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

Florenceem

Very wet here today - been raining since the early hours. Been volunteering/working at SA today for 5 hours. As I was about to leave the SA - a rough sleeper turned up - wet through,cold and feeling ill and that he doesn't want to carry on. This chap is not an addict but has been failed by the system - he sleeps in a shop doorway. Rough sleepers/homeless die at a younger age than those in housing. The shelter is full and nowhere to move the residents on to as accommodation is not available. I count my Blessings.
There but for the Grace of God go I.

strawb_shortcake

I've been doing Slimming World for most of this year, I had been having hot chocolate as my evening low syn treat but the costs have completely rocketed this year. However Tesco currently has my favourite half-price so I bought 4 today and plan on bulk buying these whilst on offer to see me through until after Christmas at least.

I didn't realise how much cereal I had in the cupboard but as it seemingly goes up 10p a week I'm not sorry.

Woolsery

Florenceem said:

Very wet here today - been raining since the early hours. Been volunteering/working at SA today for 5 hours. As I was about to leave the SA - a rough sleeper turned up - wet through,cold and feeling ill and that he doesn't want to carry on. This chap is not an addict but has been failed by the system - he sleeps in a shop doorway. Rough sleepers/homeless die at a younger age than those in housing. The shelter is full and nowhere to move the residents on to as accommodation is not available. I count my Blessings.
There but for the Grace of God go I.

Yet we have plenty of hotel rooms for healthy economic migrants, or so it seems. I'm sure you know many of those sleeping rough began their downward spiral in the defence of the realm, being deployed in places like Afghanistan. It was an experience some never recovered from, finding it too difficult to return to 'normal' life and receiving little long term help from the service that used their loyalty and labour.

I've known one such person since he was a child, full of youthful fun and showing great artistic ability. The last time I saw him, he was grimly hanging on to family life by the skin of gritted teeth. An officer, he had considerable insight into his own difficulties, but it was not enough to prevent the night panics, the rages and his inability to be what he perceived as a good father. I hope he's made it through those difficult years of adjustment, perhaps through his art, which he was using as a kind of pressure release when I last saw him. Sadly, there was no Christmas letter from his Mum last year, so I fear the worst in more ways than one, but assuming he's still with us, I wonder what he now makes of the country he was once prepared to defend, and perhaps, die for.

(Sorry, this is maybe a bit heavy for this thread, but your post struck a nerve. I don't want to derail the important day-to-day job many of you are doing in sustaining morale and showing others how to make budgets stretch in hard economic times.)

YorksLass

EssexHebridean said:

YorksLass said:

Nursie did ask if I had memory problems.

My Dad always threatened to respond to this with "how would I know?!" - to my knowledge he always resisted the temptation, though!   Love it!      

I'm pretty sure that the T's and C's for T's online shopping at least have always stipulated that the prices charged are as at time of delivery by the way. Others may know differently though - it's not something I use really, I'm just remembering from when I had to do a C&C shop earlier in the year.  You're probably right.  After all, if I went in the shop I'd have to pay what the price was at the time - not what it was two days before.  I think it was the fact I was wondering why the total bill came to more than the order confirmation that I noticed it.

YorksLass

We're happy to downgrade on most foodstuffs - and have been doing so for quite some time; luckily we're not restricted by any particular allergies, medical needs etc and have few dislikes.  In some instances eg salad cream or ketchup, we prefer the SM own brand.  I've even stopped buying some things because of the increased prices and can usually find a cheaper, acceptable alternative or am happy to go without.

There are some non-negotiables though - a certain brand of peanut butter, dark chocolate, extra mature Cheddar, butter and eggs spring to mind, as well as a preference for fresh fruit & veg but will and do sometimes settle for frozen or tinned.

Let's see what the Chancellor has in store for us all tomorrow.  I'm of the mind set that I don't expect anything and so won't be disappointed if we get nothing.      If that's the case, then we'll just have to muddle through as best we can, as we've had to do before.

Katiehound

One of my friends said they wouldn't bother to fill the car now before the budget. Well, all I can say is that even if the duty doesn't go back on the price at the pumps is very unlikely to decrease tomorrow!!

Blackcats

£60 for a kilo of cat treats 🙀.  I hope that my cat's unselfish acceptance of a brand downshift means that this has dropped to closer to £50 a kilo!

elsien

I’ve just bought two 15 kg bags of dog food because they were on offer. And I needed the 2 to get the free delivery. As Gitdog is a little past his prime, I’m now walking around telling him he’d better long live long enough to eat them, the beggar. 

Brambling

YorksLass said:

There are some non-negotiables though - a certain brand of peanut butter, dark chocolate, extra mature Cheddar, butter and eggs spring to mind, as well as a preference for fresh fruit & veg but will and do sometimes settle for frozen or tinned.

I picked up a pack of Lidl mature cheddar in error awhile ago, it was orange, rubbery and not particularly mature 🤢 unfortunately even cooked it was very nice, I was determined not to throw it away but it took me forever to eat.  As a treat I occasionally buy local cheese from the farmers market who sale cow, sheep and goats cheese 😋 although I have to ration myself to a pack as I could  spend a fortune with him, if he has a new one he will usually talk me into trying it.
.

JIL

Florenceem said:

Very wet here today - been raining since the early hours. Been volunteering/working at SA today for 5 hours. As I was about to leave the SA - a rough sleeper turned up - wet through,cold and feeling ill and that he doesn't want to carry on. This chap is not an addict but has been failed by the system - he sleeps in a shop doorway. Rough sleepers/homeless die at a younger age than those in housing. The shelter is full and nowhere to move the residents on to as accommodation is not available. I count my Blessings.
There but for the Grace of God go I.

I was in a large city a few winters ago and around 9pm, huge groups of homeless people began crowding around a shop doorway.
A van then arrived with big pans and bread, the shop door was then unlocked and the homeless were given food and shelter for what was a really cold night.
I thought it was a thoughtful way to use what was an empty space.

I think what you do in terms of giving your time and energy to help the less fortunate is absolutely fabulous. It breaks my heart to read of someone who has very much reached their limits and hope there will be something that can be done x