not as comfortable as you were

[unicornwonders]

i know this is on a lot of people’s minds but i’m struggling a bit processing how many cut backs we’ve had to make. i’m great full that we still have food on the table and small things but we used to have days out, holidays, meals out etc. and it sucks going without we’ve done everything we can to maximise income and keep bills down etc but there’s been a lot of cutbacks and i’m struggling with it i know we’re in a better position that others but i don’t know how to deal with the fact that we’ve already lost a lot of things and there’s probably a lot more to come. It’s becoming really stressful, how is everyone else managing with this?

It is the fault of people in the uk that energy prices are going up

The risk of being tied to Russian gas , the need to migrate to renewable energy - these are issues that successive governments have ignored since the 1980s - short term thinking

Basic kinds of cutting back for me means...

Buying supermarket own brands
Cutting out takeaways - which is probably more healthy for us anyway.
Only cooking what we actually need or planning leftovers for the next day.
Taking lunch into the office rather than buying a sandwich
Rehemming ds's school trousers with seam binding to make them last until the end of year.
Not planning a holiday.
Not buying a weekly bottle of wine
Reheeling my shoes, applying a lot more polish and wearing them another season.

In essence, considering whether spending each pound is absolutely necessary or not. It's tedious but so far we're in the black. And like PP, I thank my mum for teaching me how to feed hungry teens on almost nothing.

We’re lucky in that we’ve not really felt it, life is the same as before, but I’m donating extra to food banks and still eating out a couple times a week to support local businesses etc

Other than an extra €20 or so a week on groceries my outgoing haven't changed yet. They're actually less than before thanks to government interventions.

However I have been cutting back and saving more since times are so uncertain.

Well said.

I'm going to come on and be the token grumpy lady - yes, I'm pissed off about this. It's rubbish. The economies of other European countries are recovering nicely now because they are in the EU. Other countries (like France) have taken different decisions re: energy companies which mean their citizens aren't paying through the nose. The top sector in UK society are getting wealthier and wealthier.
. I think it's time to get angry and more engaged in politics.

Yes , this is the first month we are really noticing it with gas - this week has cost £50 on the pre payment meter , and it’s been on low has the heating/ off overnight .

it’s double a month from last year . That and petrol for dh to get to work .

im walking to work atm .

hopefully after march time and the heating won’t need to be on as much will help .

we normally have a takeaway around payday , but that might have to stop now

I honestly didn’t think I would be struggling this much by 35 .

You do know that inflation is affecting other countries too don't you?

Yes inflation in affecting other counties

But the UK is doing worse than comparable counties

It’s actually worked out better for us. When the prices started to rise, we looked at where we were spending our money and what simple changes we could make. So, for example, we’re better organised so that we only go to the shops once a week now, rather than the 2-3 times we used to (live rurally, so it’s a 12 mile round trip), and buying less food, only to throw it away. Turned the heating down a couple of degrees and only had the hot water on once a day, compared to the three before (haven’t noticed a difference).

With adding in my DP’s pay rise (I haven’t had one- rubbish employer), we’re actually better off at the end of the month than we were. We only realised at how much we were wasting when we forced ourselves to examine how we spent our money.

But yes, I’m well aware that we’re in the minority.

Yes, thanks @midgetastic - that's right. @HistoryFanatic no need to be so rude and dismissive.

I wasn't being rude. Just people seem to believe only the UK is suffering economic problems.

@KittyBurrito going to join you in the grumpy camp. Below inflation pay rise here, we are only doing okay because of our sidehussle. The middle being squeezed again is the issue, if we had had inflationary pay rises I don't think many would be complaining about the increase in gas costs due to Putin. As it stands the bottom of society gets hundreds of pounds and the middle get considerably less, would rather have saved the borrowing costs and all got nothing. It seems unfair that those who have contributed the most now get less when everyone faces a crisis.

I think it's a case of if you are earning minimum wage you don't expect holidays, nice cars etc but if you look at nurses 3 years of university yet using food banks you don't expect that.

That's before you even start on the COVID bill which we didn't want our kids to pay for would rather have let it run lose, but we are paying for it.

I wish it was a time for an election we need change in the way this country is run, we should be voting (someone must be able to devise an online system in this day and age) on the big issues not leaving it for parliament to decide.

Yep, with you. We are lucky in many ways, have a house, can feed the family, have two cars. Still, I've had to work really hard for a recent promotion and I'm 'worse' off due to CoL, so it feels like I am just working harder for a poorer quality of life. Yes, many have it harder, but it shouldn't be a race to the bottom. I can see why those who could duck out of the rat race have (the missing workers they talk about).

I do think though that (at least for me) what is classed as 'essential' was different to my parents and grandparents generations so expectations are higher. We are trying to maintain a pretty high standard of living in a tough economic environment. Everyone is/will be touched by it, just in different ways and to differing degrees

I won’t say I’m struggling as we have food, electric and gas. However, I have to think so carefully about what I am buying and what I can make from it. I get so much less for my money it’s scary. A Slow cooker has helped me massively. However, like other posters I’ve learnt skills to do so from my mum when I was growing up.

I no longer take my purse to work often either. I say no to all the office collections for example I have even said no to a collection for a colleague that is leaving because every pound counts at the moment. I’m not afraid to say I’m sorry I don’t have the money to contribute.

I am at work for just over 40 hours a week so only put heating in a hour when I come home.

At the weekends we pop to the park or go on a walk and Sundays we have just stayed in and had a roast my child seems happy!. Tbh it’s quite nice as it’s January and I am so tired from a long working week!

During my childhood this was mainly what weekends were like anyway we had no soft plays etc and would go to a zoo for example only once a year or the cinema a couple of times. As it gets warmer we will go on bike and scooter rides & the beach etc.

We gave up a fabulous lifestyle overseas for practical reasons. Since moving back we’ve had 1 holiday since 2015. No meals out, still able to have coffee out but not every day. DDs in Uni so bills are down luckily. If they were still here we couldn’t afford the bills. DD2 used to have 30 minute showers to warm up rather than wear sweaters. Also she would put the washing machine and dryer in the middle of the night because she’d remember she needed the exact clothes for the next day No amount of explaining or telling her to stop worked until she moved to Uni. Now she understands 🤦‍♀️

We can afford food and now we down to 1 dog we’re spending much less in dog food. We’re joined a gym 18 months ago, but it’s not a fancy spa type gym. DH is retirement age but still working, 18 hours per day. Despite affording food and the gym I’m still worried. I can’t afford to support food banks as much as I used to.

@HistoryFanatic @midgetastic I've found the details I was looking for. The OECD report I was looking for. It's not the case that the UK is struggling just as much as other countries - the UK has the worst economic forecast of any developed country bar Russia. www.theguardian.com/business/2022/nov/22/uk-growth-oecd-energy-crisis

Sorry for the repetition, bad cut and paste!

Also that should read worst economic forecast of any G20 country - gosh, I wish there was an edit button!

"This is going to sound properly sanctimonious (especially as I’m not struggling too much yet), but honestly I think of my late mum and my late gran a lot. Both lived very tough lives and worked very hard, and there was never much money to go round. But my childhood was good overall. I was self-conscious of having less than peers at secondary school and the teasing from friends and bullying from others for having the wrong trainers/hair/bag/home/car/holiday did chip away at my confidence. But I learned to make do with less, and be content - and also to strive to better myself."

I could have written this ^.

So far it hasn't impacted me too much.

I work PT and DH is retired.

I've never wanted foreign holidays (scared of flying) buy most of my clothes, bedding, curtains etc at charity shops, batch-cook every week for the freezer, wash clothes at 30 deg, make sure lights are turned off, shop at Aldi, collect driftwood to burn in our wood-burning stove, grow toms & courgettes in my greenhouse.
It helps that we are both veggies as meat is expensive.
Now we only have one cat we have halved the catfood bill.

I volunteer with the Warm Spaces Initiative at the church one day a week and work in a Charity Shop one afternoon a week.

I am not a tory voter but they did not invade Ukraine which has resulted in huge rises in food and fuel
They has the best vaccina programme in the world
Furlough kept million of people in a job and thousand of companies are going that would have closed without it

Hmmmm - not a Tory voter? Maybe you're a Tory bot then - cause you're trotting out all their favourite sayings...

You've conveniently left out the part where the Tories have trashed the public sector and run down public services so that it's impossible to plan a train journey, And I don't think Truss will have helped the economy much

So are you a Labour bot Mrs Doyle because you're trotting out the same old tired tropes?
Labour's answer is to throw money at it all, which means raising taxes - now that won't be a vote winner!

www.tuc.org.uk/news/ps43-billion-year-needed-autumn-budget-just-public-services-stand-still-says-tuc

If you have problems planning a train journey, try here; www.nationalrail.co.uk/

Will focusing on tax rises for the very rich actually not be a vote winner ?

On average the very rich will never vote labour so those are people you don't worry about when making a strategy?

We’re in a relatively good position, as nearly paid off our mortgage, DH’s business is steady and my job is fairly secure. But we are being more careful with food shopping and meal planning. Takeaways and coffees out have gone. I’m only buying budget toiletries and and we are on a no-buy in terms of clothes. But really, we are not in any hardship, just watching money more carefully.

I think because I work with people living in true poverty, I realise how very lucky I am to have secure housing, to be able to afford heating even if it’s a killer when the bill comes in, to be able run a car, to have a relatively secure job. There are families in absolute dire straits and it’s shameful that the government allows so many children to live in poverty in what is supposed to be a developed country.

I also think of my Mum, a single mum in the 80s and 90s with no savings, no credit, just working hard to keep a roof over our heads and no treats, no frills, no holidays unless it was the boat back to Ireland to stay with our cousins. She was still a happy soul and we had a really lovely childhood.

And my grandmother, who reared 14 children in a cottage in rural Ireland in the 50s & 60s. They were hardy stock!