The cost of living?

ZTD

davetrousers wrote: »

Doesn't it depend on what the speed limit is? Isn't about 50-55 mph the most efficient speed?

Well I read it depends on your car. Apparently about 2/3rds of the maximum speed is its cruise speed.

Alas that's a bit too quick for in town - but does explain why I get better MPG at high speed, than at 30...

painted_lady

My partner writes for car magazines, knows his stuff and drives a lot of cars. Most everyday cars are most economical at 65mph. It is dangerous to do 50 in a 70, someone will pile into the back of you. Obviously unless there is a valid reason to do 50 in a 70, otherwise its undue hesitancy and is dangerous.

Bismarck

I think the most annoying part is the way we're being lied to about inflation....the govt's in complete denial with it's 2 or 2.5% target when WE know it's way above that......we are not stupid and we do notice big rises in the basics like bread, milk and petrol......I don't need to study the alleged facts to know that inflation in my life is more like 10% and I don't see that kind of wage inflation happening...no wonder unemployment's not soared when the workforce is not getting the payrises it needs to stay afloat....

headoutthesand

My sister and I were talking about the price of bread yesterday. A standard Best of Both loaf is now £1.43 in our local supermarket.

To try and cut down I have:

been walking lots in our local village. It's too handy to just in the car but yesterday I insisted that we walk to the post office (although I did buy cakes in the bakers on the way past)
spending time planning meals from what is in the cupboards, fridge and freezer
saving all coupons on offer so that Ican use them at Tesco when I do my end of month shop i.e. no money but need to buy food
I switch everything off at the wall to try and keep the bills down. Even didn't have bulbs in our stair light fitting till last week

and believe it or not this last one actually does help - Speak openly about money to family members, friends and work collegues. I don't mean going into great details and telling them your screen name for here, but I mean let them know that you are feeling the pinch, tell them you want to save money and cut back. You may find that they pass on tips to you or if they haven't had their lightbuld moment they maybe even grab a bargin for you or pass all their unwated vouvhers onto you!!!

Merlot

I too have noticed the increases in the food prices, how can vegetable oil be 78p in Tesco one week and 98p the next, and flipping eggs, Tesco Value eggs were £1.25 for 15 last week but this week £1.55, no wonder they have just announced huge raise in profits..."every little helps Tesco's profits".

I make my own bread now, far cheaper, and we use Tesco value toilet roll, Wilkinsons Kitchen Roll 4 for 79p etc,etc.

I literally spend almost a whole morning doing my in town shopping walking miles to save a few pence here and there, but needs most. We are getting an Aldi soon which I am pleased about, they seem to have a good selection of reasonable priced veg, Tesco is overpriced, but if you can get the online shopping discount vouchers its worth it for me to shop at Tesco for the bulk of the items and then one morning a week I go shopping in town and walk home like a pack horse, cause I won;t pay the 90p bus fare, its only 4 stops (3/4 mile), people must think look at that poor girl walking in the rain, hair stuck to my head, no make up on, tons of carrier bags, but I can hold my head up and say I'm no longer in debt cause I do these little things and it is a wonderful feeling.

When did hairdressers start charging daft prices for an "experience", cut and blow to me and you, I phoned a hairdresser in town this morning, £75 for a cut/blow and colour..guess what, I went down the road and got a £15 dry cut and came home and coloured it myself with a £3.25 hair colour from boots, the world has gone mad!

bringmeshoes

unixgirluk wrote: »

I don't know why some people turn their noses up at economy brand products. They're just as good if not better than some of the premium brands (less E numbers etc). I remember once bumping into a very snooty bism I used to work with in the supermarket. I was dressed in a suit and trolley had majority of Value stuff in it. Her comment was "oh, thought you'd buy better than that", my comeback? "I really don't like consuming some many E numbers, colours, bulking agents and high fat content that you get with higher level brands. I mean why pay all that money only to make yourself ill by not reading what goes into it. My health is so much more important to me than that". What I didn't say was its important to my purse too!!!!

i'm not a snob by any means but i can't stand cheap bread or beans

dryan

cars - a lot depends how you drive - don't longer journeys cost less, and less braking/speeding up also use less fuel and better for your car?

supermarkets are getting more expensive - however; i always thought thetesco/asda/iceland supermarket price wars meant these were the cheapest places to shop until last week i read this http://walletwatchershow.com/2008/04/15/shop-at-the-bargain-sheds/ about the 'bargain shed' type shops which offer vastly cheaper groceries than the main supermarkets - most towns have them and i will be visiting my local one this weekend to find out how much difference a weekly shop costs there instead of the usual tescos shop (which until now thought i was getting a bargin). interesting that high street supermarkets are essentially making us 'pay extra' for shopping with a 'nicer class of fellow shopper'. makes you think!

busy_today_mate

I can assure you we are on the brink of a recession. It's been to good for to long. Diesel has risen 3 times in the past TWO WEEKS. I saw a headline a few months ago saying it would be £1.50 a litre soon. I dismissed it as fanciful. It's 1.16 now. It was 96 in September. That is more than a 20% rise.

A loaf is well over a pound, I couldn't believe the cost of eggs 75p for 6 value eggs in Tesco. Obviously the rise in fuel cost affects the cost of food and is passed on to the consumer. Tesco made £2.65 Billion this year or something. Makes you think eh.

I was working tonight and you can't move for parked cars in the streets. Every household with kids has two cars normally. Since when did we need to have two cars. My parents managed perfectly fine with just one. If Dad wasn't about we got the bus or walked. Nowadays this is unheard of we have became a nation that is so rich we don't realise it and take it for granted. I think ppeople should take a look at the lifestyle they have and realise how lucky they are and cast their minds back to the late 70s and early 80s when we had 3 million unemployed. People thought they were doing well if they had a job, car and maybe managed a holiday in the UK once a year.

santashelper_2

floss2 wrote: »

Does your DH have much knowledge of the household expenses, or is he a little ignorant of the way things are going up? Is it possible to increase your housekeeping budget a little?

Also, why not:

educate DH & children into the cost of things, & how to cut costs a little (turn lights off, don't run hot tap to wash but use the plug etc)
buy a breadmaker - gorgeous fresh bread!
shop online - no impulse buys & greener too!
share nursery trips with other mums? or walk if possible?
make a start by growing some salad leaves & tomatoes in your garden - easy & cheap to get started

If all else fails, why not put DH & kids onto Ebay or even freecycle?!

:eek: how much do you think you could get for them :rotfl: :rotfl:

Mabboo

Merlot wrote: »

I too have noticed the increases in the food prices, how can vegetable oil be 78p in Tesco one week and 98p the next, and flipping eggs, Tesco Value eggs were £1.25 for 15 last week but this week £1.55, no wonder they have just announced huge raise in profits..."every little helps Tesco's profits".

I work in Tesco Express and I have to admit that I've been shocked at the number or Price Increases I've actioned this week. Many of them have been for 10 or 20p rather than the odd couple of pence.