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

London_1

This morning I shall be peeling some apples to make a crumble I have two packs of 6 apples in the veg box in my fridge and to save me trailing out for fruit I shall be using up what I have I bought them a couple of weeks ago when they were on special offer at 69p a pack andthey are nice Gala ones which keep very well in the fridge.So a pack will get used today which will do very nicely for a few days puddings with some thick gloopy custard.

Trying to decide whether to chance putting a wash on, as yesterday was so changeable weathwise.As my machine isn't completely full I think I'll wait until tomorrow when the forecast is 20c which will be nice enough for a good blow on the line.

I wonder what the government will come up with tomorrow to help struggling families ? I have last nights Martin's MSE show to watch this morning as well as I recorded it. Did anyone watch it at all ?

Only 6 more days and another month is gone ,not much on my shopping list for this week that I need to bother about I can adapt what I have instead of going near a shop this week  

Hope everyone is Ok and getting through the month. I have never had a shop delivery as I live less than five minutes from a small precinct which has a Tesco's and a Wilkinsons in it. But they are useful for folk who don't have the shops close by, or the availability to reach them

Take care all

JackieO xx

Bluegreen143

Have read this entire thread with interest the last few days - thanks to all the contributors as it’s given me a lot of food for thought.

I loved @EssexHebridean’s post about the difference between “I can’t afford it” and “I choose not to buy it because I’m prioritising something else.”

We are in the latter category, I’ve been skint before but right now we both have decent jobs, no debt and no childcare costs (my 3yo goes to nursery for her free 30 hours a week and I work part time to fit with that). So while I’ve noticed the price rises it means we’re saving less, not having to cut back.

BUT saving less and less each month isn’t really a good idea. For a start, when our (only) car catastrophically broke down six weeks ago we had to buy a new one, which wiped out all our accessible savings (I refused to go into debt for a car). 

And I’ve got nine months left on my work contract, so I could end up unemployed then. They’re saying they’ll renew it (I had a FTC for a year, then they renewed for another year already) but I’m concerned that they will only keep me on permanently if I go full time, which I really don’t want to do as I have young kids at home. At the moment I finish at 3 every day to do the school run, and have Fridays off with my littlest. I think they will want me to at least work on Fridays as the team are busy. 

Ultimately if I don’t get back to saving properly it’s going to reduce my options. 

I’ve been spending a lot on low carb eating recently and have lost 10lb in five weeks (yay), but it’s too expensive to keep doing it the same way long term. So I’m focusing more on portion sizes and cheap meals like soup though health and weight loss is still a priority. Really could do with bringing the grocery bills down. 

In my social circle I don’t know anyone who is talking about making cutbacks so it’s good to have an online community. Most of my friends or the kids’ friends families are in dual
income families and have good jobs, nice houses and are still going on holidays, going to expensive gyms/yoga classes and shelling out on lots of kids’ activities. It’s tricky to feel like the odd one out which can make it hard to make changes. Full disclosure, I’m also going to an expensive gym while focused on losing weight! And we are off on a caravan break in two weeks and a week away (both in Scotland) at the end of June. So no doubt this is extravagant to many - it’s hard to know how much to cut back by when it’s not dire need to do so. We are also waiting on a conservatory being built though we signed up for this months ago - the money has been added to our mortgage but hoping it adds some value to the house when done. And much cheaper than moving. Our house is a modest, small three bed in an inexpensive area so not otherwise extravagant (the amount in my sig includes the conservatory borrowing).

Luckily my mum and sister are much more aware/sensible financially (it’s also possible some of my friends ARE making cutbacks or worried about it, but not discussing it of course!). So we can natter about growing out own, crafting and home cooking. 

elsien

I'm in the lucky position where I'm careful day to day but do have savings behind me which will hopefully carry me through stupid utility price rises.
I have decided that on the holiday front I am splurging this year. I can afford it at the moment. I've not had a good holiday since before covid. I don't know what my situation will be next year so I'm saying sod it and have booked two abroad breaks, one long, one short city break.  I may regret the decision. Other people may think it's a silly thing to do. I don't want to rub it in for people who can't afford those options but I've decided just this once I really want to treat myself. So I am while I still can - sometimes life is just too short and these are my priorities this year even if I have to subsist on jacket potatoes and beans when I get back.

Bluegreen143

Enjoy your breaks away @elsien 🙂 I think it sounds like you’ve thought through your decision well.

We never took the kids anywhere when I was a SAHM, so our first ever week away was last summer - a week in a small log cabin by a beautiful Scottish Loch. We are going back to the same place this year and booked it as soon as we left last time! Maybe we won’t be able to afford a holiday again next year but I don’t want the kids to miss out all the time. We haven’t had a family holiday abroad yet though I always holidayed abroad before having kids.

We are also having a long weekend in a caravan, again in Scotland by the seaside - it’s in the highlands though so will cost a fortune in diesel which I didn’t really think about when I booked it months ago. That could be a limiting factor to how far we go in the future I think if fuel prices remain high. 

Like you Elsien, I feel really grateful to have these booked and appreciate that it’s out of reach for many. Holidays at home are not necessarily all that much cheaper than going abroad.

joedenise

We also have booked holidays this year.  Both in France in our motorhome but the Eurotunnel and the return ferry next month were paid for in 2020 when we weren't allowed to travel.  We also have a holiday in France which is Eurotunnel both ways which again for paid for in 2020 so no travel costs this year.  What happens next year in another matter of course, although I'm hopeful we'll be able to afford at least one holiday in France using Tesco points for the Eurotunnel tickets!

The costs whilst there are not much more expensive than being at home as we mainly self cater with just the odd meal out.  We tend to eat out at lunchtime which is cheaper and we go for a Menu de Jour which is at least 2 courses and usually includes a drink but we never pay more than 20 Euros each so not too much of an extravagance.

If we eat out then it'll be something like French stick with cheese, ham and salad in the evening.

KxMx

I'm wiping out my savings moving into a flat of my own- will be very strange to have almost no money behind me but I will be able to manage on my income and within that save regularly again.

I feel fortunate to have had funds to set up my new home as I want it, and I will have no debt either. 

I'm also going to be selling some collectable cards to boost my savings, I did good (£250 after costs) with the ones I didn't want, so think the nicer part of my collection will do very well. I've got 6 envelopes left so to save buying more for now I've picked the 6 I feel will raise the most money to get things started.
I see-sawed between keeping & selling, decided I needed money more and now I'm quite excited to get started as soon as I get another eBay offer and see how well they do. 

Brie

I've been looking (again) at flying to Canada to see my family.  But to go in June is quite expensive (start of the holiday flights) so I'm thinking of October instead.  I know my brother who cares for our mom is planning on being away so that would be convenient for him as well as my other brothers who have been able to help over the last 2 years being at least in the country.  It's a long time to wait though particularly when one's mom is in her 90s.  

Also - thought I'd mention in passing there was another post about the £150 rebate and the bumpf on my council website seems to suggest that about a quarter of those entitled have been paid and that others who don't have DDs set up are being contacted by letter in the next couple of weeks.  I suspect other councils are possibly on the same time scale.

Spendless

Myself and DD were fortunate enough to be able to accompany DH on a business trip last month - just paid our flights and spends. We could stay in his accommodation (very plush as he's the most Senior attending), including in most meals and events, so free entertainment, food and drink (though DD is couldn't as legal age there is 21 and she's 19). We spent a lot of time running to see her when she was on her course. Thankfully petrol is free and DH discovered he'd got a hotel loyalty card where he acquires points when he stays away with work, they were a god send.

We too have savings but we're dipping into them too often and not replenishing and that makes me worried. It's not helping that I'm not working at the min and for the past few years have been supporting kids through Higher education, incl this past over-lapping year with DD on an unfunded course. Thankfully her next offer attract student funding so she's not dependant on us for every penny. I have sent you a PM @London_1 as she is going to somewhere I've seen you mention about your Grandchildren - not sure if same campus though.

@Bluegreen143 - We have had a conservatory on our modest 3 bed semi in an inexpensive area for the last 15 years and never regretted having it done. We too put it on our mortgage, that will be paid in full early next year. We've always loved the additional room it's given us.

euronorris

Well, making butter was a bit of a disaster for me. I did it in 2 batches (thankfully). The first batch ended up going past the butter stage and became a weird liquid. The second batch was going the same way. I think it was too warm, so I put it in the fridge overnight and then blitzed again this morning, which thankfully then worked. I don't think there's any saving the first batch of liquid though. I did put that in the fridge also. Anyone any ideas what I have turned it into? And is it worth trying again, or is that batch done for?

London_1

Hi chums well I'm off to my beloved IoW again this year, in five weeks time I go with my DD,son-in-law and some of the boys as we do every year. we get a holiday house between us and we share expences

 Hopefully we will be looking at property as as soon as the last boy is settled into Uni, and the other two are also settled.
 DD, and son-in-law and I are moving there permanantly to live. It was always our goal to go there to live, and my DD spent half her childhood there as my late husband came from the island.

So both our houses will be sold, and a larger one bought between us. DD can take her job with her as she can work either in the office, or at home, and her company don't want to lose her.
My son-in-law is a surveyor and can either commute to Portsmouth or Southampton, or get a job on the island.But as most of the children will have flown the nest its not too much of a problem.

Apart from the July holiday, I have also got a short five day coaching  trip booked to Porthcawl in October with my eldest DDs ma-in-law.

Wasn't too expensive, and as she doesn't drive, it will be nice for her  to have someone to have a good natter to. We get on well together, and its not the first coaching holiday we have been on, and the hotel group is pretty good.
Plus added bonus I don't have to drive, and can just sit back and enjoy it  

B/B & evening meal, all evening entertainment, with sea views and a couple of excursions out, all for £269 for five days with a local pick up from where we both live. The food in the previous hotel we stayed in was excellent and plentiful, and lunchtimes we would just have a snack when we were out. 

I think it does everyone a bit of good, just the change of scenery helps. We have all been stuck for the past couple of years and a holiday brightens everyone up.

As a child our family holidays usually consisted of almost 24 hours on various coaches from south London to the north east coast of Scotand to visit and stay with relations ,who in turn would trek down to our house in London for their holidays as well.

I remember going on a caravan holiday once for a week, but my late Mum hated it, and swore she wouldn't go again. But back in the 1940s/50s caravans were nothing like the ones of today. trekking across a muddy field for the loo in the middle of the night, or a wash in the shower block was jolly hard work   

I have had several caravan holiday with the family when the boys were little and cramming three adults 5 children and a dog into a caravan was a bit of a feat, but that's all DD at the time could afford bless her.

Just thinking about it now  my youngest grandson Mikey who is now 6'2" was only two when we went to Norfolk in a caravan and he flatly refused to go into the shower as for some reason it terrified him, so I can see him now sitting on the draining board with his little legs dangling in the sink, and DD and I taking it in turns to clean him up and ending up soaked. He is 18 next week bless him,but thankfully is a lot happier about showers  

As the boys grew larger ,it became more practical to get a hoilday house and we have had some really nice ones over the years.

I suppose its balancing needs with wants , I'm quite happy to save a few pounds here and there and have a buffer behind me, and have always saved for our holidays .

The four boys, when small, had a 'road kill ' jar at my house, and were there  any coppers they found to and from school went into 'Nannys road kill holiday jar' and it usually helped to pay for the ice creams or fish and chips  

So even if its only perhaps a day at the seaside with the kids on a beach its a break, and something we have all struggled to do with all the various lockdowns.

I'm counting the days until I can drive onto the ferry at Portsmouth on 1st July and drive off and go to our holiday house, We have been there several times over the past few years, and its almost on the beach with a nice verandah to sit and knit and watch the sea from. My ideal of pure bliss, feet up and some knitting or my book with a coffee and I'm a happy old lady  

Just need some sunshine now  

cheers chums 

JackieO xx

P.S. I have sent you a reply Spendless xx