Discontent #5 food, energy, transport, cost of living etc

[no-no]

I'd get BG to send someone out to look at it in case it's a funky meter. Is it a smart meter?

Yes, got it after my last meter went haywire and I got free electric for months they came and fixed that pronto. Wondering if I have the reverse problem now!

I’ve got to wait a week before they’ll even consider doing anything. I was up at 4am and it was showing coppers on the meter, went the gym and came back it was almost at £2?! Nothing was on. Standing charge is 50p so no idea where the other £1 came from. I’m going to have to trawl through my top up history.

 

[Hodgies]

Are people still holidaying this year?

Yes but not abroad. Although staying in the UK can often be super expensive too but we have a dog who would cost £30 a day at the boarder so would rather holiday with him. Also I'm terrible in the sun so would always avoid in the summer anyway.

 

[ChilliBean]

Has anyone tried the new Asda rewards app? Is it any good?

 

[WilmaHun]

Has anyone tried the new Asda rewards app? Is it any good?

I keep getting emails from Asda about it but it's not available in my area yet!! I hope it does turn out to be good as I do my weekly shop there and it's always bugged me they don't have a loyalty scheme like the tesco clubcard etc.

 

[IfTheCapFits]

weekly food shop for 2 at Tesco, regularly over £80 now with no alcohol or meat (i do an online meat order & fill the freezer up once a month, costs around £65-£70 depending on what deal i go for at bestmeat.co.uk )

just filled up our 2nd car, used to cost max of £40 filled from empty, cost today £61 & wasn't completely empty. other car takes super unleaded when we can get it, eye watering to fill that one up! think it was about £120 a few weeks ago

we're very fortunate to live in Cornwall & it's very obvious how quiet it is with visitors at the moment. we've got a campsite near us that opens in mid May & is usually at least half full out of peak season, there's been very few there apart from the long weekend for the jubilee. local businesses are all saying how quiet it is & they're going to struggle this year, even if it gets busy for the kids summer holidays.

i think holiday owners & the booking companies they use have been extremely greedy keeping prices the same as they did after everything opened back up after covid the first time. nearly all increased their prices considerably to make up for lost earnings & the vastly increased demand. it's now biting them in the behind as bookings are down, which isn't surprising when they're charging £800+ out of season for a 2 bed flat near the coast. fuel prices must be impacting too as it will cost a fortune to travel & then go on day trips every day.

 

[emmer_moans]

I came across this Daily Fail article, the high streets look dystopian. High rents and parking has ruined the high street. Yes, I have contributed to this by shopping online, but i was put off by the poor ambience and dilapidated vibe in my local city centre for the past few years that i no longer desired to go spend a day browsing. To park all day there would cost me £12+. Instead, I can drive to the nearest out of town retail park if I want to go instore shopping. I think highstreet landlords need to slash rents, car parking should be reduced significantly to entice people back to the high street. I miss the days when I’d feel good about spending a Saturday from 9am-5pm shopping, eating lunch, walking past well kept park areas etc. The last time i walked through town to shop last year, i went at 10am and left at 11am. The shops were dilapidated, the ambience on the street was dreary, and I did not feel safe. And this year, now peoples’ energy bills have doubled/tripled for the most part, with chance of increasing again, wages stalling, food costing more, I really don’t expect many will prioritise a trip to a city centre. I never thought i would crave going back to the 90s but those where the days of the high street, in my eyes.

Empty stores, violence and soaring costs spark death of High Street

Many high street shopping districts have been battered by Covid and lockdowns, and the cost of living crisis has meant customers have less cash in their pocket to spend on luxuries.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Jc456]

I popped into town (seaside town) yesterday and usually when it's nice it's really hard to find a space but there were loads. They put the parking up from £1 to £2 a hour a few months back

 

[Doc]

I came across this Daily Fail article, the high streets look dystopian. High rents and parking has ruined the high street. Yes, I have contributed to this by shopping online, but i was put off by the poor ambience and dilapidated vibe in my local city centre for the past few years that i no longer desired to go spend a day browsing. To park all day there would cost me £12+. Instead, I can drive to the nearest out of town retail park if I want to go instore shopping. I think highstreet landlords need to slash rents, car parking should be reduced significantly to entice people back to the high street. I miss the days when I’d feel good about spending a Saturday from 9am-5pm shopping, eating lunch, walking past well kept park areas etc. The last time i walked through town to shop last year, i went at 10am and left at 11am. The shops were dilapidated, the ambience on the street was dreary, and I did not feel safe. And this year, now peoples’ energy bills have doubled/tripled for the most part, with chance of increasing again, wages stalling, food costing more, I really don’t expect many will prioritise a trip to a city centre. I never thought i would crave going back to the 90s but those where the days of the high street, in my eyes.

Empty stores, violence and soaring costs spark death of High Street

Many high street shopping districts have been battered by Covid and lockdowns, and the cost of living crisis has meant customers have less cash in their pocket to spend on luxuries.

www.dailymail.co.uk

This 100%!

Another school moan… daughter’s head has sent out a letter stating what can and cannot be put in packed lunches. Basically no crisps, crackers, biscuits, chocolate, sweets, dried fruit. They MUST take fresh fruit or yoghurt for dessert.

mine has 1 pack up this week, the rest of the time it’s school dinner. I’ve just spent nearly £10 for bits for 1 packed lunch (admittedly there’s leftovers, eg more yoghurts, leftover ham etc but I wouldn’t have bought them had she not had that packed lunch). I don’t send her with a unhealthy pack up, but she likes mini cheddars and they’re now banned

School dinners? Well they’re chuffin burgers, “wedges”, creamy pasta, chicken korma, stodgy puddings like chocolate muffin or arctic roll!

 

[no-no]

This 100%!

Another school moan… daughter’s head has sent out a letter stating what can and cannot be put in packed lunches. Basically no crisps, crackers, biscuits, chocolate, sweets, dried fruit. They MUST take fresh fruit or yoghurt for dessert.

mine has 1 pack up this week, the rest of the time it’s school dinner. I’ve just spent nearly £10 for bits for 1 packed lunch (admittedly there’s leftovers, eg more yoghurts, leftover ham etc but I wouldn’t have bought them had she not had that packed lunch). I don’t send her with a unhealthy pack up, but she likes mini cheddars and they’re now banned

School dinners? Well they’re chuffin burgers, “wedges”, creamy pasta, chicken korma, stodgy puddings like chocolate muffin or arctic roll!

Who do these schools think they are, especially when they’re serving up carby crap. Heaven forbid a growing child has a pack of mini cheddars Do as I say…

 

[Snowjoke]

Noticed the prices in Tesco have went crazy for food shop… it’s getting ridiculous now

 

[Blonde_moment]

I find Sainsburys best value for food, especially with the SmartShop app. Aldi etc probably cheaper, but I find I can’t do a full shop there.

 

[Jc456]

I find Sainsburys best value for food, especially with the SmartShop app. Aldi etc probably cheaper, but I find I can’t do a full shop there.

I find sainsburys best for fruit and veg quality, I went to tesco the other day and the veg was awful

 

[coconochanel]

I find Sainsburys best value for food, especially with the SmartShop app. Aldi etc probably cheaper, but I find I can’t do a full shop there.

I agree I've started doing my weekly shop at Sainsburys with the smartshop but anything I can get cheaper at Aldi I will get from there. Asda is the worst for value I think.

 

[ChilliBean]

I agree I've started doing my weekly shop at Sainsburys with the smartshop but anything I can get cheaper at Aldi I will get from there. Asda is the worst for value I think.

What is smartshop please?

 

[Jc456]

What is smartshop please?

Nectar prices when you scan as you go, a bit like the club card prices but personalised to what you regularly buy

 

[ChilliBean]

Oh that looks good is it a separate app to the nectar card one? I’m going to get the Asda rewards one too. Sometimes it’s exciting changing up where you shop

 

[grumpy_curry]

Nectar prices when you scan as you go, a bit like the club card prices but personalised to what you regularly buy

I would love something like that. Here, Lidl for example has an app but what the hell am I going to do with reduced chicken when I onöy ever buy vegan stuff?

 

[coconochanel]

Oh that looks good is it a separate app to the nectar card one? I’m going to get the Asda rewards one too. Sometimes it’s exciting changing up where you shop

You dont need the app you just swipe your nectar card on the scanner before you start shopping.

 

[Hodgies]

I really like SmartShop in Sainsbury's, I use the app on my phone and it's really straightforward. I don't do a full shop in there though, it tends to be where I go to top up fruit etc.

I find best value in doing an online shop, it really helps curtail my spendy ways Tempted to do an in-store Asda shop though as they've got 10% off for blue light card but suspect I'd end up spending more than I'd saved

 

[Jc456]

So eldest is at secondary this week, she had some sort of veggie roast/burger today and 2x flapjacks she said the flapjacks were 90p. They do a meal deal for £2.30 and she said portions are much better