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

elsien

I was interested enough to look up the definition of destitution that they are using.

Destitution is defined as the inability to meet basic physical needs to stay warm, dry, clean and fed, either because of a lack of clothing, heating, shelter or food, or because household income falls below a minimum level after housing costs – ranging from £95 a week for a single adult to £205 a week for a couple with two children. Lack of heating is probably kicking in with a lot more people at the moment.

And yes I know people used to manage without proper heating etc. (and some still do) before anyone says it. We also used to have children working in factories from the age of 4 but wouldn't want to go back there now. 

Madbat60

I agree @elsien I have no desire to be cold.  It makes me miserable and grumpy.  If I get cold it takes me hours to get warm again thanks to my dodgy thyroid.  As we're down south it tends to be a bit milder but the house gets damp without heat.  

London_1

I agree I grew up cold, and have no intention of growing old cold if its at all possible its far too depressing .

  JackieO xx 

YorksLass

Another dull day here, not quite as windy as yesterday but with frequent and sometimes heavy showers.  That put paid to today's last minute shop I'd planned, but I will have to go either tomorrow or Xmas Eve.  Tomorrow looks the better day.

Instead I made a dozen mince pies this morning using my last jar of YS mincemeat (hope I can spot some more) and have knocked up half a dozen fishcakes, two of which we'll have tonight with mushy peas and four for the freezer.

This afternoon I had some "me" time with a DIY manicure and pedicure.  Bliss.  

Still a few small jobs to do before The Day but, if they don't get done, I'll not be stressing.     

Brambling

As much as i like salmon it has got so expensive so I refuse to pay full price, luckily it seems to be one of those 'luxury' items which i pick up often with a good YS price often half price or less and freeze.  This year once again Sainsburys have sides of salmon half price if you have a nectar card (I think Asda does as well) i brought the smallest one they had for £8 which gave me 8 portions all now frozen plus the end of the tail which i will stretch in a risotto or with pasta tonight.  With what i already had in the freezer I will have enough to have it once a week until Easter which is the reason I haven't brought a second one 

I remember living in what my parents considered luxury when they were given the keys, a newish council bungalow, single glazed no heating just the coal fire in the lounge with a back boiler.  We moved in the mid 60s in the snow from a thatch cottage which i have no memory of but it had no electric or gas, no bathroom, the toilet down the garden and a issue with rodents!  my oldest siblings remember when the water came from a well in the garden before a tap was put in the scullery in the early 50s 

Toonie

Thanks to saving up my Nectar points all year (and buying things on a Sainsbury credit card and getting points on that) my Christmas shop from Sainsbury came to the grand cash total of £1.67! We did get a few things previously in Aldi as they are cheaper, but that only added an extra fiver. We even managed to find a smallish turkey crown which is great as it's only the two of us. This means the money I'd saved for the Christmas shop can be used for bargains after Christmas!

linz

How's everyone doing on this thread? I must admit it's nice to have the heating off & not be using the lighting as much. Hopefully will see a reduction in gas/electricity bill before too long. Have asked Octopus Energy for all but 1 month of my credit back (approx £250). Apart from that lots of other costs increased in April (council tax, water, rail fare and broadband). I had a pay rise which came in the same month as all these 4 went up so got to watch a lot of it get swallowed up straight away How's everyone else getting on ?

Auntycaz

My rent went up by £140 per month this month so it took my pension increase and more. It said on tv this morning that inflation was over and growth was up by 0.6% but you wouldn't notice it by the prices in the shops increases in council tax water rates and the fact that we are paying more taxes on our earnings as the basic rate for paying tax has been frozen for so long.

YorksLass

Much of our state pension increases have been swallowed up by increases in rent (not as much as @Auntycaz though), CT, water rates, phone/broadband etc and I now have to pay tax on my small final salary pension, thanks to personal allowances being frozen.  Food prices are still on the rise, albeit more slowly, so we'll continue to watch the pennies.  The one thing that is helping us is that DH now gets the higher rate of Attendance Allowance (lung cancer) although I'd happily do without that if he could be well again.

Heating is off, lights not needing to be on as much and more warm weather meals are the order of the day as long as the good weather stays with us, so hopefully energy bills will be smaller for a while.

Thankfully we're not struggling as much as some are and I do my best to pop something into the food donation box when I can.

Floss

The rent increases will be based on CPI in September, when prices were still going up.