A winter of very expensive heating and little food?

I'm sure no one will starve, it might do some people good to lose a few pounds and think twice about what they are eating.

I usually think about what I'm eating. In fact I think about it a lot as I plan the meals and cook the meals.
And eat them.

A question:
If we eat less will we need fewer toilet rolls?

My standing order for gas has just been increased by nearly 50%. Maybe somebody on here could tell me it's my imagination ... or advise how I can reduce the bill.

I already delay turning on the heating and keep the thermostat at 18 degrees.My house is so small that I don't have any rooms which are being heated unnecessarily.
The house where I live already has good insulation.
I reduce cooking costs by bulk cooking and freezing. I eat quite a lot of meals which don't require any cooking anyway.
I rarely have baths. I prefer a quick shower and reduce use of hot water when I can.

I'd be grateful for any tips.

Thank goodness I've just become a pensioner and will receive my £200 winter fuel allowance, but that won't cover the whole year and what are those who haven't reached pension age supposed to do?

The loo roll section was full to overflowing , as were the fresh veg sections , no spaces , everything on my list available

Loo rolls shelf nearly cleared out in my local store this morning. Hoarding or no delivery drivers....now that is the question.

Wow.

I'm pleased there is no one to kill the turkey, veggie Christmas for me and my family. I'm sure no one will starve, it might do some people good to lose a few pounds and think twice about what they are eating.

All part of the 'plan' ladies! All part of the 'plan'. We've got three months to Google 'War Time meals' and learn to make one chicken filet feed 6 and buy only seasonal veg fresh or tinned.

Maudi

Plenty of job vacancies when furlough ends, there are jobs out there if people want them.

Did I miss something? Who's complaining about lack of jobs?

Is that you, Thérèse Coffey?

Whitewavemark2

Found on twitter

“1. Nobody to kill the turkey
2. Nobody to pack the turkey
3. Nobody to drive the turkey
4. No CO2 to store the turkey
5. No gas to cook the bloody turkey.”

Thanks Brexit and all who voted for it. ?

In the real world it’s more likely that those who live in the sticks can’t afford a car to get around, and there’s no public transport Maudi.

Emma KennedyBlue heart
@EmmaKennedy
CBI warn 76% of UK firms are reporting staff shortages and that consumer prices are set to rocket.
They’re calling on the Govt to allow businesses to recruit foreign workers.
Remember when we were in the Single Market? Was nice wasn’t it?

953,000 job vacancies
In May to July 2021, there were an estimated 953,000 job vacancies, a record high, having grown by 43.8% (290,000) compared with the previous quarter.17 Aug 2021
www.ons.gov.uk › bulletins
Vacancies and jobs in the UK: August 2021 - Office for National ...

Yes plenty of jobs around it might not be your dream job but there are jobs to be had. Unless you live in the sticks perhaps and can't be arsed ?

Found on twitter

“1. Nobody to kill the turkey
2. Nobody to pack the turkey
3. Nobody to drive the turkey
4. No CO2 to store the turkey
5. No gas to cook the bloody turkey.”

Gabrielle56

Where in gawds name do you live? Back of beyond?!? Sounds awful. No Tesco/Aldi/Lidl/Morrisons/co op?

I was thinking the same?
Where in the UK are you worriedwell ? What supermarket was it that had no food? Was it a tiny local shop?

Maudi

Plenty of job vacancies when furlough ends, there are jobs out there if people want them.

Oh dear.

Gabrielle56

This is not Dickensian times and nobody expects you to grab from the poor youth! There's always been a covenant f care between the generations, whereby the younger working aged pay into the pot that looks after the poorer older aged. Then when the youngers become olders , it's the same deal, they will be paid for by the working aged population.we all ploughed funds into tax and NI all our working lives , that paid for NHS and everything else needed, now it's our turn to reap the fruits of our labour everyone's up in arms, calling us the"rich pensioners with massive pension pots and share options" what? Where? Who? Do they mean us? Most pensioners I know have been sold down the river by their so called "pension pots" either worthless or disappeared à là Maxwell's method. Most have small pension that subsidise the state pension, no-wait a minute- that's been nicked for us laydeez too! By.......Tory gov.theres a suprise. So NO! Nobody's being chucked out of their homes to line the pensioners pockets.dont be so hysterical dear.

What was that tirade in reply to? Are you sure you are on the right thread?

Where in gawds name do you live? Back of beyond?!? Sounds awful. No Tesco/Aldi/Lidl/Morrisons/co op?

Plenty of job vacancies when furlough ends, there are jobs out there if people want them.

This is not Dickensian times and nobody expects you to grab from the poor youth! There's always been a covenant f care between the generations, whereby the younger working aged pay into the pot that looks after the poorer older aged. Then when the youngers become olders , it's the same deal, they will be paid for by the working aged population.we all ploughed funds into tax and NI all our working lives , that paid for NHS and everything else needed, now it's our turn to reap the fruits of our labour everyone's up in arms, calling us the"rich pensioners with massive pension pots and share options" what? Where? Who? Do they mean us? Most pensioners I know have been sold down the river by their so called "pension pots" either worthless or disappeared à là Maxwell's method. Most have small pension that subsidise the state pension, no-wait a minute- that's been nicked for us laydeez too! By.......Tory gov.theres a suprise. So NO! Nobody's being chucked out of their homes to line the pensioners pockets.dont be so hysterical dear.

GillT57

Yes Callistemon I do remember those days. My parents vowed to make life better for us and they did. I tried to make life better for my children tio and I just don't understand some on GN who say it never did them any harm. Oh yes it did, it made them lack compassion and understanding of how difficult the coming winter is likely to be for many people. I fully expect a few posts admonishing people for having children they can't afford to feed properly and keep warm.

When people said something never did them any harm my gran would say, "Well it never did them any good either."

Yes, please tell us. Not Ireland, Spain, Germany or France. Interested to know?

Just been shopping today. Absolutely no shortages noticed in any departments. Lots of veg. I was tempted to buy more than usual and get the soup maker out.
Problems must be local?

the worried well blimey

I forgot to say the nearest rival to the beetroot was the courgettes.

Theoddbird

Dinahmo. I grow tomatoes in buckets and some potatoes and garlic. I can use whatever is available in the supermarkets to make a meal. Simple tasty meals and especially soup are so easy to make. People get too set in their ways about what they eat... I have always used what is available.

You'd have struggled to make a tasty meal with what they had in my local supermarket last week. If you wanted some drills, children's puzzles, school uniforms and you were in luck, a few bottles of wine you'd have done well. Food? Not much in evidence.

The problem was there wasn't much available, bakery empty, meat section almost empty, rice, poppadoms, naan bread empty. No flour. They did have skimmed milk, some little pots of trifle and margarine. Care to give us a recipe?

As a seaside town we put the shortages in August down to so many visitors, town was bursting.

When the schools went back we though it would be fine but it isn't. I did go to a nearby town today and went to M&S. I wanted some celery - none but plenty of beetroot, I've never seen such a large display of beetroot in my life. I guess we better get used to beetroot. The chicken shelves were nearly empty, strangely for a seaside town there wasn't much fish. I will go down to the fish market tomorrow. For me the saving grace was they had a good selection of potatoes, I love my spuds.