What can't you afford?

[Marleymerm]

Last week at work my colleague told me her recent eye test showed she needed glasses, but she couldn't afford them, she's known she's needed them for a couple of years but said she doesn't have the money. We both work full time in office jobs and neither of us have expensive hobbies or social lives, we're both pretty boring.
I realised this morning I haven't bought new shoes for months despite the ones I have coming apart, because I can't afford them. I've picked up pairs but put them back down when I've thought of what else I need instead.
When I asked this question to my friend about what she couldn't afford she told me her monthly prescription! She hasn't got it for 3 months.
It's a weird time we're living in so everyone's doing without something. But do you have any necessary things you need but can't afford?

At my GP practice, you get thrown if you miss o'i many appointments. It's just thoughtful to cancel and then someone else can have that appointment. I've been very grateful to be able to get a cancellation. It also keeps the system flowing better. Bugger be kind, being practical would be much more use.

Person you are quoting started a vile (and now deleted thread) about how her own sister was claiming DLA for her son, and that her sister had a new car and could go on holidays.

Gosh that's horrendous 😢
I had replied to someone earlier thinking that I was replying to that poster and also thinking she was being sarcastic... guessing she wasn't!

Many people I know can still afford the same things. But they're now working a hell of a lot more hours. It's all so sad. We're all just existing, not living.

Come April 2023 without the utility cap in price that was initially promised and then recinded on plus the rise in my rent, my food budget will be entirely obliterated.

It said on the news the other day that food sales are already down. What is the answer to all this crazy mess?

Will a reduction in food items mean people will be losing weight?

I've noticed a lot of junk foods have got smaller for the same price i.e. a packet of Cheetos is now 69 calories instead of 99 per packet and biscuits have got slightly smaller too.

If people can't afford to buy take aways, junk food and eat out like they did before then that can't be a bad thing for health (obviously bad for the economy) but if people can't afford food in general then it can lead to dangerous weight loss.

When I was forced onto sickness benefits for a while I was exceptionally skint chickpea curry made up a huge part of my diet for a long time and I lost weight pretty rapidly.

Re weight loss - it might do, it could go several ways.

1. weight loss due to not enough food
2. weight loss due to meal planning and leaving out luxury high cal food eg sweets
3. weight gain due to consumption of cheaper, more fattening food.

Cuba went through massive challenges after the collapse of the Soviet Union, leading to food shortages etc. That period is known as the Special Period, en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Period

Do you think people will buy lots of vegetables and spend gas/electric cooking them? Or do you think they'll buy the cheapest thing they can find to throw in a microwave? I doubt anyone will benefit health wise from the lack of a food budget.

Well I’m in shock, just been to Aldi and the butter is £2.15 it’s was £1.99 last week.

SurpriseWombat

ebay do good thermal curtains at a really good price.

Still £1.99 in Sainsbury’s’ ‘Aldi Price Match’.

They may be eligible for free prescriptions via the NHS low income scheme.

Is your husband not eligible for help with prescription costs via the low income scheme or a pre pay certificate? You can pay for the latter monthly at about £10.90.

@CactusFlowers interesting - thank you it does look like students are covered under that.

www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/nhs-low-income-scheme

Glasses are so expensive! I get mine from glasses direct which works out a bit cheaper but not everyone can use them and they still arent that cheap!

Goggles4u.co.uk
I've used them for years.
My basic, cheapest glasses cost minimum £400+ from optician. £50ish there

Glasses, boots and now swimming lessons for the children. We can’t afford to renew them.
I think that I’ll be able to get these things eventually though, just not as soon as they’re needed really. There will have to be a gap in swimming lessons for a couple of months which isn’t ideal, and the glasses will have to wait until after Christmas. I do have glasses but they’re on their last legs.
I think everyone is missing out on things at the moment. Our chimneys need work on them too which we can’t afford, just trying not to think about it. It’s the cost of childcare along with the rising cost of food, petrol etc that is crippling us here.

Is it just me or has anyone notice a lot more missing cat flyers pasted up in their area?

I really don't know how this will end. Energy prices are due to increase again in January. Today in the supermarket there seemed to be more noticeable empty shelves.

We have very big problem in our street, cats and dogs are being stolen and sold on black market. Our neighbours lost at least 5 pets last month.

Our neighbours lost at least 5 pets last month

Yes I’m noticing this too. So glad my cats are indoor cats. People might think it’s cruel but it would be bad enough if someone took them and sold them on as a pet, but some are used as bait for fighting dogs. Not an end you wish on any animal.

I'm disabled & I've been quite unwell this week.
On Friday I decided we'd have to have a chippy tea as I was just too ill to cook.
I cant afford fish & chips so we usually have sausage & chips.
But I found some frozen supermarket breaded fish in the freezer so I sent Ds for chips so it at least felt a bit like a treat chippy tea. Ds has Autism so put the usual order in of double sausage & chips. Only he got muddled & ordered 2 x double sausage & chips. I'd given him a £20 & I got £4 change. Not good ...
Yesterday I still felt ill so I went to the Co op (only supermarket within 10 miles) & got 2 pizzas, cheese, cucumber, tomatoes, & 3 fake 'Magnums' for a treat.
It was £16 !! We are going to be using up everything next week & I hope to feel well enough to batch cook again as I can't afford to be ill & spending £ like this.

I find co op dear for specifics but fabulous for bargains. They reduce stuff to 25% or less about 6.30/7pm. If your son is able to go if you can’t. I get a lot of fish and fruit & veg there.

@54 - coop does a great “can’t be arsed meal deal”. Usually along the lines of frozen fish filets, fish fingers, chips, peas and magnums for about £8(?).