Anyone else want to scream 😱 about prices

[Cupcakeicecream]

Anyone else feel like screaming 😱. The smart meter is now the enemy. I'm constantly topping up the meter. Yes it's prepayment they won't change it I've tried and tried. The budget just keeps getting tighter. It's hard to find cheap food no offers things constantly out of stock. You need a bank loan for just to buy toliet roll 🙄 I don't have the heating on constantly I try to just heat one room with a heater. Radiators are barely on an hour here and there to keep away damp. Dryer needs to be used in in emergency since the house is colder so clothes aren't drying properly. I use an airer and it's constantly raining and windy to use the washing line. Food budget is through the roof food is smaller and more expensive and always out of stock honestly what a joke.

Andrew Marr now talking about Mumsnet and the cost of living crisis on LBC!

If you can out as much as you can into pre payment meter it lasts a lot longer. With the rebate you are getting you should notice a huge difference.

I doubled my monthly payment by error one time to £70 and it lasted a few months.

I soon learned the more you are able to put in the longer it lasts.

Re food: have you tried Olio?

It's free food about to or at sell by date (with most things a guide really) from shops like asda, m&s, pret a manger etc.

I've used it and it's fantastic, not just food but household items.

I got some lovely lamps from someone from pagazzi and my grandrabbit blooming bit through one, saved the light though.

You just say what you want and go pick up. They also look for people with a car who can go pick food up. Keep what they want then share with friends, family neighbours and fellow olio's.

Good luck.

I was on prepayment for years. Hated it.

I moved energy companies (to EDF) because they were able to put me onto a normal credit account. Been with them ever since.

Is a change in supplier an option? Not sure if you’ve tried this.

It's become a nightmare. I can't turn heating on and I have washing hanging up that hasn't dried in 4 days. It's not even the worst of winter yet. I'm not eating as much. A lot of people will get very ill or die this winter. Everything is screwed. I'm 68 and will be glad to be out of it TBH. Can't carry on like this.

Newgate baked beans from Lidl or Tesco are great. As good as Heinz imo and half the price. Even my husband likes them and he's very picky!

Lidl and Aldi own brand beans etc are a lot cheaper then branded and too be honest they taste ok. So may be worth investigating more own brands to keep your costs down

I find doing an online shop really useful. Some supermarkets do substitutions at the same price for any items that were out of stock - e.g. ordered pasta 500g at 50p but out of stock so substituted with 500g of pasta costing £1.10 but still charged 50p.

Some supermarkets also allow you to do a stock check before you embark on your journey so you can gauge the probability of the item you require being available.

Don’t buy them then! Use a damp cloth like we did in the 80s! I’m in my 70s and I’ve never used wipes for anything. Ridiculous waste of money and so bad for the environment.

Another vote for the butcher, spent £23.77 this week got 1.5lb beef mince, 1.5lb braising steak, 1lb back bacon, 12 good quality sausages, I get a 25kg sack of local spuds for £7 (lots of tatie farms local to me) I have made enough meals to feed family of 4 for most of this week, I’m spending less and less at the supermarket and trying to batch cook on my day off and also take single meals for my mum as she struggles to cook just for herself, so I think for not a massive outlay we are eating really well tbh and I don’t buy any convenience foods, take leftovers for lunch and do a packed lunch for 1 child, other has a school dinner which I’ve just put a cap on her spending (secondary school - don’t get me started on those prices/choice)

Make sure you claim anything you are entitled to. Google or ring the local authority or ask on mn.

Cost of living payments, winter fuel, etc if you have arthritis and have issues moving around you can get attendance allowance. There have been around £1,000 given away in cost of living/support payments but you have to claim is sometimes-not all are means tested.

If you have a pet and claim benefit check to see if you can use the PDSA for treatment.
Chappie is a good, cheap dog food often recommended by vets. Just change food slowly. Dogs can have most leftover veg - just check to make sure it’s not going to cause any upset tums.

Stop using wipes and kitchen rolls- do what your parents or grandparents did. Use old towels, cut up, wash then dry- when able.

Dehumidifiers, electric throws and blankets, thermal undies, onesies, boot slippers - all good to keep warm. Is going to a laundrette cheaper than washing and drying at home?

Play games and read, have early nights.

Make soups, chillis and stews and freeze them.

Switch to plant milk- Alpro my cuppa- it lasts longer and I can’t tell the difference.

Someone else who thinks Aldi and Lidl aren’t the cheapest anymore. Thank you. I’ve being thinking it for along time, sadly no one agreed.

I am finding food cheap, but cooking it is expensive.
Gas gone so expensive now.
I have small corner shop, in July electricity was £400 and in August it was £1060.
Makes me angry how much government is using tax money to support war.

We haven't put any heating on yet, but I can see us needing to turn it on in one room next month.

We are fortunate in having a good budget for housekeeping but I no longer manage to make savings which used to be my 'pocket money'. We are lucky as we also have lots of food and stores in the cupboard, we don't smoke, drink or go out!

The powdered ones in Lidl and Aldi (own brand version of Azeera) are brilliant. Half the price of branded and actually nicer (a colleague and I take turns to buy coffee and we don't like the cheap granules work provide, she buys branded and I buy Lidl and even she prefers the Lidl one!). £2.29 unless on offer for £1.89.

I have to say that yes… I want to scream too when it comes to the ridiculous prices that we are now charged. BUT I have a weekly budget of £45-£50 per week for 4 adult ( a teen that eats like an adult) eaters including washing powders etc. This is how I do it…

I’ve replaced two to three dishes made it vegetarian versions. Chilli con carne without meat, kidney beans only, tomatoes and all the spices, served with rice and salad. It’s yummy!!

I replaced all brands by cheaper versions too.

From 500gr of mince I make two meals, one becomes Spag bowl, all from scratch, and I add a handful of oats that bulks it up wonderfully (we humans are not meant to eat so much meat), the other half I make mini meatballs, adding a slice of fresh bread, onions, spices or herbs, and frozen peppers, all minced and bind it with an egg, slightly fry it after….. These go in the freezer for later cooking.

I use leftover chicken for pastas, samosas and even pies.

We eat fresh as possible and great, thankfully.

I once lived a life of having no food to eat, and so I learnt to use everything and anything to make great meals.
I’ve started making soups too with the leftover veg that no one wants to eat, ( add a chorizo or some bacon for yummy flavour) plus these can be used in pasta sauces as well.
I shop for offers, but only if I use the items but I always look at quantities against price, and I shop online for late delivery as it’s usually cheaper.

Tuna pasta is great and a staple food in our home with vegetables and salad, u make it with tinned chopped tomatoes, cooks fast and it’s delish, some like it with cheese but not me.

I buy more frozen veg now, as it’s fresher at the point of packing, cheaper, always on hand and never goes off before I use it all.

I REFUSE to pay the prices that supermarkets wants us to pay on certain items and so I leave it on the shelves. Apart from that I always need to buy special items without lactose as we have a lactose intolerance family member. Rarely ever we have take out, and anything in bulk when on offer helps to keep my bills low, like rice for example.
Xtra bread leftovers??? Easy!… I transform it into croutons ( cube the bread slices then toss in oil herbs and pepper, cook in low oven WHEN there’s something else cooking in there too) to eat with the soups that I make. Everyone gets well fed and healthy and low bills. Win win. Plus…. Freeze freeze freeze!! Saves energy time and saves in the shopping bill.

i had salmon for the first time ever a few days ago. It was £3.64 from Asda (yellow label) and fed two of us, reduced baby potatoes and reduced spinach cost £4.00, served with the butter juice/pepper is roasted in.

I was shocked how tasty salmon is. I’ve never bought salmon, but was told the price/weight/taste was more than what it should be

Oh interesting!
We have both lidl and aldi here so I need to do a taste test.
Thanks!

that Just Essentials range is quite nice we have had loads to taste test etc

Nappies and cloths for babies. Line the nappy with a thick tissue so that if it gets very it can be tipped into the loo. Nappies and cloths rinse in cold water and then soak until the next wash in a bucket with sodium carbonate, wash and put in spindryer. Cheaper than tumble dryer.
Except for knickers, pants and socks only wash clothes if they smell or look dirty.

I cut up several old towels and overlocked around the edges. The wipes go in the wash with the nappies at no extra cost. Never bought a single wipe (DD is 1)
Even cheeky wipes are cheaper if you don’t want to sew.

@Diamondsareforever123 💐

I have noticed my local Aldi and Lidl never have their range of toiletries in stock anymore. I used to buy their anti perspirant from them and it was never over about 75p , l can't find it in any of the stores now , all l can find is Sure and it's £1.75. They do have the roll ons so l think l will have to by them now . I know it is better for the environment as well .

Totally agree!
Disana ‘Strickwindeln’ are the best nappies for fast drying, fit all sizes including newborn and extra large, can add as many boosters as needed, no leakage. Only downside, they take a bit more time to put on.

Bean Update

Beans above 50% of content
Mr Organic Organic Baked Beans, Heinz Organic, Heinz, Branston, Tesco’s Organic, Sainsburys, Waitrose, Morrisons, Corale Premium (Aldi own)

Beans below 46% of content
Tesco’s Stockwell, Sainsburys Hubbards, Aldi Essentials, Asda Just Essentials

Notably the ordinary branded ones all use spirit vinegar in their recipes - but so does the Corale Premium. The ingredients for Corale Premium look nearly identical to the Heinz but at about a third of the cost. The 4 cheapest have the lowest bean count and also have the dodgy Glucose-Fructose Syrup.

The ones that look like a good shout to try in terms of price point and content look to be the Tesco's Organic (massively cheaper than other organics so if you are after quality thats probably worth looking at), Morrisons and the Corale Premium.

Quite a few supermarkets are doing slightly less in their tins to make a touch more profit. The Sainsburys Hubbard ones are 'price matched' the the Aldi ones... but are smaller. In the same way, M&S look cheaper than they actually are by weight.

And shop around for your brands. Atm, Heinz are the same everywhere as part of offers but there is a hefty saving to be had on Branstons at Asda.

Brand 1: Mr Organic Organic Baked Beans
400g for £1.50 (37.5p per 100g)

Brand 2: Rakusens Kosher Baked Beans (From Sainsburys)
400g for £1.20 (30p per 100g)

Brand 3: M&S Organic
400g for £1 (via Ocado) (25p per 100g)

Brand 4: Heinz Organic
415g for £1 (on offer at Morrisons) (24.1p per 100g)

Brand 5: Heinz
415g tin for £1 (on offer at Morrisons) (24.1p per 100g)

Brand 6: HP
415g tin for 80p (19.2p per 100g)

Brand 7: Branston
410g tin for 75p (Asda - notably £1 at Sainsburys and 90p at Tesco) (18.3p per 100g)

Brand 8: Tesco’s Organic
420g for 70p (16.6p per 100g)

Brand 9: Sainsburys
400g for 50p (12.5p per 100g)

Brand 10: Waitrose
400g for 50p (12.5p per 100g)

Brand 11: Asda
410g for 42p (10.2p per 100g)

Brand 12: M&S
400g for 40p (via Ocado) (10p per 100g)

Brand 13: Morrisons
410g for 39p (9.5p per 100g)

Brand 14: Tesco
420g for 40p (9.5p per 100g)

Brand 15: Corale Premium (Aldi)
420g for 37p (8.8p per 100g)

Brand 16: Tesco Stockwell
420g for 27p (6.4p per 100g)

Brand 17: Sainsburys Hubbard’s
400g for 25p (This claims to be price matched to Aldi but Sainsburys do smaller tins!) (6.3p per 100g)

Brand 18: Aldi Essentials
420g for 26p (6.2p per 100g)

Brand 19: Asda Just Essentials
410g for 25p (6.1p per 100g)

I have been thinking about doing this for a while tbh, l am guilty of washing stuff after a wear to fill the machine up too .