Discontent #7 food, energy, transport, cost of living, society etc

[Yel]

Very unhelpful bad maths and scaremongering from the new statesmen who are saying WFH will end as it'll now cost £30 a day.

My work laptop uses at most 45w, I'm sure most work laptops are similar and they don't always use this full power. Quite a bit less than the 300w they use for their calculation!

That's way overboard for how much energy to heat a flat, and in anycase people will probably just be heating the one workspace room.

It won't be anywhere near £30 a day, and even if it was my 35 min train ride into london is £26 a day anyway, even if it was true I'd rather pay £4 to avoid all that.

Has anyone got one of those desk hot fan heaters and would you recommend please? Any particular brand of heater?

I wfh in an old house with high ceilings so using central heating doesn’t feel like the most efficient way to heat the one room even tho gas is cheaper than electric.

I use an oil filled one when working from home to heat that room, I don't like the kind of air fan heaters give off. But it's more on low to take the edge off than keep it warm.

 

[Blond3g1rl]

Imagine a laundrettes energy bills!!???

This is going to become the problem. Everyone who will be going to the laundrette to do their washing, going to the gym to have a shower etc will just transfer the cost to these business and they won’t be able to pay their bills. So they will have to hike up gym prices, limit the amount of times you can go etc

 

[zoominmoom]

So I mentioned this previously on the thread but today at work at our daily meeting we were reminded that there's £10 to put in for a 50th, £20 for a retirement and £5 for flowers for someone who's gone off sick AGAIN. My pay day is tomorrow so that's £35 straight off my wage. Today should have been my opportunity to say sorry I can't afford this but it's so awkward. They even brought up that not everyone had put in so far and most people sat quietly so I think most people feel the same as me.

It's pay day tomorrow and I have £11.92 in my account currently. I've been on the bones of my arse since about the 2nd week after payday and this was a 5 week month.

Cheeky buggers! I can't imagine having the audacity to get up there in front of everyone and demand money from them Some people are absolutely shameless!

 

[Falkor]

This was posted today by one of the managing directors of a bakery business in our nearest small town - admittedly they're now a pretty big operation, selling their goods across the UK, but how is any small-to-medium-sized business supposed to cope with this sort of increase?

She was replying to a post made by the owner of the ice cream parlour, who said she'd emptied and turned off her two storage freezers and was just running the main scooping freezer, but still had an electricity bill of £1,250 for August.

 

[Our Cilla]

I grew up in a terraced house with no heating and an outside toilet. To keep warm I slept in a bed with 2 other siblings. We had the 3 day week no lighting or heating and survived that. When its cold and I am working from home I will wear a fleece, chuck a throw around my knees and a hot water bottle on my back. I do worry about older people and how they will get through the Winter. We need to all be checking on our neighbours and praying that something is done to bring these outrageous prices down.

 

[bozlem3080]

If your son has a job then I dont think there is anything wrong to ask him to pay some of the bill.

What age is he?

Im so sorry youre in this position.

He is 19, earns a good wage, I feel embarrassed with my situation, I’ve found a job but just waiting on a start date, I’ve stopped paying all my bills & don’t even open letters anymore not bothered if baliffs come in really, take what they want, did think of going bankrupt but can’t even afford that! I owe council tax due to their error, I’m due to be made homeless, suppose if chuck me in prison least have a roof over my head x

 

[Mrs Fluff]

Don’t spend it all at once 🫤

Christmas 2023 sorted!

 

[shadowcat5]

3 items is ridiculous. I go through 3 tins of beans a week and I live alone!

 

[HoGi]

I had those at uni when they refused to turn the heating on until October. Also a hideous primani cardi.

My office is a strict no heating before October.

But then they won't turn it off until 1st April so you spent most of March sweating your tits off.

 

[LyraBalaqua]

Eon. its great they can give them that much when so many are going to go out of business and people can't heat their homes.. huge profits and going to get even more profit the more utilities go up .. it blows my mind

At least Eon are looking after their own, all round to Purrrrrr’s brother’s gaff on a cold December night

 

[Some People!]

Yes, but the plus side is the Queen is getting an amazing send-off
Sorry but can't help it. just been called a traitor on FB for daring to suggest its all very over the top when even working people are having to use the foodbank

Honestly you're right, and it's p vulgar to be spending a tonne on a state funeral just now. She saved clothing coupons for her wedding dress in immediately post-war Britain when rationing was still still in effect, ffs. That wasn't necessary, but not to would have been unseemly.

Absolutely hate a food bank in a school, jfc.

I’m lucky to be relatively solvent now, but in my 20’s and 30’s was a working single parent who always seemed to earn just enough not to qualify for any additional help. Son (now in his 30’s!) reminded me how at the end of the month, we’d share a tin of tomatoes on toast, 15p (!) and how much he enjoyed it because it meant payday (and biscuits) were close. So he’d popped out and got a tin of toms and had a nostalgic tea - but with black pepper and a grating of Parmesan - he enjoyed it on two levels! I did the same last night. Yummy. But tomatoes now 70p….

I loved this story, thank you for sharing. I've got some memories like that from my childhood and teens which aren't even bittersweet, just a cute memory of that time with my mam.
I hope my kid has some 'bright side' memories of the daft stuff we do to stay busy and have adventures on a shoestring, and the weird end-of-month concoctions I do my best with, and I think all of the parents struggling now and soon should bear this stuff in mind and not grind themselves down too much with what they weren't able to give their kids.

Kids remember what they had, what they did, how they felt and who they were with - they never know what you'd hoped they could have had/done.

 

[Yel]

Just noticed Google maps are now showing the most efficient route. This is good as where I am in Kent it often directs me on motorways with an incline which save time but use more fuel. It's nice to now see how much fuel youd save by not taking the quickest route. Often the more efficient route is nicer to drive on also.

The sports setting is a waste of time and resources.

I put mine on a different one and adjust the temperature/spin to the fabric setting.

My last washing machine the sports setting was actually good, this A+++ one not so much.

 

[Purrrrrrr]

@Instasham, be brave and say you can’t afford to contribute.

I suspect many others will agree and it might be the time for your line manager and other seniors to discuss suspending the collections while we all struggle with the cost of living crisis.

Don’t do it and be upfront about why.

Agree. Many will be hoping and praying someone makes the first move. Just say, times being what they are I will no longer be putting money in collections ( or at the very least not that set amount ) You can always buy your own card / gift for anyone you are close to.

 

[pixxyy]

1 of the things I like about having to do the food shop online is its easier to see whats the best value. So I can type 'chips' and see price per kg etc

 

[Princesst]

One thing that I have noticed is that a lot of my neighbours have so many outside lights. Their houses are lit up from every angle. Ours looks creepy and like no one lives here every night but I refuse to light the street. I understand one light for security or if someone’s coming in late but they’re all uplit and downlit at every angle and they seem to forget to turn them off so they’re on all day too They all seem to have every single inside light on in the evenings now too whereas we have like one small lamp which I wait a fair while to turn on I know it’s probably only pennies saved really but feels like I’m doing something!

 

[emmer_moans]

No one pays - sack it off, if times are tight, you’re all adults - no one needs a birthday present from work to feel validated. Sure it’s nice to have but no way should employese be stretching their pennies over it.

This. At my work they forgot to do a collection for one person but did everyone else during the year. It was so awkward whe we realised. I think it would be better if the team gifts were stopped. As you say, noone needs this validation.

 

[Thank(space)you]

We got pay rise at work (nhs ) but in order for us to match the cost of living , it would need to be 15% pay rise

I am very lucky that I recently got a promotion which was a 4% pay rise last month, and then now I've got this 5% pay rise. I'm working on paying off my credit card, so once that's paid I'll be £200 a month better off as well. I probably won't see any of this money as it will go on increased bills etc but I'm grateful to have the money to be able to pay those bills

 

[teabob]

I’ve not paid my mobile phone bill, me & my son have a joint one, he txt last night to say his phone is restricted, I was too embarrassed to tell him I’ve not paid, made up some shit to say the DD failed as changed banks, I’m on JSA so it’s basically a weeks worth of that for both bills, my son has a job & has never offered to pay towards the bill now I’m in tears because I have £20 to last me 12 days, I’m trying desperately to sell possessions in my house just to pay for things, don’t know what I’m going to do, sorry for the rant x

I can understand as a single parent not wanting to put what you feel are your problems onto your son but a problems shared is a problem halved and we are living in unprecedented times. I have a 20 year old and have told him I can’t do it alone. Its only this month I’m going to start taking dig money and in July I got us both new mobile phone contracts (plusnet £8 for 15gb and unlimited texts and mins) and his is now in his own name and comes from his own account which will actually help him build up a credit rating.

I had a jokey conversation when I went into his room and sat next to him on his bed and said we’ll soon be sitting in here cuddled up when we can’t afford the heating on and he said are you being serious. I told him things are going to get difficult and sent him links to articles about the cost of living crisis and he said take what you need mum. Give your son a chance to step up. I don't think it’s unusual that yours hasn’t offered you money, mine didn’t either and he’s as tight as 2 coats of paint with the result he has more money in the bank than me from his bursary

 

[LyraBalaqua]

I’ve got two elderly cats, they’re 18 and one is on lifelong medication and requires blood tests twice a year alongside her prescription. They won’t prescribe without the blood test.

I took her to the vet today and was told it would £138 just for the blood test! . I objected and said I couldn’t afford it, I will ( because we love her) happily pay the £90 medication bill every 5 weeks because I have to , she’s our old gal!

It was reduced to £55 after a chat with whoever she went to talk to.

*I cancelled our previous pet insurance after they wouldn’t insure lifelong medicine.

 

[bananabutter]

I can get my food bill down to £20 a Month( If I need to) maybe a fiver for toiletries, and thats just me but i'm a fairly fussy eater. So I def think its possible for a family of 4 who probably eat a wider range of items.

I find this insane, I struggle to get my weekly shop below £20