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

Wednesday2000

I like bananas, but not banana cake/bread!:)

I had a craving for a banana milkshake yesterday, strangely enoiugh. When my bananas go brown I freeze them and when you blend them up frozen they taste like a very creamy milkshake. 

euronorris

Tahlullah.H said:

weenancyinAmerica said:

Tahlullah.H - Have you considered trying it in place of the mango in your recipe. Sounds good to me.

Thanks, I may give that a go.  Lassi is supposed to be a drink, you make it thinner with milk if needed and it takes the edge off hot curries - the yogurt neutralises the heat in your mouth.  Not sure the grapefruit would be as sweet, but I will definitely give it a go.

I will also try grapefruit fool as suggested by annieb64.

If you have some gelatin, you can use some of the pulp to make a mango jelly.

I tend to keep mango pulp for my korma recipe. Though I do make a big batch of korma at a time, I always have leftover mango pulp, so I put the remainder into ice cube trays. Once frozen, I decant them into a sandwich bag and keep in the freezer, then I can just grab a few each time I need them. Or add to smoothies etc etc.

EssexHebridean

Rosa_Damascena said:

EssexHebridean said:

I disagree to a degree on the “Secret Spenders” type programmes - of course they look for the extremes, that’s what makes it entertaining TV, but it can trickle into the consciousness of those lower down the spendy scale I think. 

I applied for one of these shows when I decided to take a break from work a few years ago (zero income, living off my wits and savings) but was rejected as aside from the very rare coffee out, the researcher couldn't find any areas of expenditure for me to cut back on. 

I'm now working harder than ever and utterly exhausted - not what I envisaged approaching 50 - but its the fear of the rainy day that is keeping me going! My neighbour had their hot tub replaced yesterday and I have had my heating switched off since January.

I can genuinely say it never occurred to me that 50 was an age where I’d be able to consider that either of us were likely to be able to particularly slow down on working, or reduce hours. I was brought up in an environment where early retirement wasn’t a thing at all though, so I imagine that makes a difference to your expectations and perceptions. The thing that I now suspect more than anything though is that there will be no “retirement age” for our generation - I just can’t begin to see how it will be possible for anyone who doesn’t have a top-class private pension. I also agree that you have no idea of your neighbours financial situation - so comparisons of that type are probably best avoided. I doubt they look at you and assume you’ve had your heating off since January, either! People often choose to give a particular impression to others, so “face value” judgements will rarely tell us the full story. 

London_1

That post reminded me of when I was a little girl during WW2 rationing and it was always bread and scrape (marg or if lucky butter) or bread and jam and NEVER both ever :) When food became more plentiful my late Mum would sometimes feed myself and my two permanantly hollow legged brothers a cream cracker with a scratch of butter and jam then topped with a sliver of cheese then another cracker on top, it was very filling for energetic kids when out playing 

leftatthetrafficlights

Mango pulp - you could turn it into mango chutney if you boil it up with water, sugar and vinegar! 

Came across this thread yesterday and although I am extremely fortunate in that we have two incomes and a relatively comfortable lifestyle, I have gone off the rails over the past couple of months financially! 

Our fuel bills are ridiculous- we have oil and electric - our electricity bill has shot up by around £70 per month, thankfully I bought oil just before the prices went through the roof but as we are replacing the boiler and oil tank in the summer, I'm dreading to think how expensive it will be to fill the new tank! 🤦‍♀️ 

Although we can accommodate the additional costs, it still impacts on our 'disposable' income and therefore on my dd/son-i-l/grandbaby as we like to help them out and treat our grandbaby wherever we can. Thankfully my dd has a good financial head on her shoulders (she learnt from the mistakes I made years ago! 🙈) but with a young child in the house, it's always expensive! 

I hate to think how difficult it is for so many people out there at the moment- if this had been happening several years ago I'd never have managed - our income/outgoings at that time meant that we had pretty much no wiggle room financially and we certainly couldn't have accommodated the massive prices increases in food, fuel and petrol that we have seen recently 😢 

Thankfully I can make savings on our day to day expenditure now - we grow our own veg and this year have planned properly so will have a harvest all year round moving forwards; I have an extremely healthy storecupboard so can utilise that to a fuller extent; I will use my instant pot duo crisp rather than my oven where possible; we've started to turn off appliances at the wall when not in use and will make sure that we don't use the car unnecessarily. 

My plan is to do what I can to reduce my expenditure - although I don't 'have to', you can never tell what is around the corner and I want to feel as secure as I can in this insecure climate. 

Rosa_Damascena

EssexHebridean said:

Rosa_Damascena said:

EssexHebridean said:

I disagree to a degree on the “Secret Spenders” type programmes - of course they look for the extremes, that’s what makes it entertaining TV, but it can trickle into the consciousness of those lower down the spendy scale I think. 

I applied for one of these shows when I decided to take a break from work a few years ago (zero income, living off my wits and savings) but was rejected as aside from the very rare coffee out, the researcher couldn't find any areas of expenditure for me to cut back on. 

I'm now working harder than ever and utterly exhausted - not what I envisaged approaching 50 - but its the fear of the rainy day that is keeping me going! My neighbour had their hot tub replaced yesterday and I have had my heating switched off since January.

I can genuinely say it never occurred to me that 50 was an age where I’d be able to consider that either of us were likely to be able to particularly slow down on working, or reduce hours. I was brought up in an environment where early retirement wasn’t a thing at all though, so I imagine that makes a difference to your expectations and perceptions. The thing that I now suspect more than anything though is that there will be no “retirement age” for our generation - I just can’t begin to see how it will be possible for anyone who doesn’t have a top-class private pension. I also agree that you have no idea of your neighbours financial situation - so comparisons of that type are probably best avoided. I doubt they look at you and assume you’ve had your heating off since January, either! People often choose to give a particular impression to others, so “face value” judgements will rarely tell us the full story. 

Fair point. I probably do 15hr a week unpaid over the standard, which is not the same as the regular 70 hrs a week I would do in my 20s and 30s. It made me better at what I do but at the same time, I missed out on a lot. And now I am just thoroughly exhausted, no time for anyone and if I am honest what little time I have to myself I don't now want to spend with others. I just resent that I am working so hard and am still acutely aware of the value of everything, there is never going to be a time in my life when that doesn't apply.

London_1

I retired in 1995 and I am probably as busy now as I was then ,the difference being I now do what i want to instead of having to .The day I retired I took off my watch and have never worn one since.

 I bake, read,knit, sew, visit friends (curtailed when the virus struck obviously ) but back to almost normal now.
Walk to the park , see my great grandchildren,listen to the wireless and watchTV, and enjoy every day that the surgeons in 2007 gave me when I was diagnosed with breast cancer.

It focuses your mind when the man with the sickle knocks on your door you learn that life is very fragile, and every day is a bonus.

My attitude to life certainly changed and hopefully for the better. I never worry about bills or inconsequential irritations as I used to. For me retirement meant more time at the time with my late lovely husband

 We did have 8 super years before he sadly passed away, and re-adjusting to being a single person after over 40 years of being a couple wasn't easy, but you do it ,as you still have family that need you.

Then along comes another hurdle with the cancer diagnose ,but again you get through it, with the help of some smashing nurses ,doctors and my family .
I had 15 years of looking after my grandchildren,  and helping to raise them .

The youngest is now 18 next month, and off in September to Uni. so my life will alter again slightly.
 I still do things for the family (yesterday I was up at 5.45 a.m. to take said grandson to work as no buses run around here at that time, and its  his part-time weekend job, and he is stashing his cash for September )  

But my life now consists of doing different things. I am invovled in several charities, and also have several phone calls a day to housebound friends as they sadly can no longer get out and about. I have book club and coffee mornings to go to, apart from all the other bits and pieces I do, so retirement is quite full on at times. I did enjoy working when I was , but now I much prefer doing what I do as its not really work more fun.it doesn't have to cost much either I have watched through the spring the Mother Duck at the local lake in the park rounding up her little brrod of chicks and met a few people like myself who I've made aquaintance with and we chat about the duck the weather the stae of the country as a whole and pass the time of day when we meet. Just a nice walk around the lake  listening to the birds and maybe even have a smile and a chat to the park rangers can fill a sunny afternoon and I always feel refreshed and brighter for it. So if anyone is worrying about retirement just think of it as 'me' time when you do what you want to do and never need tolook at a watch again  

Cheers cums 

JackieO xx

Floss

EssexHebridean said:

Rosa_Damascena said:

I'm now working harder than ever and utterly exhausted - not what I envisaged approaching 50 - but its the fear of the rainy day that is keeping me going! 

I can genuinely say it never occurred to me that 50 was an age where I’d be able to consider that either of us were likely to be able to particularly slow down on working, or reduce hours. I was brought up in an environment where early retirement wasn’t a thing at all though, so I imagine that makes a difference to your expectations and perceptions. The thing that I now suspect more than anything though is that there will be no “retirement age” for our generation - I just can’t begin to see how it will be possible for anyone who doesn’t have a top-class private pension.  

While my ex FiL retired from a physical shift-work job at 56,  I have never dreamt of retiring in my 50s. I think it's something that was bandied around in the 80s as a thing to aim for.

I'm now 58 and working full-time in a job I love, but due to the financial ravages of two divorces I am now mortgaged until August 2031. The ideal is to retire at 65 but that will depend upon my pension fund.

YorksLass

I retired in 2007 following an internal company restructure when my job "disappeared".  I enjoyed working but at 58 really couldn't face the prospect of compiling CVs, attending interviews, competing with others half my age and jumping through hoops.  Also, my widowed DF was in the early stages of dementia at this time and, being his only living relative, I knew his care would fall to me.  So, after investigating early retirement and looking at what finances we had, I took the plunge and gave up work.  DH was already retired with a state pension and I was lucky enough to be able to draw down some of my final salary pension.  I was also one of the lucky ladies who could still get their state pension at 60 so didn't have too long to wait for that.  Yes, it did mean having less money for a couple of years until things got onto an even keel but I couldn't have been happier to have left the rat race.  Like Jackie O, I've never worn a watch since - or tights, a requisite for where I worked.  And I definitely don't miss the waiting around in the cold for buses that were late turning up or not coming at all.  I appreciate this isn't an option open to everyone and that not everyone wants to give up work.  In an ideal world people would have a choice but an ideal world it definitely ain't.     

Even now, we're not financially well off by any means but as long as we have a roof over our heads, food on the table, a loving family and reasonable health, then we're content.  Keeping up with the Jones's or having all the latest gadgets etc is way down on our agenda.  It's never really been up there anyway!

This afternoon I've been through my freezer inventory and compiled a list of what I can make from the contents.  The baking cupboard also got the same treatment and I know the tin store is well stocked.  I'm quite shocked at just how far it will stretch.  So, for the rest of this month (and probably beyond) unless I see any particularly good bargains my shopping will be limited to fresh F&V, milk etc.  It's a fine balance between using up what I already have and keeping a stock of essentials.  Any cash saved will be diverted to the winter squirrel fund, something I think we'll need with the way things are going.

newlywed

@London_1 I work full time and took off my watch some years ago… I found with a clock on the pc, one on the desk phone, and on my mobile phone, I was continually stressing about what time it was - especially when I went out at lunch. 

Ditching the wrist watch took away some of my lunchtime stressing.