Discontent #8 food, energy, transport, cost of living, society etc

[Chocolategoggler]

I think there is alot of truth in that you can be financially rich but poorer as a result in other ways, 'owning' can become a heavy burden. When we had a smaller house we too were alot happier, now we seem to just accumulate tit to fill the space we have which actually makes us less happy. I think there's alot to be said about a simple life but society doesn't allow for it, even owning a small home these days is a rarity for most

When I look back at my childhood pictures from the seventies the things I notice are how bare the house was compared to now.
When I had workmen in the house last year a woman who came with them commented that I had "a lot of stuff" and she was trotting round looking at it all like she was in a museum

 

[Whatwouldyoudo]

My kids both have space lights running all night and the youngest has a white noise machine. I can hear the penny's draining

My youngest has a pink noise machine from Smyths, it has a cry sensor which is brilliant as its so sensitive it clicks back on if you walk in the room, if you cough etc, so it's on when she starts to stir but the sound isnt constantly running. I haven't looked into the usage cost so it may be just as expensive as the machine you have though

My eldest has a battery operated reading torch that has a regular light when lifted up, or lights up the character (paw patrol ) if it's placed on a flat surface. They know to pick it up and put it back down and it will stay lit up for a few minutes. That's their nightlight

 

[Nolongerjustalurker]

My company have just announced a £500 cost of living bonus for everyone.. unless you’re in your notice period or you hand in your notice in the next six months, then you have to pay it back

We’re losing a lot of staff at the moment so to me it’s more of a staff retention bribe than them actually wanting to help.. I’m going to save mine and not use it because I was hoping to be out of there by Jan and can’t afford to lose so much out of a pay check.

 

[monga]

Only going to get worse I’d imagine

 

[Littleelf]

I honestly believe this is true. I remember a time about 7/8 years ago where I thought what we earn now was mega money. At that point we had a much smaller mortgage, council tax and gas/electrix was half what it is now but we had childcare costs that were another mortgage in itself. When the childcare costs ended we stretched our selves to buy a bigger house justifying it by saying if we could afford 800plus on nursery per month we'd easily manage the increase in mortgage etc. We doubled our mortgage by an additional 400odd, council tax went from 156 to 260odd and gas/electeic went from 80 per month fixed to 305 now.

We feel poorer now than we did back then.


I do love my house but sometimes I wonder is the extra space worth it. We'd live much better lives if we stayed in our old house.

We've been really focused on saving and getting ready to sell our 2 bed and move to a bigger house for a quite a while now but we've decided to put it on hold for a year or so and see how things are then. Yes we need another bedroom and I am desperate for a bigger kitchen, but we've been happy here for almost 10 years our mortgage is very small and our bills are reasonably affordable (well they were ). Our youngest will be starting nursery in January so we know we will be paying loads for that too!

We have 2 kids in a 2 bed which alot of people turn their noses up at and straight away ask us when we are moving but I just don't think its a great idea to really push ourselves and basically double our mortgage to get a 3 bed at the moment. We will be keeping an eye on the housing market and mortgages ect but we definitely won't be moving in the next 12 months I think.

 

[rainbowlemon]

We've been really focused on saving and getting ready to sell our 2 bed and move to a bigger house for a quite a while now but we've decided to put it on hold for a year or so and see how things are then. Yes we need another bedroom and I am desperate for a bigger kitchen, but we've been happy here for almost 10 years our mortgage is very small and our bills are reasonably affordable (well they were ). Our youngest will be starting nursery in January so we know we will be paying loads for that too!

We have 2 kids in a 2 bed which alot of people turn their noses up at and straight away ask us when we are moving but I just don't think its a great idea to really push ourselves and basically double our mortgage to get a 3 bed at the moment. We will be keeping an eye on the housing market and mortgages ect but we definitely won't be moving in the next 12 months I think.

You have made the right choice for yourself and your family. You don't need to justify it to anyone. I know of one family with three kids in a one bed flat. They needed the money to pay for their son's therapy. Think it's okay for young kids to share anyway.

 

[Jc456]

We've been really focused on saving and getting ready to sell our 2 bed and move to a bigger house for a quite a while now but we've decided to put it on hold for a year or so and see how things are then. Yes we need another bedroom and I am desperate for a bigger kitchen, but we've been happy here for almost 10 years our mortgage is very small and our bills are reasonably affordable (well they were ). Our youngest will be starting nursery in January so we know we will be paying loads for that too!

We have 2 kids in a 2 bed which alot of people turn their noses up at and straight away ask us when we are moving but I just don't think its a great idea to really push ourselves and basically double our mortgage to get a 3 bed at the moment. We will be keeping an eye on the housing market and mortgages ect but we definitely won't be moving in the next 12 months I think.

I wouldn't worry what people think. My 11 and 9 year old share a bedroom and probably will do until they move out! We're in a housing association and they say same sex are to share until 16. They really like sharing and miss each other if one sleeps at nanny's house

 

[Littleelf]

I wouldn't worry what people think. My 11 and 9 year old share a bedroom and probably will do until they move out! We're in a housing association and they say same sex are to share until 16. They really like sharing and miss each other if one sleeps at nanny's house

The baby sleeps in with us anyway so having his own room right now would just be wasted

 

[heretoreaditall2019]

The baby sleeps in with us anyway so having his own room right now would just be wasted

I can’t get over how rude ppl are to even ask you this. Sorry to sound m*msnet but I’d just be a smug witch back like oh we’re really enjoying cosleeping or oh my child doesn’t have any unsupervised time as they are x years old so it’s not safe, so we don’t feel a pressing need for their own room! Or oh we enjoy having x with us/family time so we don’t need to shut her away in her own room alone

My child has her own room and it’s completely unused. I don’t even bother opening/shutting the curtains in there. She hangs out with us all the time she’s home, we cosleep, literally the only time she’s in her room is if I need to get her some socks or a cardi out her drawers cos I forgot to lay them out the night prior she’ll walk in with me then we leave! She spends more time in the bath or at the kitchen table than she does in “her” room. I think she spends more time in the office even. Don’t waste your money my love just overpay your mortgage and ghost those nosy rude bellends x

 

[Chocolategoggler]

We've been really focused on saving and getting ready to sell our 2 bed and move to a bigger house for a quite a while now but we've decided to put it on hold for a year or so and see how things are then. Yes we need another bedroom and I am desperate for a bigger kitchen, but we've been happy here for almost 10 years our mortgage is very small and our bills are reasonably affordable (well they were ). Our youngest will be starting nursery in January so we know we will be paying loads for that too!

We have 2 kids in a 2 bed which alot of people turn their noses up at and straight away ask us when we are moving but I just don't think its a great idea to really push ourselves and basically double our mortgage to get a 3 bed at the moment. We will be keeping an eye on the housing market and mortgages ect but we definitely won't be moving in the next 12 months I think.

You sound really sensible. While you're waiting for the right time you'll be able to get ready for a move.
A wise friend told me when I bought my first house not to put anything in the loft and to dejunk if I ever moved again, as why pay to move junk or things you don't need to your new place only to then get rid of them?
I must say it's been hard not to put anything in the loft but this forces me to sell, donate or tip it.
The forecasted house price crash of 2023 will make it easier to trade up as those houses lose the most value in a crash so you will save money whilst trading up.

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

My youngest shared my bed til they were 4.5 YEARS old. had their own room. Was a waste of space.

 

[heretoreaditall2019]

My youngest shared my bed til they were 4.5 YEARS old. had their own room. Was a waste of space.

this’ll be us, this is interesting to know thank you. I’m sure some of these Hyacinth Buckets would have something to say about not bothering to decorate a disused toddler room too but I know there’s no point doing a mermaid room when she’ll never be in there anyway & by the time she is she’ll probably want a football themed room or Harry Potter or whatever other interior horrors await us

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

this’ll be us, this is interesting to know thank you. I’m sure some of these Hyacinth Buckets would have something to say about not bothering to decorate a disused toddler room too but I know there’s no point doing a mermaid room when she’ll never be in there anyway & by the time she is she’ll probably want a football themed room or Harry Potter or whatever other interior horrors await us

If anyone said anything I used to say if you want to come round, allow me to sleep and you deal with the own bed nonsense be my guest.

Funnily enough noone ever took me up on that offer

Theyre only little for such a short period of time. Why rush it.

 

[heretoreaditall2019]

If anyone said anything I used to say if you want to come round, allow me to sleep and you deal with the own bed nonsense be my guest.

Funnily enough noone ever took me up on that offer

Theyre only little for such a short period of time. Why rush it.

Agreed, you quickly learn to only have these open/honest convos with mums that “get it” otherwise you get the patronising poor you hun x tit and/or nosy questions.

You’ll get this tit at any stage though. Before a baby I had a horrific narc “friend” witch behind my back about the fact our spare rooms were empty and we hadn’t made them up as guest rooms….. but I don’t want guests hun? Or to buy a bed that gets slept in twice in its entire life before it’s binned to make way for a nursery? The amount of waste these ppl must generate doing whatever next tick box activity on their list of what makes a good middle class adult

 

[Romy]

My youngest shared my bed til they were 4.5 YEARS old. had their own room. Was a waste of space.

Same with my daughters. And there was no problem to start sleeping in their own bed in their room then.
They still share a room now (17 and 14 yrs old). We are very well in our flat and can't afford to buy a bigger one atm, unless we move very far from the capital center and we don't want to.

 

[Cantthinkofausername]

I do think spending is relative to your income. The more you earn the more you spend you live within your means

It's called lifestyle creep. Defined as when former luxuries become perceived as neccesities as income increases
Being able to resist to some extent is very useful. Of course some expenses are outside of our control (especially now) but others are discretionary.

 

[teabob]

It's called lifestyle creep. Defined as when former luxuries become perceived as neccesities as income increases
Being able to resist to some extent is very useful. Of course some expenses are outside of our control (especially now) but others are discretionary.

I thought you were calling the op a creep on first glance I’ve caved in to lifestyle creep for sure. I was once a single parent on little income and managed fine because I cut my cloth accordingly. Worked my way up at work and as soon as I got a decent promotion, got a new car (on finance) to upgrade from my runabout. Finished paying it in 2020 and it only had 25,000 miles on it and had never gave me a problem but instead of just enjoying having no car payment, I got a new one last year that’s fancier. Felt it was within my means but could never have predicted this tit show. I can still afford my outgoings but it’s the disposable income that takes the hit

 

[Chocolategoggler]

kid-friendly chicken butternut squash curry

This easy and delicious chicken curry for kids is loaded with butternut squash. Mild on spice but loaded with flavor, this family-friendly curry recipe can be made in your slow cooker or Instant Pot.

thenaturalnurturer.com

Thought I"d post this here in case anyone's interested.
It was a recommended recipe which was lovely.
I used what I had so a real butternut squash, bottled lime juice, garlic powder, soy sauce, reduced fat coconut milk and half a chicken stock cube. I didn't use raw chicken as I had some cooked chicken in the freezer and I added some black beans.
I think it's a recipe you can tweak to add things you like and the leftovers will taste even nicer.
I made mine in a slow cooker.

 

[Y0H0]

Last month £1.67 a day plus 49p standing charges. Kids have a night light on 11 hours over night

Wait your kid sleeps for 11 hours. Thats what dreams are made of

 

[Jc456]

Wait your kid sleeps for 11 hours. Thats what dreams are made of

Haha my 11 year old likes to go to sleep early, she's already taken herself to bed but she'll be up early 9 year old struggles to sleep and gets up late