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

EssexHebridean

Did our big start of month shop yesterday - prices seem (round our way at least) to have stabilised a little. A couple of bargains worth noting - Nescafe ordinary red top coffee is MrEH's preferred for first thing in the morning - F@rmfoods currently have 2 300g jars for £9 which matches the previous cheapest available (T's clubcard price of £4.50 which recently increased to £5). Also Princes tuna chunks in brine - the 6 can packs are on 2 for £8. That makes it pennies a can more expensive than the T's "value" version (stockw3ll & co I think?) but personally I think it's a lot nicer so makes it worth it. Also in FF's was the Nap0lina 500ml passata on a 2 for £1 deal - again more expensive than a value version, but nicer. 

One good thing we spotted - T's have their "Creamfields" double cream back in stock - it's not been available in our local stores for an age so was good to see that back, especially at the start of ice-cream maker season! 

In other news - I re-evaluated our electricity use earlier in a bid to double check on currently available fixes - we've knocked about 800kWh a year off our use in the past 12 months which was a pleasant surprise - I know some of that will be as a result of a milder winter and the heating not being on as much, but still - 4700kWh a year is a lot cheaper than 5500! still, nothing worth jumping to for a fix - which didn't come as a huge surprise. 

Bluegreen143

Re energy bills and arrears. My husband is a meter engineer and has been assigned warrant work many times in the past. They go out with a warrant officer, a locksmith and if necessary the police are called and attend. So I can say for certain that energy companies DO apply for warrants very regularly to change meters to prepayment and force repayment of debt that way. Once the warrant is out you’re unlikely to be able to avoid it because the locksmith will let them in if you’re out, and if you’re there but don’t allow access then the police will intervene.

Not sharing to cause alarm but merely to say, it is much better to open the lines of communication and to speak to them to arrange a compromise/payment plans rather than avoiding the issue.

Frugalista

Just popping on to tell you all about my fantastic shopping haul today.  Rump steak, pork loin joint, battered cod, pork kebabs, diced lamb, lamb chops, sirloin steak and much, much more.  All reduced! Should have come to £82.55 - I paid £18.18!!! Yay!!

We live very rural with no Community Fridges, Good to Go, or Olio locally, so had driven to our nearest town approx 16 miles away to buy fuel and some bits & pieces - and just arrived as masses of reductions were put out.  I am so thrilled! 

Am off now to play freezer tetris - I may be gone some time!

linz

Great haul there @Frugalista ! What a worthy journey it turned out to be for you!

EssexHebridean

Bluegreen143 said:

Re energy bills and arrears. My husband is a meter engineer and has been assigned warrant work many times in the past. They go out with a warrant officer, a locksmith and if necessary the police are called and attend. So I can say for certain that energy companies DO apply for warrants very regularly to change meters to prepayment and force repayment of debt that way. Once the warrant is out you’re unlikely to be able to avoid it because the locksmith will let them in if you’re out, and if you’re there but don’t allow access then the police will intervene.

Not sharing to cause alarm but merely to say, it is much better to open the lines of communication and to speak to them to arrange a compromise/payment plans rather than avoiding the issue.

I wouldn’t worry to much about that particular individual - their posting history rather speaks for itself, and it appears that prepayment meters are already in place judging from other posts! 

elsien

EssexHebridean said:

danjackson2021 said:

My partner and both have had to do DRO and or bankruptcy over 6 years again and again recently. Now once again we have council tax bailiffs calling round saying we owe a couple of thousands and that’s since the last balance got wiped 

we also have the utilities company calling trying to fit prepay meters but we won’t let them in without a warrant with a wet signature from a judge which they will never be able to get. They claim it’s thousands our in unpaid bills again since the last time the balance was wiled


the thing is our benefits don’t even cover food and necessities, I explain that to the bailiffs everytime they call but they just keep calling back I never open the door


these days the bailiffs can’t do anything anyway we live in rented house which the LL is trying to get a possession order and we have no assets 

we both have large credit card balances which we are just paying the bare minimum every month

i suppose we are the same as the government just going further into debt with no hope of ever being able to pay it back

Perhaps try putting together your SOA and posting over on the Debt Free wannabe board - as that is no way to live, and if the LL succeeds in his application for repossession you could find yourselves in temporary accommodation - which might really be none too pleasant. Similarly, if you are indeed thousands in energy debt then the supplier may very well be able to get the magistrates court order allowing them to force access - it's a bit of a brave game to assume otherwise. As for Council tax - you can go to prison for not paying that...

Ultimately it seems implausible that your benefits are leaving you without even sufficient money for food even without paying other priority bills - it seems likely that there should be other things you can claim to improve the situation. If you put together the SOA and post it on DFW though someone will be able to advise.  

Just for information, the poster keeps popping up on different threads to complain but has consistently posted conflicting information and declines to provide any information which allows anyone to help. 

EssexHebridean

I think we may have cross posted there - see my post above! 😂 I investigated a bit earlier and saw some of the other threads! 

Spendless

Yesterday my parents gave me a load of salad, carrots, onion, various different potatoes  and some feta cheese because they are going on a fortnight's holiday abroad today and would all go to waste otherwise. I wish Mum had spoken up before last weekend though as I'd bought quite a lot of the same items when grocery shopping and didn't need to. I came home, removed Mum's stuff from their wrappers, wiped, chopped and put in more suitable containers for it all to last longer. Last night me and DH had some pork steaks all chopped and mixed with random veg that needed using, some mine, some Mums, onion, tomato, aubergine, pepper stir fried with the end of a BBQ sauce and served with baby potatoes done in the air fryer with a chip spice over them. Incredibly tasty even though Mr S wanted to throw the remaining chopped aubergine he hadn't used away - I stopped him!  

luvchocolate

EssexHebridean said:

I think we may have cross posted there - see my post above! 😂 I investigated a bit earlier and saw some of the other threads! 

I got a telling off for not being kind on the bankruptcy board with this poster. 
I've been through that process and would never be unkind.

Jellytotts

Managed to jump on a fixed deal (recommended by Martin in last weeks email) when our current fix ends in august.  Our payments will go from £95 to £246.  Ouch!  There's no exit fee so if anything better comes along we can swap.  I dread to think what it would be without our solar panels.  We do run an electric car so our bill always seems inflated to me but obviously no other fuel costs so it balances out in our favour.

Salad bits are being harvested regularly now from the garden (daft cat number 2 keeps sneaking in the greenhouse and sleeping on the seed trays...does wonders for germination!) strawberries are very nearly ripe (blummin badgers kept eating them so I've had to fence them off)Beans are around 4ft up their poles and chard is looking like I can start picking this week. Loads of baby courgettes doing their thing too.  Spuds are in old brewing buckets and look nearly ready to flower. Pumpkin and other squashes are just starting to bulk out and start travelling across their beds.  Tomatoes are all in flower and cucumbers and gherkins are just beginning to shove out some babies too.  Looks like it will be a good year.