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

sarahj1986

Floss said:

sarahj1986 said:

Fizzy drinks is a huge vice of mine. Years ago I used to give up something for lent. I did meat, carbs, crisps, chocolate (one each year) but by far the worst was giving up fizzy drinks. I was almost in tears by the end of it. I don’t even drink that much 1-2 cans a day but I try and have fizzy drink free days. I just enjoy a cold Diet Coke with certain meals. It ruined my eating experience too 😂

So around 12 or so cans a week? That's a lot to me, I rarely drink fizzy drinks unless it's G&T when on a rare night out.

No I wouldn’t even say it’s that if I got an 8 pk of Pepsi max it would last me over a week so I’m probably over estimating what I drink 

MrsStepford

My husband is a Kent native, I was born in Norfolk and spent my childhood and some of my adult life here. The village in which five generations of my husband's family lived was beyond our reach for rent or mortgage so we moved to the coast. Now, this town has a lot of Londoners and we have them as neighbours.  They are full of when we lived in London anecdotes. Really sneery. Didn't shut up until we told them that we had both lived (separately) in London plus Toronto, Miami, Barbados and Jamaica. (Husband is very well travelled). So yes we were pushed out of our home environment and now we want to move.

My uncle and aunt and one of husbands sisters made it to France pre Brexit. We had hoped to do the same when we retire. Husband's paternal great grandfather was Scottish and he's part of a clan. So we thought Scotland.

I found a Highland town mentioned in a crime detective novel. Small and remote but has a station, buses, two supermarkets, two discount stores, hospital, independent shops including butchers and hardware stores etc. Close to a tourist area but nothing I'd call really touristy in it. 

I've been looking at property prices and a large traditional stone house with six bedrooms is £145k and a Georgian terraced stone house with four bedrooms and a South facing garden is £160k. I've seen terraced houses with garage, garden, three bedrooms for £90k. All of them stay in the market for ages. The six bedroom place has been up for sale for nearly two years. None of them have been snapped up quickly. Maybe it's not near enough to the tourist area, not cute enough or something. 

I won't be told where I can live LOL. I'm happy to learn Doric via Open University and wear my husband's tartan 

Floss

Maybe there is no broadband.

Nelliegrace

Dobbies Garden Centre has not increased our annual Direct Debit for membership, it was still £10 instead of £12. I started it with £10 birthday money from MIL some years ago.
We get free hot drinks for two every month, worth £60. I e-mailed that the free birthday hot drink and cake for two voucher had not arrived, and it was sent next day, saving us £10. We use the 2 for 1 cream scone offer regularly. We have a pleasant afternoon looking round the store and the lovely plant area, and check the reduced price plants. There is 10% off full price stuff and points which give money off vouchers. There is often a yellow-stickered bargain or two at their small Sainsbury’s.

Frugalista

Just wanted to say Thank You to whoever posted about Freeway Max coke being the same as Pepsi Max.  Have now tried it and it will save quite a lot in my housekeeping.  Thank You!

Nelliegrace

I look at my small supermarket trolley before going to the checkout and think, “Is that food? Will it make meals for the week with what I have already?”
A blogger was showing his £10 a week grocery challenge and he included a multipack of crisps!
I do notice trolleys and baskets in articles about the rising food prices, several have those dreadful plastic packs of lunchables, biscuits, breakfast cereals, juice, and fizzy pop. These are not food. Buying treats should not come before buying essential food. People shop by habit and addiction. 
This from The Guardian. 

Florenceem

I have done my menu plan for the week - will only have to buy milk and maybe eggs this week plus any cheap bits in the community shop.

Auntycaz

Hope everyone is stocked up on the basics as the weather is taking a turn for the worse. We're expecting a temperature of -6 degrees for tomorrow and we have a weather warning in place from tonight for snow and ice and it's due to spread to other parts of the country over the next few days.

Florenceem

Hope it's not too bad here - have a Birthday card to get in the post tomorrow.

Slinky

Not looking forward to the cold weather tomorrow, I volunteer at visitor welcome of a NT site, 3 hours standing around outside in our own particularly chilly microclimate. I think I may have to dig out my 40 year old sheepskin jacket - a la John Motson. I bought it with my first month's pay in 1982. Cost me £90 of the £93.12 I'd earned.