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.

There's still cheap food to be had - pasta for 35p in Lidl today for instance. Chopped tomatoes were 40p today, up from 35p but with onion (got a large bag for 50p) carrots (49p a kilo) celery (60p) garlic (49p) and dried herbs you can make a sauce, add any leftover meat you have, can of beans or chopped up sausage if you like. You'll only use parts of those veg packs so more for other meals. I made dinner for circa £1.50 including gas serving 3 adults today.

I'm fortunate that lidl is my nearest shop though!

Yes we're definitely noticing lots of things going up 25-50% in price even from a month or so ago. It's not good at all. I think this winter is going to be bad with the energy price increases as well. Especially if we have power cuts that also defrost the contents of freezers (hoping that they won't be that long and frozen stuff will still stay frozen?). It feels bizarre we're talking about this in 2022. Add to that the multiple viruses circulating and people who can't afford to get sick or take time off to look after sick kids. I'm keeping my head down as much as possible and wearing a decent mask.

I've just had my second payment. It more than covers everything for me (not just the increase, but the entire bill). My supplier have reduced my DD to £0 and my account is now in credit.

We live on France and food here has always been expensive- I used to come back and was shocked at how cheap food was in UK supermarkets. Last month during my visit I noticed it was on the rise. I expect the supermarkets will make record profits this year.. my suspicion is that some of the price rises are just fake and taking advantage of the situation. x

It always makes me smile that the angelic cook it all from scratch brigade always serve their delish of the day with "crusty" bread. Always crusty. Never bog standard white loaf oh no gotta be fancy crusty. 😇

Butter for £3!!!!! Crazy world prices!

Tried to buy 2 lamb chops in our locak butchers today...over £10. Told him to put them back as couldn't justify the cost.
All supermarkets in our small town out of creme frais. Two out of potato salad. Meat isle in local Aldi empty looking like it had been ram raided.

Life but not as we knew it!

Sp: aisle

😞 scary times

I've got to be completely honest here, but my mind boogles at people still buying branding products and then complaining about the prices.

I struggle to have sympathy for it. Just buy an own brand product and save yourself a fortune.

Why on earth are you still paying over the odds?

Just back from the supermarket (not UK) DH's muesli is on special again, but at a substantial amount more than the special last month.

As a poster said upthread, every time I go there seems to be another big pricing increase on something we buy.

I bought spreadable butter today for £4!! Wtf 😳

I agree and to hear the the interest rates are going to increase is another slap in the face.

I paid for the Tesco delivery saver plan a few months ago and have yet to use it because Tesco prices are ridiculous at the moment and I just refuse to pay out of principle more than anything. I've stopped buying as many branded food items, I haven't eaten walkers crisps in months since they kept hiking up the prices and don't buy as many snacks which is probably a good thing!

I finally caved in this evening and put the heating on for a couple of hours.

Just back from sainsbury's....only to buy milk...gone up 40p in a week....!!!
i have also noticed that aldi and lidl are jumping up prices in larger chunks...same as some asda items.....just adding 30p or more to an item...stopped buying my fave cakes....gone from £1 a box to £1.75 in a few weeks...Asda.....am vegeterian so can still shop quite cheaply.

Yes...agree....no longer just fill the basket or trolley, but check the prices....many items cheaper in asda or b & m....sugar, tea bags, chocolate etc....

Omg never put boiling water in a hot water bottle! Really dangerous!

Don't forget the cost of fertiliser which is driven by the rise in gas prices.

I go to my local shop (Sainsburys) at about 8pm at night and get some right bargains. I bought a BLT sandwich for 15p tonight marked down from almost £3.

Other than that, I just find myself putting things back on the shelves now when I see the price.

I seem to budget around the £40 mark for cat and I, don’t buy much meat or fish, semi veggie and Aldi and Lidl, you just need to adapt.
i used cotton wool and warm water for my sons ( was concerned about excema like their date), nowadays would buy reusable wipes. Have reusable kitchen roll, which I use most of the time.
soapnuts are very cheap, best used in a liquid, 16 nuts to litre of water simmer 20 mins, drain and mash nuts, re add some water to nuts remake to litre about 50 mls per wash.
a big bag of soapnuts about £14, makes 400 washes

It's become a family game to see what yellow sticker bargains I get for tea on the way home from work now. I know the best times for each store I pass now.

M&S can have some fab stickers on fresh stuff. They seem to reduce more than other stores, or maybe it's just the little food store near me. Occasionally the local Coop comes up trumps too.

I know I'm probably going to get flamed for saying this, and it's fair game etc, but please if you can afford it - leave the yellow stickers if you can absorb the increases.

I'm on UC and my food budget is still £15 per week / £2 per day plus tea. UC is 70 quid a week total for all bills. Yellow stickers are the only way I am getting any kind of nutrition right now.

The white chocolate ones were only £1.50 at my local coop yesterday.

I'm finding some food items that went up a few weeks ago by quite a bit are still going up weekly.
May only be a few pence but on practically every item it’s taking the piss.

I work in wholesale and see the prices supermarkets are being charged - trust me, they’re not going to be posting record profits!

Baseline costs are absolutely bonkers at the moment and rising weekly

@BetterBeCarefulBoysYouJustMightSetTheWorldOnFire Blue Light Card isn't for 'frontline' or 'keyworkers' or any of that covid speak, it's been around since before that. You sound very bitter. Feel free to come and work for the NHS if it's so cushy?

@EXSW yes it is fair game. Very few people are able to absorb the increases here, some of these prices have gone up by more than 100%. Those on UC won't be seeing their mortgage payments jump up by £500 when their fix ends. Swings and roundabouts.