Discontent #13 food, energy, transport, cost of living, society etc

[smellsofbiscuits]

As you were, folks.

Last thread was touching upon pensions information which might be of interest to folk: https://tattle.life/threads/discont...port-cost-of-living-society-etc.39039/page-52

OT but I think the subtitle for this thread should be The Con of National Insurance. Based upon the most liked comment made by Yel.

ETA images & links, oh my!

 

[fireflies]

Nearly a new month thank god found August really tough.
Grocery bill gone up a lot with kids at home I still don't feel like many prices falling in fact many going up still.
I really need to spend less this sept as need to save money as work switch from weekly to monthly pay means 6 weeks with no pay.

Biggest shocker for me this month is total spend on takeaways or meals out.
We had no holiday this year
No holiday last year so we took 2 weeks annual leave and tried to do a few meals and days out with the kids.
We chose what some might say cheaper
Dominoes
Maccy ds twice
Subway once
Weatherspoons twice
2 local pubs one is a ember Inn chain so Weatherspoons type pricing.
Local chippy used be Cheapest option now its as expensive as pizza.

Spent £400plus which seems obscene.
Everything just seems so expensive but think cost of food impacting people the most.
Rising petrol another one.
Definatly going on a diet in September.
I was watching you tube for ideas when it suggested a news peice from talk tv the fattest town in uk.
This caught my eye as I grew up near there even going to college there.
The fattest area of UK which I assume they included Scotland is the South Wales valleys which is also economically deprived.
A shocking 80% are classes as obese and 70% live off takeout/ fast food.
Which made me think is eating out cheaper than buying and cooking food?
How do people afford it.
Seen similar patterns in deprived areas of city I live in now lots eat so many takeaways.

Even my own high street the takeaways still seems busy despite cost of living crisis.

I do think can cost to be healthy as looked up cheapest gyms in area.
My kids love berries but they so expensive
Fruit and veg hardly lasts.
I feel like meals we do at home fairly healthy its snacks/ drinks/ and fruit/ veg that really adds up.

We can't afford spend that every month so definatly cutting back this winter.
We mostly go out summer and hibernate in winter.

 

[emmer_moans]

Nearly a new month thank god found August really tough.
Grocery bill gone up a lot with kids at home I still don't feel like many prices falling in fact many going up still.
I really need to spend less this sept as need to save money as work switch from weekly to monthly pay means 6 weeks with no pay.

Biggest shocker for me this month is total spend on takeaways or meals out.
We had no holiday this year
No holiday last year so we took 2 weeks annual leave and tried to do a few meals and days out with the kids.
We chose what some might say cheaper
Dominoes
Maccy ds twice
Subway once
Weatherspoons twice
2 local pubs one is a ember Inn chain so Weatherspoons type pricing.
Local chippy used be Cheapest option now its as expensive as pizza.

Spent £400plus which seems obscene.
Everything just seems so expensive but think cost of food impacting people the most.
Rising petrol another one.
Definatly going on a diet in September.
I was watching you tube for ideas when it suggested a news peice from talk tv the fattest town in uk.
This caught my eye as I grew up near there even going to college there.
The fattest area of UK which I assume they included Scotland is the South Wales valleys which is also economically deprived.
A shocking 80% are classes as obese and 70% live off takeout/ fast food.
Which made me think is eating out cheaper than buying and cooking food?
How do people afford it.
Seen similar patterns in deprived areas of city I live in now lots eat so many takeaways.

Even my own high street the takeaways still seems busy despite cost of living crisis.

I do think can cost to be healthy as looked up cheapest gyms in area.
My kids love berries but they so expensive
Fruit and veg hardly lasts.
I feel like meals we do at home fairly healthy its snacks/ drinks/ and fruit/ veg that really adds up.

We can't afford spend that every month so definatly cutting back this winter.
We mostly go out summer and hibernate in winter.

I’m with you on the chippy front, I bought 2 x chippy dinners the other day and it came to nearly 18 quid, with 2 cans, 1 large fish and 2 large chips I absent mindedly did not ask for smaller portions but I nearly did fall over when I realised. Chippy dinners used to be so cheap.

 

[fireflies]

I’m with you on the chippy front, I bought 2 x chippy dinners the other day and it came to nearly 18 quid, with 2 cans, 1 large fish and 2 large chips I absent mindedly did not ask for smaller portions but I nearly did fall over when I realised. Chippy dinners used to be so cheap.

About same here I guess a small chips at ours used to be quite generous and cost £2.
Large chips used be £3
Now small less chips and £3
Large £4
Cods and cans gone up so Large fish/ cod and cans easily £18.
So now compared with 2 dominoes pizza buy one get one free is better value to feed 2 adults and 4 kids.
Dominoes confuses me as different prices each time not sure dependent in day as use same branch.

We love Indian and Italian takeout but too expensive.
The kids and husband love kebabs I don't that's rare treat so don't have often.
The local burger van has lowered prices a little bit.

I'm just baffled how takeaways are always full or well used in deprived areas.
Is it the cost of cooking food plus increasing supermarket prices make some think takeout is cheaper or about same.

Spent £30 maccys on 2 adult meals medium.
4 happy meals
4 mini mc flurries that still seems a lot although 5 quid per head I guess.
Husband took the 2 teens to subway and spent £26 on 3 meals.
Spoons brought 2 adult meals and 2 kids meals with 1 glass if wine with mine and kids had drinks £27.
So divide by 4 £6.75 per head..

Eating out can't be cheaper?

 

[Randy Marsh]

Some people don't really have much choice about using takeaways - perhaps they don't have access to a kitchen due to their living situation or they work as and when required hours so the can't plan their meals.

 

[Gem_woody]

About same here I guess a small chips at ours used to be quite generous and cost £2.
Large chips used be £3
Now small less chips and £3
Large £4
Cods and cans gone up so Large fish/ cod and cans easily £18.
So now compared with 2 dominoes pizza buy one get one free is better value to feed 2 adults and 4 kids.
Dominoes confuses me as different prices each time not sure dependent in day as use same branch.

We love Indian and Italian takeout but too expensive.
The kids and husband love kebabs I don't that's rare treat so don't have often.
The local burger van has lowered prices a little bit.

I'm just baffled how takeaways are always full or well used in deprived areas.
Is it the cost of cooking food plus increasing supermarket prices make some think takeout is cheaper or about same.

Spent £30 maccys on 2 adult meals medium.
4 happy meals
4 mini mc flurries that still seems a lot although 5 quid per head I guess.
Husband took the 2 teens to subway and spent £26 on 3 meals.
Spoons brought 2 adult meals and 2 kids meals with 1 glass if wine with mine and kids had drinks £27.
So divide by 4 £6.75 per head..

Eating out can't be cheaper?

We hardly ever have takeaway but we had a kfc yesterday and it came to £20 for two box meals! That was more like £11/12 a few years ago. I guess it's a good incentive to have even less fast food .
I have had the same thoughts as you, i really struggle to believe that takeaways are cheaper than cooking your own meals and I don't understand how people can afford them. My colleague is a single mum and is very open about struggling financially but she gets multiple takeaways a week for herself and her 2 kids!

 

[Chocolategoggler]

People have funny ideas about being poor when they moan they're struggling financially.
I nearly fell for it with a friend until he accidentally let slip that he classed "struggling" as when he only had £600 left in his bank account. I fell for a relative's sob story and gave them what was in my bank account as it was an emergency and they would pay me back when they got paid. I eventually got it back reluctantly a year later with no thanks.i wouldn't mind but there were two of them and one of me and put me in a difficult position.
Strange how I can never find anyone to borrow from when I'm in dire straits

 

[Jc456]

We only really get a chippy for take away. Our order is £15.45 for 1 adult 2 kids. 1x large chips 1x regular chips, 2x veggie battered sausages 1x vegan fritter, mushy peas and curry sauce. We'll stop in at home bargains on the way for a can of drink

 

[Xales]

Take away certainly isn't cheap. Not even the cheap options any more. McD for 2 of us is £20.

A burger from something like 5 guys or 7 bone we are looking at £15 a burger each before you add extras! I have meerkat meals so get 50% off pizzas at pizza hut. It still isn't cheap.

 

[heretoreaditall2019]

Our two year utilities fix is coming to an end and Octopus have offered us two alternatives - a ridiculous flexible option that would double our monthly direct debit, or their 12 month fix which is up 18.3% on what I fixed at 2 years ago (+18.5% for gas, +18.2% for electric).

 

[JTsFringe]

Takeaway is so expensive. The local pizza place I used to use worked out more expensive than Pizza Hut which is madness to me. My local chippy costs us about £20 in total, thats 2 burger meals and a 2 piece chicken and chips. Mcdonalds have put their prices up again - completely pricing me out, a standard burger meal for 2 and a chicken wrap was coming in at £30. I think a lot of people use take aways because they don't know how to cook from scratch. It's all ultra processed food shoved in the microwave for 5 minutes or in the oven for 20 minutes. Eating healthy isnt that expensive when your comparing it to the price of a takeaway. Takeaway is just more convenient than standing prepping and cooking it. I used to work with a lady that was in her late 40s and she had no idea how to cook. Everything she ate was something that could be cooked for 20 mins in the oven.

 

[Kim Mild]

August has been such a long month . Got too much month left at the end of my money.

Been using my drysoon pod a lot to dry my washing cos it's been so wet but my electric usage wasn't much more than usual

 

[Yel]

How is this new at pret for £7.99 when I used to buy it for about £5 before covid

It's more a side than a main imo

 

[Falkor]

Gaaaaaaaah, it looks like I need to replace my car sooner than expected I'd hoped it was going to last another two years, because I'm planning to buy myself a midlife crisis car in 2025 when I'm 50, but it only just scraped its MOT last week and it's going to need about £3k of work to get it through the next one, when its trade-in value is only £3,200. Mr F is urging me to go for the midlife crisis car early. I'm thinking that since I start a new job next month with a six-month probation period, it might be sensible to get something cheaper for a few years and have the midlife crisis car later.

 

[House of Tea]

I went to a cafe on Friday, with my OH, in Portsmouth. We had a toasted cheese and ham sandwich (nice one, ham hock and sourdough) plus two coffees. £37! I rarely go out at night, nice cafe lunches tends to be my thing. But seriously, begrudge paying the money now. Once a month treat now I think.

 

[JoeBloggs]

How is this new at pret for £7.99 when I used to buy it for about £5 before covid

It's more a side than a main imo
View attachment 2413048

I went to get one of these the other week, could not believe the price. I used to pay £4.95 in central london. For £7.99 I left it there!

 

[boatofbubbles]

So I finally found the 3 bed private rent I desperately needed within budget (just but there's no chance of rent changing anytime soon) has anybody got any handy tips on moving cheaply and/or easily. Bare in mind I have a toddler and still working. I've managed to get 3 days off in a row for moving week, day before day of day after

 

[emmer_moans]

Takeaway is so expensive. The local pizza place I used to use worked out more expensive than Pizza Hut which is madness to me. My local chippy costs us about £20 in total, thats 2 burger meals and a 2 piece chicken and chips. Mcdonalds have put their prices up again - completely pricing me out, a standard burger meal for 2 and a chicken wrap was coming in at £30. I think a lot of people use take aways because they don't know how to cook from scratch. It's all ultra processed food shoved in the microwave for 5 minutes or in the oven for 20 minutes. Eating healthy isnt that expensive when your comparing it to the price of a takeaway. Takeaway is just more convenient than standing prepping and cooking it. I used to work with a lady that was in her late 40s and she had no idea how to cook. Everything she ate was something that could be cooked for 20 mins in the oven.

I haven’t eaten at mcDonalds for about 5 years, I can’t believe how much it’s gone up by!! 2 meals and a wrap for 30 quid?! Whoa.

 

[HotesTilaire]

So I finally found the 3 bed private rent I desperately needed within budget (just but there's no chance of rent changing anytime soon) has anybody got any handy tips on moving cheaply and/or easily. Bare in mind I have a toddler and still working. I've managed to get 3 days off in a row for moving week, day before day of day after

Depends how you’re going to move - do you have a car? Can friends with cars take some stuff, or do you have to get a van?
start packing stuff you can “manage without” you can chuck it in binbags or washing laundry bags and staple a tag on saying what’s inside.

 

[heretoreaditall2019]

So I finally found the 3 bed private rent I desperately needed within budget (just but there's no chance of rent changing anytime soon) has anybody got any handy tips on moving cheaply and/or easily. Bare in mind I have a toddler and still working. I've managed to get 3 days off in a row for moving week, day before day of day after

The other day I went to a Homebase and saw they had a huge section of free cardboard boxes which is a cost removed. Or check Facebook marketplace for free boxes, we listed ours and they went super quickly so maybe set an alert for them so you don’t miss out! Those blue IKEA bags are also super useful ime for clothing.

+ assuming yes as a toddler mum but are you on Vinted? As you’re going through everything with a fine tooth comb anyway might be worth putting aside bits that are outgrown to net off some of your costs. I’d never bothered listing kiddy stuff & just sold womenswear but listed some toys the other day and was pleasantly surprised they went instantly!