How has the cost of living affected your day-to-day life?

[IndigoIsMyFavouriteColour]

For us, we are noticing a real change in our diet. Now we have a number of 'cheap meals' a week and just one or two meals that involve meat or any expense over a couple of quid. We also haven't been able to afford a summer holiday last year or this year. Just wondering how it is impacting other families?

We live more frugally than we ever have before despite our earned income not drastically changing.

I used to go to the pub weekly. Not anymore. A pint costs £6.50 (South London). Meals cost up to £20. Sod that.

I'm also single again so am watching the pennies more.

My parents are well-off and so bought a holiday for me this year. Earlier in the year I went to Athens for five days on a budget airline, staying in a budget hotel and walking everywhere. Thankfully eating out in Athens is comparatively cheaper than London. Before we used to go on naice 4* hotel holidays. Next year I'm thinking backpacking and staying in hostels like I'm 18 again 😱.

I have long hair, cut twice a year, rather than every 2 months, at the cheapest salon in my area. Before it was poncy places at £80 a throw.

I don't spend hardly anything on clothes and what I do have comes from Very and paid off over six months.

The most expensive thing is my teenager who needs haircuts, clothes, school supplies, fees for things, hobby things...but she's trying to find a job to help me out, bless her.

We eat a mainly vegetarian diet (DD is veggie) so I'm not paying out for meat and fish too much but god, I would love a mixed grill sometime. I miss sausages in particular (and no, no vegetarian sausage comes close).

So much worse off. This time last year I wasn’t working and my DH was earning well. Now we’re both working full time but DH hasn’t had any commission all year and our mortgage, almost all bills and food have gone up.

Weve gone from being able to go to the pub a couple times a week, 1-2 takeaways a month, picking up stuff at the garden centre, holiday abroad and little treats for our DD to not being able to do any of it. We’ve run through most savings on house/car repairs and inspected house related stuff as well as unexpected costs. We don’t have any fun money at all now and it feels very grim

I went back to work earlier than planned, more hours than I'd like. Anything we don't need for bills etc is transferred straight to savings since anything going wrong with the cars, house etc has skyrocketed. DD needs serious orthodontics so we don't buy anything unnecessary.

I'm also having to compete more for books from the library. I'm waiting for months for new releases, despite booking them the day they appear. Outings are genuine free family fun days & a lunch out is a Bunnings (hardware store) sausage sizzle. Meals out are just too expensive & we only go when forced asked when SIL visits (always expensive places). Even then we grit our teeth & look for the cheapest item.

We've always been frugal, but are even more careful than we were before. Food isn't wasted & is bulked up even more with cheap veg. Cheap meals with less variety, more substitutions.

Really every cent is counted & accounted for.

I've went from part time to full time and I'm exhausted , but I had to, I cut my own hair as I can't afford the £50
Hairdressers want for a trim .
But and sell online very rarely buy new
Clothes as to expensive . Try and repair
Everything I can.
My work shoes fell apart but I managed to glue back together . Intensively meal plan and batch cook

I recently cancelled Sky and the postcode lottery and last week stopped the window cleaner. I can do my own windows.

This thread is depressing, it’s starting to feel like the 70s/80s. All a bit shit. Wage stagnation in this country is a huge problem.
I guess the reduced spending on crap will benefit the environment, if nothing else.
We’ve never had a warm house or spent money on gyms or beauticians/nail shops but I get my hair cut and coloured every few months.
We’ve a big mortgage and DC at university so that is the main outgoing. Have definitely cut back on holidays and mini breaks. Just did one trip in UK this year. Am reducing my takeaway coffee habit and meals out. We got rid of Sky and bought a firestick. We buy food as we need it to reduce waste.

If Starmer comes after more of the average earners money there will be a huge backlash. It’s disgusting how much money has been given to the very rich and wasted on Brexit.

I just wanted to addI recently did a cheap Tui holiday . I went for 5 days rather than a week to keep it under £300. That's a hotel with a pool and guaranteed sun. Absolute bargain. Everyone I know has been abroad this year.
I couldn't help over hear families talking on the bus and they clearly had been on other holidays this year and had multiple holidays next year. Bearing in mind was a cheap package holiday and the clientele were just your ordinary working class people. So I do think there's more money around then portrayed.
Or at least there's sectors that doing ok in every part of society even if there's specific issues with food banks, squeezed middle and private renters

Jeez, this is depressing. (I do a lot of what everyone else has said)
Its so bad as I assume everyone on here is working and most likely if they are in a relationship or family both people working, so everyone is doing so much - juggling working and family life or taking care of older parents and we cant afford a takeaway or posh bottle of wine at the end of the month!

The thing I miss most is having a cuppa and cake in a cafe. Used to be my absolute favourite thing to do

Cancelled the monthly charity donations ( was over £100), as our income does not cover our expenses so had to go.
now sell everything second hand - before was always given away or taken to charity shop.

cancelled Netflix and Amazon prime.

make all our haircuts have longer gaps … and sourced a much cheaper place for DH and male child to go.

heating deducted the amount it is on.

no full long baths, short showers.

no days out that cost money. This summer we were lucky to have a holiday ( but only had one every 5-6 years) but zero budget for any days out. Walks, park, fun at home! Not even a trip to local swimming pool.

i have not bought myself any new clothes for ages. My winter coat died last year, and I am hoping to get through with layers, scarf, hat and a less warm and shorter coat.

We can on holiday 🥲

We also can have a bath.

We earn around £3k per month between us, three kids and privately rent so it's tricky. No other support except CB.
I don't spend anything on hair and beauty really as they are luxuries.
Food is so expensive it's ridiculous.

I've become the queen of the fakeaway. Waitrose is bloody expensive but the one thing they consistently sell cheaply is the spice tailor meal/ sauce kits at £2.50 each as opposedto £3.75. So I stock up on those ( they do indian/ Chinese/ Thai now not just indian) and usually make a veg and meat dish on a weekend. Rice/ noodles/ Nan etc. Add a few prawn crackers or poppadums to impress the kids etc

My weekly shop has went up but that’s about all I’ve noticed

The Electricity bill and the council tax are the two that have increased that I resent.
I don’t drive as far, previously could easily get through £70 of diesel a week, now it’s £30
Ive stopped most random spending by simply not going to the shops and only order on Amazon if its cheaper than I can buy locally in a shop.
I don’t eat out now.
We used to have a takeaway every week. Now it’s once a month.
Stopped buying clothes as I’ve got plenty
Days out are cheaper but better planned
Must try and have a holiday next year as kids feel they really missed out

Things have improved recently so although I’m historically a labour voter (not last time) as a small business who sells desirables not essentials im dreading the budget

I use to think nothing of booking a night away here and there when I needed a reset.
I use to do cinema dates with my DH
Odd meal if out with kids on a Sunday.
Takeaway once a week.
Buy clothes when needed.

-Now we don't get takeaway..I fakeaway.
-We don't have days out unless to a cheap place and I take us a picnic.
-We don't have holidays at all.
-All clothes are secondhand through vinted or charity shops. Only the DC get new in certain bits that you can't really get away with secondhand.
-I haven't gone to the hairdressers in a year :(
-me and my DH don't have dates, it's sort of ruining our relationship. It's just sleep, work, kids, bed. Somedays we don't even get to say two words to eachother. We are picking up extra shifts and tag teaming to save on childcare. So some days we don't see eachother at all.

Mainly with COL our weekly food shop use to be 70 a week. Now same stuff is 130.
All bills and rent has gone up.
So outgoings have doubled, but our wages are the same. Well his has gone up a quid.

For my birthday instead of having the usual Indian home delivery I am buying Asda Indian readymades. 3 or 4 of them in the oven is less than half the cost of a takeaway! Plus more tasty and better for health. Win win.

A big difference for me is that i used to think nothing of grabbing something to eat and drink when I was out, I'm talking your fast/convenience foods like a sarnie or a pasty, tea, coffee etc.
Coffee I will still buy out as I'm an addict but I try to plan and 'pre eat;/ drink or take a butty with me if I'm going to be out of the house for any length of time. I have a flask for tea which has been a game changer and it stays hot all day and fits in the drinks holder in the car.

Food /drink out has gone astronomical compared to just a few years ago. £5 for a latte, £6 for a sarnie in Gail's.... if I'm really stuck I will get a tesco meal deal for £3.50 or whatever it is but I find that being mindful of spending money on food and drink out of the house is where I can make the biggest difference to personal spending.

He could start a business doing doggy grooming, sounds lucrative.x

Pinenuts91, don't you go mad with that pound! Seriously though local hairdressing colleges offer all sorts of treatments for a quarter of what the salons charge. They take their time because they're learning so you just relax and enjoy it. They are well supervised and are grateful for models. x

We get by ok, both work ft and take advantage of the 30hrs for nursery with the 20% tax relief. Older child in school. I wfh with flexibility so between us we can cover the holidays.
We pay a fixed rate on energy, same in the summer as winter and I let that turn itself on and off as needed. Still use the tumble dryer to avoid damp in the house.
Food has definitely shot up, we only buy meat from the butchers and I'd say its cost effective as you can buy only what you need.
Kids clothing and shoes go on interest free credit card, shoes for school and home all at the same time is insane. We then do a balance transfer when that 0% is coming to an end.
I feel very fortunate to be able to do the above but also frustrated as our income should allow for more. 10 years ago our mortgage was 550pm it's now 980.

Stopped take aways, coffees and visits to pub. Stopped cinema and bowling. Stopped days out and treats like cinema. Do a lot more walking in the country.

During the recession in the early 2000s a newspaper did an article 100 ways to save money. I was already doing about 85 of them!

I have 3 jobs to make ends meet. My health has suffered terribly as I have a lot of extra stress which prevents sleep and relaxation.

For the first time in my life I am waking with pounding anxiety even though I take HRT.

We eat only baked potatoes and a filling every day (which is actually fine as potatoes are a complete food and we all like them)