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

Effician

RobM99 said:

Energy bill - mine is 87p and I've only just got up! No heating, that's just standing charge, fridge and freezer so nearly £1 inc. VAT for almost nothing. Crikey. Summer 2021 was 50p a day all-in!

Or you could say until April the first £2.15 of electric everyday is free.

RobM99

Effician said:

RobM99 said:

Energy bill - mine is 87p and I've only just got up! No heating, that's just standing charge, fridge and freezer so nearly £1 inc. VAT for almost nothing. Crikey. Summer 2021 was 50p a day all-in!

Or you could say until April the first £2.15 of electric everyday is free.

Yes, well aware of that!

TheAble

Effician said:

2 of us at home all day & no complaints here, £34 electric usage + £14 sc ( on EPG ) for Dec, no gas/ oil  or solar for us but used slightly less free wood for heating than last year. With the £67 from the Gov't it's another free month & £19 credited  to our whole amount variable DD account.

Very nice 👍

zaxdog

Terrified of our January electricity bill coming but hoping it's manageable. We have a small two bedroom bungalow and our heating and hot water come from the wood burner. We also don't have a traditional oven/cooker and just use a combination of air fryer/slow cooker/microwave and a camping stove as a hob.

On a happier note we just had a wee lunch buffet of: creamy veggie tarts, macaroni cheese pots and mini sausages which came to a total of £1.43 for the two of us 

Florenceem

Mr F managed to get some eggs today in Icelan.- 10% off day - I had been struggling to find them. so a spend of £4.56 today.
Mr F took stuff to the charity shop while in town.
Wet here now and chilly so my heating is on at 19.

LessImpecunious

greent said:

YorksLass said

Today I've cancelled my annual Ancestry subscription before it auto renews at the end of the week, a saving of £119.  Although I find family research interesting and absorbing, I also enjoy other pastimes and have had to prioritise in order to stay within budget.  If they come up with a special offer that fits my budget better, then I might reconsider.

Ancestry currently have an offer on for annual membership of 59.99...

If anyone's been looking for this with no success (as I was) I had an email this morning (having also cancelled my subscription shortly before it ended around the 1st Jan), with a link to this offer - I suspect it will only work if your membership has expired/been cancelled. My email says the link expires 9th January, and is https://www.ancestry.co.uk/checkout/MLI?rtype=11&flow=3&o_xid=125921&o_lid=125921&o_sch=Email Campaigns

mumf

Yes it’s getting tough for many,including us, but even after our massive incomes loss because I am so ill, our frugal life is helping us greatly.No different in fact. I do feel that a lot of folks who are whining about the situation need to have a look at the rubbish they think is vital need to have a look. Or perhaps that’s me being old fashioned? 

Pollycat

mumf said:

Yes it’s getting tough for many,including us, but even after our massive incomes loss because I am so ill, our frugal life is helping us greatly.No different in fact. I do feel that a lot of folks who are whining about the situation need to have a look at the rubbish they think is vital need to have a look. Or perhaps that’s me being old fashioned? 

I think when you have no choice, you have to make it work.
It sounds like you are doing that. 
Not old fashioned at all.
Just realistic.

Some people think they are skint when they can't afford to have 2 holidays a year.
Others - like you - make the best of what they have.
I know which attitude I'd like to have if we were ever in financial problems.

FTR, I have gone through periods where I wondered how I was going to pay bills and lived on beans on toast and mashed potatoes & one sausage. And breast of lamb - which was very cheap at the time (40+ years ago).

mumf

Pollycat said:

mumf said:

Yes it’s getting tough for many,including us, but even after our massive incomes loss because I am so ill, our frugal life is helping us greatly.No different in fact. I do feel that a lot of folks who are whining about the situation need to have a look at the rubbish they think is vital need to have a look. Or perhaps that’s me being old fashioned? 

I think when you have no choice, you have to make it work.
It sounds like you are doing that. 
Not old fashioned at all.
Just realistic.

Some people think they are skint when they can't afford to have 2 holidays a year.
Others - like you - make the best of what they have.
I know which attitude I'd like to have if we were ever in financial problems.

FTR, I have gone through periods where I wondered how I was going to pay bills and lived on beans on toast and mashed potatoes & one sausage. And breast of lamb - which was very cheap at the time (40+ years ago).

You understand! We spent the last 40 years on erratic work etc. and concentrated on buying our cottage.Right now that’s our lottery ‘win’ . In the modern world, considering no holiday was not an issue. A week on our vegetable allotment was a treat! Food was important. 

Apart from illness,life is calm and good. Take care.

Toonie

I think it depends on where your starting point is. I've always been frugal, I like eeking things out. My DP has always had well paying jobs and he's not needed to be as frugal. He is constantly surprised at how well I can manage the food budget (around £200/month) for the two of us as we eat meat most days (I have digestive issues which mean most vegetable proteins are a no-go for me). But to me it is the thing I can currently contribute as I'm not working due to ill health. If you've always been able to have whatever you like and are suddenly forced to look at your spending and take away a lot of what you think of as a part of your life it would be very daunting. Yes, over time you may see what you had been spending wasn't worth it, but in those initial moments I think people do need support and a little encouragement.