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

euronorris

Katiehound said:

euronorris said:

 

I must say though, it's so tiring (and time consuming) having to go through all these extra steps just to try and keep to budget. 

Being a tad cynical I wonder if this is part of the strategy!

In the end folk will think- 'they're all so similar, I can't be bothered... stick to this one. even if it might be dearer.'

Probably! But when your budget won't stretch that far, you have to carry on anyway.

Well, the boot sale was pretty quiet. Not surprising given how cold it is! Still, I made my pitch fee back PLUS another £19.90 profit. Yay! And the organiser came round to each of us and gave us a code word to use next time for a free pitch as it had been so quiet. So, that means my next one will be all profit.

I was only there 2 hours and I'm still warming up! Brrrr.

Auntycaz

Another thing that is quite annoying is when you go out of your way to go to a supermarket not local to you because they have several things you want on offer or that you can't get nearby only to find when you get there they're out of stock. It's not too bad for me as I'm retired but for anyone with limited time due to work etc it must be really frustrating. I find Mondays the worst day for this probably due to it being so busy at the weekend.

zaxdog

Elisheba said:

zaxdog said:

With regard to prices we are a fifty mile round trip from the nearest supermarket and then it's only a Morrison's and Co-Op which are stupidly expensive. Once a week we need to travel the hundred and sixty mile round trip to my office so we do a big Aldi/Tesco/Lidl/Farmfoods shop when we are up. Rotating the shop each week to fit what we need and to stock up. Luckily we have a car with a huge boot so it works for us. Also keeping in stock dried/UHT milk, frozen and tinned veg and making sure the animal food is topped up.

Sadly this is all due to the New Highland Clearances 

But at least we live somewhere beautiful now even if it is very remote   

What are the New Highland Clearances, @zaxdog? 

Well in  areas like the Highlands and where we are in Argyll houses for a good while have been bought by second homers or folk retiring from down south so the price of housing has gotten so high that local people have no chance at getting housing. Rents (if you can find anything which is unlikely) have rocketed too. Hundreds of people competing for a few homes. And as houses either lie empty a good part of the year or are occupied by retired people who have moved into the area there are no homes for workers. Businesses start to close. Villages and towns start to look like ghost towns except a few months in the spring and summer...............................

YorksLass

boultdj said:

@YorksLass I've grown rhubarb in a large pot, was lovely till vine weevel moved in and killed it off.

I'm tempted - if only I could get compost delivered!     I did once but obviously couldn't visualise how big the bags were and ended up with far more than I needed!  I don't want to make that mistake again.

Floss

YorksLass said:

boultdj said:

@YorksLass I've grown rhubarb in a large pot, was lovely till vine weevel moved in and killed it off.

I'm tempted - if only I could get compost delivered!     

Do you have a small local garden centre? My local one does deliveries - I call in when out on a walk along the canal & compost/ bark are usually outside the house when I get home! Or look at Wilko 😉

sammyjammy

Thank you whoever mentioned Farmfoods butter!   I got 5 packs, tried to get some fish mix for a fish pie but apparently they don't sell things like that!

Elisheba

zaxdog said:

Elisheba said:

zaxdog said:

With regard to prices we are a fifty mile round trip from the nearest supermarket and then it's only a Morrison's and Co-Op which are stupidly expensive. Once a week we need to travel the hundred and sixty mile round trip to my office so we do a big Aldi/Tesco/Lidl/Farmfoods shop when we are up. Rotating the shop each week to fit what we need and to stock up. Luckily we have a car with a huge boot so it works for us. Also keeping in stock dried/UHT milk, frozen and tinned veg and making sure the animal food is topped up.

Sadly this is all due to the New Highland Clearances 

But at least we live somewhere beautiful now even if it is very remote   

What are the New Highland Clearances, @zaxdog? 

Well in  areas like the Highlands and where we are in Argyll houses for a good while have been bought by second homers or folk retiring from down south so the price of housing has gotten so high that local people have no chance at getting housing. Rents (if you can find anything which is unlikely) have rocketed too. Hundreds of people competing for a few homes. And as houses either lie empty a good part of the year or are occupied by retired people who have moved into the area there are no homes for workers. Businesses start to close. Villages and towns start to look like ghost towns except a few months in the spring and summer...............................

Ah yes, I do know about this, just not heard it called that before. A worrying state of affairs. I'm sure I heard recently that Wales were tweaking things to make buying properties to rent out as holiday homes less financially viable. Maybe that's something other areas will follow. Not sure what can be done about second homes and retirees though. And as working from home becomes more and more the done thing, there will be more and more incomers pushing up prices. At least they'll be more likely to have families and use local services I suppose.

zaxdog

Elisheba said:

zaxdog said:

Elisheba said:

zaxdog said:

With regard to prices we are a fifty mile round trip from the nearest supermarket and then it's only a Morrison's and Co-Op which are stupidly expensive. Once a week we need to travel the hundred and sixty mile round trip to my office so we do a big Aldi/Tesco/Lidl/Farmfoods shop when we are up. Rotating the shop each week to fit what we need and to stock up. Luckily we have a car with a huge boot so it works for us. Also keeping in stock dried/UHT milk, frozen and tinned veg and making sure the animal food is topped up.

Sadly this is all due to the New Highland Clearances 

But at least we live somewhere beautiful now even if it is very remote   

What are the New Highland Clearances, @zaxdog? 

Well in  areas like the Highlands and where we are in Argyll houses for a good while have been bought by second homers or folk retiring from down south so the price of housing has gotten so high that local people have no chance at getting housing. Rents (if you can find anything which is unlikely) have rocketed too. Hundreds of people competing for a few homes. And as houses either lie empty a good part of the year or are occupied by retired people who have moved into the area there are no homes for workers. Businesses start to close. Villages and towns start to look like ghost towns except a few months in the spring and summer...............................

Ah yes, I do know about this, just not heard it called that before. A worrying state of affairs. I'm sure I heard recently that Wales were tweaking things to make buying properties to rent out as holiday homes less financially viable. Maybe that's something other areas will follow. Not sure what can be done about second homes and retirees though. And as working from home becomes more and more the done thing, there will be more and more incomers pushing up prices. At least they'll be more likely to have families and use local services I suppose.

Our landlord sold the rental property we were in to be converted in second homes by a guy from London. We'd been there five years and our neighbours for twenty.

The only property we could get was eighty miles away. Luckily as I had worked from home during covid my employers were happy to compromise with me on hybrid working. Main issue is I don't drive so Mr Zaxdog, Barra the bonkers rescue sighthound and I load the car most Fridays and head off at 6am. Mr Z drops me off, heads to a local secluded carpark and has a nap, shopping at lunch then a good walk with the hound. Meant to finish there at 5pm but my boss sneaks me away at 3.30pm/4pm usually.

We've lived on a few islands and I think if folk can afford it an "island store cupboard" is a good idea. Imagine you've got a week where the ferries are off and no supplies are coming over so: dried goods, tinned/frozen veg (especially onions), bread flour or part baked rolls, anything like that will help.

Elisheba

I live 50 miles from my work @zaxdog as when I got divorced I couldn't afford to rent a house in the area where I had been living and working. Thankfully I'm living in a town with services, there is a train to work, and I do drive for when the trains breakdown (a frequent occurrence!). Couldn't afford it if I wasn't working from home 4 out of 5 days because the train fare is really expensive.

I don't know how people who live on their own manage in some areas - house prices and rental prices are sky high, especially in the south east. You're lucky if you can afford a box room, and that costs more than I pay on rent where I am. And then places like my work can't recruit staff, because who can live there on normal wages?

zaxdog

Elisheba said:

I live 50 miles from my work @zaxdog as when I got divorced I couldn't afford to rent a house in the area where I had been living and working. Thankfully I'm living in a town with services, there is a train to work, and I do drive for when the trains breakdown (a frequent occurrence!). Couldn't afford it if I wasn't working from home 4 out of 5 days because the train fare is really expensive.

I don't know how people who live on their own manage in some areas - house prices and rental prices are sky high, especially in the south east. You're lucky if you can afford a box room, and that costs more than I pay on rent where I am. And then places like my work can't recruit staff, because who can live there on normal wages?

That is exactly the issue in Argyll. Businesses can't get staff and businesses that serve the locals go bust! If I see one more tartan tat shop or a padded gilet and £250 anorak shop I may meltdown completely. Luckily we were offered a housing association property so we can afford it (just) from a HA that is building more homes. Unfortunately if nothing is done to stem/reverse the tide more an more communities will die apart from when the posh cars sweep in for a few weeks every year.

On a happier note the meal plan is completed for the week (including the packed lunches for our trip to the office).