Anyone else getting very fed up of rising costs?

[InNeedOfAMoneyTree]

I thought we were doing ok until recently. Our food bill has increased dramatically but we’re getting less and less for the money. I was paid last week and I’m already wondering where I’m going to find the money for next week’s food shopping.

We are fortunately not in food bank territory and I know the summer break is always expensive with new uniforms, outings and such like, so I’m hoping we can sort ourselves out this month.

We are certainly starting to feel the pinch and it’s frightening. Does anybody else feel this way?

So true. So many people with all this pent up anger that they obviously can’t get rid of in real life so just jump on any random post and start targeting the person 🤦🏻‍♀️ can never understand the level of nastiness on here

I think it’s the “no end in sight” that’s dispiriting. Covid, there was always news: vaccines! End of restrictions! Improved vaccines! The world opening up! That was the goal: for things to get better.

This is more Groundhog Day than 2020 ever was, in a way. It’s so grinding and relentless and accompanied by a grim backdrop of climate crisis news or house prices tanking, which might be good for some but not for those it’ll plunge into negative equity or who can barely afford their mortgages and it’s now not worth selling. But I’ve got that same covid gloom in the sense of “what’s the point?” Work to pay the bills to enjoy the time you’re not at work but you can’t enjoy it because you’re worrying, can’t afford ice creams or days out or not without weighing up where you’re going to scrimp to do it, with no sense of “at least next year will be better”. Because where does it end? Poor Angry Julia upthread can’t even afford chocolate or a nice attitude!

I go grocery shopping every week, sometimes I’m in there twice a week. And I still walk around saying “how much? For that?!?”. This morning it was £3.50 for a bottle of Heinz bbq sauce. Surely that should be like £2, then I buy it on offer at £1.50.

A 2.5l tin of Valspar paint was £37! That’s just B&Q paint, not F&B?! I feel like I walk around everywhere in disbelief.

@spitefulandbadgrammar totally agree with your post. It's starting to feel hopeless for so many. Last year a lot of people were able to layer up and dip into their savings to cover costs but I think the mortgage and rent rises are crucifying a lot of us as there is just no spare left. I'm freelance and been in ill health the last few years so unable to work as much and contracts that used to pay okay are thin on the ground and a race to the bottom. It's grim. No end in sight and Keir Starmer is not giving people a glimmer of hope that things might change after the next election. Everything feels like it is crumbling, corrupt and shit in the country.

Of course things have been going up for ages, that's nothing new. But I too have really been feeling the pinch relatively recently, probably because my cushion of savings has now disappeared. Out with any magazine subscriptions, I'm cancelling my contact lens contract, debating about my pet plan. I bought myself a flower subscription two Christmases ago and that was the first thing to get the ax at the beginning of the year. Shopping at Lidl more. I'm not cancelling my Tesco delivery saver as it does save me money, partly as I don't impulse buy when shopping online. But the cost of petrol (not even considering my time) and it's cheaper to get it delivered and I can do an online top up without having to pay too. But no more wine, no coffees out, no more takeaways.

It's not a particularly clickbaity title though is it. It does exactly what it says on the tin

Maybe start a thread on something you'd like to discuss?

Op feel the same. I had a very sleepless night because of it last night.

We are still doing kind of ok but the looming mortgage increase is on the horizon for us as well. We have given up takeaways almost completely and cook everything from scratch and make lunchboxes. Have scrapped the little extras such as coffees/ Bhajis with a home cooked curry/ garlic bread with a spagbol etc. it’s just the main bits now.

Our mortgage when it goes up will be over £2000 a month for the exact same unexciting semi in not that great a location- it’s madness!

the money just seem to drip out of our account so fast, and like somebody said up Thread- it hardly buys anything anymore!

Me. I'm dreading this winter.

"Higher quality threads". 😂

inneed I agree, it is annoying that they constantly creep up.

It's not op that's coming across as a fight picker.

My children are older now but September was always a killer month for me as I spent so much in the summer holidays!
Then two autumn/ winter kids birthdays plus Xmas and i never planes well enough before anyway pulls me on it haha
But yes. Some things are going back down but others going up and I'm not a brand snob

Winter looming is making it feel worse. I have gone from it being in the back of my mind, to constantly hoping we will make it to spring without too much financial damage.

I wonder if companies are now seeing a higher rate of defaults on unsecured debts, credit cards, those companies who offer instalments for shopping etc .

I think the cost of good needs to go up- or actually may be just some foods. Meat, cheese, milk, eggs, fish - definitely. We don’t pay enough and haven’t for years. Impacting animal welfare, quality and Jesus Christ the amount of waste is embarrassing- especially during covid. The majority of us are also overweight. Cheap meals do exist, perhaps it’s just me ( DH feels a meal isn’t a meal unless there’s meat/fish/ chopping up several fresh ingredients involved). Does no one have beans on toast, pasta, jacket pot, corned beef hash, I used to love those meals., some of which I still do. Filling and cheap ? Or are they not good enough.

*food

I feel as if it's just getting worse every week. DH is disabled and unable to work, he gets minimal benefits because I work ft. I earn an average wage for the area (not in a big city anywhere). Before the cost of living crisis we were doing OK, nothing extravagant (no TV packages/holidays abroad/regular meals out /fancy mobile phones etc) but we were comfortable with what we had and managed to save a little every month towards bigger household expenses, car repairs etc.
Now I can't save anything. A few months ago DHs ancient car died a death, and we replaced it with a slightly less ancient banger so that he can get around to appointments etc when I'm in work. It was a drop in the ocean compared to what most people would spend on a car, but it wiped out our meager savings. I have no idea what we'll do when a major appliance next gives up the ghost.
But I can feed the family, and I'm grateful for that, given that many other's are in situations that are far worse.

Really? I found I wasted far less during covid and have tried to stick to those habits.

Give it a rest Julia FFS, you’re getting all dramatic about a post you could have just scrolled past.

i payed £3.25 for a few slices of breaded ham. It was thin and horrible. Nothing like what it used to be. I agree with you OP

Well, luckily for you all these prices are going up. As well as the cost of staple foods like potatoes, pasta, rice and beans.

@jallopeno it did here- people’s food waste bins were bulging, food across the streets in some areas- Facebook posts. It was ridiculous.

I know what you mean though- for me it made me more aware of how much I waste, how much I buy in the first place, I try to plan meals now. I hate waste, especially if something has died just to land in the bin! Not to mention people who are starving.

I know technically we are not in recession but I cal it a 'slowcessuon'

2008/9 was grim but at least we went down then up relatively quickly

@TooBigForMyBoots I wouldn’t say lucky, I’m not being goady. I just think food has been too cheap? It’s not sustainable, impacts quality, causes waste, but that’s just my opinion.

Im a bit miffed about it .
Its just getting worse but i am lucky that i live alone my kids have there own lifes but i still feel the pinch sometimes .
I do feel sorry for them that have children pets and partners and themselves to feed .