Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Cost of living

Stretching your budget? Share tips and advice to discuss budgeting and energy saving here. For the latest deals and discounts, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

Original poster

Anyone else getting very fed up of rising costs?

178 replies

InNeedOfAMoneyTree · 03/09/2023 11:49

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?

OP posts:
inisisle · 03/09/2023 19:43

I can see that happening with the shared houses. Talk of it already.

Anewnamea · 03/09/2023 19:46

InNeedOfAMoneyTree · 03/09/2023 14:53

Partly the issue is that there is no end in sight. Salaries are not increasing in line with the price rises and it is disheartening when you’re on track one minute and the next you’re back to feeling broke and fed up.

I know there are lots of us in the same situation.

I agree it’s outrageous and I say that as a single person household. My food bill is often about £60 and I don’t buy a lot of processed or sugary foods.

I’m dating again now and while my motivation isn’t money I do feel that one benefit of finding the one is my living costs would be reduced.( Of course if I had kids those savings would reduce again )

PerilTheBeryl · 03/09/2023 19:47

Mayo

www.seriouseats.com/two-minute-mayonnaise

Mint sauce

www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/realmintsauce_67706/amp

Ketchup

www.allrecipes.com/recipe/232397/homemade-ketchup/

Mayo and mint sauce is a couple of mins and ketchup mins for the ingredients but I do it in a slow cooker so takes longer to make than the others. It lasts 3 weeks in the fridge but I normally make a bigger batch and freeze some.
@jallopeno

Borough · 03/09/2023 19:50

@inisisle yes I've seen a few articles in the guardian etc about "what it's like to houseshare" in one's sixties, the usual gormless lifestyle fluff and ofc all the people they feature are part time lecturers and yoga instructors living in Stoke Newington and all that type of bollocks, trying to get us all to think that sharing a fridge, bathroom and living room when one has an elderly body is some kind of happy well considered choice that discerning people make.

Borough · 03/09/2023 19:52

Re ketchup, you can just buy the cheap stuff and add mustard/hendos/whatever you feel is missing.

Missingmyusername · 03/09/2023 20:10

@jallopeno well that sounds very dramatic.

dutysuite · 03/09/2023 20:10

We've drained our savings so yes you're not the only one. We were pretty well off before the pandemic. Now we're in the shit basically.

Jbrown76 · 03/09/2023 20:13

Haveallthesongsbeenwritten · 03/09/2023 14:46

We got the midweek delivery pass with sainsbury only £40 a month.

Show quote history

I've got the Asda midweek pass £35 a year, there's also Asda rewards app to sign up to and just essentials are really good

MushMonster · 03/09/2023 20:16

Yes, fed up with all of it, to the point I no longer want to talk about it really. I am dreading winter. Last year we did not put the central heating on. There were some days in January that we stayed upstairs, in bed mainly, because it was so so cold.
Drying clothes is always a nightmare in winter, but last one was beyond.
It did prove that we can manage without heating, but I am hoping to save enough to put it on for a bit when we are home this winter coming.
The food bill is beyond depressing.
Hand hold for all of us living through this.

TooManyClouds · 03/09/2023 20:34

Entwhit · 03/09/2023 18:39

I got through the last two winters by giving false meter readings. I got switched after my provider went bust, took ages to be assigned a new one and when I got one told them the readings were loads higher than than they actually were, and my subsequent readings have been lower so I can get back to where the meters actually are. So I paid for a big chunk of gas and electric at a lower unit rate, effectively in advance.

I've had to do some fairly complex calculations to keep it up but they still haven't been to read meters so I'm going to keep it going this winter too.

Might be worth others considering setting up now as prices look like they're going to rise next year.

So you've committed fraud.

TooManyClouds · 03/09/2023 20:36

Entwhit · 03/09/2023 19:13

@honeyandfizz lol I probably didn't explain it too well.

I told my energy company that I'd used loads more energy than I actually did, just before prices went up. So I overpaid, but using a cheaper cost per unit. Then when prices went up I gave meter readings that suggested I was using less. So I haven't been charged as much per unit.

It sounds like there's going to be another hike next year so people might look into doing the same now.

And encouraging others to commit fraud as well! Confused

jallopeno · 03/09/2023 20:39

PerilTheBeryl · 03/09/2023 19:47

Mayo

www.seriouseats.com/two-minute-mayonnaise

Mint sauce

www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/realmintsauce_67706/amp

Ketchup

www.allrecipes.com/recipe/232397/homemade-ketchup/

Mayo and mint sauce is a couple of mins and ketchup mins for the ingredients but I do it in a slow cooker so takes longer to make than the others. It lasts 3 weeks in the fridge but I normally make a bigger batch and freeze some.
@jallopeno

Thank you! It sounds so yummy

ssd · 03/09/2023 20:39

IMustDoMoreExercise · 03/09/2023 17:45

But people eat so much ultra processed food which is expensive and bad for them.

My food bill has hardly increased because I eat very little ultra processed food.

Show quote history
Halo
LonelyFlans · 03/09/2023 20:45

Agree. Went to B&M last week to buy cupboard food (chicken soup (only kind DC will eat), soy sauce, mayo etc). Spent £31 on stuff I reckon would've been £25 max a year ago.

When I got home I worked out what the same shop would've cost me at Sainsburys - it was £45! It's getting ridiculous.

Entwhit · 03/09/2023 21:24

@TooManyClouds so what?

The energy market is rigged.

Rigging it back your way is no worse than what they're all doing.

You know when British gas/EDF etc talk about how they have to pay the price that wholesalers charge ? All of those suppliers also have a wholesaler arm. So how do you think those price negotiations happen? EDF goes to its wholesaler arm and says "hello person who works for the same company as me but with a different name, how much would you like to charge me for electricity? Remember, I can pass all costs on to my customer and give them a bit of chat about putin and Ukraine."

It is bent as fuck and none of us should feel bad at all about doing what we can to decrease our own household costs.

mishmased · 03/09/2023 21:35

@PerilTheBeryl thanks for the link, will def try it. I cook a lot of tomato dishes, can I use any plum tin tomato? I find the lidl tomatoes great.

Yoyo2021 · 03/09/2023 21:43

Dreading winter! But will get through it! Nothing new here was the same last winter for us - lots of blankets and think I put the heating on only as we headed to November and a hour or two Max a day!

Do hope government do the energy voucher scheme
60 pound again. I am a single parent only of one but its just my wage and the 80 something child benefit so it was a huge help!

LadyKenya · 03/09/2023 21:48

TooManyClouds · 03/09/2023 20:34

So you've committed fraud.

Show quote history

When people are cold, hungry, and desperate they will do a lot of things. The Government have not really done nearly half enough to help people through this difficult time, and address the gas/ electric companies ripping of the general public. Not when they had 30 odd Billion to spaff up the wall on ineffective ppe that they gave to whatever dodgy mate they were in cahoots with, as well.

LadyKenya · 03/09/2023 21:50

Meanwhile the public suck up whatever costs are going through the roof, whilst those in power are sitting pretty, not having to concern themselves with how they will keep warm this coming winter.

TooManyClouds · 03/09/2023 21:58

Entwhit · 03/09/2023 21:24

@TooManyClouds so what?

The energy market is rigged.

Rigging it back your way is no worse than what they're all doing.

You know when British gas/EDF etc talk about how they have to pay the price that wholesalers charge ? All of those suppliers also have a wholesaler arm. So how do you think those price negotiations happen? EDF goes to its wholesaler arm and says "hello person who works for the same company as me but with a different name, how much would you like to charge me for electricity? Remember, I can pass all costs on to my customer and give them a bit of chat about putin and Ukraine."

It is bent as fuck and none of us should feel bad at all about doing what we can to decrease our own household costs.

Good luck with that defence in court if you are caught. Whether you consider the structure of the market to be a rip off (I agree btw) will be immaterial to you have committed a criminal offence.

Candlelight34 · 03/09/2023 22:07

InNeedOfAMoneyTree · 03/09/2023 14:34

@julia09 Then why bother responding if my post is so offensive to you? Your thoughts can still stand without posting comments clearly designed to put others down for posting something that does not interest you.

My lack of response to your question was not because you’ve proven your point, it was because I don’t see the point in engaging with you when your first response was condescending and rude. Your second post is just more of the same.

You have every right to post what you like , as does everyone else, but really, there was no need to attempt to make me feel stupid for such an innocuous thread which was a vent at a situation we find ourselves in. It’s a discussion board.

You say yourself we are supposed to be intelligent women, so use your common sense , get off your high horse and scroll on if you are so easily offended.

Yer go away if you dont want to read.

You go to the extend of opening reading and then moaning @julia09.

Leave OP to discuss if she so pleases.

Entwhit · 03/09/2023 22:07

Good luck on them taking me to court.

As far as my meters read, I am overpaying.

If I've misread them in the past, and they haven't bothered themselves to come out and check, well, whoops, silly me.

KievLoverTwo · 03/09/2023 22:31

I looked to book tickets to Warwick castle today because they are target advertising me as having the biggest birds of prey (pray?) display in the country, and we have been having a miserable time.

We are 155 miles away. £108 in petrol - ouch.

But then £54 for two adult castle entry tickets! Absolutely not.

I really don’t know how parents are coping with both feeding AND entertaining their kids.

Perhaps the miserable summer came as a financial blessing to some?

TooBigForMyBoots · 03/09/2023 22:34

Missingmyusername · 03/09/2023 15:32

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.

The very last thing my family needs is high food inflation. I know how to cook cheap. I grew up eating cheap. I ate cheap throughout my younger adulthood. Now in middle age I still cook and eat cheap, sometimes so cheap that it's the kid's leftovers on toast. There's very little food waste here.

I've no idea why you and the people you know waste so much and you may want to look up the link between poverty and obesity.Hmm

Chickdaft · 03/09/2023 22:39

I know ppl scoffed and ridiculed ppl who stock piled after covid, well sorry but I am one of those! 50 bags of coal, and a veritable wee shop in dried, various other goods plus canned etc. I saw this coming. Am I rich and well off? Heck no…..how long will it last? Goodness knows.
p