Gransnet forums

Chat

£££ or lbs - My weight or my bank balance?

(20 Posts)
RosiesMaw Wed 31-Jan-24 10:31:45

Silly, first world problem? Maybe not.
Having just been quoted a 50% increase in my house insurance taking it over £1000, I am resolved to prune my expenses.
So given that I have a full freezer I hope to eat my way through that only buying milk and perishables such as fresh veg (as far as possible)
BUT - many of the “stores” include sausages, puff pastry, mince (not 5%) chicken , gnocchi, fresh pasta, grated cheese, hash browns and other things which are not exactly low fat or low carb.
My dilemma? Stuff the diet and eat the food or waste the food, spend more money and stick to the diet.

As I write I think I know which way I am going- would you eat the food but maybe reduce the portion sizes?

MissAdventure Wed 31-Jan-24 10:34:22

Maybe smaller portions, but with extra veg?

FlexibleFriend Wed 31-Jan-24 10:42:16

What on earth are you insuring at £1000 my buildings and contents is about £30 per month? It certainly went up this year but it didn't double and is nowhere near a £1000.

NotSpaghetti Wed 31-Jan-24 10:45:10

I wonder of I might also spend an hour or two doing bew insurance quotes?

I'd eat the things in the freezer - smaller portions and plenty of veg.
I'd make a big pot of soup and have lunch of sausage roll and soup.
I'd feed a lot of this to my family tbh. But frozen/chilled pasta and gnocchi are better for you than fresh in terms of how the body works with them.

Germanshepherdsmum Wed 31-Jan-24 10:51:56

I would eat the food! Easier to diet when the weather’s warmer! Incidentally we use NFU for house and car insurance - we find them very competitive and they give us a loyalty bonus each year.

Flexible Friend, make sure you are insured for the full rebuilding cost of your house and replacement of all the contents - if you need to make a claim and are under insured you may face problems. It’s surprising how much replacing everything in your house, including clothes and jewellery, would cost.

TinSoldier Wed 31-Jan-24 10:54:17

I agree with FlexibleFriend. That quote seems extraordinary high unless you are are insuring something extraordinary and/or are in an area of high risk. I’d be looking at who I insure with.

Policy Expert offer three levels: bronze, silver and gold. I take silver cover as my home is in the south east and quite valuable so build costs would be higher plus the policy includes cover for home emergencies and legal costs. Last renewed at £186.

www.policyexpert.co.uk/home-insurance/

Keep the food. Ditch the insurers.

Gwyllt Wed 31-Jan-24 11:06:35

Not to put too finer point on it but who put the food in the freezer in the first place.
Just eat a bit less. It will last longer and save money

RosiesMaw Wed 31-Jan-24 11:10:43

Gwyllt

Not to put too finer point on it but who put the food in the freezer in the first place.
Just eat a bit less. It will last longer and save money

Well me obviously - Rosie would have eaten it!
I’ve often taken advantage of BOGOF or other special offers - one to cook, one to freeze. Occasionally a surprise visitor makes it worthwhile too.

Jaxjacky Wed 31-Jan-24 11:11:42

I’ve just negotiated our proposed increase down after a couple of hours on comparison sites. We live in a three bed semi in south Hampshire, fully insured as recommended for the area and new for old contents, £132 pa.
You must live in a mansion full of valuables, I’d spend some time on research and negotiation.

RosiesMaw Wed 31-Jan-24 11:14:15

I wish I did Jaxjacky - a modern 4 bed house in a village in what I would consider a low crime area.
I have a sneaking fear being 75 affects the quote as a neighbour (10 years younger) in an almost identical house paid around £500 to my £700 last year. 😢😢

FlexibleFriend Wed 31-Jan-24 11:22:04

I am fully insured for all contents and full rebuilding costs for a large 4 bed semi in London. I just shop around for the best deal every year and this year it just so happened my current insurer beat all the others.

J52 Wed 31-Jan-24 11:30:46

We pay around £300 for a non standard ( cedar cladding and glass design ) modern 4 bed house with Halifax bank. Due to unusal construction insurers are very picky.
Age doesn’t seem to be a factor.

foxie48 Wed 31-Jan-24 11:31:46

To answer your question, weight (in terms of healthy eating) would always trump money in the bank. Food is one of life's pleasures (well it is for me) and eating nice meals three times a day puts a smile on my face and has kept me slim and healthy into my 70's. I'd go through the freezer and chuck out anything that I know I really wouldn't want to eat. I hate food waste but sometimes I have to be honest with myself and accept that I'm never going to eat that brown stuff I froze a year ago and forgot to label! Focus on having a healthy diet that you look forward to eating, enjoy the preparation and save money by cutting down on meat and ready made stuff. No point in having money in the bank if your body is starting to let you down. Good luck, there's loads of really interesting and relatively cheap meals on Instagram.

Georgesgran Wed 31-Jan-24 11:38:07

I’m sure Rosie will be shopping around on ‘tinterweb’ for a better quote. Mine was £400 last year - not helped by adding my watch and a ring.
I expect a 50% increase, so more research will be needed.

Georgesgran Wed 31-Jan-24 11:42:53

I think GSM has nailed it!
It’s so cold today, you need a bit of stodge/comfort food.
Wait for the better weather to lose some weight.
Also, I’ve found the jackdaws like a bit of pastry, if you want rid of sausage rolls etc.

TinSoldier Wed 31-Jan-24 11:43:47

Re age. It is the other way around. According to various insurers, while age is key when working out premiums, typically older people tend to claim less than younger families. In other words, lower risk, lower premiums.

No company will admit it but I am certain that insurers flag customers who are not shopping around. Let a policy auto renew for a year or two and they will hit you with a steep rise which, if challenged, they are unlikely to be able to substantiate.

toscalily Wed 31-Jan-24 11:48:19

That does seem rather high, certainly worth doing some comparison shopping before committing. I finished the last of my chocolate from Christmas last night so now have no excuse to fall back on, more sensible eating from today even if it is chilly outside.

Aldom Wed 31-Jan-24 11:51:14

I don't think age is a factor as I am several years older than you Rosie'sMaw and my home and contents insurance is under £240.
My house is a large, modern four bedroom property, in Oxfordshire. I would definitely be doing some shopping around if I were in your position. I'd ditch the sausage rolls too. grin

cornergran Wed 31-Jan-24 12:58:29

Our problem is we live next to a river. A very small river with a huge man made flood plain from the opposite bank which makes us as flood proof as if we were miles from a water source. Cuts no ice with insurers sadly. We let a local broker take the strain last year after hours of mind numbing internet searching. His fee was well worth it for the policy he secured at a reasonable cost.

MissAdventure Wed 31-Jan-24 13:05:22

There is a food sharing app called olio, where you can offer food that will be wasted to others.
It isn't a food bank, nobody needs to "qualify" and you can leave whatever it is in a safe outside place if the idea of strangers knocking doesn't appeal.

It is such a good idea, and people often share pics of the feasts they've made.