What should we include in MSE's new Cost of Living survival guide?

MSE_James

Hi MoneySavers

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[[MSE INSERT, 6 APRIL 2022] Thanks for all your comments. The guide is now live:

Cost of living crisis survival guide:
90 ways to save from MSE and MoneySavers

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As you may have seen from Martin Lewis's posts on Facebook and Twitter today, he's putting together a new cost of living survival guide to be published on the MSE site.

In @MSE_Martin's words: 

of course I'll do all the usual bill cutting stuff, grants etc.

Any suggestions of things we may've missed eg 'claim free school meals for kids' would be great so we can help as many as poss

Please add your suggestions to this thread and we'll pass the best ones on to Martin.

There are some great threads already with ideas for trimming spending, like this one and this one - we'll be sure to pick up some suggestions from the ones already shared.

What suggestions would you give to a friend or relative who was looking for help with their rising bills? 

Which sources of support do you think should be better known?

We'd really like to tap in to the collective wisdom of our fantastic community of MoneySavers. Thank you! 

kimwp

Slightly at a tangent, but I think it would be good to have advice on nutritional diets on a budget eg how much protein is actually needed and the cheapest way to do that, how to get the most vitamins (IE which of the cheap fruit and veg is the most nutritious and what combination gives the widest coverage) etc.

I know this is a very different topic from the usual MSE and you'd need to find reputable and reliable advisors, but I think the science and detail is missing from most/(all?) advice on how to eat cheaply and I think it would remove a lot of worries of people, particularly parents, to know that they had the knowledge on how to optimise a restricted budget to eat healthily.

Brambling

Check to see what your local community has to offer - we have a community food fridge which is not a food bank but was originally set up to save food waste and gives away fresh food (at it's used by date) donated from local supermarkets.  Ours is usually a hour two days a week with pop-ups when they have been given excess

We also have a monthly repair cafe where for free or a small donation you can have items repaired and covers a wide range of experts to help with most things from IT / Electrical / sewing / toys etc  

Look out for seed or plant swap groups

We are only a small town but most towns have similar groups on offer

MSE_James

Thanks @kimwp - a good suggestion that has sparked some ideas here at MSE Towers.

Thanks also @Brambling - your post in another thread about community fridges and repair cafes was something that had already caught my eye and I'd included in the list of ideas from the forum I've sent to colleagues

D924

Strategy guide for getting people to actually use your referral links. So many good ones right now but everyone I know is too lazy to follow through with them for some reason, even when its for really useful things like TCB. Does my head in...

D924

Ah, didn't see the section, never mind!

Siebrie

kimwp said:

Slightly at a tangent, but I think it would be good to have advice on nutritional diets on a budget eg how much protein is actually needed and the cheapest way to do that, how to get the most vitamins (IE which of the cheap fruit and veg is the most nutritious and what combination gives the widest coverage) etc.

I know this is a very different topic from the usual MSE and you'd need to find reputable and reliable advisors, but I think the science and detail is missing from most/(all?) advice on how to eat cheaply and I think it would remove a lot of worries of people, particularly parents, to know that they had the knowledge on how to optimise a restricted budget to eat healthily.

Yes! And a week's menu, maybe? If you're really stressed, you won't have the energy to think properly and are more likely to go for the fast and ready option, instead of the healthy option.

powerspowers

Healthy start vouchers - the process has moved online and take up has dropped over the last few years. 

Services that offer free benefits checks. Too many people don’t know what help they are eligible for

moving_forward

Where to find support and help for the mental health aspects of it. Stress and worry can be a major health problem especially if you can't make ends meet.

RAS

Bargains are only bargains if you can use them, whether it's clothes, food or household goods.

If fresh food is on the sell by date, it is often wise to use at least some on the day, and probably to cook the rest to use later in the week. 

On the other hand, planned cooking, not just meal-planning, can save a lot of fuel. If you are going to have an oven on, cook a roast, a casserole, a batch of beans, roasted veggies, pasta sauce and if you wish a pudding or cake. If you cook potatoes, pasta or rice or a sauce, make extra to use later. They get used up in lunchtime salads, as hash with left-over roast, in a "Spanish" omelette. 

The other thing is about food storage. Fruit and veg are sold in plastic which leads it to sweat and rot really quickly. Get it out of the plastic, keep it cool and not too dry and it can last ages, as long as the skin is intact. Courgettes, peppers, aubergine and cucumbers, tomatoes can last a month. Onions, kept warm and dry, last six months; some apples the same, if kept  cool and not too dry. Obviously not easy in a centrally heated flat, but worth thinking about where is best for what in your situation.

And stuff like salad leaves is sold in a modified atmosphere. So it rots very quickly once opened, salad leaves go off in two days, whilst a hearted lettuce can last 2 weeks in winter and more than a week in summer, outside the fridge. 

And heating a property for one costs very little less than for two and possibly half that for a larger family. Invest in vests, fluffy socks and shoes with thick soles.

jennystarpepper

Insulation, not just the roof and wall type but things that are cheap and cost effective.  Curtain's at doors for any that are outside exits, draft excluders for the bottoms of doors and having removeable insulation for curtains for winter.  

Wearing a dressing gown or similar inside if cold, having a summer / winter duvet.