What have you stopped buying due to a price increase?

[heartbroken22]

?? Don't buy as many eggs as we normally did or chicken...

Often people say they want to put their pets to sleep and it's the vet who says "oh but we could give them this and that medication". Yes and the cat is dead and blind. What's the point? No quality of life. It's much worse to keep an animal alive in that scenario. Cost doesn't come into it.

deaF and blind!

That is so nasty and hateful!!! I would spend my last penny to ensure my furbabies were ok!!!

I have spent a lot on my animals to keep them and make sure they're okay. But, you do have to bear in mind that a lot of treatments for older animals are generally carried out because owners don't have the courage to do the right thing for an animal. I got to the stage with my horse when it was obvious to me at least that treatments to extend his life would be for my benefit, not his. He'd had enough.

Expensive, invasive treatments might benefit vets. They might benefit you. They won't necessarily benefit the animal itself. And insurance companies are businesses - everyone's premiums rise if an insurance company has to shell out £10k on an animal. It's how insurance works. It's not necessarily the right thing to do to keep an animal alive at all costs. There are far worse fates than euthanasia.

I didn't write the article. If you think it is fine what is your objection to it?

It's not poaching or breaching copyright which is owned by Mumsnet not individual posters. Mumsnet do not ban the lifting of information from their pages as long as it is accurately reported, credits Mumsnet and sticks within a certain percentage of the total. This does. So given that you now know it is not breaking any law do you still object?

I like sharing information and think it is only good that a wider audience gets to see it. I also think it is good that the Daily Mail learns that contributors to Mumsnet, which include many of its readers, are worried about rising costs.

Sorry @JinglingHellsBells. I should have said my previous comment was to you. What is wrong with journalists like me being Mumsnet members so long as we follow the rules of the site like everyone else?

There is a page for media requests but it's not compulsory to use it and for many stories it doesn't suit. I have never used it nor used a thread, not because I don't like Mumsnet and most of its members, but because when looking for a case study I find other sources of information more useful.

Expensive, invasive treatments might benefit vets. They might benefit you. They won't necessarily benefit the animal itself. And insurance companies are businesses - everyone's premiums rise if an insurance company has to shell out £10k on an animal. It's how insurance works. It's not necessarily the right thing to do to keep an animal alive at all costs. There are far worse fates than euthanasia

I agree with all of this. Subjecting pets to operations and medicines to extend their increasingly sick lives is a booming industry but not one which necessarily serves the animal.

So when my cat had osteomyelitis and ended up with a broken jaw I should have just had him PTS? Maybe I shouldn't have put him on his kidney medication when I was told he had early CKD despite the fact that 6 years later he's still here and thriving.

Some treatment is expensive and invasive but is worth it, like in the case of my cat's jaw. Having him PTS was not right at that time. Other times, like in the case of a friend who's dog was having chemo I don't believe it is worth it (my friend didn't either, he stopped after 1 tablet).

Regarding other peoples' premiums going up, not my problem. If my cat needs something and it's in his best interests he'll have it.

Insurance like union membership is one of those things I'd always try to find the money for. No one is saying you should abandon your pet but you should know when treatment is a good idea and when it's time to say goodbye. A good vet will help you come to that decision.

@PinkSparklyPussyCat some treatment for the animal is worth it I agree. But just because you can, does not always mean you should. Especially because an animal can not consent.

I agree and said so in my post. In the case of his jaw it was not the right decision to put an otherwise healthy 11 year old cat to sleep. Had he been a 20 year old cat I may have made a different decision.

Someone said earlier that you can get a free Caffè Nero coffee with 02 priority. That has now stopped. It’s Greggs coffee once a week now.

Put your pet to sleep or buy a coffee?
Sad times.

I haven’t got any pets!

@GreenFingersWouldBeHandy nobody is choosing between a coffee or their pet.
You know people in plenty of countries die because they can not afford medical treatment? Why would pets here be any different?

We've moved house twice since the beginning of the pandemic. We were £1800 a month in rent, and when we came to renew contracts, the landlord wanted to increase rent to £2100. We decided then to leave the South East and move to the NW. Our rent was £1400 which is still incredibly expensive for here. We moved again 8 weeks ago and we got our rent down to £925.

We sold our house in another country and we swore we wouldn't buy again in the UK (we move around a lot due to work and we were sick of becoming accidental landlords) but we are toying with getting a mortgage next year when this contract is up.

I've also stopped a lot of subscriptions, TV and monthly beauty boxes. We've put our cats back on a raw food diet as it works out much cheaper and is better for them anyway.

The Ocado pass at £70 a year is gone...as are the online shops there.

My partner and I are both doing the exante diet and that is saving us a couple of hundred pounds a month in food and junk. No eating out, bar the odd "healthy" subway and coffee as a treat.

We've bought memberships for the places we love to take of DS (the zoo and Sealife so far and considering National Trust). That is saving us a fortune and we always have somewhere to go when money is getting a bit thin. They also offer 10% off the cafe and the shop, which helps, too.

It's a horrible time right now. My OH and I are making close to six figures and are in no way extravagant (haven't holidayed abroad in years, one car we barely use, we have meals out on special occasions only, have a take away once in a blue moon, don't drink, don't smoke, no nursery fees....) yet our money disappears in a puff of smoke every month.

Anyone in North East, Beamish museum is excellent value, pay once then visit all year. Free parking, excellent picnic area.

It depends on the breed. 12 is very old for a modern Siamese. Most die around that age. If one of mine was seriously ill at that age, I think twice and have a long discussion with my vet, before agreeing to major surgery. My beloved Standard Poodle developed a squamous cell carcinoma when she was 11 years old. She had surgery to remove a toe. The vets hope for them to have another year after cancer surgery. She did brilliantly and it was 18 months before she developed another tumour. I had taken the decision at the start of her treatment that she wouldn’t be subjected to more than one surgery.

I learned the hard way with a previous dearly loved dog not to keep on and on. The vet I had then was a single handed practice and looking back, it was obvious that he was prioritising money over animal welfare. He persuaded me to agree to 3 major surgeries on her, despite me asking (with great difficulty) “isn’t it time to let her go now”? Major surgery takes a huge toll on very elderly animals. The last 18 months of her life were awful for her and I’ll never put another elderly animal through that. It broke my heart when I finally put my foot down and had her PTS, the distress was heightened by knowing I hadn’t done right by her, by saving her from her suffering sooner.

When my SP developed the second carcinoma, I explained my view to my vet, including that I would just use palliative care (pain killers) as long as she had a reasonable quality of life. She said she agreed and would take the same decision if it was her own dog. I then moved house and in doing so, vet. My next vet also agreed, but once when she wasn’t available, she was seen by the senior partner who was keen for me to agree to more surgery (£££). I stood my ground and was proven right, as a month or so later, a third tumour was evident. We kept her going for as long as most of her time, she was still happy. Once it became too painful for her to cope with having her dressings changed, we had our lovely vet come to our home at PHTS on the sofa in my arms. She was 13 then.

Many owners put their elderly animals through too much treatment because the vet suggests it and they would feel guilty going against that, or because they are so distressed by the prospect of their death (which will inevitably come), or both. It’s often the equivalent of doing major surgery on a 95-year-old human (and that is not usually done). IMO it’s important to take account of the natural lifespan of the breed. For a Moggy, that may be 18, for a pedigree cat or a dog, it won’t be.

Many owners put their elderly animals through too much treatment because the vet suggests it and they would feel guilty going against that, or because they are so distressed by the prospect of their death (which will inevitably come), or both

General health counts for a lot as well as age. I would take a risk with an otherwise healthy older animal but would think twice about a younger animal with other health problems.

I've done a lot of thinking about this as my cat has had a lot of dental problems. The vet checks his teeth regularly and I know that there's a chance he might need another dental, which will mean another sedation. As it stands at the moment I would have it done despite him being 17. I know it would be high risk but as it stands at the moment that would be his only problem. I couldn't leave him with rotten teeth and couldn't have him PTS sleep just because of his teeth.

Happiness 😂😂 on a serious note we've stopped taking the kids out as much, stopped takeaways, started shopping at Lidl rather than Tesco..

Is Aldi really that much cheaper? I really need to rein it in but I can’t get everything I need in Aldi.

cut back on takeaways, not buying a ‘takeaway’ from the supermarket for an amazing amount of money less and it is nicer.

no wine, no gin, cut right back on yogurts etc

I’ve cancelled all insurances apart from buildings/contents, tv licence just watching Netflix now, trying to cancel my sky contract got it down to £47 for both tv & broadband, given up on branded coffee & have supermarkets own brand, get UHT milk so lasts longer too, I’m on my own so my shopping bill is £25 for the month, I’ve really cut back as lost my job as well & JSA doesn’t go very far.

We’ve started doing one monthly “big shop” for things like cereals, pop, treats etc with a “when they’re gone they’re gone” attitude

I'm genuinely shocked that a family on 6 figures are struggling and really don't see how it is possible if you live the lifestyle you suggest.

I know you will pay a lot of tax and rent is £11 100 a year but where does the rest of your money go?

Yes it is.
It can be a little hit and miss until you find the sausages you like or the fizzy stuff you like. But it’s honestly so much cheaper, prices have gone up there. But only in proportion to everywhere else.
when I swapped a couple of years back I went from £100 in Sainsburys to probably £40 in aldi and £10-£20 in Sainsburys.
we are now at about £60 -£70 in aldi, but their range has increased (as have prices!) so I’m only doing £20 in Sainsburys once a month or so.

i have two near me one is much better than the other.

Gas