you are methodical to a fault

I went back to my exercise class this morning - up at 5:30 with only one nervous waking in the middle of the night at about 4. It went generally well, although I am definitely less limber than I was before the start of the school summer holidays. I also felt that I was sweating buckets - probably a combination of a highly caffeinated pre-workout drink and the fact that the room was rammed with participants. It's always the way with the first few weeks of an exercise class, eh?

I may have slightly ruined it with my share of an obscenely large double pepperoni stuffed crust pizza, but I would have eaten that for dinner even if I hadn't exercised

Our new staircase could not go in yesterday as it was 2" too short. Cue emergency return to the workshop so that the top steps could be modified. They're going to try again tomorrow - fingers crossed.

£7.89 paid out from Prolific. This paid for my share of the takeaway and £1.04 towards my SIPP (£1.30 after tax relief). I have a rash of tax relief payments coming through at the moment (10 transactions pending) and am pleased to report that I have now passed £1,000 paid in during this tax year, that'll do nicely.

killerpeaty

Wow £1k is immense! Didn't even think it was possible. (Please note that you will need to think about your additional tax now.)

edinburgher

@killerpeaty - additional tax? Note £1k is total my contributions + tax relief

killerpeaty

If you look under "other allowances" this is what I'm referring to. Survey income would be taxable after £1k, the pension relief is separate.
https://www.gov.uk/income-tax-rates

greent

edinburgher said:

@greent - meals for 6 must be a shocker - I was 1 of a family of 7 and we went out maybe once a year!

@savingholmes - I am just glad that DD2 will get to enjoy 1 winter of comfortable indoor temperatures before our switch ends next year

@QueenJess - The only positive I can think of re. RPI is that my feed in tariff for the solar panels will go up by a crazy amount. I certainly never thought when we got the panels 7 years ago that they would have paid for themselves already

@Suffolk_lass - you are methodical to a fault

I went back to my exercise class this morning - up at 5:30 with only one nervous waking in the middle of the night at about 4. It went generally well, although I am definitely less limber than I was before the start of the school summer holidays. I also felt that I was sweating buckets - probably a combination of a highly caffeinated pre-workout drink and the fact that the room was rammed with participants. It's always the way with the first few weeks of an exercise class, eh?

I may have slightly ruined it with my share of an obscenely large double pepperoni stuffed crust pizza, but I would have eaten that for dinner even if I hadn't exercised

Our new staircase could not go in yesterday as it was 2" too short. Cue emergency return to the workshop so that the top steps could be modified. They're going to try again tomorrow - fingers crossed.

£7.89 paid out from Prolific. This paid for my share of the takeaway and £1.04 towards my SIPP (£1.30 after tax relief). I have a rash of tax relief payments coming through at the moment (10 transactions pending) and am pleased to report that I have now passed £1,000 paid in during this tax year, that'll do nicely.

They certainly are! We love an excuse to eat out, too. Thankfully we can often get away with a Nand0s (loved by the smaller ones) or a local independent. But even those aren't  cheap when you have min 2 courses and drinks. We're off out this weekend (combining 5 celebrations in one, as I've mostly been too rough over the Summer to properly eat out) - because it's for all 6 and the youngest 2 have some food issues (Arfid related) we are just heading to Miller and Carter. 5 adults having 2-3 courses and drinks (and the 2 in their 20s will be on cocktails) and a child's meal - at least the cost will be sort of passable and we get discounted m&C gift cards through DH's work. And it *is* a combination of celebrations - so 5 lots of meals out would ha e been way more expensive, so I suppose I could view it as a bit of a bargain....🤣🤔


I think what concerns me with the cost of living rises is the amount of 'comfortable' people who are obviously concerned. If that part of society is looking at making changes/ cutbacks then it (for me) highlights just how bad its going to be for those who don't have safety nets/ EFs/ any flex in their budgets. Foodbanks (and similar - such as baby banks etc) are going to suffer the double whammy of having more people needing  to use them whilst also probably receiving fewer donations as some of those who donated before will be unable to donate as much or maybe not at all. Come to that, all charities could be hit by falling donations - and this is after many are still struggling feom reduced fundraising during the last 2 years due to c-19.:(

killerpeaty

If you look in the charity shopping thread in old style, one of the regulars said that a volunteer/shop assistant said that they have had a hot to their donations already. 

edinburgher

@killerpeaty - I think you've misconstrued what I have written - the £1,000 referred to money paid into my SIPP. It will take me a good while to pass £1,000 on surveys, but maybe over the course of a year! Wouldn't be the end of the world for me, as it could take me closer to HR tax (and increased pension tax relief).

@greent - I like that M&C is sufficiently national that I know what you're talking about (and have been to one). They're quite nice, but a bit too dear without some sort of discount. Do they still do the bizarre lettuce wedges? 

I share your fears re. what happens if the comfortable are struggling. A frenemy who I used to work with got in touch today talking about how an extra £500 on their utility bill was going to impact their flat remodel, new car payment and horse riding lessons for their child Ultimately they earn a lot and will cope, but if the people with £80k+ household incomes are moaning, I have no idea how hard it will get for people in "normal", under-appreciated, poorly remunerated jobs.

I have been in a bit of a mood again today. Work is absolutely dreadful, I have to run just to get my a*** kicked Boss is an awful combo of ostensibly supportive re. workload, but also snippy, grudging and completely unrealistic. We are currently a team of 7, we should be a team of 12. If not for all this cost of living jazz, I'd be off to work in something cheap and cheerful at the drop of a hat! I am growing to dread every day, it feels like wading through molasses. The Lofi Girl on YT, coffee and sneaking in the odd Prolific study is just about all that gets me through. Not many surveys today, only £3 or so.

Have also been back out to the house (stair is in, yay). Attic bedroom is definitely smaller than I'd imagined, but DD1 seemed very happy, which is the main thing. It's an unsual shape (like a square "C"). Plenty of nooks to put to different uses, I think I just find it hard to visualise when a room isn't a nice obvious rectangle. Final plastering tomorrow (ish), then lots of finishing such as flooring/doors/lights/skirtings/painting. Getting there. In-laws on holiday, which is allowing us to re-connect a bit better as a nuclear family.