To ask why everything is so f**kin' expensive?!

[MummyStruggles]

Just that really?

And, also, there's ALWAYS "something" that needs to be bought or replenished i.e new pillows and duvets for the whole household! Grrrr!

Meant to be a lighthearted thread but you know, I get really bloody stressed about it!

Anyone else?

New ironing board... bloody hell they are expensive!
Anyway I am sure they used to cost £12, now they are £20- £200!
Addis Shirtmaster my arse!

I’m NHS, he’s also public sector. Literally living month to month, I’ve increased my working hours over the past few years and still there’s nothing left at the end of the month as lack of pay rise doesn’t match inflation - it’s pay cuts year after year in real terms. We’re wearing our clothes until the seams are falling apart & the house decor looks so tired. We never go out. Food is strictly budgeted. So yes, ‘cheap’ things are expensive to us.

I hear you.

It's sad that two people working full time are just getting by

You might have paid more for a washing machine or vacuum cleaner in the 80s, but it didn't break after 2 years. We might buy cheaper appliances now but we are buying them more often because the quality is shit.
I used to have insurance for my washer/dryer - the repair man was at my house 3x per year because the machine was so poorly designed. By the time I gave up and got a new one, the casing was the only original part!

DS trousers were torn so I sewed them up. Do you think poorer people fix more stuff that richer people? Not being goady, just wondering.

It’s an interesting question, but I’m not sure they do. They just get to go longer between repairs because they tend to buy things that cost more, but are durable. In fact, I think they might sometimes be richer because they repair things rather than replacing them.

I’ve sort of seen both sides of this. I grew up in a very poor household. DH comes from a rich background (and these days we both earn high salaries). There are certain things we’ve just never had to buy. We’ve got loads of furniture from his grandparents. It’s not fashionable at all (mostly very dark wood), but it is sturdy. For example, the wardrobes and drawers are probably 80 years old and still going strong.

We could afford to replace it and get something more modern, but why bother?

BTW - I’ve also just sewn up the rip in DS’s trousers. No point in buying more at this point in the school year. It can wait until September.

"I've not found that buying things like cheaper kettle or hoover etc has been a problem at all. "

My ten pound kettle is fine, but ones I've bought in the past for five pounds, and the cheapo one we have at work, leak. So, get a cheap one, but maybe not the cheapest.

Gluteustothemaximus there's been some new regulations on mortgage prisoners. Money-saving expert.com has lots of info.

"My towels probably date back to leaving home about 25 years ago. "

I got complaints from guests! I don't have a problem with old towels, but I realised why some people do on a MN thread. I don't actually dry myself with a towel after a shower, just wrap myself in it so the fact that it's a bit old makes no difference.

We’ve got loads of furniture from his grandparents. It’s not fashionable at all (mostly very dark wood), but it is sturdy.

Bide your time - I hear "brown furniture" is coming into vogue again.

The first post mentions duvets and sheets. I have had my duvet for about 25 - 30 years, my bed for 32 years - all still going strong, nothing wrong with them. Perhaps just buy darker colours so stains don't show.

I still use towels brought from home when I left over 30 years ago. DP only recently threw away a towel that he had been using since he was a baby. They were all great quality towels.

I know how you feel!

A good 85% of my salary goes on necessities to live! I wouldn't mind if I was living an extravagant luxurious lifestyle but I live in an ancient 2 bedroom apartment with no central heating or insulation, and it's too expensive to use the antiquated storage heaters so I effectively have no heating. If you want hot water you have to put the emerrision on and it might be ready by tomorrow....

My car is a 15 year old Seat Arosa and I only have that to get to work.

I've no luxuries like Sky or a proper internet connection (I pay my neighbour £10 a month to use their wfi), and I've not bought myself any new clothing for ages.

Washing machine is 18 years old and the cooker is 10+. Dreading when they go but hard to save when just had to fork out £100 for a fridge from Brtish Heart Foundation and £200 on MOT repairs.

I'd seriously most likely be better off not working and being on benefits.

Really grinds my gears when I see everyone around me not working but seemingly having a better quality of life.

"I've practically lived in 2 x £100 (so not the cheapest but very very far from top end price and quality) pairs of boots for about the last five years "

My last pair cost about 60 pounds and only lasted about a year :(

"I don't understand bloodstains not coming out of white sheets. A soak in cold water and bio detergent should get most out"

I find that blood comes out easily with cold water and soap IF you wash it straight away. If not, I've always presumed the stain was permanent.
Growing up, blood stained sheets wouldn't have been replaced, but I wouldn't be happy now with a blood stain anywhere a visitor could see so would probably replace.

I use blood stained sheets for us, but not for visitors. But that is only an issue if all your sheets are blood stained.

"I also had no idea you could wash pillows and duvets. Actually machine wash them???"

My winter duvet won't fit in my machine so I go to the laundrette once a year.
As I've mentioned above, machine washing my pillow ruined it, so I won't be doing that again.

Blood will always come out if you can get the fabric into cold water straight away and soak/change water/soak/repeat. However if body heat or warm water effectively cooks the blood into the fabric, it won't come out. But if the sheets are pure white you can bleach it down to a faint stain.

"Re the 200 quid hair thing-I don't know what that poster gets done, but I thought I should point out that some types of hair are more pricey to maintain than others, plus if you get colour it adds up. "

I pay 60, but have a friend who pays 100. I have to admit that this friend has a very flattering cut, which is something that really makes a difference to your appearance. She doesn't like paying the money, but she can't go back down to a cheaper one now.

Gluteustothemaximus there's been some new regulations on mortgage prisoners. Money-saving expert.com has lots of info.

Yes, we can't wait apparently it kicks in maybe in 6 months to a year, and it can't come quick enough. To be able to remortgage to a cheaper mortgage without checks will be amazing. Just need to not think about the wasted thousands while everyone else enjoyed lower rates

"Clothes are inexpensive from supermarkets, Primark, Everything £5"

I've got quite a few clothes bought in the last few years that have either bobbled very badly or got holes in. Zara seems to be the worst, but I still go there because of a lack of other options.

*That's normal, not some type of proof of super poverty. Maybe that is part of your financial problem

Care to explain that one?*
Sure. Most people will simply mend a ripped trousers. This poster thinks she is hard done by not to be able to just throw them out and buy new. Hence she has financial issues.

It’s an interesting question, but I’m not sure they do. They just get to go longer between repairs because they tend to buy things that cost more, but are durable.

This is true. I'm sure there are plenty of people rich and poor who mend things, it's just I've heard it many times in the playground 'DS has ripped his top/shorts/trousers etc, can't be bothered to fix them, they're so cheap in primark/matalan etc' and I just wondered if I had the money, would I be lazy, or would I still repair? I would still fix I think.

We fix the car (DH does it all himself to save money), he's currently fixing the hoover via YouTube, he also fixed our sink which was leaking via Youtube too

We look for most things second hand. We got DS's high bed from eBay, was a good £500 when new, and we got it for £60 from a very kind person who didn't want much for it. It's a lovely bed.

We'd rather buy second hand that was originally more expensive, than buy cheap new.

Sure. Most people will simply mend a ripped trousers. This poster thinks she is hard done by not to be able to just throw them out and buy new. Hence she has financial issues.

I was the poster. I don't think I'm hard done by, by not being able to throw something out. I was just pondering whether poorer folk mend more than richer folk, and if richer folk were more wasteful. This thought process isn't the cause of my financial issues

I was the poster. I don't think I'm hard done by, by not being able to throw something out. I was just pondering whether poorer folk mend more than richer folk, and if richer folk were more wasteful. This thought process isn't the cause of my financial issues
In my experience people who pay more for articles are more inclined to mend them.

In my experience people who pay more for articles are more inclined to mend them.

That makes sense. In my case, I'm fixing a very cheap pair of trousers possibly why they fell apart so easily in the first place

This is a conversation I actually had:

Dishwasher repair man (looking at defunct Hotpoint dishwasher): you need a new one, get a Bosch, they're expensive but they'll last.

Me: What about another Hotpoint?

Dishwasher repair man: If you get a Hotpoint, I'll be back in 18 months to fix it after it's broken down or even to replace it. They just don't last

Me: Can't I get this one repaired?

Dishwasher repair man (laughs sarcastically): No, love, this dishwasher must be 15 years old, you'll never get the parts!