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Thread: Cost of Living

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
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    Re: Cost of Living

    Quote Originally Posted by fishman65 View Post
    Is anyone else struggling with this right now? I had our energy bill today from British Gas and I don't know how many times I've asked for a monthly bill. They keep sending quarterly. Car insurance I had to stop the direct debit due to insufficient funds and now have a £20 late payment fee. This has been introduced recently despite their assurance it hasn't.

    Being a carer for Mrs F, we can't afford these bills in large chunks. This winter really will see us heating or eating I think.
    I have a health condition which means I need to stay warm - even in summer I can need the heating on, and several layers of clothing. Or I can go to the other extreme and overheat - needing to go lie down in the fridge for a few days- either way - this all takes more energy. This week I've mostly been in bed under my electric blanket and with heat pads. Our energy bill came in for the first time since the changes and I think I died for a bit? Or at least went into shock. My immediately reaction was to turn off the heating and try to cope but this has resulted in one of the biggest flare ups of my condition that I've ever had so I'm going to have to re-think this one but as other people have said, there are ways to make some savings. (try telling that to the teenage boy who thinks the lights turn themselves off)

    I also crawled down from my pit the other day to discover that my husband had attempted to 'help' me by putting a wash on. I appreciate the gesture but the dude didn't think to change the temperature and he was washing my synthetics on a 60 degree wash (I always wash at 30) so I had to stop the wash, drain it all off, and start again.
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  2. #12
    Join Date
    Mar 2020
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    6,054

    Re: Cost of Living

    Quote Originally Posted by Pamplemousse View Post
    SSE = OVO Electric.

    One other thing to help is as conventional ones fail, change to LED lightbulbs. They use tiny amounts of electricity. On the landing I have a battery-operated LED lamp with a PIR sensor in it which saves me putting on the main lights for the inevitable trips to the loo at night.
    Nowadays I tend to use battery powered LED lamps as 'night lights' as I can never sleep in absolute pitch black, and recharge their batteries when needed.

    I also have a mains powered fan that I like to hear the blowing sound from when I'm trying to nod off and I set it to turn itself off via its built-in timer at a certain time once I'm finally spark out.

    Furthermore, I have set up a lower-power audio system in my room, which is an all-in-one CD player/radio tuner/amplifier unit with a separate pair of speakers that are already set up, and my (separate) vinyl record player which is connected to the AUX input on the rear panel next to the speaker output jacks. The headphone output socket is conveniently situated on the front face of the unit.

    It switches itself off after X amount of time of lying idle (with the power on), plus its digital display unit dims itself automatically after about 30 seconds.

    It actually sounds better than the unit I was using before and obviously more economical to use, plus of course better for the planet in the long run.

    As for my existing record player unit (which of course is also retained in the setup), it has an auto-return cycle that operates at the end of each record side anyway.

    All the TV sets in our house also shut themselves off automatically if left on but untouched for X amount of time, which is a very well-thought-out and forward-thinking design by Samsung.

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Posts
    16,747

    Re: Cost of Living

    I'm sure your husband wouldn't want you to suffer as a result of trying to cut down on heating bills, Nora and unless he has asked you to then you must assume that he's able to afford to keep you comfortable when you need the extra warmth for pain management. Are you eligible for any benefits in view of your fibro diagnosis?

    I've taken to sweeping my carpets with a dustpan and brush instead of using the hoover..I've never owned a dishwasher or a tumbledryer and my thermostat has been set to 15 degrees over the winter. I don't have a smart meter either. I do use my washing machine a lot at 30 degrees only but can't change that due to necessity.

  4. #14
    Join Date
    May 2021
    Posts
    2,737

    Re: Cost of Living

    Yes definitely noticed a real change over the last few months. Prices just keep going up. Fortunately until a couple of months ago I got 10% off my shopping at Morrisons because of working for the NHS, once it was gone I was straight back to Aldi.

    I'm also pretty frugal in general, which is why we can afford to go and do things. Although when pricing trains to London earlier today I nearly fell off my perch. Accommodation is on the credit card, concert tickets were paid for an eon ago because of Covid and most importantly not going to miss out on seeing my son. So will have to pay the ridiculous prices and cut back elsewhere.

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
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    3,893

    Re: Cost of Living

    So many people struggling, I suppose this is the kickback from the covid lockdowns and the hornet's nest in the Kremlin. We don't have a dishwasher, I've never seen the point in them. You could have washed the dishes by hand in the time it takes to load it up. They do use less water though I think I read somewhere, so swings and roundabouts.

    I've come up with the idea of boiling 6 eggs at a time instead of two, then I can put the other 4 in the fridge for days 2 and 3.
    __________________
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  6. #16
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
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    16,747

    Re: Cost of Living

    Good idea! Maybe we should share money saving ideas on here and see who can come up with the most original suggestions?

  7. #17
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    Mar 2016
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    4,918

    Re: Cost of Living

    Quote Originally Posted by pulisa View Post
    I'm sure your husband wouldn't want you to suffer as a result of trying to cut down on heating bills, Nora and unless he has asked you to then you must assume that he's able to afford to keep you comfortable when you need the extra warmth for pain management.
    No, he hasn't asked me to do that. His body would be found in our generously sized manhole in the back yard if he ever tried to take my blankie away from me!

    We're ok. Most families will have had to make adjustments and we're no exception.

    I've taken to sweeping my carpets with a dustpan and brush instead of using the hoover..I've never owned a dishwasher or a tumbledryer and my thermostat has been set to 15 degrees over the winter. I don't have a smart meter either. I do use my washing machine a lot at 30 degrees only but can't change that due to necessity.
    We do have a smart meter. I'm eyeballing it right now.
    __________________
    A thought is harmless unless we believe it.

  8. #18
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Posts
    10,624

    Re: Cost of Living

    I've taken to sweeping my carpets with a dustpan and brush instead of using the hoover..I've never owned a dishwasher or a tumbledryer and my thermostat has been set to 15 degrees over the winter. I don't have a smart meter either. I do use my washing machine a lot at 30 degrees only but can't change that due to necessity
    Pulisa, that will either do your back or knees in. You could do with a eubank carpet sweeper. My mum and dad had one and was brilliant! Probably hard to find now.

    I do think going back to our parents or grandparents ways of housekeeping would be very handy now.
    I use a clothes horse for drying my clothes through the winter, I still do a bit of hand washing in the summer.
    I also remember my gran painstakingly smoothing and folding clothes to put in the airing cupboard and wouldn't need ironing.
    Like fishman says, anything that heats up will eat away at the electric usage.
    I find food and general household items so expensive now. Hardly any deals. Sandwich fillers in particular. Eggs and tuna seem to be the cheapest, not together, lol.
    Pasta and spaghetti are long lasting and make several meals. A chicken is still good value. Mince and stewing steak. Burgers. Veggies are expensive, so grow as much as you can. You don't need a garden, pots will suffice.
    Get those battery operated fairy lights back up and candles give off heat, light and ambience.

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Mar 2020
    Posts
    6,054

    Re: Cost of Living

    Quote Originally Posted by Carnation View Post
    I do think going back to our parents or grandparents ways of housekeeping would be very handy now.
    I agree with you wholeheartedly Carnation, and will be of greater benefit to the planet in the long run.

    Just like with the Global Financial Crisis back in 2008-11, I can already sense an undercurrent of Britain-bashing over this, as if certain people once again believe the UK to be the only country in the world affected by this and everything's fine and dandy elsewhere, and the playing the usual 'UK the sick man of Europe' card for the umpteenth time!

    Whilst of course there will always be variables between different countries, it's still pretty much a global issue.

    Also the media are treating this as the latest 'Armageddon' and will no doubt become a vicious circle!

  10. #20
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Posts
    10,624

    Re: Cost of Living

    We made cuts during the pandemic Lencoboy and have kept them going.
    I now cut Mr C's hair. I've always cut my own so that saves literally hundreds per year.
    And now we don't eat or drink out. Even 2 cups of tea could set you back a fiver. If we go anywhere we take from home in our flasks. We have our lunch at home before we go out or take with us.

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