Getting the balance right

elantan

Today I am oncall, have been out once already and know I will be out again, the car needs diesel I will use the credit card to pay for it. I'm thinking I may have to not put anything into a pension or savings for a bit until I have a wee build up of money for bills  

In work there were discussions of people struggling so much they may have to rig their meter, we started laughing about how in the 70' and 80' people tried things like magnets to rig their meters ( I am not condoning it and dont think it would work even if u tried) the laughter soon changed to worry about the future for our countries. None of us were even thinking of doing it but we were worrying about how a lot of the people we work with may do it and the consequences of it, More fires, more explosions, more stress for people, people going without just to survive. 

its breaking my heart. 

Mr El and I are lucky in so many ways, we will manage, we just wont pay anything towards retiring or holidays etc, but we will be fine, people will have to choose whether to eat or not and that hits me hard, I just know our work will see the effects of this in many ways and we will be left feeling helpless and inadequate. 

I dont know what to suggest or what to try, I will just keep doing what I'm doing and hoping for the best, good luck everyone and together we will get there. 

LadyWithAPlan

I think we are all appreciating our MFW journey and focus  now as all these costs rise and we can start to prepare but it is so worrying for those whose income is fixed or super tight anyway. Apparently those with kids use a third more gas/elec etc 

My parents are on a fixed pension - I have seen Ald@ does a gift card - there is a store walking distance to them so I will be buying a Xmas gift card for them to aid with their food shop - which I can reload I believe - they saying they ok at present but they cant be once autumn and these higher bills hit - food has gone up enough 

 Sorry though you having to curtail retirement savings etc but needs must - Fire is  suddenly needing more cash to cover Same living and I guess these new prices will be around for at least a year or two  

I haven’t bought a flat yet - I am definitely feeling london prices won’t be going up in a hurry in the next 12 months especially as the banks are taking these new increased costs into account for affordability 

I will ebaying all excess stuff in my home once I get back - Thinking cash is better than unused items  right now 

elantan

I think your right, cash is deff a good thing to keep around just now, that's a great idea with the gift card, I may do something like that myself, my inlaws are fine just now but I dont know of they will be over winter, Mr El made them a lovely chinese meal, spare ribs and chow mein, the spare ribs take well over an hour to cook so that's something were going to have to think about for future, they need to be cooked onnthe stove for a good hour before being fried etc, dont think I can cook that on the fire, so we may have to just make them a monthly treat for his parents for a wee bit. 

Will also maybe get some of those cards for son, he is struggling at present so goodness knows how he will manage during winter, will start just now i think 


thanks @LadyWithAPlan that's a great idea 

savingholmes

I think the scale of need is going to be overwhelming even with the government handouts.

LadyWithAPlan

elantan said:

I think your right, cash is deff a good thing to keep around just now, that's a great idea with the gift card, I may do something like that myself, my inlaws are fine just now but I dont know of they will be over winter, Mr El made them a lovely chinese meal, spare ribs and chow mein, the spare ribs take well over an hour to cook so that's something were going to have to think about for future, they need to be cooked onnthe stove for a good hour before being fried etc, dont think I can cook that on the fire, so we may have to just make them a monthly treat for his parents for a wee bit. 

Will also maybe get some of those cards for son, he is struggling at present so goodness knows how he will manage during winter, will start just now i think 


thanks @LadyWithAPlan that's a great idea 

Love your chinese meal monthly treat idea. I have got the parents to start using their pressure cooker again  as they have the oven on constantly cooking... 

elantan

Talking of pressure cookers I will need to buy a new one, son borrowed ours along with out slow cooker, will buy both new I think. 

Thinking about gas and electricity I've been pondering what other wee things we can do,

Our front door is an old door it needs replaced but we dont have the money just now, it opens onto a small porch where we keep our shoes jackets etc then we have a door coming into the hall, the door was previously glass but is now solid, but between the front door and the hall door it is freezing, so i am going to put a curtain up to try to keep the heat in cold out etc,. 

I'm going to do the same with the living room curtain I am not sure exactly how that will work as there os a curtain there already and I dont know how I will manage to get it to work. The living room window thankfully is relatively new and isnt letting in the  old so it's not so much of a worry. 

My downstairs is freezing in winter, it's even cold in summer so It  deff needs looked at, will give that some.thought i think but I'm looking at possibly an oil heater, although i had one of them before and wasnt really impressed with the heat from it, maybe it wasnt a good one 

edinburgher

@LadyWithAPlan - sorry to hijack Els thread, but my understanding was that lenders no longer need to calculate affordability but that they were bring stricter with salary multiples?

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-62353114.amp

badmemory

No they are no longer required to do the affordability checks, but they would but foolish not to.  Or we will land up back in the Northern Rock years.  But give it a couple of years & the banks won't be able to help themselves.

elantan

Hi jack away, it's all good learning :-).

savingholmes

I think I already mentioned my elec blanket which I switched to late Jan / early Feb and now swear by... Saved me a fortune.