Cost of living is wild! What’s everyone locked into?

[TravelMamaT]

I’ve been really feeling it lately and I know I’m not alone. Between the rise in energy bills, food costs, childcare and even petrol it feels like there’s barely anything left at the end of the month.
I’ve cut back on takeaways, nights out, subscriptions, even switched supermarkets… and somehow, it still doesn’t feel like enough.

The government says inflation is slowing and wages are catching up but is anyone actually feeling the benefit yet? A lot of these so-called “cost of living payments” are temporary or only for certain households.

Meanwhile, mortgages and rent are still sky high. And don’t even get me started on the cost of kids’ activities, uniforms, school trips…

Mums how are you coping?
Do you feel like the government is doing enough?
Have you found any practical ways to ease the pressure at home?

Hi fellow mum, I have not found any practical ways to ease the pressure at home – what are your suggestions? I know you said don’t, but do get started on kids’ activities and uniforms!

I think it's AI rather than a journalist, and maybe not UK, I wish people wouldn't use it, it makes posts lengthy and weird.

Yes, the food bills have gone up

I don't think it's a weird post compared to many on here. The cost of living IS wild! Journalist or not this is a valid question and id love some tips. And if it is published in a mag or online then everyone benefits from said tips.

Me too. It’s very annoying

My teen dd uses " locked in*...means committed

Off topic but do many people know what their IQ is? Don’t think I’ve ever sat an IQ test as an adult.

I quite like the “fellow mums” personally 🤣🤣 but yes it’s not how we address each other on this “viper’s nest” of a forum. You may have mistaken mumsnet for netmums where people would be more likely to say that?!

Anyway, yes the cost of living is horrendous and I am 100 percent not feeling any ease in the pressure.

As a single mother I would personally like to see the government doing a bit more for our households specifically, it’s extremely difficult currently to run a household on one person’s income (let alone that person being a woman, and all of the financial penalties/structural inequalities that tend to come along with that). However I also understand that this is sadly not going to happen anytime soon as the economy is rubbish and the government is under intense pressure and really doesn’t have a lot of wiggle room financially. 43 percent of children in single parent families are living in poverty in the U.K. compared to 26 percent of children in two-parent families (statistics from Gingerbread). This may be unfair but I’d also like to see Gingerbread offering a bit more concrete support for single parent families and more effectively lobbying for us, they’ve actually rowed back on what support they provide in recent years (there used to be a helpline but they’ve taken it away).

I am following for tips as I’ve cut back on most things to the point where it’s getting difficult to cut the remaining expenses which are for things like water, food, electricity, transport for work, housing, really stuff that we all need and not luxuries that can be cut.