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.

OP has vanished…

All of this I can get on board with....but not sharing bathwater. Step too far in my opinion. Sitting in someone elses (shitty) water is very very grim!!!

The one useful trick my dc taught me that they got from Twit tok/Youtube is to hold the sauce bottle tightly at the opposite end of the bottle and whirl your arm round like a windmill really quickly. Loosens the stuck bits and send its to be opposite end you are holding.

it actually works a treat! Somewhere in the back of my mind I remember something about centrifugal forces ........

I mean, I’d rather not pay for the old people, not being one myself! What sort of an attitude is that? You know young people pay your pension, right?

I’m already using my car only to work and collect shopping. I only budget 70 pounds for petrol. I don’t have bus to work unfortunately. I’m wondering if fuel rationing comes, we will be allowed to work from home. Companies stopped allowing this, but I think it’ll be new reality.

Do you ever go to the pool?

Pools are chlorinated and checked !

I've done this for years and with all toiletries as well. Basically, anything I am able to cut in half! Always loads left in both halves.

I often felt a bit under the weather after swimming in pools, and I’m starting to wonder if the chlorine levels are off. When you think about the high foot traffic—all that sweat, sunscreen, and the occasional 'accident' from other swimmers—sharing a bath with my own family actually sounds a lot cleaner by comparison. I’ve also noticed that swimming pool floors sometimes feel slimy, which really shouldn't happen if they’re being cleaned properly. It’s actually been years since I last set foot in one because of it

Agreed. And at least turn their engines off while they are waiting for their kids to come out of school!

I used to swim and I don't think I ever did catch anything nasty. Eventually I just got bored with it. But it's true that you can't think about it too much!

When I was a kid we used to share a bath - mum in first, then me, then my dad. We had a bath every day though so I think we were all pretty clean.

A few days ago there was an article in the Irish Times about schools having to teach remotely from September because they won't be able to afford to heat them. Now that seemed like scare-mongering but who knows?

WFH seems eminently sensible to me, especially in the summer when you don't need the heating on.

Obviously they have to provide hot water, but most people wouldn't have their heating on at that point, so surely they could teach for another month in school (unless there are fuel issues and many really can't get to school).

I've stuck to doing all our food shopping on foot (did 90% of it on foot anyway, just need to plan around the bigger/larger items). Also, driving a bit slower and foreseeing when I'd need to break, so I slow down a bit before - think I'm getting around 40 miles extra out of a tank - might not be a lot, but helps.

I've seen the gov are changing something so that we can buy plug in solar panels to help with the COL. I'm not entirely sure how they work though.

@RudolphTheReindeer That sounds interesting. We use jackery panels and two batteries which cuts down our electric bill as well as being handy for power cuts. Our roof is not ideal for permanent panels, but moving the camping panels around the garden as the sun moves is doable. I will buy more when I see a good deal - new or secondhand. Every time I move the panels or plug into the battery in the evening I feel like I am sticking 2 fingers up at the utility companies which is a substantial side benefit.

the plug in panals will cost around 400 each and you plug then into a socket. Any electricity is used directly from that. They are estimated to save around 90 to 110 pounds a year so not much use if you are a high user as we are but helpful for flats etc.
@SmallTreeDeepRoots
Can i ask how much you estimate you save?

The point is if you pay £400 for the unit, then get £100/year bill reduction - that's a useful payback whatever your total energy usage.

@flapjackfairy Our electric use in the summer months is less than a third of winter usage. A pile of that will be heating (we have gas, but it uses electric as well) and less lighting as lighter evenings. We have made big efforts with reducing usage as well. In the evenings all our lighting, gadgets, slow cooker, bread maker , tv etc runs off battery. Only fridge/freezer, dishwasher, washing machine stay on mains. Most days most of us shower at the sports centre as there anyway.

well yes of course but I have 2 children who have complex medical needs requiring a warm house, endless washing and medical equipment running 24/7..
Our bills are just shy of 5 grand now and predicted to be around 6 thousand when our fix ends. So a hundred pound saving is neither here or there in the grand scheme of things.
However we are looking at getting a plug in panal anyway and possibly solar battery generators . We may take the plunge with roof panels but dont think.we will live here long enough to.recoup the outlay.

thanks for the info. For you find them useful in the winter at all ?

A hundred pounds is a hundred pounds, depends if you've money to waste I guess.

We don’t have much to cut and thankfully can afford increased costs but here’s the tips I have,

1. reduce food waste. Meal planning (so you don’t get left with half packets) and batch cooking are your friends here, food waste is the easiest thing to look at there’s no pain
2. tied in with is is looking at ways to reduce meal costs, eg if you eat meat, halve the amount of meat and add beans or lentils to make up the protein, cheap, healthy, long lasting (I stock up in Lidl). Eat meat free 1-2 times a week. Buy a shoulder of pork and use for multiple meals saving money and time.
3. turn off plugs, chargers etc. again no pain savings, standby costs money, over a year you do save.
4. walk and cycle shorter distances if you can, most of us use cars when we physically do not need to, don’t routinely run teenagers to school because they are too lazy to get up earlier (helps with traffic congestion too) disabilities aside children can walk a couple of miles to school, might take longer but it’s healthy, good for the environment and saves you money.
5. innovative ideas to replace meals out/takeaways including a “nicer” home cooked meal you take turns to choose, picnic, rotisserie chicken night, soft taco night was a favourite with my kids, make your own pizzas.
6. look for free or cheap activities eg local cricket matches, non league football to replace expensive pro sports, amateur theatre too.

now off for my picnic!

Meat twice a week..lots of lentils and beans/pulses. Fortunately love to cook,have loads of spices etc and big freezer so batching is my friend.

yeah money to burn here !

@flapjackfairy TBH I can’t get enough electric from the panels in the winter to charge the batteries enough. It really makes me think about the viability of fixed roof panels. The benefit for me in the winter is that if/when we have power cuts, we can switch to the batteries and life goes on relatively normally. I can recharge batteries from the mains or a car, so we have considered charging overnight on a cheap tariff and using that electric during the day if we ever have a functioning smart meter with peak/non peak times.