With bills going up again — where are you all cutting costs?

[CrispsandChips]

I feel like I’m really struggling at the moment and I don’t quite know where to turn. I’d genuinely love to hear how people are managing to save money right now because everything just keeps going up and it’s starting to feel unmanageable.
My household bills alone are going up by around 22% this April… and I just keep thinking, if only my wages were increasing like that too. It feels so unfair and honestly a bit scary.
What are people actually doing day to day to cope?
Where are you shopping at the moment? What does a typical weekly shop look like for you? Are you going to multiple shops to try and make it work. If so, where are you going?
I’m trying everything I can think of just to claw back a little bit, I’ve swapped out all the lightbulbs, I’m cooking / washing clothes outside of peak hours, but it still doesn’t feel like enough. My water bill alone is going up by 18%… and I’m sat here half-joking thinking, what next, do we just stop showering?
If anyone has any tips at all, even small ones, I’d really appreciate you sharing them. I feel quite desperate just trying to keep on top of everything right now.

I think the variance in climate in the UK can be overlooked. Heated throw would work well just now I will look into. It’s a pain that 500 litres is the smallest amount possible (apparently the suppliers cannot do anything about that). Hope you manage ok and thst we will have a heatwave summer

And of course you yourself was never a child

if you have room in the freezer, don’t throw the veg away peel and chop and bag up and freeze. I freeze as much as I can to avoid waste.

Sainsburys online shop weekly, £1 for delivery slot. Able to stick to budget and less temptation then going in store. Nectar prices offers are very good too!

You can't be serious. Those children you begrudge supporting may be the people wiping your arse as you age.

for the first time ever I have cut back a lot on things
no quick drinks at the pub. Used to go twice a week but really can’t justify £7 for a glass of cheap wine
No eating out unless it’s a special occasion. As above I can’t justify £16.99 for a burger in the local pub.
Hospitality must be really suffering as a lot of my friends have said the same.

I was shocked by my recent council tax bill and it has made me think about all my non essential outgoings.

I live alone and have the same problem with too many vegetables. I throw them all in together and make soup
A great cheap lunch. Freeze batches if you have the space.

Interview on Times Radio this morning with a chap from Christians Against Poverty - a debt and financial education charity.

He made the point that CPI inflation since c2019 is around 35%.

However for essentials like food, fuel and rent, which bear disproportionately heavily on the least well off, ie as a proportion of their spend, it's nearer 50%.

We hardly ever get takeaway or eat out, only becos for the cost of the food I can make it at home and even better. I shop a Aldi. Go when it's quiet and take your time. Salmon trimmings are only 2.50 or something like that. Tinned salmon is the cheapest there. Chicken drum fillets is the cheapest at 2.95 for 600g. Biscuits, crisps, cereal, frozen food everything is just cheaper there and I honestly have not noticed a difference in the quality. You get more for your money. I also get few bits from poundland and bm stores sometimes.

My local library has an app that I first used during COVID called borrow box. Can borrow lots of magazines and books through it. And then don’t need to pass them on or recycle - win win

Why are your bills going up so much? What specific bills are driving that ? Is that 22% in a single month?

Where are you getting sardines at 25p a tin?! A few years ago I used to be able to get them for 30p a tin from Tesco but they've leapt up now to 60p at Tesco and even around 50p at Lidl. They're still an amazingly cheap source of protein and other nutrients but it's definitely one of the items that I've noticed the steep price increase on.

Spiteful attitude which is depressingly prevalent in a generation which knowingly set Britain up to live beyond its means, fucked everything up for those that followed, which then added insult to injury by voting for Brexit in an attempt to wish us back to the Fifties. And is still moaning about everything they've left us as a legacy.

I've noticed it too. It was 29p a tin in Lidl five years ago, now 49p if you're lucky. Most tinned sardines come from Morocco and the fisheries there almost collapsed a couple of years ago.

And paying for her care home and Attendance Allowance !

@HawthornFairy i am also with OVO and they regularly try to put up my payment even though I’m in credit. If you ring them up and point out that you don’t need to pay more, they should be able to change it.

Historically people would wait 3 or 4 wears before washing. This knew to air out the clothes by the window/use shower steam to do a quick refresh.

Nowadays people might wash whole outfits after only 2 or 3 hours of use of an evening sat quietly by the TV!

Check out your local market if you still have one. I'm lucky enough to have a big northern one (Bury) with a fish and meat hall, at least three greengrocer stalls, three cheese stalls and a deli shop. I do all my fresh food shopping there once a fortnight and save a fortune. It's also a lot fresher than the supermarkets as they sell off a lot of stock at the end of the day as they don't have much room to store it. I tend to go around 0830 in the morning for the best choice and so that I have the rest of the day for myself.

My DCs regularly throw stuff in the hamper which has been worn for a few hours. I pick it straight out and give it back to them to fold up and put away.

For years I’ve seen a box on my water bill mentioning a reduced tariff for low income households. I’m retired on full state pension plus a small work pension paying £280 a month, my total annual income is about £15k and I don’t qualify for pension credit or any support except the single person 25% reduction on council tax.

I looked a bit closer at the water bill and the reduced tariff was not limited to people on pension credit or any benefits, but available to any household with an annual income under about £22k. I posted an application with copies of my pension statements and it was accepted immediately, giving 60% off the first year, 40% off the second and 20% off the third year. My water bill has gone from around £30 a month to £10 for the coming year so the saving will cover the council tax increase if nothing else!

My electricity had built up over £100 credit and they suggested reducing my direct debit by £10 a month, I’ve fixed it on a new tariff at the same monthly payment. Luckily got an oil delivery in February and will budget for my next order in October being a lot higher. I don’t like warm rooms so the heating is never higher than 16 and I have electric throws on the sofa and my bed (add a dog and cat for extra warmth!).

If I’m collecting DGS after school I try to get a Too Good To Go bag, he loves the surprises and will then eat things he wouldn’t actually have chosen in store.

Use the car as little as possible, I’ve stopped driving somewhere to walk the dogs, we just walk out from home.

I have an electric oven and if it’s going on at all, I fill each shelf with food I can then freeze as a cooked dish or refrigerate and reheat over a few days, or cook then eat cold (chicken, salmon), bake a few potatoes that then just need popping in the microwave for a moment.

I just made it up as I went using what I had - along with a large pack of stir fry veg - Tesco

I fried off the mince with garlic and ginger - squeezy stuff , then when it was brown I added a dash of soy, rice wine and a good dollop of hot honey - and adjusted seasoning. Removed from the pan, dash of oil, stir fried the veg till just wilting , added back the mince and juices and mixed up

There's not a lot of sauce, but the veg is very moist so it's not a dry dish. But just add whatever you have got. No hot honey - use sweet chilli sauce - whatever - dinner in 10 mins and just using what I had in

DH moans about my collection of herbs, spices, seasonings, sauces but as a throw it all together and see what happens type of cook, I can make something out of nothing with them

Agree with @YourWinter re getting the most out of your oven if it has to be on.
I use loaf tins for baking rather than round or muffin tins. I can fit 2 Ikea double length tins plus 1 standard on a shelf, then things like roasted veg, potatoes and lasagne on the other.

I think it is hard to batch bake if you don't have a decent sized freezer. But flapjacks are brilliant, easily lasting 3 weeks in a cake tin on the worktop once made.

I think it may be fair to say, that was an ill thought out post to write. The Doctor that the poster may see, is somebody's child!

I’m going vegetarian! Roast beef was £24!! Potatoes are about 29p per potato which isn’t too bad! We have a small greengrocer on our high street who are reasonably priced and have better looking veg than the supermarket.

unusul For bills to go up 18/22%

my gas and E is going down by few oenct per kwh via octopus