It's getting tough out there. Feeling the pinch?

Effician

ladyholly said:

We have just saved about £5 on diesel as our very ancient car will run with a small percentage of vegetable oil. Do not try it unless you know your engine will run with it or you will ruin your fuel pump. Only works in the warmer weather but it all helps.

Happy days when we used to run our old idi engined 4x4 on neat veg oil,  used to get 10 x 5l bottles at a time from the supermarket & fill the tank in the car park, used to get some very odd looks but it saved us around 60p/litre at the time.

Cranmer1662

I've been doing some economising in heating and power, as it looks as if things are going to get very tight with Russia etc.

I've reduced the hours that the heating is on in the house to 7. That may sound a lot to some, but I work from home so need to have it on a little bit during the day.

Main thermostat is set to 18.5c instead of 20.

I've been turning down all the thermostatic valves on the radiators so that no unoccupied room is heated.

I've been making the most of solar gain by working with my laptop on the sunny side of the house, whichever that is (assuming we get any sun, LOL)

And of course the good old favourites of thermal underwear, double layers, blanket over the knees while working etc.

I only have cold showers and have done for years (I practice the Wim Hof Method of breathing exercises and cold immersion for health) but use hot water for shaving, however I have reduced that down now to a small amount in a mug using the same water I boil for my morning tea.

sammyjammy

ladyholly said:

Just to add my comment I think that it is difficult for people who have never had to watch every penny find it hard to put themselves in that position. This is the same as me trying to imagine paying £500 or more for an outfit or £100. per head for a meal out.

I have a theory that all MPsshould have to live on minimum wage or Universal credit for 3months before they take their seats in parliament ( to be redone every 5years so they dont forget).  Yes some of them do come from less privileged circumstances but many dont and some of their comments prove their ignorance of living with poverty.

You don't have to live it to understand it/be empathetic, they should get out there and see it with their own eyes at least.

sammyjammy

Floss said:

joedenise said:

When we get the £150 CT rebate I think it will be paid straight to the gas and electric company to hopefully reduce the monthly amount needed.

Check your council's website - I know mine still haven't had direction from Westminster as to how this will be applied, and it may well be knocked off your 2022/23 CT rather than given as a £150 rebate.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-council-tax-rebate-2022-23-billing-authority-guidance/support-for-energy-bills-the-council-tax-rebate-2022-23-billing-authority-guidance

ladyholly

Effician said:

Happy days when we used to run our old idi engined 4x4 on neat veg oil,  used to get 10 x 5l bottles at a time from the supermarket & fill the tank in the car park, used to get some very odd looks but it saved us around 60p/litre at the time.

Weve done it at the petrol station having put £20 worth of diesel in and then topped up with vegetable oil. The only disadvantage to running on veg oils is that your vehicle tends to smell like a chip shop but well worth the saving.

MovingForwards

The CT rebate has already been applied to my account and my 10 monthly payments reduced (Scotland).

I've tweaked my annual budget spreadsheet accordingly.

linz

This is my first time visiting the OS board i think. Thankfully I can still afford to pay my bills but it's certainly a worry now with the G&E rise, council tax, rail fare and the NI in April. I've spent the last couple of evenings reading the wisdom from the people on this thread and i'm hoping I will be able to learn somethings too. I can't remember the last time I had my heating on, probably about 2 weeks ago. Thankfully I have a log burner and plenty of coal left from Xmas. I will put the CH on if it's looking like it'll freeze outside though. Hopefully the spring weather will be here soon! If i get home late and it's not worth lighting the log burner I either put a thick fleece on and sit under a blanket or find myself taking the laptop up to bed and putting the electric blanket on for a bit before i fall asleep. Clothes on a 30 deg wash I either dry in front of the log burner or on a heated airer. I never thought things would get so expensive. It's interesting to hear from the older people about how people coped in the 60s and 70's. I think we could all learn a lot from that generation.

My freezer is full of orange stickered stuff from the co-op. I normally shop at Lidl but my nearest is a co-op so I'll always have a look on the reduced pile whenever i'm passing and only take a couple of items that I know I will use. I would never take something if I thought someone who was struggling more than me may need it more. I try to have one meal a week of something on toast, eggs or beans normally. I wanted to go vegetarian after doing veganuary, but whilst this cost of living crisis is as it is I think I will have to look out for reduced meat items too. Most of my cooking is done in a halogen oven on the worktop. As with the air fryers, i am hoping it's cheaper to run than the oven, plus I don't have to clean it

I've started getting some clothes off ebay and the charity shops. It was mainly to try and get away from fast fashion and think more of the planet at the time, but it's also lots cheaper too.

I'm also doing Prolific.co, Opinium Research and Onepoll surveys just for a bit of extra pocket money / save for Xmas. I did a couple of market research projects recently too, which were fun.

I'm bookmarking this thread and will follow it to see how others are getting on too. You all seem like nice, friendly and supportive people and as i said I hope I can learn a few more frugal tips as we all experience this uncertain journey !

ladyholly

I  think you will find those people who were around in the 1940s &50s were much more frugal than those of us from the 50s &60s. They had to cope with rationing and the recovery from WW2. We had full employment, money etc but we probably learnt something from our parents. 

Doom_and_Gloom

linz said:

I wanted to go vegetarian after doing veganuary, but whilst this cost of living crisis is as it is I think I will have to look out for reduced meat items too. 

Lentils/pulses etc are much cheaper than meats. A 1kg bag of red lentils coats around £1.80 so 18p/100g. 100g of red lentils dry does more for a meal than 100g of any meat.
Chickpeas are around £2.25 for a 1kg bag so that is 22.5p/100g.
Yellow split peas have more protein per 100g than chickpeas and cost 55p for a 500g bag 11p/100g.
Unlike meat these also include needed fiber that a lot of people don't eat enough of.
Eat with some rice, any grain or carb main really and the full zone of protiens needed are completed so no problems there.
Added bonus for dry lentils etc is they are shelf stable for a long time. This means if the electricity is not working as long as you have a back up, non electric, way of cooking you still have food which is important. 
My OH eats meat etc but he knows even when reduced it is usually more expensive than my whole plant options.
Tofu, tempeh etc can be a simular price to some meats but you don't have to eat them. I usually buy such items on offer or reduced myself. 

QueenJess

The news today is talking about high rates of inflation into early 2023 - extended from their previous predictions due to the sanctions on Russia.

The next energy cap increase to hit for winter this year will be the most concerning one. I will be cutting back where I can in day to day things and will be researching cheap meal ideas.