Maybe I’m a bit thick but…..?

Hetty58

Shinamae, if you really want to feed fish (not really good for cats) then why not buy pilchards? They're just larger sardines - and much cheaper!

Thanks, I might try that,it is not the staple food, just an occasional treat and it keeps the coat really glossy…

Yesterday DD was at the vets with the guinea pig and in that half hour three dogs were brought in which had been found abandoned. None were chipped. It looks as if irresponsible dog ownership is increasing daily.

poshpaws

Shinamae there's nothing anybody says that's going to shake that burning sense of injustice you have is there?

I'm sorry you're feeling so cross, it must be uncomfortable, but I'm afraid that whether you choose to understand the causes or not, you, like the rest of us, are just going to have to suck it up and make savings where you can.

btw, I second Hetty58 - my cats always scoffed their pilchards like there was no tomorrow.

Please don’t be so patronising, (feeling so cross, it must be uncomfortable !)I DO understand the reasons why things are going up and I am quite entitled to feel annoyed as do others on this thread AND I Do believe there is profiteering and I am quite entitled to that opinion!

Germanshepherdsmum

You’re right, Poshpaws. I’m sure many people simply refuse to accept the real reasons behind the price rises, preferring to call it ‘profiteering’.

So you are sure there’s absolutely no profiteering going on in this current situation are you?

Georgesgran

Oh no - not KitKats! My decorator survives on a cup of tea and a KitKat every 45 minutes - I’ll have to factor that in to his charges. ?

He will never finish your decorating at that rate. I bet he loves your house. Probably gets there early to fit a few more Kit Kats in. ?

It isn't my first thought when I see that a price has risen Shinamae. I consider all the factors which have been mentioned here and accept that prices will rise as a result.

Do you ever look at your shopping (I order online and have mine delivered) and consider what you really need? Maybe 50% with me - and the rest I merely want. Sometimes, though, I'm struck by a £60 shop being merely three bags!

It's really difficult times for some. I know of someone (already struggling financially) who is letting out their home for six months. She's rented a caravan - not by the sea or anywhere nice - on a small site next to an industrial and shopping estate. It's £150 a week, bills included - and her dog is going too!

When the prices started to rise in the seventies we knew a cash and carry open to the public so we bought a years supply of cat and dog food, laundry powder, etc. At the end of the year we realised how much we had saved. I think the rate of inflation was 18%.

Germanshepherdsmum

I don’t believe companies are profiteering. Their overheads have rocketed and they can’t absorb it all, it has to be passed on.

I agree GSM. My worry is that some companies may disappear altogether. I'm already finding it difficult to get specialist foods.

Some of the small independent shops are likely to fold - pubs and restaurants too. Some in my area are already talking of opening on fewer days to save on energy costs. Ultimately their businesses may prove unviable.

I wish I knew what would help GSM. I really cannot see an answer. As a country we will survive in some way, shape, or form, but as individuals ...

Perhaps if the energy price cap were extended to businesses it would be a start. I assume the business rates relief which was part of the covid measures has long gone - if so that could perhaps be reinstated. But many people won’t have the money to spend that they previously did. One local cafe owner mentioned people sharing a baguette between two whereas previously they would have one each. Another (unrelated) thing which is hitting pubs and restaurants is the level of ‘no shows’ - even if a deposit has been taken it doesn’t cover the lost trade.

This…?

Germanshepherdsmum

Perhaps if the energy price cap were extended to businesses it would be a start. I assume the business rates relief which was part of the covid measures has long gone - if so that could perhaps be reinstated. But many people won’t have the money to spend that they previously did. One local cafe owner mentioned people sharing a baguette between two whereas previously they would have one each. Another (unrelated) thing which is hitting pubs and restaurants is the level of ‘no shows’ - even if a deposit has been taken it doesn’t cover the lost trade.

I think your first sentence is a must, GSM.

I've looked up Business Rates Relief. It looks as if the first tranche was extended and has now been extended again for the 2022/23 Billing Cycle. It seems to have gradually reduced from its original 100% to a now 50%. Perhaps someone still in business could enlighten us all.

People are bound to cut back. Not just because bills are increasing, but because we have no idea what is coming next. I find the not-knowing makes me more anxious than dealing with reality. I doubt I am the only one.

hetty the best way to decide between what you need and what you want is to plan your menus a week at a time. This doesn't stop you reorganising them as the week goes by. You then check what you haven't consumed one week when planning for the next week and incorporate into the next week's menu plan.

Ialso plate meals up and have worked out what size portions we actually eat. I will not say I have totally eliminated food waste, but there is very little and most goes on the compost heap to feed next year's vegetables.

If people are not used to this way of planning meals and portion sizing, I know it can take a while to adjust to. But in these current inflationary times, it can save a lot of money and waste.

I agree MOnica. The easiest way to budget and to avoid food waste.

I fancied some fishcakes last night so went to Tesco,just picked them up didn’t really look at the price but when I went to the checkout they were £2.75 for four Tesco cod fishcakes!!
. I put them back as I know they were under £2 a while ago.
Before I get lambasted,l DO know it is inevitable that prices will rise and quite sharply BUT don’t tell me there is NO profiteering going on….

We buy fresh fish from our little local fishmonger every week. Fish prices have risen a great deal. For a start, the trawlers need fuel and the fishermen have to live!

Shinamae

This…?

One great advantage of online shopping is that it's an easier and more reliable way to compare unit prices.
The main problem that I have in (some) stores is that the labels on shelves that show the relevant info are sometimes missing or covered.

Even online though, I do have to do my own calculation of special offers such as Tesco's Clubcard offers if I want to compare its value with a different product, as they don't show the unit price of the offer, only of the non-offer, if you see what I mean. That's something they could improve on.

I find B&M absolutely terrible for pricing info, but I think that's probably down to low staffing levels and/or poor management, rather than a deliberate ploy to profit from customers' ignorance.

I have just been to Tesco and three small tins of beans have gone from £1.50 to £2.20!! ?‍♀️

Shinamae

I have just been to Tesco and three small tins of beans have gone from £1.50 to £2.20!! ?‍♀️

You know that you can have four large tins of Tesco's own brand for a fraction of that price?

Add a tiny bit more salt and pepper and a touch of chilli, and the cheap ones take some beating!
In fact, we find that even the expensive ones are vastly improved by these extra seasonings too!

Shinamae

I have just been to Tesco and three small tins of beans have gone from £1.50 to £2.20!! ?‍♀️

Thank you, I certainly will not be buying these again…

Shinamae

I have just been to Tesco and three small tins of beans have gone from £1.50 to £2.20!! ?‍♀️

I worked out that each tin of Heinz beans was 83p and I have bought Tesco’s own beans and they are 29p!!had some today, couldn’t tell the difference….?…Heinz have lost me as a customer whatever happens,even if they put their beans down to 10p a tin l will not be buying their products ever again…