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

Toonie

YorksLass said:

G & E bill arrived, OMG!  Despite all our efforts at economising (and being low users), we've been charged £60.46 for E (was £34 last December) and a whopping £221.58 for G (was £70.86 last December).  Units of E used are a little less than last year and G units only slightly higher because of the cold snap, so it's all down to increased prices.  And that's after the EBSS and EPG have been applied.     Needless to say, I'm wearing my energy police hat.  Top temps here today of 8c but it felt much colder outside thanks to the cold breeze.  Roll on the warmer weather.

We've just had our bill through (our month runs 20th-19th) and it's roughly the same amount as yours. The gas has definitely been the real kicker this time around, as I'm at home all day, with my dodgy knees, I am really struggling to keep warm despite the layers, so have been putting the heating on as I can't manage otherwise. That combined with the single income and DWP being useless (they are currently withholding over £700 of my ESA and I can't get a straight answer as to why) it's not going to be easy the next few months. I'm definitely going to take advantage of the cheap supermarket veg, make up whatever I can to pop in my little freezer, and try and find ways to trim whatever else we can.

linz

London_1 said:

My youngest granddaughter has sadly parted with her OH, and as a teacher is on her Christmas break at the moment.She texted yesterday and asked if she could come round and make some sausge rolls tomorrow morning.

So I've just whizzed up to the large Tescos to get extra puff pastry and some sausage meat. No blocks of pastry left, so had buy some ready rolled stuff which will have to do, and the tiny trays of sausage meat at £3.50 were not really enough and no way was I paying £7.00 for two trays so, I bought instead 12 Cumberland sausages for £2.60, and 8 Lincolnshire sausages for £2.00 so more than enough for her to use to make some sausage rolls as we can strip the skins off, with bangers left over for our lunch

I used to make my own puff pastry but with the price of butter ,plus all the faff of rolling and folding it, I decided to buy ready-made as it does save a lot of work DGD Holly won't mind ,I think she just wants a bit of 'normality and cooking time with Nanny as she did when she was a little girl. I shall make her laugh  and fill her up with lots of coffee and TLC.

I was in there before 7.00 and back home by 7.30am. nice to shop without all the pushing and shoving. Only have to pop to the library later to return my books All shopping done and dusted until the New Year thank goodness

JackieO xx

THat sounds lovely, making home made sausage rolls with your nana - I wish you were my nana I love old Christmas traditions. I love watching the wartime program can't remember the name, where they show how victorians etc managed at Christmas. I have some of my nana's home made tree decorations on my tree, must be about 80+ years old now, little men made out of pipe cleaners with faces painted on shiny little baubles . Home made stuff is always the best.

timehastoldme

This year has been blooming horrid. Took on extra work with the aim of moving house, some was great but one was demoralising and not at all brain kind. We built up our savings, set a time line, and then mum was diagnosed with cancer. All plans out the window, all savings funnelled to making this easy for her. Moved in to hers during the chemo, bought sofa bed so I'd have somewhere to sleep, pared my work down to minuscule (self employed WFH) and my OH alternated between hers and home because of his work. Came home for a visit with mum when she recovered a bit from her last chemo and I broke out in cold sores, ulcers and now Norovirus. Over the worst hopefully because tomorrow we travel back ahead of the scan to see if the chemo got it all. Prognosis is excellent, they're aiming for cure.

All this means money saving is impossible. Can only cook what doesn't make mum ill, and energy is so low that we're often having to go with easiest over cost effective. We've installed smart TRV's on all the radiators so she can keep her room warm without cooking the rest of the house, the heating bills will be insane, but we've accrued over 1k in credit by not being here much so hopefully that'll ease the pain. House prices and mortgages rates have all flipped so who knows about moving, but it's an absolute blessing to have had those savings to be able to keep her as comfy as we can during this rough patch. Husband says there's nothing better we could spend our money on. He's a good egg.

annieb64

It sounds as if you have had a tough time of it. I hope your mum's scan goes well and things are better for you all in the new year.

Wednesday2000

I hope you have a much better 2023.x

YorksLass

SM delivery arrived this lunchtime, all P &C, apart from one item that's not urgent  I've tried twice to order this, without success, so will wait until the New Year when I'll go to my local SM to see if they have it.  Sigh.  I was also overcharged £1 on one item but a quick phone call to customer services sorted that out and I have a refund voucher to use next time.  I don't think it was done deliberately - more like the system hadn't caught up with a new promotional price - but it just shows you have to check!  Money's too tight these days.  

We're well stocked up food-wise and I'll be making it last into the New Year, so less shopping on the cards for the next few weeks.  Of course, if I see any post-Xmas bargains they'll be going into my basket.     I've taken advantage of the 19p veg (potatoes, carrots, swede, red cabbage, sprouts and parsnips) and also have a leg of pork and a beef roasting joint (half price) and a small gammon to cook/slice/freeze.  Good job I've made room in the freezer.  

Toonie - DH is the one here who needs the heat due to poor mobility issues - I can manage much better than he can, I think my internal body temperature system works better.  I'm sorry to hear the DWP are dragging their heels - they don't make it easy for people, do they?

timehastoldme - Here's to a better 2023 for you and yours.

JackieO - Hope you and DGD enjoyed your sausage roll session.

Toonie

YorksLass They certainly don't make it easy. I spent over four hours on the phone today to three different departments of the DWP and I'm still no closer to figuring out what is going on. Not really what you want when you're already suffering from chronic pain, mobility problems, and tiredness (I take notes of phone calls so I keep track of it all). My internal body temp used to be fine, would rarely put the heating on, but since the problem with my knees started (20 months ago) I've hardly been able to exercise, I barely seem to leave the house, and sometimes it's a struggle to eat healthy (a fish finger sandwich is an easy option). I did have nice soup today though, and used up some croutons from the freezer.

timehastoldme I hope things improve for you and yours.

DP has found out his work will close at lunchtime tomorrow, so no packed lunch required. He can have a bacon sandwich when he gets home and I'll have my second portion of soup to have and a rasher of bacon to snip over the top.

zcrat41

@timehastoldme i hope your 2023 brings some good news for you. 

@JackieO you are the best Nana ever!! 

EssexHebridean

@timehastoldme sometimes we just have to do what we have to do - I hope you get the news you are all hoping for and that you’ll soon be able to move on and out this awful time behind you. 

I’ve got the milk steeping with it’s onion and bits for the bread sauce. As usual I’ve tweaked the old faithful BBC Good Food recipe by adding extra spices - there’s very little that gets cooked in this house without added allspice, for a start! It’s already smelling lush! I’ll add the bread tomorrow and cook it to thickness, then it will get its cream and butter when it’s reheated. 

Very pleased I took the opportunity of an early finish at work today to get the food shop done. £66 of it mind you, but that included my bottle of Prosecco, a good sized gammon joint, Christmas snacky food, and the sausages/chipolatas for sausage rolls and pigs in blankets. Oh - pancetta for the Pigs too. Plus some more normal food too you’ll all be pleased to hear! There might be a few more odds and ends to get but there’s still a couple of days to sort them, yet. 

I’m paranoid I’m going to forget to collect the flipping turkey tomorrow, mind you! 😆

price changes noted when shopping today:
My usual jar of olives was 95p last time I bought it - £1 now
Tinned soup from 45p a few months back to 60p is still shocking! 

The pancetta used to be £2.75 - £3 now and I suspect the pack weight will have dropped too. 

Oh and I got 19p sprouts - MrEH is very chuffed! 

Rosa_Damascena

London_1 said:

JIL said:

@jackie0
Your post was so full of love, it's shines through just how much you mean to your grandchildren and how much they mean to you.

Oh bless you yes I adore all of my seven grandchildren, and when they are hurting I am as well. But bless her she is such a dear little lass, and was totally astounded when he announced he wanted a divorce as they had been together 6 years and were only married a year last August.
They had had three cancellations because of covid and lockdowns and she has for the past few months been under the hospital having treatment for PCOS as as far as she was concerned they were trying for a child  
Right out of the blue he's decided that he wishes to be single. Apparently he has been texting someone else  She is devasted as she adores him.
But I will always be there for her and try to keep her spirits up bless her. 

JackieO xx

I know you cannot say anything but anyone who sets out to break your GD's heart doesn't deserve to access it. She will mourn the loss of the plans they had together but in the long term she will be doing herself a favour if she respects herself. V difficult to see when you are in that position though, I know!