Inflation

I still work part time but have just heard we're not getting a cost of living increase this year. With all household bills going up there is no extra money to buy anything except essentials [everyone I know is having to do the same]. Instead of going to a garden centre and buying what I fancy I've got to go this year with a list of must haves; I no longer go into town to browse round because I know I'll spend too much [and can't afford the petrol/parking charges]. I won't get a bus pass till I'm 62, and, by then they'll probably have stopped everyone having one [I'm sure most of the people shopping in town during the day are people with bus passes!]. I'm going to start renting dvd's instead of buying them, and go to a library instead of buying books [until they close the libraries!]. It's all a bit grim, isn't it..and, if no one's spending money how will the country recover?

I was wondering, my husband and I (sound like the Queen!) left England in 1980 for South Africa because we could no longer afford to live here. Our mortgage went from up to 17% in a year! Now thats inflation! Wages, I don't understand how people can't afford to live on such high salaries, I must be in a time warp
We are now poorer than we've ever been but we have no mortgage and no debts, just the usual utility bills and such. Mind there used to by a saying my mam used, cut your cloth to ????dur...can't remember it now! Anybody finish that off for me? (senior moment!)

Cut your coat according to you cloth.

Cutting coat according to cloth would be fine if the government local and otherwise werent perpetually taking up the damned hem.
each measure introduced seem less clearly thought out than the one before.
They hit young women struggling to work with exploitative childcare costs. They have the audacity to ask us to choose between libraries and nurseries, And they decimate the youth service and everywhere we are encouraged to worship at the altar of celebrity misbehaviour.

They say the drought [which we haven't had yet] will force food prices up. If it had rained for two months I would imagine that would have pushed food prices up. Gas and electricity are going up again, and yet the utilities companies keep making record profits.. I just don't get it. If I'm careful with my money and save it I get no interest. It's all a bit of a nightmare, really.

If you go on like this, you will begin to feel that the end of the world is nigh!

Buy a stew pack of fresh vegetables and together with a cupful of lentils or barley or both, you can make a pot of healthy soup, which will last a week, depending on how many of you there are. Don't forget to keep the pot in the fridge to keep it fresh!

I do find internet grocery shopping helps you keep to a budget and not give in to impulse buys - you can see the total as you shop. I normally do a bit of weeding ta the end and we never seem to go without essentials and a few treats. If I do the big shop in the supermarket I spend much more.
The one good thing we found about inflation was that we did get a occupational pension rise this year but of course everything was much dearer so proably back to square one.

Lentils give me terrible wind, Georgette! I started thickening soup with rice, but then read about how you shouldn't re use rice once it's been cooked. so don't know if it's ok to do that for a whole batch of soup to keep for a week. On the bight side, I've just heard that I've been given a small pay rise [hurrah!].

My main problem is that I'm having to help out my family a lot financially. My son, who isn't married, is in the building trade and picks up work here and there, but never seems to get a full week's work. This means he struggles to pay his rent, etc. My daughter was also in dire straits, having lost her own job, but at least she'd there now to look after her little grandson (my great-grandson) so his mum doesn't have to pay for childcare now she's back at work herself. I've had to help an awful lot there, too. I worry about the fact that our savings have depleted somewhat, now. But - what other choice do you have? You can't see them stuck if you can manage to help out. I know that they'd love to pay me back, but with such high unemployment and continually rising prices, I can't see how they can ever manage to do it? We're not terribly well-off, (is anyone now?) so it worries me a good bit.

Crimson The problem with leftover rice is that it may harbour a particular type of bacterium that isn't destroyed by reheating – even boiling. Sorry, I know that's not the topic, but I was concerned for your well-being.

Thanks for that absentgrana; I saw a programme about it just as I'd made a batch of chicken soup with rice added to it to thicken it [I sometimes make a load of chicken soup to freeze]. I used to add freshly cooked rice to make the soup more filling, and thought I'd cut a few corners. Until I saw the programme I had no idea that you couldn't re use rice the following day. Frozen and chilled rice meals have specially treated rice in them. A friend of mine nearly died after cooking kidney beans in a slow cooker. And we shouldn't use onion that has been cut open and not used straight away, as onion absorbs any toxins around. It's a wonder we all survive, isn't it!