Cost of living crisis: are you feeling it yet?

[whatthejuice]

Posting here for traffic...
Have you felt the cost of living crisis yet? Has your disposable income taken a nose dive?
I've noticed a massive increase in our food bills so that's the main difference at the moment and we probably have £150-£200 less disposable income per month as a result. I'm trying to save a separate money pot for help towards the heating bills this winter - but worried it won't be anywhere near enough to eat up the increase.
It all feels a bit terrifying at the moment, especially after I read the German government in local towns are bringing in energy saving measures already like switching lights off etc....

I couldn't ignore this, I am so sorry you are feeling this way. I know it is easy for a stranger to say but please don't do this, do you have any friends or family who you talk to about these feelings?

I'm so sorry you are struggling, sending love to you and all of us who are finding it tough going.

I'm so sorry you're feeling that way @Diamondsareforever123 I hope that somehow things begin to look up for you.

A little, but not so much that it's significantly affecting our quality of life. We have definitely noticed the higher utility bills, but we've been able to adjust our usage to offset this. I have noticed food prices rising, but not to the extent that others seem to, but we only ever buy unbranded things (unless an offer makes branded cheaper), cook mostly from scratch and don't really do convenience food.

Coffee outside of home has gone up a lot! I've started making it at home and saving a fortune - but I probably should have done that anyway. Petrol and Diesel obviously also absolutely extortionate! It's been relieving to see it slowly trickling down in price over the last couple of weeks.

We also switched from Tax Credits to Universal Credit: should have done that ages ago, the difference has been hugely helpful.

Our lockdown buy of a home coffee machine means we v rarely get a coffee out now.
I did today for me and my husband and it was £8.50!! Not doing that again.

What a depressing post. Children shouldn't be having to moderate their appetite around Government fuckups.

Yeah and actually make self-employed people pay the same as those on PAYE. That is a huge scam that makes us all much poorer.

I haven't noticed it but we are frugal, on a fixed energy tariff for the next year and a bit, and we are able to save about 2k a month which is a nice cussion. I have taken on extra work in the last 6 months, as has DH which has cancelled out any increases thus far.

If this had happened 15 years ago it would have destroyed me financially and I don't have a clue how I would have been able to cope.

The solution isn't handouts to pay energy bills. We need a massive overhaul in this country. I would happily pay more tax and sell our rental house if the money were to go to the right people. I don't know how anyone justifies all the tax dodging and corruption that is happening in plain sight whilst the poorest members of society will either struggle or off themselves. It's a complete disgrace.

It's very hard here. Lone parent, disabled with two disabled kids, large mortgage and huge childcare costs that were unanticipated, before their disabilities became apparent. God knows how we will manage if prices go up anymore and I am still give no payrise.

Kinda, or at least we can see it coming. So we have emptied the savings and moved forward some jobs round the house that were on the 5-10 year list: solar panels, new boiler, (old one is 40 years old and very inefficient), 2 new patio doors to replace drafty and broken doors. We'll be aiming to sort out some extra insulation and put up curtains over the front door etc.

At the current rate of costs the solar and boiler should pay for themselves within 5 and 2 years respectively. I'm not sure about the doors.

We can see that our bank balance average has dropped by £1k over the past year so for the first time we're going to start meal planning and not just impulse buy any more, keeping the heating on low, and we're going to see if we can get the kids to drop an activity. We've joined the library rather than buy books (a regular activity), and we're knocking the coffee shops/Starbucksing on the head. I'm not going to renew the gym membership, going to get the kids to drop an activity... That sort of thing.

I'm not saying this to sound oblivious to the hardships of lower income families, I come from a solidly working class background and live in an area where people on £10k/year live in the same street and go to the same schools as people on £100k, but what I am saying is that it is utterly terrifying for an economy when high income households start behaving like this.

This is how I've lived for the last eight years.

Who's starving the economy of labour?
The first cohort of ex e bloc migrants has either settled and up-skilled or moved back home and invested.
The new generations from these countries are going to Europe instead.

Dp is a first-wave migrant, she's not cleaning toilets at BMW anymore she is a head buyer, and her friend from the same village is a finance director.
There are plenty of people in this country who need to step up to the plate and make a positive contribution to the economy.

We’re not feeling it too much yet - we don’t have a mortgage, fixed our energy bill till August 2023 (on a 3 year fix) and generally our outgoings are very low. We both work from home 3 days a week too so haven’t been massively impacted by the increase in public transport costs. We drive very little too - a tank of petrol normally lasts us 6-8 weeks but we’ve just ordered a hybrid car for delivery in December.

We’ve noticed about 20% on food prices but are managing that by buying less treats and we eat out even less than before.

They are all laughing as they enjoy their jolly japes at the top table, while every so often throwing crumbs to those below.

Fortunately got a 5 year fix on a good deal in January.

Our energy dd is now £300 up from £120 in March.

Petrol prices are ridiculous. Its now £65 to fill my tiny 1 litre car! I've seen asda are reducing the price of petrol today.

Dh had got a new EV thank goodness so saving on diesel at least.

Food prices are rising. I've switched to cheaper versions of things.

We don't really do take away or go out much so no savings to be made there, really.

It's gonna be grim.

It’s crap isn’t it.

And then there are always the ones who tell you to “work harder”.

12 hour nightshifts on no sleep because I look after my toddler in the day (whole point in working nights is no childcare costs) doesn’t seem to be enough for some!

I think we'll be okay, though we'll have a lot less disposable income in winter when it's time to switch the heating back on, but tbh we tend to want to go out less in winter anyway.

We are looking forward to next April when DS2s 30 funded hours kick in!

Not felt it massively but know it's coming. See it in food shop and eating out.

On a fixed energy tariff until September next year no DC and household income of 88k before tax

Currently helping my disabled aunt pay her bills but worried there'll be a time when we can't. Imagine by the end of next year when we have to remortgage and our fixed deal ends well have to really tighten belts.

@MsFrenchie You assuming that if everyone had done things as cleverly as you have now they wouldn't be struggling is highly insulting. The whole "me me me" attitude is in very bad taste of this whole thread.

Guess what, I have delayed having my family until I had enough money saved up to support us through maternity leave and to support us paying the gigantic nursery fees. I have always lived within my means and have a modest home with a (right now) very affordable mortgage (nowhere near maximising our affordability), but I am terrified of what is going to happen next year when I have to renew my mortgage because the 10% increase was always the absolute worst case scenario that will in all likeliness never happen is now probably going to be a sad reality. And no matter how established I am in my career, I have never had a chance to make investments to future proof myself against all extremities.

Your posts lack compassion, sympathy and are bragging. Well done for doing everything the way you should have. Screw the rest of us that didn't have a chance to make investments at a young age. Screw us all, despite working our arses off, trying to make ends meet. I can assure you that I work all the hours I can to balance out childcare costs and live well within our means and we are absolutely not relying on your tax to raise our child. That was never the plan! But surely even you can see how this is causing the majority of the country to struggle?

Despite all bloody bills - food prices are killing me. I honestly don't know how to save money on food and how to "squeeze" more. I'm basically relating on yellow sticker food. I was so emotional when I found reduced massive cake for £2 that I cried at the till.
Even Poundland - most of the things are £2+.....

Thankfully its not affecting us, but it is family members so doing our best to support support them. I grew up in poverty and its heartbreaking that here we are still with more families than ever struggling to keep a roof over their heads and food in their stomachs.

Yes it’s completely unsustainable

MsFrenchie doesn’t understand that peoples circumstances can change overnight. Marriages can break up, babies can be born disabled and redundancies can happen. She could develop a long term illness and struggle to work at anytime.

Obvs I hope it never happens to her but it would be great to remember that judgement, arrogance and gossip = lowest form of human intelligence.

@Rustydress - spot on! The word I was clearly looking for is arrogant. So very arrogant.

I probably shouldn't have but I took her posts personally because I really struggle at the moment mentally, I feel I let my child down, bringing him into a world where I might not be able to provide him the opportunities that I genuinely believed I could, or offer him the relative financial security we not so long ago had, and I know it's through no fault of our own. It just really really terrifies me and breaks my heart.

Yes I used to save every month but now it’s steadily going down and eating into savings instead! It’s worrying my food bill seems to have increased by double! I’m very worried actually about the next year or so
especially over the winter