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

Onebrokelady

-taff said:

Onebrokelady said:

YoungBlueEyes said:

I agree OneBrokeLady.  I used to watch news morning and evening but don’t now. I do watch some normal telly, but it’s more often QI on Dave, or something interesting on PBS/history/yesterday channels.  

I would ring them and say “please give my licence money back, I promise I don’t watch BBC or listen to BBC radio, or have the news app on my phone anymore - but I don’t think I’d get very far ha haa! I mean, how would they check?! 

I'm am of the generation that used to watch the adverts on the telly about getting caught without a license so I'm terrified of doing something wrong and getting a huge fine which I wouldn't be able to afford to pay, they have their ways of checking people. I've never had the news app on my phone mainly because it's too small to see properly 😀

They have NO way of checking apart from to come to your house,ask you if you watch tv, ask you to let them in to check and then you say, I don't, and no you can't. Which has never happened to us in seven years of living here. Then they will send you letters for six months, each more threatening than the last, then their computers will click over and start addressing letter to the 'occupier' or the 'legal owner' and the letters will go on a loop forever.

http://www.bbctvlicence.com/

Why do these letters from 2021 say about watching live tv on any channel, I thought you only needed a licence for the BBC channels 

Onebrokelady

dreaming said:

Onebrokelady said:

I've just started watching Claire's journey and like her because she seems relatable to me. I also watch Shoestring Jane and quite lie hers,I tried the Frugal Queen in France but couldn't relate to her at all 

Frugal Queen in France does slip into "schoolmarm" mode at times (her previous occupation) but she does make some very good points and I certainly admire her for living according to her (and her husband's) own principles. I struggle with some of the American frugal vloggers as their experiences don't really relate to my life as a single 60something woman but again do still pick up tips from them. Apart from frugal vlogs I love watching Acre Homestead which is American and more about being as self sufficient as possible but is a bit of "escape from reality" watch for me. I also watch Handcrafted Homestead (I think there is a bit of a theme there) which is set in the Czech republic, although the family lived in the UK for some years. I seem to be watching an awful lot of Youtube at the moment as I can't do a great deal with my health condition, but I would rather be gardening.
I'm just trying to meal plan for the next few week and setting up a grocery delivery. I was hoping to last out till July but I am low on cat food and a few other bits. Not being able to drive at the moment is getting me down as I used to be able to just nip to Morrisons - I had gotten into a rhythm of shopping every 12-14 days but can't always make up the list enough for delivery that often (plus paying the delivery charge) so it's tended to be 3-4 weekly instead. I invariably forget something and then have to decide whether to get it at the local Tesco Express which can be quite expensive.
My gas and electric company are telling me I can reduce my direct debit from £79 to £63 as I am building up a credit but I am leaving it as is to counter the rises due later in the year. I have solar panels so am benefitting at the moment with all this lovely sunshine.

I like Frugal Queens ideas and don't mind how she speaks it's just she isn't in the same situation as me as according to posts on here she has a second home ,I'm struggling too pay for one home so can't relate to someone who has two. Maybe I'm looking at it in the ring way,I will give her another go as like others have said she still might be living on a tight  budget relatively speaking 😊

Edited to add that I would love solar panels and the housing society that owns the other half of my house we're going to install them on all their properties a few years ago but I never heard anything about it in the end. I'm wondering if they just meant the rental properties and not the shared ownership ones 🤷‍♀️
There are two new housing developments wing built on my road and all the house have solar panels which is really good to see 😊

-taff

Onebrokelady said:

Why do these letters from 2021 say about watching live tv on any channel, I thought you only needed a licence for the BBC channels 

Nope, any live tv including live streaming online and bbciplayer.

Don't need it for any catch up, or paid for service like Netflix.

In theory,no online live streaming, in practice, it would be almost impossible to isolate your ip address and match to your physical address. Not allowed that though...

YoungBlueEyes

Many moons ago I was a military wife, some of it on a closed camp.  When the tv detector van came round, the guard on the gate would make a call to the first person on the phone tree to say he was here.  Then it rippled round the camp to turn our tellies off cos then they're undetectable from outside.  I don't know if technology has changed in the intervening 20 years though!

The licence fee only applies to BBC output.  So tv channels, radio, iplayer, news app etc.  Everyone else makes money from adverts.  The only bit of the BBC that falls outside this is BritBox - because you pay a subscription fee for that. 

Florenceem

London_1 - that is a very good idea.
Two of the local supermarkets have been to visit our food bank and seen how low stocks are. So we are being allowed to collect items for the food bank on some dates coming up. Now we need volunteers to cover all the 2 hour slots in the sms.
Our local shelter is full and the number of homeless is increasing. While I was helping at SA today - we had a request for sleeping bags. Also had a visit from some Ukranian refugees.

[Deleted User]

Hi guys

To the person who queried my budget - yep it’s £316 PCM for everything excluding mortgage and council tax 😊come and join us on the frugal living thread where many of us are on similar low budgets living very well 😊😊

Regarding the TV licence, it is A LOT easier now to deal with the licensing folk. 

As others have you said, if you are not watching ANY live TV on ANY channel, and don’t use iPlayer, you don’t need a license. A licence is also not needed for BBC radio stations or the sounds app. The TV license website confirms that.

If you think you fall into this, simply go onto their website, input your licence number, select the ‘I don’t need a licence’ option, tick your boxes as to why (mine were we only watch Netflix and Disney plus), and they will post you out a ‘No licence needed’ confirmation letter xx

YoungBlueEyes

I stand corrected!  I really should check before I post things ha haa! 

London_1

Florenceem said:

London_1 - that is a very good idea.
Two of the local supermarkets have been to visit our food bank and seen how low stocks are. So we are being allowed to collect items for the food bank on some dates coming up. Now we need volunteers to cover all the 2 hour slots in the sms.
Our local shelter is full and the number of homeless is increasing. While I was helping at SA today - we had a request for sleeping bags. Also had a visit from some Ukranian refugees.

Yet this weekend Glastonbury will have thousands there who when they leave will leave tents etc behind for someone else to throw away How many tents and sleeping bags will be abandoned there I wonder and how much use could it be for the homeless. This happens at many festivals up and down the county,if only they could be collected washed and reused it would help so many people. Fantastic that you have got local supermarkets involved, if only this could be expanded There is such a lot of kindness out there and often it just needs a spark to get folk galvanised. Jack Monroe got folk thinking a few years ago, I wish the media would get behind a scheme like this as I'd bet a pound to a penny everyone who could help,even a little bit would. We are basically a pretty good natured helpful country as a rule I just wish we could get more things moving instead of the news banging on about the bad stuff all the time

JackieO xx 

Floss

-taff said:

Onebrokelady said:

Why do these letters from 2021 say about watching live tv on any channel, I thought you only needed a licence for the BBC channels 

Nope, any live tv including live streaming online and bbciplayer.

Don't need it for any catch up, or paid for service like Netflix.

https://www.gov.uk/tv-licence gives all the details

sammyjammy

London_1 said:

Florenceem said:

London_1 - that is a very good idea.
Two of the local supermarkets have been to visit our food bank and seen how low stocks are. So we are being allowed to collect items for the food bank on some dates coming up. Now we need volunteers to cover all the 2 hour slots in the sms.
Our local shelter is full and the number of homeless is increasing. While I was helping at SA today - we had a request for sleeping bags. Also had a visit from some Ukranian refugees.

Yet this weekend Glastonbury will have thousands there who when they leave will leave tents etc behind for someone else to throw away How many tents and sleeping bags will be abandoned there I wonder and how much use could it be for the homeless. This happens at many festivals up and down the county,if only they could be collected washed and reused it would help so many people. Fantastic that you have got local supermarkets involved, if only this could be expanded There is such a lot of kindness out there and often it just needs a spark to get folk galvanised. Jack Monroe got folk thinking a few years ago, I wish the media would get behind a scheme like this as I'd bet a pound to a penny everyone who could help,even a little bit would. We are basically a pretty good natured helpful country as a rule I just wish we could get more things moving instead of the news banging on about the bad stuff all the time

JackieO xx 

Plenty of festivals gather them up and pass them on to homeless charities etc, I am sure Glastonbury will do the same, they have a very high ethos of reuse and recycle.