To have found increasing costs making a positive impact?

[Optimisiticcautiouslyso]

Increasing petrol costs - so I’m actively cutting driving and walking so much more than ever

Increasing energy costs - so I don’t think I’ve ever been more aware of lights off, putting on an extra jumper rather than spinning the heating upwards

Increasing food costs - much more mindful with what I’m buying and much more thoughtful with my cooking and eating

Anyone else?

I’ve never said any division is created out of spite or jealousy.

But people are so blind that they can’t understand that others have a different balance point, which tips at a different time and in a different way.

It absolutely is a race to the bottom on here. And it’s reminiscent of the ‘you don’t know how lucky you have it. When I was a kid…’ mentality.

Sorry OP but what about the people who already using no or a minimal minimum amount of heating, just about surviving on the simplest/cheapest food and who rely on the bus (but now cannot afford it)- I agree that this is tone deaf.

I should imagine that most of the people who have found some positive consequences of the increasing cost of living, are wealthy people.

In my opinion. And only my in opinion. It’s really rather insensitive to post going aren’t my green credentials great coz of the cost of living rises I’m cancelling sky and turning down the heating and popping on a jumper when there will be people who will go hungry and cold this winter.

Lucky you.

@Quincythequince

I’ve never said any division is created out of spite or jealousy.

But people are so blind that they can’t understand that others have a different balance point, which tips at a different time and in a different way.

It absolutely is a race to the bottom on here. And it’s reminiscent of the ‘you don’t know how lucky you have it. When I was a kid…’ mentality.

I don't think that's true but I think that desperate people who cannot afford to feed or adequately clothe their kids are allowed to feel bitter if someone who is able to live reasonably comfortably is boasting about their new frugal way of living.

Anything is insensitive If there is someone who is worse off using that logic.
Doesn’t matter what it is.

Buying new clothes, getting a cheap take-away, being able to afford a can of beer… all of this is insensitive, and yet… really not much h to expect in this country.

@707smile please do not use the term tone deaf. From the mother of a deaf child. Thank. You.

@purplemunkey

I'm sure it's lovely for you to be able to treat this as a 'mindfulness' experience. I probably would have thought about the impact it has on other people who aren't quite so lucky before posting something so silly.

This

Some people were already on their knees ...

@Peppapigforlife

A lot of us were that mindful without needing to be cajoled into it. I don't think you can call it mindful when it still comes from a selfish need, rather than actively thinking of the environment.

I say “more” mindful.

And even if someone wasn’t mindful but they now are - isn’t the bigger picture that they ARE now?

What a truly dark and negative stance in life

@RozHuntleysStump

You don’t have to be on the bones of your arse to have a valid opinion. I get you OP. It is making us more careful and that’s a good thing.

Yes!

Sorry OP, I don't know why everyone is having a go at you. Does this mean that anyone who posts on the property thread about their extensions / house purchases should reframe their posts to include lots of hand wringing about how terrible they feel for being able to afford to buy a property?

@Longcovid21 that phrase isn't actually about being deaf is it? I mean the 'real' meaning of tone deaf rather than the meaning on this thread.

@Agrudge 80 hour weeks for my husband, 60 hour weeks for me, working around 4 kids. Who do you think should be doing more?

@eatentoomanygrapes here, here!! And all the other posts about size of pub meals, meeting others for meals, hen parties that are abroad, trainers that are £100 that kids don’t want to wear in case they crease them….

Sorry I meant threads not posts.

[quote Longcovid21]@707smile please do not use the term tone deaf. From the mother of a deaf child. Thank. You.[/quote]
I'm hard of hearing; my dd is hard of hearing - in fact between us we have 2 ears. I have spent my life being called 'Vincent' or had people go 'eh? eh?' and laugh; and don't talk to us about trying to explain why we can't just grab a normal mask. I genuinely do not find tone deaf offensive. It means not understanding the way someone is phrasing something, surely?

@Quincythequince

Not getting into the race to the bottom ‘competitive poverty’ shit you see on here.

You do realise people’s financial circumstances can change - and quite quickly too in some cases. Or maybe you don’t 🤦🏼‍♀️

Wealth creates wealth and poverty creates more poverty. Social mobility is very low in this country and the wealth-poverty divide is massive.

It’s all very well finding a silver lining where you become more conscious, but for gods sake, keep it to yourself.

Your expenses < income buffer has been eroded. If inflation continues its trajectory, you may reach a point where something you actually deem ‘essential’ has to go. At that point, the mindfulness disappears, and it’s time to open Excel (or rather LibreOffice, because bye bye Office 365), and get spreadsheet out of necessity.

That’ll be less mindful and more ‘oh shit’

[quote Longcovid21]@707smile please do not use the term tone deaf. From the mother of a deaf child. Thank. You.[/quote]
Hi @Longcovid21,

I'm sorry to hear that. I have a brother with a hearing impairment but I'd never considered it offensive as it's just a term used in normal spoken English but I can definitely stop using it (I had actually copied the term from a poster above). I have OCD (absolutely debilitating to the point that I cannot live a normal life or leave my house most days) and feel exactly the same about people saying they are 'so OCD'.

I haven't read every single response, but I see where you're coming from, OP.
The rising costs haven't had an impact on us, but I have been trying to do similar to you, such as reduce food waste and not just put the heating on whenever. Unfortunately DP will still blast the heating then open every window because he's too hot, and not think to turn it off. 😐 I've always hated waste, especially energy and water, whereas he isn't as careful as I am and I don't think I'll ever persuade him to be more mindful of it.
I do wonder how far it will go though, fuel prices just seem to keep going up, I'd like to think the government won't leave people without enough food or heat, but I think they quite happily will. 😞 It's a situation that shouldn't be allowed to happen, I just don't know what the solution is.

@Schmz

Apologies for my tone deaf comment - Hearing issues should not be used as a derogatory comment - generally sorry about that.

Tone deaf doesn’t refer to hearing loss. It means you’re relatively insensitive to differences in musical pitch.

@AchillesPoirot

In my opinion. And only my in opinion. It’s really rather insensitive to post going aren’t my green credentials great coz of the cost of living rises I’m cancelling sky and turning down the heating and popping on a jumper when there will be people who will go hungry and cold this winter.

I've seen plenty of posters here detailing the changes they have made, or are making, because of the fuel crisis and rising costs of living. They are just sharing their experience, not boasting. I doubt anyone is unaware that there are always people who are struggling financially and anxious about how they will manage to put food on the table, never mind heating. Some of us who are comfortable now have been there in the past and it is seriously grim! What can we do to help? I want to help more, am not sure how apart from discreetly giving to charities. I'm happy to consider any suggestions.

The op has not been insensitive or boastful (I just re read her opening post), merely sharing the changes she is making. I don't see why she shouldn't say it, others do and more. If it alerts and encourages people to think about whether they really need or just want something, could they cut down or do without, surely that can only be a good thing.

Life is different for each of us and we should be able to talk and share without our motives being suspect and people piling on with resentment.

@707smile thank you. I am sorry to hear about the OCD and I know you get what I mean when people use the term in an obtuse way.

We are definitely being more aware of how much we (previously) wasted. . . I feel a bit ashamed / embarrassed at how much food I used to throw out / spend on takeaways, now we are watching our food bills / consumption and waste ... we could afford it before, and can afford minutes treats now, but we are being "mindful" as you say @Optimisiticcautiouslyso ... I do agree with you that there is a large swathe of people who weren't previously on the bones of their arse, but are now heading that way. And its scary.

It is entirely possible to feel compassion and anger for those who are suffering because of this almightily appalling government (which "the people" voted for, we must remember that fact) and also to be aware of trimming costs in one's own middle income world. The two are not in opposition.

I'm very comfortable financially yet I've made some decisions that are to me cut backs, in response to rising prices. Im not remotely facing the horrors of rising prices, but as far as that goes I have never and will never vote Tory and, along with my vol work at a food bank, that's about all I can do. But I'm not going to be silenced about my own cost cutting measures simply because they're not indicative of extreme poverty (did I mention this country voted in swathes - fucking swathes - for a Tory government again?)