How will you make savings to pay for energy bills.

Surely it would be better to look at the government who have squandered millions of pounds worth of tax payer money? PPE that is being burned. Contracts awarded that were not met. Bribes taken by ministers (Patel this week, but plenty of others to pick from).

But no, let's pick on the lowest / poorest group in society. It's straight out of Dickens.

It seems you're determined that the poor are all scroungers, Urmstongran. A Victorian attitude shared by many of the millionaires in government.

Shocking. Lady paints nails while children freeze to death. TV cameras happen to be there to film it.

I bet she has a flat screen TV and a mobile phone too.

Yesterday on the news was a single mum, saying she was worrying about the bills. The camera panned to her hand as she was turning the heating dial down. Her hot pink long acrylic nails took centre stage we both noted.

DaisyAnne

Chestnut

NotTooOld I guess there will be lots of advice on how to save money, and that might not be a bad thing. Many younger people have no idea how to economise and probably spend on luxuries thinking they are essentials. Their very first priority should be to feed and clothe their children, so I get very angry when I hear of children being sent to school hungry with no breakfast, that is pure laziness. It costs next to nothing to fill your child up with a bowl of porridge and that should be more important than anything.

I see we have someone "defining the enemy" yet again. This time it is "younger people".

Younger people are not our enemy, nor are they a group of "others"; somehow different from us. They do know how to economise and how to prioritise the essentials. They are no different to any other generation.

This is a strange group to hate as we brought them up. The poster also doesn't seem to know much about the household economy of the poorest. It does cost something to fill a child up with a bowl of porridge. When you have nothing left and cannot make what you get stretch further, hostility and prejudice towards you are not helpful.

Some people always have to have a group against whom they can encourage others to discriminate. This "othering" has led to the terrible deaths of the "defined enemy" in the past. Why do people still do it?

DaisyAnne Thank you so much for this post. I so agree with what it says and its sentiments.

The 'Divide and Rule' mentality has been pushed on us so much in the last few years. So, it is now so much simpler to look at our neghbours, different age groups, different cultures, etc and blame THEM for the problems we (and they) are experiencing - and that goes such a long way to prevent us looking at the real perpetrators - the current Govrnment and its policies.

I'm doing less ironing and no longer forgetfully leaving it on while wandering off to put clothes away. Lights off in all rooms except the one I'm in. Kettle quarter full though I did do several boils yesterday to descale it.

I heard on the news last night that people are asking not to have potatoes from the foodbank because it costs too much to cook them. If you can't cook potatoes, quite possibly you can't cook porridge either.

Let them eat cake, eh?

Chestnut our young adult DC are really frugal, always telling us how they are scrimping and saving.

“The fact that in the last decade since 2010, Martin Lewis has had to go from 'The guy who tells you who's doing two-for-one deals or how to get a good mortgage rate' to 'Here's what you can do to get emergency help to stop starving/freezing to death' speaks for itself.”

I have a chimney sheep too.

A tip for reducing fridge running costs.

Freeze a gel pack (the sort you use for picnics)). Pop it into the fridge till it defrosts. It makes a big difference, especially in hot weather. Also defrost meat etc in fridge.

I do still use a tumble dryer in winter, but I also have one of those old fashioned spin dryers. Gets so much water out and really reduces drying times.

I have a smart meter. It was shocking to see how much extra it was costing, despite using less.

I have a slightly different chimney draft-excluder, called a Chimney Sheep. It’s made from wool. It makes such a difference! I was sceptical when I bought it but it won me over immediately. Our chimney is very noisy when it’s windy so it was excellent for that, too. www.chimneysheep.co.uk/product-category/chimney-draught-excluders/

I'm paying more interest to the reduced products when shopping & then do a 'Ready, Steady, Cook' (ref: the tv programme with a bunch of random itwms)

Pepper59 if he comes with a sack full of gifts I'm holding him hostage

Maybe you will get Santa Rosie lol.

Good tip FarNorth we've used a bin bag stuffed with an old pillow, I dread what to think will come down the chimney when we pull it down this summer, it's been there for the last two years at least!! ?

PECS A Chimney Balloon is good for stopping draughts from an unused chimney.
www.chimneyballoon.co.uk/

I recently had my quarterly energy statement which showed that I used quite a lot less energy this winter compared to the same three months last year. All I did that was different was reduce my central heating from 20 degrees to 19 degrees, it was still on from 8 am to 10 pm but I tried not to knock it on for a while later on if I stayed up watching tv. I’ve also rarely used my oven since I bought an air fryer in January. But otherwise, my lifestyle habits have been pretty much the same - dishwasher every four or five days when full, lights off as leave room, washing machine used once a week and only boil enough water for one cup at a time. I still use my tumble dryer as I struggle with my mobility so hanging it out is very difficult.

I was surprised to see how much I had saved and as I’m on a fixed tariff until November, I have a little time yet before the increases impact me, I’ll try to save a little money each month in anticipation of higher bills.

I was able to save up for my retirement as I did not stay at home with my children for very long and my career as a teacher progressed to senior management, adding to a decent pension. I’ve been on my own since I divorced in 2004 so made my own decisions re financial budgets and my retirement planning was very important to me as I knew my state pension would be lower by being contracted out as a teacher and that I would not get my state pension for an extra six years.

Without that buffer, I would be looking for ways to reduce my spending on food and socialising but I’m hoping not to have to do that, my health restricts me as it is and I need to have a social life for my emotional and mental stability.

Ive dug out my slow cooker, will be making more meals in it and soup in my pressure cooker. Planted veg, not the best gardener but have had some small successes.Turning down heating and sitting with a blanket. Probably go to bed earlier and read. I have a health condition that makes me feel cold a lot, so I need my heating on.We scrimped and scraped bringing our family up and it really galls me having to do it again at our ages. I don't get my State Pension for another 6 years, husband gets it next year. At the moment we live on our works pensions, it's not luxury but there will definitely be less of those too. I feel sorry for young families and people who are really struggling.

Rent? Utilities? Coming from a poor family, I had it drummed into me, keep the roof over your head paid for first. Homelessness is even worse than hunger.

DaisyAnne

Chestnut

NotTooOld I guess there will be lots of advice on how to save money, and that might not be a bad thing. Many younger people have no idea how to economise and probably spend on luxuries thinking they are essentials. Their very first priority should be to feed and clothe their children, so I get very angry when I hear of children being sent to school hungry with no breakfast, that is pure laziness. It costs next to nothing to fill your child up with a bowl of porridge and that should be more important than anything.

I see we have someone "defining the enemy" yet again. This time it is "younger people".

Younger people are not our enemy, nor are they a group of "others"; somehow different from us. They do know how to economise and how to prioritise the essentials. They are no different to any other generation.

This is a strange group to hate as we brought them up. The poster also doesn't seem to know much about the household economy of the poorest. It does cost something to fill a child up with a bowl of porridge. When you have nothing left and cannot make what you get stretch further, hostility and prejudice towards you are not helpful.

Some people always have to have a group against whom they can encourage others to discriminate. This "othering" has led to the terrible deaths of the "defined enemy" in the past. Why do people still do it?

What enemy? You have some very strange ideas. Did I suggest discrimination against anyone? Did I say I hate anyone? I didn't even mention all younger people, just some of them. You say 'they know how to prioritise' as if you're speaking for all of them! A very volatile reaction, maybe there is a personal reason? I really don't know. Your post is a puzzle about how or why you think in such a strange way.

And I stand by the bowl of porridge being a No 1 priority. I don't believe anyone cannot afford that for their child. What do they spend on their mobile phone, or their pet? A hungry child comes before anything else.

“Hard times but happy ones”
Oh to do it all again Rosie!

BlueSky

I guess most of us would have done it all before when we were hard up young couples with children!

Goodness me, yes I remember going to the local Co-op with one of my completed book of stamps which were kept for emergency rations when money was very short. Hard times but happy ones. Of course those books of stamps no longer exist but the struggles for many are pretty much the same. And for those that criticise the youngsters for their gadgets and whatnot aren't we also using what are considered essential tools today...mobile phones and the internet?
That aside the tip about if it gets warm it's using power is a good one Shandy57 I must admit I'm very bad at leaving things plugged in and charging, I shall amend my ways.

I guess most of us would have done it all before when we were hard up young couples with children!

I have a quick wash programme on my washing machine and will use it more often, I will also use a cold wash on some clothes and I will only use the tumble dryer very occasionally. We just ordered a multi cooker and we have turned the thermostat down and changed the heating schedule on the Hive. We will also probably get a smart meter installed.

Chestnut

NotTooOld I guess there will be lots of advice on how to save money, and that might not be a bad thing. Many younger people have no idea how to economise and probably spend on luxuries thinking they are essentials. Their very first priority should be to feed and clothe their children, so I get very angry when I hear of children being sent to school hungry with no breakfast, that is pure laziness. It costs next to nothing to fill your child up with a bowl of porridge and that should be more important than anything.

I see we have someone "defining the enemy" yet again. This time it is "younger people".

Younger people are not our enemy, nor are they a group of "others"; somehow different from us. They do know how to economise and how to prioritise the essentials. They are no different to any other generation.

This is a strange group to hate as we brought them up. The poster also doesn't seem to know much about the household economy of the poorest. It does cost something to fill a child up with a bowl of porridge. When you have nothing left and cannot make what you get stretch further, hostility and prejudice towards you are not helpful.

Some people always have to have a group against whom they can encourage others to discriminate. This "othering" has led to the terrible deaths of the "defined enemy" in the past. Why do people still do it?