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

euronorris

Our car has that connection as well and I connect it up to Google maps to stop me from getting lost on my way to new places (no sense of direction me!).

Our old car didn't have this ability and I do love it. It's very handy when needing to send a message to DH, for example  as I can just ask Google to do it for me. Sometimes she doesn't listen to me though, and I can be seen shouting in my car! 🤣🤣

EssexHebridean

Slinky mine automatically tells me how long it will take me to get to where it thinks I work when I get in on Monday-Thursday, and if I get I the car on a Friday it assumes I'm going to the gym! The feature within the maps app that notes where I've parked may come in useful at some stage though...let's just say I have "form" for forgetting where I've left my car... 

I have a sneaky energy saving plan to roast a whole heap of veg tonight - I've got a large Butternut squash and some beetroot that need prepping somehow, and I may as well do the lot in the oven at once although it may well then need some freezer tetris to sort out fitting everything in. 

joedenise

I'm going shopping today and planning on buy loads of veg to roast too.  I've got a butternut squash which I will also chop and add to the tin.  Will probably do a couple of trays to fill the oven.  I've got a gammon joint to boil so will also add a honey and mustard mix to the outside and roast for a little while at the same time.

[Deleted User]

I have finally sat down with pen to paper and, with some tweaking, we can cope with the rises on our budget. My efforts to keep our electricity down are paying off (since the start of December we have spent £198.30 on electricity, which isn't bad to say the house is occupied all the time). 

I feel very relieved and pleased that the skills I have honed over the last couple of years stand us in good stead to cope. Feeling very grateful I don't run a car, and do have a woodburner - both of these save us as a household a fortune xx

Tanya12345

Hi All, Hope it's ok to join in....
Along with the rest of the country feeling a huge pinch here. We are mostly self sufficient in meat and veg so having a  low income and frugal living didn't really matter. With the cost of energy, plus needing to take out a loan to help No. 1 son, the world has now become a worrisome place ! Sitting down this evening seeing where the costs can be cut..... Love reading all the hints, tips and genius ideas on here. xx

sammy_kaye18

Afternoon all
I hope we are all well and getting on ok.

I read today in one of the welsh newspapers that some people are returning Food bank food parcels because they do not have the energy to cook some of the items like potatoes etc. That's a scary prospect. I do worry for quite a few children who will be going hungry because their parents are struggling. 
My daughter has started to have ready brek (I got it as a substitute for porridge oats) in the morning so at least I know she's had a decent breakfast and is going to school with a warm meal in her stomach. I do have a waffle maker that my mother in law gifted to me so I have mentioned to her that I might batch make a load of waffles and freeze them, then they can be taken out before bed and in the morning be put in the toaster to reheat. Again she can have a warm and decent breakfast before school then too. 

Welcome Tanya! Looking forward to hearing your input and tips too! 

I have been busy trying to take stock of what's in my freezer/fridge and cupboards as well as watching our gas and electric meters.
I have a few bits of sorry looking veg in my fridge as well so they will be chopped up tomorrow and made into soup. My son has helpfully agreed to pick me up some storage tubs on his way home from college so that can all get done and blended up. I might even try growing some veg on from some of the veg scraps. 

I have been talking to a women's only preppers group on Facebook as well and they have been giving me some great ideas not only for money saving but how to make things stretch and basically make do, mend, recycle and more ways to be self sufficient as well. 
So tomorrow I am going to empty my airing cupboard - I had the water tank removed and a combi boiler was put in - so basically at the minute underneath the boiler is dead space and my son uses it as a junk cupboard. So I plan on emptying it and having a clear out and then I am going to put some box shelves I have in there that Im not using and I will turn it into my extra cupboard and put any other food bits and pieces in there that I have so I will use it as a pantry. Granted its upstairs but I dont really have space in the kitchen to store extra food so I will use what I have. 

My strawberry plants arrived today, as did my peppers and cucumber seeds so I will be planting them up before long.
 I think I have everything else started up so I am just waiting to see what sprouts now so we can crack on. Although - 4 on Sunday morning here certainly was a shock to the system and I'm hoping my seeds are ok. 

Husband is currently full of cold.......sorry man flu ........ and is after warming filling meals and a hot bath before he goes off to bed so I have been keeping an eye on my gas meter. 
I read it the other day and had £2,63 on it. My husband likes a full bath to soak in (he has a physical job and he doesn't drink or smoke so Ill allow him that luxury!) but so far we have managed 2 full baths, a load of dishes and 2 loads of washing over the last few days and we have used 57p so I figure that is alright. My son and I prefer showers so that's alright and my daughter seems to have an aversion to water so she prefers a shallow bath. 

Im busy cleaning the house at the minute - its amazing how much you dont feel a nip in the air when your moving. 

And I have realised I need to stock up on candles as well as I am down to my last one at the minute! 

Hope everyone is having a good day and being productive!

Florenceem

When I had a combi boiler put in - insisted on having a small radiator installed in my airing cupboard so I could still use it for linens and ironed bits.

YorksLass

My airing cupboard used to house a hot water tank and a cold feed tank but both were removed when we had central heating installed.  DH fitted it out with shelving and now it's my linen cupboard for bedding, curtains, towels etc.

The new combi boiler went in the pantry as that was the one space where there was a suitable outside wall for ventilation and I thought I would lose food storage space.  A bit of careful juggling with yet more shelving sorted that out.  It isn't huge by any means but it is a bit of a tardis!   As well as extra tins, packets etc it also houses 3 laundry baskets, vac, mop & bucket, sweeping brush, hand brush & dustpan, empty glass jars & lids, cake tins, containers & lids for the freezer and a small step ladder.  Oh, and the first aid cabinet is in there too, on the wall.  The downside is when the boiler needs servicing everything has to come out, but it does mean it gets a good clean and the contents can be decluttered.  

I'm just waiting to hear what my final salary pension increase might be this year before I can finalise my annual budget.  It definitely won't cover the increase in energy bills (if only ) so cuts are being made in all other areas where we can.

Onebrokelady

It's been a money saving day here today with sunny windy weather so three loads of washing have been done and gone out on the line to dry and I've not needed to put any heating on 🎉🎉🎉

mandy47

When my parents had their combi boiler fitted they knocked through from the back of the airing cupboard into the bathroom and had a shower cubicle fitted. The old cupboard door on the landing was boarded over and it looks fantastic.