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

Spendless

basketcase said:

Rosa_Damascena said:

sammyjammy said:

Just been watching an item on BBC Breakfast on the price of milk potentially going up 50%. The cows in the shed, looked depressed, they had easy access to food that looked like wet sand, they weren't interested and they looked depressed .Not only do I not begrudge it I hope it all goes to the farmers.  From a cruelty POV its the one thing I can't seem to wean (no pun!) myself off.  Someone needs to invite a non dairy milk that tastes like milk and I'm in.

And importantly doesn't mess with my tea and coffee! I suppose its a bit like butter, nothing else tastes quite like it.

Even the fussy, they're-all-awful-especially-the-ones-I haven't-tried-milk-only-on-my-cereal child liked it.  The price of that made my eyes water when I looked for it in Sainsburys.

Oh that made me laugh. I made a salad the other day, DD said she really liked it would I make her the same - but she wanted plain pasta not that weird one I had ( spinach and pine nut) and then when I served it up asked what one of the items was. Coronation coleslaw I told her showing her the container to prove it was vegetarian. I don't like it she said and left it.
Later I asked if she'd actually tried it. No came the answer, so I said 'when you get to your 20s (she was 19 recently) you are banned from saying you don't like something you've not tried' - so the clock is ticking. She wasn't as amused by this as I was saying I could hardly ground her if she was in her 20s. I said more thinking of not asking you to come out with us -hahhahaha. 

@marycanary It probably sounded better than the reality. I've had insomnia for years, ever since she went through some school strife plus it's only last month I left a job with a 7.30am start, so usually up first and looking round the house for items she would eat is to do with her being picky - plus I don't know what time she's at work till and she's yet to be paid so was to dodge any requests for money too. 

weenancyinAmerica

I once took a class from our Department of Agriculture. As an experiment, the teacher had us try two glasses of milk and asked which was real milk or were they both made from dried milk. The one that was picked as real milk turned out to be dried milk that had been refrigerated so it was colder and had a drop of yellow food coloring added. The other that was real milk had a drop of blue food coloring added. The main thing is to refrigerate the dried milk after you have made it up at least overnight (and you can add the drop of yellow food coloring if you want.)

Guineapigsqueaks

Some farms now sell their milk direct to the consumer. I buy my milk from a small dairy farm's vending machine a couple of miles away. It is whole organic milk, pasteurised but not homogenized so cream rises to top. It's delicious. I pay £1.30 a litre, to me it's worth every penny. I found it after a bit of online searching.
Guineapigsqueaks x

Tahlullah.H

OK, I have been good.  I have bought a second electric throw from Amazon as my current one is looking decidedly dodgy.  The cost is high - gone up since Martin suggested heat the human, but the savings on the electric bill will soon pay for themselves.

I also bought the Air Fryer - from ebay.  Using it, but not convinced as yet.  Absolutely,  it will be cheaper to run than the main oven, but I need too think of more things to use it for than I currently am.  The microwave is still getting the most use, so more powerful but on for less time.

ragz_2

Guineapigsqueaks said:

Some farms now sell their milk direct to the consumer. I buy my milk from a small dairy farm's vending machine a couple of miles away. It is whole organic milk, pasteurised but not homogenized so cream rises to top. It's delicious. I pay £1.30 a litre, to me it's worth every penny. I found it after a bit of online searching.
Guineapigsqueaks x

We have one that will deliver here, but it's £2.40 a litre. Or £2.60 if you want it raw. I'm sure it's delicious, but it's organic and super expensive. For now. Once normal milk gets to £1 a pint then maybe not! 

nannygladys

When I can afford it I buy my milk from a dairy farm who only sell straight to the public, when I took dgd a couple of weeks ago we purchased the milk from the vending machine and then went to the calving sheds to see the babies and the maternity shed to see the pregnant mums, they all looked very happy and yes I do know what happens, but I prefer to pay a bit extra for milk knowing they are well looked after and the money going to the farmer.

Rosa_Damascena

Watching Despatches this evening made me sad for people who are scared of their energy bills and then angry at OFGEM. Twits.

Tahlullah.H

Iceland selling all their veg for 1p online only until Thursday.  Useful if you have one nearby to collect and you have a freezer.

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/major-supermarket-selling-veg-1p-23660073

v1ckyt

SIRENS said:

I confess to be very worried, I have had so much change in the last few months that this is just one more worry. I lost my husband very suddenly last August, so myself and our kids (17 & 14) are now on my part time salary, once the insurance pays out I should be able to pay off the mortgage but that's just the one bill (admittedly the largest). I get the widows pension until next feb but then that will stop and my child benefit will reduce in March when my daughter turns 18. My daughter is trying to get a part time job, but I want her to concentrate and enjoy uni once she starts. But I still need to find travel fares for her and me, I have sold my car as it wasn't really been used much.

We don't have any central heating in the house just a gas fire in the living room so plenty of layers and blankets. I don't put the fire on if I'm home until the kids are in from school. I cook from scratch every day and luckily I have a good store cupboard and my freezers are chock a block. I am on a fixed rate on my g&e until next August thankfully and I'm in credit. I think it's having the worry of it on top of everything else and the sole responsibility is very intimidating. But I shall be stalking this forum and stocking up on tips! x

Hi Sirens. I have just read your post. Someone else may have mentioned this, apologies if so. Child Benefit is usually paid to the end of August after the child turns 18, rather than stopping in their 18th birthday. Hope that may help a little. All the best. 

TheAble

Rosa_Damascena said:

Watching Despatches this evening made me sad for people who are scared of their energy bills and then angry at OFGEM. Twits.

Many have a valid point. They thought they were on a good fixed rate tariff only for their shoddy provider (regulated by ofgem) to go bust and now they've been dumped onto a horrible variable rate one. Why are they "twits" exactly?