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.

Been trying Jamie Oliver's £1 wonders this week (meals under £1 a portion). No fancy ingredients but really tasty food, quick to make and satisfying portions. Even my fussy 15 year old daughter gobbled down sweet potato and chickpea curry last night. I try to batch cook and use the microwave wherever possible - much cheaper than the oven. Don't have one but apparently air fryers are the cheapest of all.

My last 3 online orders have been out of stock of the essentials mince, plus a handful of other things I wanted from the range. Really annoying! We're a 30 minute drive from supermarkets so I try to order online as it's cheaper than fuel to get there and back.

Redtoothbrush wins the "most overly invested" poster of the year for literally bean counting.

Aldi fruit is awful at the moment and not the cheapest either.

And why not?!

There are worse things to do online!

I had a birthday party last week and ordered food from Tesco probably about 2.5 weeks in advance to be delivered. They cancelled my order the day it was meant to arrive but it was all in stock. £70+ price difference though ….£70 IN TWO WEEKS.

Never had babywipes simply used water and a flannel which would be rised or washed. Minimal cost

Alot of squash here is quadruple strength and I can't judge how much to put in. Environmentally better I know but not easy to get used to.

And the whole cold house wet washing thing is really getting on my nerves, I've learned to live with lower temp, we set at about 15 deg, last year 17 degrees. We have a dehumidifier.but Dh won't let me use it, I'm sick of damp washing !!!!

Agreed
I've just done a shop and bought mostly that stuff. It's not full of crap like I expected it to be too, well, not any more than other processed foods.
Great that you can get meat and veg too.

Do you have a garage where you park your car? Years ago I put up a line above the motor area of the car and would hang my washing there. The heat coming from the motor would assist in drying the clothes more quickly then hanging them on the sheltered verandah area or indoors….

@LakieLady
Heinz are well more than Branston. More like £1.50+.
I buy Waitrose Essential which are £1.20 for 4 x 400g tins or M&S which are 40p for 400g. 30p for 220g.
Cheese has gone through the roof. Well, no good moaing about it, if I want it I have to pay the price. It was £4 for 750g medium cheddar. M&S have 6 mixed sizes of eggs for £1 which is good, however, my preferred Cornish milk which has much more cream content, is now £1.50 litre up from £1.30.
I'm lucky that there is only me to consider so I can still afford to eat well although I have invested in an airfryer and slow cooker for long term use.

Dog tinned food up from £5 for 6 tins to £6.50. Dried kibble was £36 for 12kg, now £40 for 10kg. Dog won't eat any other kibble, it's driving me mad.

@browneyes77
I'm with EDF for gas on whole amount monthly as long as I give readings, otherwise £27. Last bill just in is £15.07. Elec was £16.97 for 39 days. I feel I got a good deal until 31/07/24.

It is a nightmare. Everytime I shop I see the difference. Not all Russia related. Most definitely Brexit. When your not part of the syndicate you can’t expect to get the cheaper deals. So sad and it isn’t going to get better

£2.55 for a dozen eggs. In Aldi!! How fucking much are they in Waitrose😭

we're down to using the free sachets of ketchup accumulated in the cupboard, because I just refused to pay over £3 a bottle for Heinz in Tesco earlier. All the cheaper alternatives had sold out. I'm finding that happening quite a lot with many items. People must be deserting brand leaders in droves.

£1 for 6 mixed size. We get the boxes of 15 from M&S for £2.15.

Weirdly the block butter salted/unsalted is £1.75 in M&S. (It's all I buy in there lol)

The cheapest salad cream, same size bottle of the cheapest tomato sauce and a big pinch of paprika. It is beautiful

Sorry - just not an essential, use water / soap if things are so tight x

Quality is down too.because of not being able to use the same lengthy processes.because they can't afford the same cleaning routines for the equipment infactories,or the right scale of cleaning products.
dairy products because cows are fed lesser grade pellets now,and grass and crop has been shit this year.they also can afford to age it properly.some producers in France have had to close for this reason.
Not having enough drivers mean stock can come in days late which effect the shelf life and qaulity.
This isn't just Russia.this is brexit.this was happening way before Russia.

Ukrainebaby23:

Using a dehumidifier is a good idea. You get more heat out than the electric you put in, plus dries the air a bit. A sort of heat pump.

In a Mcdonald's in central London a few weeks ago (sorry!) they had taken away all the napkins, sauces, salt and all the accoutrements - if you don't ask for them you don't get them.

Try approvedfoods

go through quidco or cashback.

These are foods not past their sell by date but sometimes with damaged packaging. They are brilliant. Also skin cream I purchased Weleda skin food with damaged packing for three pounds odd as opposed to eight.

I seem to be doing a juggling act a lot now, (switching items between different shops, I have certain items that only one store stocks, 😡so have different shops, on different weeks, to stock up.) but have noticed that certain common things in Tesco's are now much more expensive than Ocado.

Examples: Organic mayo, goats milk butter ( I cant eat cow's milk) and for some reason the deals on Heinz soups Tesco v Ocado. 4 for £4 v 8 for £6, It makes me nervious as every time I log in to Ocado now, I am waiting on the price rises.