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

greent

Our local Tesc0 packs all the Ys items into crates and takes them out the back and then brings them back because of the scrums around them otherwise

CKhalvashi

EssexHebridean said:

pelirocco said:

linz said:

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

British gas refunded to £67 to my bank ,think that's a crazy idea it should stay credited  to fuel accounts

Absolutely agree. while some people will immediately transfer the money across to their gas account, or just ringfence it for use in a few months, there are plenty more who either won't even notice it landing and will just think they are a bit better off that month, or worse, will see it as a nice little bonus/new pair of shoes/big takeaway splurge/treats for the kids or whatever, and won't have the money when the higher winter fuel use starts landing. 

It's easy on here to forget sometimes that an awful lot of folk out in the real world aren't as savvy with money as most of us are! 

We still have some savings to draw down as the company (hopefully) bounces back into profitability, but we are putting the DD discount into a savings account (With Shell).

Just for reference, Shell seem to believe that monthly usage will be about double our expectations and we are keen to not build too big credit on the account. Not sure why the discrepancy as we typically have been reasonably low users, however this was with a manual calculation on new unit rates compared to last year.

CKhalvashi

Rosa_Damascena said:

I have just read this, it's pretty shocking how the YS scrum has escalated: https://apple.news/AmXhSrFL4STuy2shEQcq9HQ 

Managed to get a couple of YS pizzas in a petrol station (little Waitrose branded) just under an hour ago for 20p each. They will be frozen and taken in tomorrow or Wednesday to have at work.

I'll be working office-based 6-ish am to 9pm for a few days this week as we need to get 4 new staff into employment before 1 December to pay about 2.5p/sq.m+property tax+utilities for office space until 31 May and need to hit targets to get half price for an unspecified period after, so long hours definitely are needed over the next weeks.

YoungBlueEyes

The 'only eats ham sarnies and pasta' bit reminds me of one summer when we were children. Mum had cooked dinner for us all (me, sis, and 2 same aged cousins), but cousins wouldn't eat it because there were peas on the plates. It turned out they didn't eat round things or things that had touched round things. Mum said 'eat it or starve'. They both left it, but when the same dinner was presented the next night they ate the lot. Aunt was amazed that mum had "cured" her kids....

Sometimes these things are learned behaviours that are allowed to perpetuate because the parent/s won't say no.

This is absolutely not to detract from actual mental health issues and disabilities, just to point out that it ain't always that.

Bluegreen143

My kids are a bit picky (not to the extent of only eating beige food, just pickier than I like!!!). 

I was very frustrated as DS ate AMAZINGLY until he turned three - we are quite into our food and he would clear all the dishes at tapas restaurants etc - no pickiness at all. 

When he turned fussy at three, I followed a couple of registered dieticians online and read a book or two by child feeding experts. They all gave the advice never to pressure kids, or bribe them, or even encourage them to eat, just to serve what you adults are having and let them choose what to eat but don’t provide alternatives, focus on just providing a nicer environment at dinner time and don’t worry about what they eat.

This seemed to jive with my overall parenting approach so we followed it religiously. Over the following 2.5/3 years both kids became really picky and were regularly “dropping” foods but not learning to like new ones as the dieticians had promised. It was miserable!

In the spring I realised that my friend with good eaters approached things much more like my own parents had done - much firmer rules (not being horrible but quite firm about not getting down til you’ve eaten some etc, and no dessert without eating dinner). So my husband I have tried this and honestly they are like different children. My DS in particular is trying new foods every week and loving them.

So I really think a lot of the prevailing advice that parents are given by “experts” at the moment is actually causing an epidemic of picky eating. I did everything “right” and it created picky eaters - when I reverted to more common sense firmer approaches (again not being horrible, and I don’t enforce plate clearing as you don’t know how hungry they actually are - just as long as they try everything and eat a reasonable amount) it’s solved the issue. 

My DS was raging about not getting sweets on Sunday after dinner (roast chicken), when his sister did, because he hadn’t eaten much of his. Last night he informed me he “hated” the chicken soup I made with the carcass but had eaten the full bowl because he didn’t want to get no sweets on Halloween 😂🙈 I don’t think he genuinely did hate it as he ate tons but good to see he’s learning! This was the first time he’s eaten chicken soup.

**EDIT - different approaches work in different families so apologies if anyone has followed any of the same dieticians as me and loves them! Just made our kids’ eating worse unfortunately.

ladyholly

I tried all approaches with my DD but she ate very little until she met her husband and will now eat most things. She was so skinny at one time the school nurse accused her of being anorexic having asked if her mother was slim. She laughed and said no (Im not). However she didnt ask about her dad who is about 6ft and weighs between 9 and 9 1/2 stone and has done since I met him over 50 years ago. I think her husband is a better cook than me.

QueenJess

@Bluegreen143 thanks for posting that as it makes me feel a bit better. I think I followed the same rough path as you, but without really doing any of the research. I don’t like basically telling them puddings are treats, but it seems the only practical way here and was the same for me when I was growing up. I turned out alright and love veg.

I also find DS eats more of his meal when I say he has to eat more of it before any pudding rather than DH saying it as he knows I mean it. DH is a pushover…

YoungBlueEyes

Yep @Bluegreen143 sometimes these things are about how you approach them.

A few years ago I was at a different cousin's house, and his wee son (6 yo) was having a fit about not want to eat the sweetcorn his mum was prepping for dinner. So I took a cob and we sat and dismantled it. He reckoned they looked like the boils grandad's got on his ears. Me - well a whole one like this is called an ear so you're absolutely right. Him - so these are ear boils! Me - Yes they are!

Later on we're sat next to each other eating dinner he's nudging them round the plate, I squished some of mine (he's carefully watching) and ate a forkful. He suddenly shrieks "urgh you're eating ear boil pus!" Yeah I am, bet you daren't eat some too. And he did. Urgh you're eating ear boil pus too! No I'm not! Yes you did I saw you! And he's squealing with laughter. Problem solved.

Nobody else had a clue what we were on about! 

joedenise

My kids were brought up with eat it or go hungry.  If they didn't eat it then there was nothing until the next meal.  Forty odd years ago there just wasn't the money to give in to pickiness!  As a SAHM it was just DH's money so we just couldn't afford any fussiness.

The 2 girls are completely different in their eating habits now - the elder one will only eat really plain food, no spices at all - she even thinks black pepper is spicy! She also doesn't do much cooking, just things like pasta, jacket potatoes with toppings.

The younger one is completely opposite and can't get enough spicy food.  Loves chilli, curry, taglines etc etc and absolutely loves cooking!

I often wonder why kids brought up exactly the same way turn out so different!

Floss

arnoldy said:
... Depressing. Not sure what the answer is to help people with their chaotic lives and unwise choices or priorities - but one thing it's not & that's to carry on as we are with the same approaches and policies in UK. 

Education & support is z huge part of the answer - how long is it since proper Domestic Science or Home Ec was taught to all kids in schools? To be taught to create a balanced diet with nutritional information, to cook properly, to budget & shop, even to keep a home relatively hygienic & clean? Without those key skills, thousands of people in their early 50s, 40s, 30s and younger are trying to cope with what skills they have, which are not adequate for life today and are not able to make better choices.

There is no familial society as there was 50+ years ago with grandparents,  aunts & uncles all living near to your family home; no grandma to teach you to bake or make scouse or roast chicken; no helpful butcher to give you recipe ideas for your shin beef.