To have cried in asda

[Littlemissdan]

Is it just me that the whole cost of living thing is getting too much for? I actually had a (very small and no one watching!) cry in asda when I saw some reduced bakery goods because I didn’t know if I could afford them alongside my entire smartprice shop. £30 I had for a 2 week shop including nappies, and it just broke me that I actually had to wonder if I could afford a 55p treat for my kids. I can’t believe we’re living like this, 3 years ago we were comfortable and now I’m relying on the free school meals half term vouchers.
Not really looking for advice or budgeting advice here, just a bit of solidarity really :(

YANBU. Your not alone.

Ive got £10 left on my meter and it says 2 days left and I don't get paid till friday. So when DC are at school I'll be sitting with no electric and gas on saving it for DC.
It shouldn't be a fucking luxury neither should a 55 pence dessert. Wtf is wrong with this government!!!

Good to know a little blast in the drier occasionally can reduce the bills ... I'll keep on using the line as much as possible and allow a little drying time if needed. We used to dry on airers in a spare room (before we had children and had spare rooms!), and the paint flaked off the walls massively due to condensation (with window open), so I'm always reluctant to dry indoors now.

If you do have shops nearby then get to know reduced times. Our Co op reduces stuff to 25% of price at 7pm ish. Sometimes even less. I deliberately walk up.
Likewise those Lidl or Morrisons wonky veg boxes - ask what time they do them and go. Lidl reduce stuff to 90p even meat and fish.
Less fashionable but nutritious food - no one near me eats kippers or smoked haddock it’s often pennies a pack.

I'm sorry your in this position OP and of course YANBU to have a few tears. We've been on a low income for years now, so I have some idea of how you feel and it's horrible. It shouldn't be the case in the mega-rich West though, not for anyone!
I've looked into Olio and it sounds good. Do go to Citizen's Advice to find out if you can claim anything and ignore the PP who made the ludicrous suggestion you buy and electric bike! Some people are just too stupid to insult!

@MurmuratingStarling you absolutely do need a tv licence for sky unless you never watched live tv in which case what would be the point of paying for it. Netflix is different as nothing is live. When I say need of course what I mean is you are supposed to.

😟😢💐

Those who are paying for a tv licence and can't afford it. Get rid of it declare you don't need one.

YouTube has soooo many programmes, documentaries, kids shows etc for free. Even films! I'm always finding things to watch on it. Tv licence is not worth it when times are as hard as now.

Utilita does power ups where they lend you the money for gas or electric and there is no interest, obviously won’t solve all problems but I’ve had to use it a few times then pay it back so it means I don’t completely run out I’m sure other companies do the same

@lemmein

Predictably these threads attract some who come on to advise those struggling that they wouldn't be, if only they managed poverty better 🙄 It's offensive, tone-deaf and completely ignores the bigger issues which causes the poverty in the first place. I don't believe for one second that anyone truly thinks cancelling Netflix would have any notable impact on peoples finances when we are facing unprecedented increases in energy costs, soaring fuel/food prices and NI hikes - you really think Netflix is the problem? Like fuck you do - but it puts the onus of responsibility back on the individual doesn't it? Your government will be very proud of your gaslighting. Some of these replies are very much of the 'tell me you don't give a fuck without saying you don't give a fuck' ilk - disgusting really, considering the emotion in the OP.

If you struggle to offer any advice, other than 'buy an electric bike' (seriously, wtf?) maybe click off the thread, you don't have to comment if your level of empathy is on par with the Moggs and Allsopp's of this world.

👏👏 Louder for the people in the back.

It isn't the government who set prices it's the growers, manufacturers, shippers, wholesalers, retailers and all of them must make a profit if they're to stay in business. There's also the packaging, storage, deliveries ( including fuel) advertising, gas electricity, insurance, staff costs plus wages and a million other unseen costs before you see a treat on the shelf.
The government has no say in all of this.
Government cannot keep giving handouts as it's really you and your nextdoor neighbours whose tax is paying towards a whole range of benefits, food vouchers for during school holidays, extra help for people with disabilities, JSA, UC and council tax exemptions +++++
It's a finite pot and we are already in huge amounts of debt. Help must be limited otherwise the economy crumbles and we get high inflation.

@Littlemissdan

Is it just me that the whole cost of living thing is getting too much for? I actually had a (very small and no one watching!) cry in asda when I saw some reduced bakery goods because I didn’t know if I could afford them alongside my entire smartprice shop. £30 I had for a 2 week shop including nappies, and it just broke me that I actually had to wonder if I could afford a 55p treat for my kids. I can’t believe we’re living like this, 3 years ago we were comfortable and now I’m relying on the free school meals half term vouchers. Not really looking for advice or budgeting advice here, just a bit of solidarity really :(

It’s perfectly understandable. I’ve also been in that situation where I felt I could cry in a supermarket because I was really struggling financially.

Yeah I know the times the local co op reduce things now and get some pretty good deals sometimes

I can’t work out whether I’m more appalled by this thread , or heartened by the level of kindness and generosity that’s been mainly shown.

We are fortunately better off than we were about ten years ago, mainly because I work 70 hour weeks to keep us going . It’s hard work, but at least I have the opportunity to earn enough to keep us above water . But ten years or so ago, we had to sell our wedding rings to feed the kids , and I was feeding 7 of us , on £40 a week . It was dreadful then , and even now , I always have that eternal calculator whirring away in the back of my head .

A few things that helped us were - is it worth trying to organise a group visit to a wholesalers . A lot have opened their doors to non commercial customers since the pandemic , and the difference between wholesale and retail prices can be quite something . It takes some organisation , when our village do it , we meet round someone’s house , take our own shopping lists , merge it into a giant shopping list , and then four of us go with someone who has a van , do the shop , and then bring it home and split it according to who wants what . It takes a bit of effort , but the savings can be quite substantial. The other thing I used a lot more , if you can get access to one , were world food shops. I’d buy a much larger bag of rice , or spices , or grains from them for much less . It got us through more than one winter .

It appalls me that this is the face of 2022 .

@Discountclaimed

For those who have said they are going without food so the kids can eat:- A cup of sugary tea fills you up and raises your blood sugar Water works in moderate quantities Boiled sweets fill you up - even one boiled sweet (32p a packet can stop hunger for an hour or two) I’ve just torn a little hole in a plastic bag and stuck it in Henry Hoover. I can’t be paying £4 for hoover bags

OMG imagine some are having to make this sacrifice for their kids. It is just not right, I am so enraged.

Things were probably better in Dickensian times. The workhouse gave (awful) food and shelter after all.

Predictably these threads attract some who come on to advise those struggling that they wouldn't be, if only they managed poverty better 🙄 It's offensive, tone-deaf and completely ignores the bigger issues which causes the poverty in the first place. I don't believe for one second that anyone truly thinks cancelling Netflix would have any notable impact on peoples finances when we are facing unprecedented increases in energy costs, soaring fuel/food prices and NI hikes - you really think Netflix is the problem?

It's bloody insulting isn't it? Like insinuating people are too stupid to have thought to cancel unnecessary subscriptions or dot know how to shop economically. Believe me we know better than anyone and am capable of weighing up the fact that the 5.99 pm for Netflix is actually worth it rather than having nothing for myself or DC to watch when we can't really go porn and do much that isn't free and in walking distance of our home, especially during winter when it's cold and dark - perhaps I'll cancel it for a couple of months in the summer but then as said will £12 savings over really chance my situation for the better in any way - of course not

The goverment sets the taxes.

The government decides to write off fraud.

The goverment make a small fortune from the VAT on essential items.

The goverment waste money on contracts for friends.

The government decided that those who rely on benefits (including the disabled) don’t deserve even a cost of living increase.

I can carry on but it’s exceptionally ignorant to believe that the goverment have nothing to do with how things are going, or that they couldn’t make massive steps to help improve things. And let’s not forget for the economy people not having any spare money to spend isn’t good

I was in a similar situation to you in 2012, with a toddler and baby. Things I did to get through one particularly tough month included selling books to amazon, selling cds to music magpie, selling kids outgrown stuff on Facebook, peeing on ovulation sticks as part of a trial for clear blue ( got paid in love to shop vouchers, my menstrual cycle had to pass the job interview though), selling gold jewellery ( not a massive amount but I didn't need it ), using boots points to buy nappies, using nectar card points to buy groceries, drinking sugary instant coffee and skipping lunch, doing hoovering and ironing when I felt cold because they always warm me up, getting every last tin and bit of food in the house and drawing up a list of possible meals.

The jack monroe books are good for cheap meal ideas, is there a library you can go to?

Rainydaysandmondays24 you don’t need an EHCP in order to get transport for SEN reasons. This is IPSEA’s page. If you have been refused contact SENTAS, they specialise in helping parents with transport appeals,

Get an electric bike for work! What a bloody odd thing to say!

@LoisLane66

It isn't the government who set prices it's the growers, manufacturers, shippers, wholesalers, retailers and all of them must make a profit if they're to stay in business. There's also the packaging, storage, deliveries ( including fuel) advertising, gas electricity, insurance, staff costs plus wages and a million other unseen costs before you see a treat on the shelf. The government has no say in all of this. Government cannot keep giving handouts as it's really you and your nextdoor neighbours whose tax is paying towards a whole range of benefits, food vouchers for during school holidays, extra help for people with disabilities, JSA, UC and council tax exemptions +++++ It's a finite pot and we are already in huge amounts of debt. Help must be limited otherwise the economy crumbles and we get high inflation.

There are measures governments can put into place to prevent racketeering, monopolies and high profits, but since they are the ones benefiting it won't happen. "The Market" isn't a thing, it doesn't balance itself for the good of the people, it's a group of corporations run by incredibly greedy boards and shareholders who do not have any community mindedness or care for the common people. The ones who buy their goods and services, BTW.

Not sure how the economy will stay intact if we are all huddled around candles reading books every night. We need money sloshing around from hand to hand, so the coffee person A buys at the local cafe keeps the waitress in work, so she can meet her friends at the pub, so the pub can employ staff, so those staff can buy other goods and services, etc. The economy won't function if nobody can afford anything beyond bills and basic food. Surely this is obvious. Not enough money in the govt coffers? Whose fucking fault is it, then, those of us who can't buy a jam donut now and then, or the wasters at the top?

@DownstairsMixUp

Op it sounds awful. Regarding the telly license it's definitely worth not having it. It's a complete waste of money and they can't do anything. I haven't it in years and never. I've had knocks and it's a simple "who is it?" "We are from the tv licensing" "no thanks, bye" and close the door. I've had one since I had a ring doorbell so it's even easier now. It's not much but another £100+ off your annual bill is something.

The system needs to reform. They talk about it but they don't actually do anything. BBC provides the highest quality content on the planet as far as I am concerned and I don't want to be priced out of using it. I was watching something the other day and I thought to myself 'No other service would ever be able to provide this quality of content'. They have an advantage in that they have built up a cultural identification framework over decades without any competition prior to the market opening up. Despite some flaws, it is much more in line with my values and the values I would like my DC to uphold than the likes of Netflix. That is why I am still persisting with it while knowing that it is verging on daylight robbery.

In addition, Cbeebies is the world's best babysitter when you have young DCs. It was an absolute lifesaver on occasions so I will always factor that into my decision. I have never gone for those expensive Virgin/Sky packages as they hold no appeal for me but they seem to be £££s

@LoisLane66. The gvt also initiated a particular type of Brexit that now means a lot of goods coming in from all over the world have additional costs and customs , just to be sold here— this doesn’t just relate to the EU, the EU already had vast amounts of agreements in place, which the UK benefitted from . To set these all up from scratch is costly and time consuming and in some cases work against the interests of UK farmers as well, who now will have cheap imports to contend with and no close markets to export too (as fresh food is one of the very heavily regulated markets and is time dependent) and not always a big enough UK market to sell to either cost effectively. It’s also made transportation more expensive by causing huge shortages in logistics workers by making it an unwelcoming place for anyone not born here earning under a certain amount— regardless of if they were not claiming any benefits. I agree that the gvt isn’t setting the prices, and at the moment other factors are in the mix- but they are responsible for causing a perfect storm and concentrating on xenophobia which is now causing its own issues and yes- increasing costs. Warehouse workers and HGV drivers are now on more money due to shortage of workers but that’s fuck all help to you if you are a teacher, a shop worker or a nurse.

@LoisLane66 Rishi , go back to you minted life

Luckily not in this position anymore, but I was when EXH left me, before my daughter was born, I was and it's crap, living on my credit card paying minimum payments and working out how much that would leave me after that for food. I feel truly sorry for anyone in this position it just should not happen. I have not only bonbarded my mp but also opposition with emails about how this was of living is just wrong, people should be allowed netflix etc it's not a treat ffs.

Takes me back to the days when me and DD1 had nothing the guilt I felt that all her peers had XYW and she had nothing, we both just had each other.
People saying make savings it's hard when there is non to be had, get a second job, really what do you do with your child when working.

The governemnt needs to get a grip on this crisis and those of us who can manage need to tighten our belts a bit to still keep others in work i.e window cleaner (see my previos post etc) my swaps mean I can keep these people in a job and can still be donating to the foodbank trolley albeit a little bit less.