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

CCW007

The difference between supermarkets seems to be vast - I recently bought have a smartpass for Mr M as they do our cat food cheaper than anywhere else (including Amazon), due to maximum quantities we order twice a month.  So I regularly order our groceries from them.  Cheapest pasta I can find is 75p.  I need a few bits I can only get from Tesco so I am putting together an order and comparing prices - cheapest pasta is 29p (glad to see it is available again as hasn't been in the past).  If you only have a Mr M available, you have to pay 2.5 times the price.

Like EH, I don't need to buy that brand so will leave it for those who do.

Our local "news reporter" took a photo of a rubbish bin about a month after the first lockdown started and it was half full of packaged meat - I'm not entirely convinced it wasn't staged but apparently residents had been complaining about the smell.  Absolutely terrible to think about all the wasted food.  It actually made me far more food waste aware and grateful for every delivery and bit of fresh food I could get.  Our village set up a Whastapp group and whenever anyone was going to a supermarket they would find out if anyone needed anything.  Someone managed to arrange regular bulk orders of flour from a bakery to share.

I'm probably the worst kind of donator to food banks, I tend to do a big stock up when I go to Costco.  It's not easy to get to the food bank regularly so it needs to be worth making a special trip. I've currently got some UHT whole milk to donate but it takes most of my lunchtime so will wait until I have more to add.

t14cy_t

i use the local community food pantry. my hens are laying like billyo so have been giving to those in the que. it creates a really good atmosphere and gets people talking to one another that wouldnt otherwise interact. win win. xx

Floss

All my local supermarkets have foodbank drop-off points . I did try to find where they operate from in the first lockdown but gave up and drop at source now when I do the donation shop which makes it incredibly easy.

GaleSF63

QueenJess said:

It probably sounds pathetic and possibly condescending, but I find reading all the cost of living stuff very stressful as I feel awful for all the people going through it and there is just nothing I can do. Yes, I donate to charity and pop things in the food bank boxes at the supermarket, but it feels like giving someone 1p who is millions in debt - it just makes no difference. But other than this and voting, I just don’t know what I can do to change anything. The fact that we needed food banks at all before the whole cost of living crisis shows there is something very wrong and the inequality index has been rising for a long time before Covid.

There are hundreds or thousands of people who do that and maybe feel the same, but that's hundreds and thousands of items - it does make a difference.

newlywed

I found a community pantry today (but without fridges so limited selection), just 15 min walk from home. There was a queue and I passed 5 mins after it opened. I won’t use it unless I really have to, as I am employed full time and not on a minimum wage. Others have more need but I feel better knowing that there is one if I’m ever in need.

Rosa_Damascena

I was playing hairdressers with my mum today. It came out in conversation that her usual hairdresser had closed down and the replacement charges £38 for a wet cut. I understand that businesses have overheads but for someone who wants a basic cut without styling that's steep.

The right haircut can make you feel a million dollars for at least a month, but shouldn't cost that.

London_1

Yesterday on TV a chap was saying that with the war in Ukraine and rising energy costs its likely that the cost of living may be rising to 10% by the Autumn. 
So a lot of people will really be feeling the pinch I shall dig out my online Misers cook book that I started a good few years ago now and see what other recipes I can find to streetch the food stuffs out with) a few of you on here may remember it as I sent it to a good few of you.Its got a lot of things in it that had had tried myself ,also stuff that some of you on here sent to me its been invaluble at times and anything that helps a little to streetch the budget I shall be happy with.

JackieO xx

KxMx

I'm afraid haircuts are expensive now and the price you mentioned is actually very reasonable. 

I pay £39 for a ladies wet cut at a good salon by a fab junior stylist, locally very few places charge less and many, many places charge more. 

As I'm growing it out to restyle eventually I have reduced my frequency from every other month to every 3-4.
I have rough layers and they need recutting in otherwise I start to look unkempt and I'm far too vain to tolerate that! 

I did used to use the local college beauty salon where the students are learning but well supervised, but gave up after a basic cut took 2 hours. 

Florenceem

London_1 said:

Yesterday on TV a chap was saying that with the war in Ukraine and rising energy costs its likely that the cost of living may be rising to 10% by the Autumn. 
So a lot of people will really be feeling the pinch I shall dig out my online Misers cook book that I started a good few years ago now and see what other recipes I can find to streetch the food stuffs out with) a few of you on here may remember it as I sent it to a good few of you.Its got a lot of things in it that had had tried myself ,also stuff that some of you on here sent to me its been invaluble at times and anything that helps a little to streetch the budget I shall be happy with.

JackieO xx

Back to how it was when I was living on benefits and feeding 6 children. I still have my Penny Pinchers Papers.

Rowan9

JackieO you kindly sent me your Misers Cookbook many years ago! Full of good ideas x