If you’re comfortably off, what are you doing to help with the cost of living crisis?

[Rainallnight]

We are very lucky, esp these days, to be fine for money. I’m feeling increasingly concerned at how the cost of living crisis is affecting people. So far I’ve set up a direct debit to an anti poverty charity that gives crisis funding to families who need it. And I think I’ll do the same to my local food bank.

Any other ideas?

It is just wretched how this country is going. DD asked me this morning if we could put the heating on and when I said yes I almost cried that so many other families can’t this morning.

Supermarket deliveries you can now add on cash donations to your baskets to certain charities each shop, so I do that.

I alway think it's a shame there isn't a charity that matches you to a local family e.g one with children a few years younger than DD so we can pass on anything they want from clothes to toys etc, and then with options to provide additional help such as food etc.

Never vote tory

Food bank and baby bank donations (baby bank is things like nappies etc)

Volunteer my time my local youth charity. Share my expertise (I’m an artist) so I facilitate a youth session there once a month.

Donate to a community fridge/larder.
We have a fridge in the community cafe where I volunteer. Anyone can come and take anything free of charge, no referral needed, just take what you need.

Not voting Labour - really don’t want to go down that rabbit hole.
Not giving to big charities as most of the money gets skimmed off the top by the fat cats at the top or is wasted.
Haven’t put up the rent for my tenants for 5 years even though the letting agents say put it up 5% every year.
Support local charities.
Did support food banks until one wrote to me asking for money and not food.
Always buy local hate sole less supermarkets.

Donate to food banks and local charities.

I'm not particularly comfortable but try to put a few bits in the food bank trolley when I do the shopping. As well as stuff in tins that can be heated quickly I generally include some nice biscuits and the good tampons (not the shitty free ones where the cardboard gets stuck and anyone with a slightly heavy period has to change them every 20 minutes).

I'm also campaigning to get people elected to my local council next month who will continue and expand the council's various support programmes - they do a lot already with a limited budget but there is a risk the Tories will take control and reduce these in order to fund some pointless and unnecessary changes to the bin collection schedules. Turnout for council elections is notoriously poor but this year more than ever it's really important to vote for people who actually care about local communities. Councils can do a lot to help people through this if they choose to - or they can choose to turn a blind eye.

We are borderline ourselves. We can afford food and heating and bills because we’ve turned the heating down and reduced the amount we were eating and drinking. We can run the car to get to work and take the kids to school which isn’t within walking distance. But we no longer have any excess because the increased cost of living has swallowed it. I imagine charities are struggling because there are a lot of people like me who used to donate but who no longer have any money left over. I’m grateful that we can cut down on optional spending and still manage, many people aren’t that fortunate. We aren’t able to contribute to charity any more but at least we don’t need their support.

@hattie43

Extra supplies in the supermarket food bank trollies and RSPCA trolley . Upped my donations to dog rescue charity I've supported for years . Helping elderly parents financially .

I'm not sure how it would or could work but I'd be happy to kind of sponsor someone in the village re food , dropping off £100 of groceries could make a difference but I'd be worried about being considered condescending / gloating / tone deaf etc .

@hattie43 we have a village larder in our village. The people that organise it get free food from our local supermarket for it but local people also add donations to it as well. It's well used in our village. There's a lot of hidden need in rural areas.

@rugbunch

not voting tory, not trying to reduce my tax burden & choosing ethical investments

Hmm, curious about not trying to “reduce your tax burden”

Everyone has legal tax allowances for various things throughout their lifetimes- the government has those allowances to incentivise people to do certain things like save for a pension, save for rainy day etc
This is legitimate and should be encouraged that everyone understands these allowances and uses them if they have the money/needs to make good of them. It is not reducing your tax burden- it is ensuring you are paying the RIGHT tax on your situation and earnings.

The only other way to reduce the amount of tax you PAY is tax avoidance schemes. Which are either immoral or illegal. If you believe that by not avoiding paying the RIGHT tax is somehow “helping” the less well off, then your bar on ethical behaviour is very low.

Seems a very virtue signalling statement or ignorant about the difference between tax allowances vs evasion

@flapjackfairy

The website Acts 435 is excellent because you can choose who to give to directly. lots of requests for small amounts to buy furniture or clothes etc so you know exactly who is benefitting. It is heartbreaking though seeing so many requests for just the basics of life like a bed or cot for a child.

Thank you so much for posting this link - I've supported and signed up to the newsletter

Same as I’ve always done.

Seems a very virtue signalling statement or ignorant about the difference between tax allowances vs evasion

What point are you trying to make @MayMorris because your post is very convoluted? As you yourself said evasion is not necessarily illegal.
I have no idea what about my post is virtue signalling? The OP specifically asked what we are doing individually & I answered.

Food bank donations
Supporting local businesses
Helping out our young adult children

Haven’t put up the rent for my tenants for 5 years even though the letting agents say put it up 5% every year.
Not enough in the world for this one.

We have a village larder in our village too... A lot donated from the local Co op... We also have food bank donation which are in the Co op and the church porch... Two boxes were stolen from the porch last year so they aren't left overnight now.

Our local Morrisons has bags of thing the local food bank needs so when you walk in you can pick a bag at the price you want to spend and pay at the till. I think it's a really good idea as often people only notice the food bank trolley when they leave and it means you buy what's needed.

For people - I cook for the 9 elderly neighbours in my street - home-made soup and bread every day at 5pm prompt - take it or leave it - no requests. I get no complaints. I donate to a local food bank for local people.

For neglected animals-
I take newspapers (for bedding) and food to my local cat and dog shelter which they are grateful for, as people are dumping their pets and they are coming in starving and neglected. Today I am taking some washable blankets to them and tinned dog food.
Sometimes I send them stuff direct from Amazon to the shelter with a note in case they wonder what has suddenly appeared. Some small charities have Amazon lists of what they need.

I keep it LOCAL and do it myself so I can see that I am actually helping people and animals. I worked for a very large poverty "charity" and witnessed waste, massive salaries, bone idle managers and egos having meeting about meetings. Big poverty charities are businesses. I never donate to them as I have seen the inside. However I do help my local RSPCA branch - each area has to fund raise for its own shelter and the volunteers and staff work very hard.

If we all actually do something for local people and animals around us, that makes a massive difference. I am dirt poor by the way, but other people are worse off right in my locality. I have time but no money. Some people have no time and no money.

@Dancer47

For people - I cook for the 9 elderly neighbours in my street - home-made soup and bread every day at 5pm prompt - take it or leave it - no requests. I get no complaints. I donate to a local food bank for local people.

For neglected animals-
I take newspapers (for bedding) and food to my local cat and dog shelter which they are grateful for, as people are dumping their pets and they are coming in starving and neglected. Today I am taking some washable blankets to them and tinned dog food.
Sometimes I send them stuff direct from Amazon to the shelter with a note in case they wonder what has suddenly appeared. Some small charities have Amazon lists of what they need.

I keep it LOCAL and do it myself so I can see that I am actually helping people and animals. I worked for a very large poverty "charity" and witnessed waste, massive salaries, bone idle managers and egos having meeting about meetings. Big poverty charities are businesses. I never donate to them as I have seen the inside. However I do help my local RSPCA branch - each area has to fund raise for its own shelter and the volunteers and staff work very hard.

If we all actually do something for local people and animals around us, that makes a massive difference. I am dirt poor by the way, but other people are worse off right in my locality. I have time but no money. Some people have no time and no money.

You may be dirt poor ( in your words ) but you have a good heart x

@Asdf12345

We are comfortable and price changes essentially haven’t made any difference to us. I have however tried to buy as much as possible made in the UK.

Ultimately these are international problems causing the rise in costs and economic growth is the only thing that will reduce the impact for us. So I will most definitely be voting Tory.

Likewise

@flapjackfairy

The website Acts 435 is excellent because you can choose who to give to directly. lots of requests for small amounts to buy furniture or clothes etc so you know exactly who is benefitting. It is heartbreaking though seeing so many requests for just the basics of life like a bed or cot for a child.

I've never heard of this but it sounds great, thanks for flagging!

@Dancer47

For people - I cook for the 9 elderly neighbours in my street - home-made soup and bread every day at 5pm prompt - take it or leave it - no requests. I get no complaints. I donate to a local food bank for local people.

For neglected animals-
I take newspapers (for bedding) and food to my local cat and dog shelter which they are grateful for, as people are dumping their pets and they are coming in starving and neglected. Today I am taking some washable blankets to them and tinned dog food.
Sometimes I send them stuff direct from Amazon to the shelter with a note in case they wonder what has suddenly appeared. Some small charities have Amazon lists of what they need.

I keep it LOCAL and do it myself so I can see that I am actually helping people and animals. I worked for a very large poverty "charity" and witnessed waste, massive salaries, bone idle managers and egos having meeting about meetings. Big poverty charities are businesses. I never donate to them as I have seen the inside. However I do help my local RSPCA branch - each area has to fund raise for its own shelter and the volunteers and staff work very hard.

If we all actually do something for local people and animals around us, that makes a massive difference. I am dirt poor by the way, but other people are worse off right in my locality. I have time but no money. Some people have no time and no money.

All you're doing is truly lovely but your post made me think of the league of gentlemen. These are local charities for local people 😁

The website Acts 435 is excellent because you can choose who to give to directly. lots of requests for small amounts to buy furniture or clothes etc so you know exactly who is benefitting. It is heartbreaking though seeing so many requests for just the basics of life like a bed or cot for a child
Thank you, I’m going to check it out, I want to do more.

Not really comfortable but enough to have choices, plus I live in a super warm South facing flat. I could probably cope without any heating (once I get my windows fixed).

I set up a DD to Greenpeace as I am worried about the climate. 1.5 temp increase = 1.5 million homes will be at risk of flooding. Greenpeace is entirely funded by public donations, no government or corporate money. Which is why they can do 'controversial' stunts.

More currently, mainly extra time helping a vulnerable family member.

We are comfortable so the cost of living increases won’t make a huge difference to us. To help others, I have stopped buying reduced items in supermarkets. Others need the savings more than I do.

Maybe write to Sunak and ask him.
He might answer when he gets back from his holiday home in California spending his wife's Russian money.