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

Van_Girl

I did my weekly shop yesterday at 5pm, and was genuinely shocked by how empty the shelves were at Ald1 & L1dl - quiches, vegetables, pitta breads etc - only the most expensive versions available, or lots of gaps.

Ended up at Mr T's, which I wouldn't usually do as doesn't fit my budget, but they had price matches for A&L's so worked out more or less the same, and I also got a reduced bread loaf which has gone in the freezer for next week

I don't like shopping weekly, especially at £2.5 in fuel for each journey, but I need the fresh salad stuff atm. My garden lettuce and toms should be keeping me well supplied by now, but it's all struggled this year. So disappointing 

Floss

newlywed said:

cuddlymarm said:

Hi guys
I’ve got a Tesco grocery delivery due later and luckily as they now send you an email receipt I noticed that because they had so many out of stocks it had taken me under the £40 limit. So they were charging me an extra £4 for them having no stock in. Anyway after phoning a very nice lady the £4 is now on its way back to me. So it’s worth being aware in these strange times and I wonder how many of us have been overcharged.
Of what I’d ordered no cooked meats at all, no fresh meat ,no fruit mousses and the only frozen stuff available was sausages and fish fingers. Strange times indeed.

Interesting as my Tesco delivery was on Friday and the only thing they didn’t have was frozen prawns,

I got cooked meat, all my frozen items, the fresh meat. 

Probably just the difference between having an order picked on Friday as against one of the hottest ever Tuesdays - they are probably just out of stock due to shoppers buying cooked meat, mousses, meat for the BBQ etc. And shoppers may have gone out early before it gets hot so shelves haven't been restocked before the order pickers go round.

Siebrie

We live in a rather affluent village, and, usually, when the weather is any form of 'nice', can smell the barbecues left, right, and centre. I have not smelled a barbecue in a month! Maybe the people are guarding their money for the price hikes they expect in winter?

Jellytotts

elsien said:

You know you don’t have to go into one of their fixed tariffs? You can insist on the SVR if you want to? 

I do know thanks.  Just knowing that I missed one price hike and another is coming in, in October it was worthwhile jumping onto another fixed deal (as recommended by Martins email)  with our company.  As I've said it's a no penalty exit so I lose nothing if the prices go down but the fixed deal price has already been withdrawn and the newer one is substantially more. Works for us

YorksLass

Well, I've pondered, rationalised, cogitated and have decided.  I've gone for the 12 month fixed deal which, although more expensive than the standard variable, does give certainty for a while.  Like Jellytotts, my reasoning is that, if we chose the standard variable, we would only get one month at the current price cap (present fixed deal ends 31/8) before it goes up again to who knows what and also the fixed deal may well disappear soon.  No exit fees either so, in the very unlikely event of something cheaper coming along, we wouldn't be penalised if we did move to another plan.

Before finally deciding, we looked at our annual budget to see what we can cut down on to be able to put more in the energy pot.  Tbh, there's precious little there as we've already cut back a lot so any potential wriggle room would be like a drop in the ocean.     I think our savings pot may well have to be raided.  Still, it is what it is and we'll just have to muddle through.  I'm well aware there are others out there who are probably far worse off than we are and who don't have a savings cushion to fall back on.

zaxdog

A big move for us last week. A month ago our landlord (country estate) informed us he was selling the houses on the estate so we had to scramble to get something. Sadly due to the explosion of second homers and folk retiring from the far south of england the best we could get was eighty miles away :-(

Still we have ended up in a beautiful spot (housing association so safe from the second homers), the rent is less and council tax more so it all balances out. My employers have been amazing and are allowing me to WFH four days a week. Just means a thirteen hour day one day a week as it's a nearly four hour round trip :-(

So we are out the move costs, new white goods, savings have been decimated just so that someone can use a second home maybe a few times a year. Whole villages in our region are now dark for months at a time and local shops and businesses are closing......................

greyteam1959

Siebrie said:

We live in a rather affluent village, and, usually, when the weather is any form of 'nice', can smell the barbecues left, right, and centre. I have not smelled a barbecue in a month! Maybe the people are guarding their money for the price hikes they expect in winter?

I live in the same sort of village but very affluent.
The number of supermarket delivery vans seen in the village  have dropped dramatically over the last 2 or 3 months.
All the major & minor supermarket vans used to follow each other up & down the village 7 days a week.
Only one or two a week now.
Maybe the same thing is happening??
A tightening of belts.

maryb

Both Tesco and B&Q had plenty of fans for sale the last couple of days.  I was surprised they weren’t flying off the shelves.  Maybe people are worried about running costs?

JinJinBlue

zaxdog said:

A big move for us last week. A month ago our landlord (country estate) informed us he was selling the houses on the estate so we had to scramble to get something. Sadly due to the explosion of second homers and folk retiring from the far south of england the best we could get was eighty miles away :-(

Still we have ended up in a beautiful spot (housing association so safe from the second homers), the rent is less and council tax more so it all balances out. My employers have been amazing and are allowing me to WFH four days a week. Just means a thirteen hour day one day a week as it's a nearly four hour round trip :-(

So we are out the move costs, new white goods, savings have been decimated just so that someone can use a second home maybe a few times a year. Whole villages in our region are now dark for months at a time and local shops and businesses are closing......................

In Wales, as in many areas, there's a lot of 2nd homes. The council tax bill for 2nd homes is going or  has gone up and the owners are complaining. Local people are being priced out. Good luck zaxdog. I hope it all works out for you. 

Floss

JinJinBlue said:

zaxdog said:

So we are out the move costs, new white goods, savings have been decimated just so that someone can use a second home maybe a few times a year. Whole villages in our region are now dark for months at a time and local shops and businesses are closing......................

In Wales, as in many areas, there's a lot of 2nd homes. The council tax bill for 2nd homes is going or  has gone up and the owners are complaining. Local people are being priced out. Good luck zaxdog. I hope it all works out for you. 

Hopefully that may put some folk off x