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

[Deleted User]

Yes, Si_Clist, the £1.99 lozenges were in Boots.  The overall costs are increasing but I really do wonder if all the price increases are fair. 

I'm choosing to do without a number of things (such as deodorant spray and talcum powder) which, before this present cost of living crisis, I bought without really thinking about it.  Whenever I can I shop around now but, sometimes, when I'm tired, I just 'make do' with alternatives.  Life is still good!

ladyholly

Deleted_User said:

... I struggle to understand how a number of items are increasing such a lot and so quickly ...

Not only are ingredients are going up but remeber up until now there has been no help for business electricity costs plus people are wanting higher wages and all that is on top of other prices. Most commodities are paid for in dollars so until the £ settles down this will cause more price rises.

Florenceem

I went to redeem my 2 x £5 Hobbycraf. vouchers today. One was for the craft weekend event and the other was from them for my Birthday. I scored in the baking section - total came to £11 so I spent £1 and got £34.80 worth of items. The only full price item was the cupcake insert. Great haul for my baking at SA.

cinnamon123

Florenceem - great deal! I think it is so wonderful what you do at SA

cinnamon123

Deleted_User said:

I'm choosing to do without a number of things (such as deodorant spray and talcum powder) which, before this present cost of living crisis, I bought without really thinking about it.  Whenever I can I shop around now but, sometimes, when I'm tired, I just 'make do' with alternatives.  Life is still good!

Meant to also say that since the colder months are upon us, people may be able to use less deodorant or forego it completely. One easy alternative is a swipe (or two!) of witch hazel or rubbing alcohol (not sure if it called anything else in the UK). Bacteria causes odor and both of those can help with that plus they don't have aluminum which affect some people. 

Slinky

Deleted_User said:

Slinky said:

Deleted_User said:

I'm trying to be realistic (and not moan - more be grateful for what I have) but:  The way prices are increasing really does not make sense.  Many items seem to have increased by much more than inflation and I struggle to make sense of some of it.

This is just a very small example:  Today I went into my local £-land shop to buy my 'usual'  packets of Jakemans Honey and Lemon lozenges at 50 pence per packet.   In the space of just one week they had jumped in price to £1 per packet - 100% increase.  I (politely) mentioned this to the shop assistant and she said that 'everything' had gone up in price.

I didn't buy them and, when looking for something else in a big well known chemist, I noticed that they were on the shelf marked at 65 pence.   Although still an increased price I decided to buy just one packet as, at least, as I thought, not as much as a 100% increase.  At the chemist checkout they went through the till at £1.99 (ouch) for the one packet.  I struggle to understand how a number of items are increasing such a lot and so quickly.

I want to be fair but I could not justify paying £1.99 for a packet of lozenges now costing £1.99 when, less than two weeks ago (in a different shop) the regular price was 50 pence for one packet.

I've just this minute posted on the grocery thread about the cost of increase of Jakemans. What you don't appear to have noticed is the pack size has changed. In Savers the 130g pack was 59p. Now there is a 73g pack for £1 and a 160g pack for £1.79.  They also do a stick pack, or at least they do in cherry flavour, which is 41g for 50p and I have swapped to these instead.  The blueberry ones seem to have disappeared completely.

I have not been to Savers in recent months, Slinky, but thank you for posting this.  I have decided not to buy Jakeman's any more - I'll manage without them but they really do soothe a dry throat.  I used to buy washing powder etc. at Savers but I have cut down so much and my soap powder seems to be lasting a lot longer now.  I have not noticed that my washing is less clean so that's good.

I use Tesco biological loose powder (in a purple box the last time I bought it). I keep an old desert spoon in the box and use this to put one spoonful in the powder drawer. Don't know what amount Tesco recommend but this box has lasted months.

Florenceem

I went in Asd. for cooking bacon on Saturday and they were out of stock. I expect when it is back in stock - there will be a price increase from 75p for 500g. I got 2 packs of cooking bacon in £lan. today - 600g so not a bad deal. Cooking bacon is so versatile - I make egg & bacon pie + put it in quiches + liver & bacon casserole as well as frying decent rashers for a meal .

tooldle

@Deleted_User Are you near a Lidl? I bought a big bag of menthol sweets from Lidl in June. Just getting to the end of them now. I don’t know if these are a regular thing as I don’t buy them very often. Worth a look. The pack we have was around 1Kg and cost less than 2 Euro. 

[Deleted User]

Thanks very much, tooldle. Yes there is a Lidl I could go to.  I have not seen big bags of menthol sweets there but I'll look out for them.

linz

Those people with Shell Energy it looks like theyve added the £67 to accounts. Just noticed the credit in my account has gone up by about that figure since I did the meter reading on 29th Sept