how bad can it get

[Millymollymandy]

Mine buzzes when cheap rate switches on. By that I mean the leccy board thingy where the fuses and the on and off switches for the hot water tanks are, click when the off peak starts then buzzes continually so I know it is on. Just as well cos it is supposed to be 11.30pm but it is more like 11.37pm. So then the washing machine can go on.

Ina can't you phone your electric company and ask them what time off peak hours are?

[zaxdog]

Ours are all linked to one meter which goes to cheap rate at around 11pm! Our council tax is less in this house than our last one as we don't have mains water or sewage! Although I have heard that people in England have to pay per amount re their water rather than a fixed charge? Can that be true? We heat most of the house off the fire in the living room which is in the middle of the house. That's why we try to get as much wood as possible so that we can eke out the coal! Get 5 big bags for £70 and we can usually make that last at least six to eight weeks! If my OH catches mackerel we cook them over that fire too!!!

[crowsashes]

yes co.op is great for reduced food (especially in my area seems the locals rather eat crisps and chips than organic milk or cheese and veg!)

li,dl isnt so bad for day to day stuff and m&s are actually really worth the effort for an evening trip! 50p for rolls and loaves ( still lovely and soft !) city centre T£$co is great for reduced veg . so i can be frequently seen hopping through supermarkets!

i had a cupboard full of ecover when coop decided to discontinue. 1lr of fabric softener for 75p a time £3 odd for laundry liquid, a couple of bottles of stain remover and delicates laundry liquid all a £1 ! i cleared them out it was a struggle to get home but i saved a small fortune and i never had to buy any for 8mths or so

and only today i picked up 12 free range eggs reduced to £1.60 then reduced to a £1 at till because one was broken! quiche for dinner tonight

[ina]

Ina can't you phone your electric company and ask them what time off peak hours are?

I actually think it varies, depending on demand... I heard that it comes on via a radio signal?! Anyway, sometimes at the weekend it seems to be on during the day... Which is why I always try to switch it off when not really needed.

But it's an idea - should contact the supplier. Doh. Now why didn't I think of that!

[bonniethomas06]

I met a PhD student once who was designing a gadget to tell you when the National Grid had a surplus of energy. I gather that at peak times we have to buy it in from France, whereas at quiet times there is a massive surplus. If demand evened out over time, we wouldn't need the surplus (so costs would go down) and we would waste less (so better for the environment).

She said that it was much better to use appliances at night, when there is a surplus. So, even if it makes no difference to your electricity bill, at least you are doing your bit for the enviroment, if nothing else!

Sorry, a bit off topic.

[chilitony]

There a few good ideas, will start by making list of outgoings.
Thinking about some of the comments, i think there are people alot worse off than me at this moment, i cant predict the future but can prepare for it.
tony

[Muddywheeler]

Hi people, how bad can it get, wow!!! I was once one of Maggies millions, no work, no savings and no social, that makes you do things, I learned a lot from my good old mum, she had a WW2 attituded, a survivor of that period " waste not want not" she would say, a joint would feed us one day, scraps make a stew another, stock made soup, dumplings filled us all, we repaired broken items, used peoples cast offs, by that I mean items not wanted, furniture, tools, paint etc; we survived as I'm sure you all will and most do. We still live the same, grow and raise our own food, buy very little. I do agree with those that take a keen look at recording thier expenses, thats very important in surviving on a low income, I do that now. I'll leave you with a little piece I found on a card all those years ago and still carry it with me.

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When funds are low and debts are high,
And you want to smile but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must but do not quit,
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won and stuck it out,
Don't give up though the pace seems slow-
You may suceed with another blow,
Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of the cloud of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are-
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit,
It's when things seem worst you must not quit.

I agree we should not be political on here but I still feel politicians alway get us in a mess, they don't live with reality.....but thats another grip.

Good Luck to all.
May the wind be on your back and the sun on you face.

[oldjerry]

Unless your a banker,in which case crack open another bottle,and party on.

[123sologne]

Having read all the comments here, I just want to say, at least today with the likes of Freecycle, you can really make some big saving too on major things, like if the washing machine or the fridge breaks down you can get another one for free that still works! Well you get them regularly with our Freecycle, from all the peeps who change the all kitchen for the fun of it... Last week there was actually someone giving away a all bunch of fridges and freezers. I had to ask myself if it was a restaurant or something like that as there were a lot of fridges and freezers!!! All were supposedly in working condition too!! They had just built a freezing room... Okay, I am sure not everyone has access to freecycle, but you have computers and if you really need something as cheap as poss you can maybe find it second hand on Gumtree, Ebay etc. That is the advantage of being very tight in the 21st century. Of course the best option is to do without but that is not always possible.
As for food, if you are really at the point where money has run out completely and you have nothing left to eat, well, the supermarket bins could be the last line. I know that some say it is like stealing, but it is a very grey area based on what I read on line and I have seen on TV. If the bins are on a private property it is like stealing, but if they are on a public path (often the case in big cities) it is a different ball game, as what ever is in the bin is basically discarded, therefore does not belong to anybody anymore. I am sure someone will come along to tell me I am talking rubbish

[oldjerry]

I don't think your taliking rubbish at all,I just cant get my head round the idea that in 2010 in the 5th largest economy in the world the only way some of us can contribute to 'the big society' is to eat scraps from dustbins.

[Millymollymandy]

Ina can't you phone your electric company and ask them what time off peak hours are?

I actually think it varies, depending on demand... I heard that it comes on via a radio signal?! Anyway, sometimes at the weekend it seems to be on during the day... Which is why I always try to switch it off when not really needed.

But it's an idea - should contact the supplier. Doh. Now why didn't I think of that!

I assume that radio signal (or whatever it is!) is how ours comes on, but as we hae 2 they are not both on every night so I switch them off manually, then when I want one or the other on I switch it to the automatic position then it clicks on when the off peak hours commence. So I guess yours is the same. Anyway I know we are in different countries but here there are several options for different times of off peak so maybe you have the same? It's worth it to know anyway. And do you pay different amounts of standing charges depending on the amount of kW power that you receive? The more kW here the more standing charges that you pay, and if you are not using lots of appliances, particularly all at once, you wouldn't need a high amount. Perhaps your electric company has a website with all their charges on it.

[ina]

MMM - I'm on pre-pay meter. Not my choice, but that's how it was when I moved in, and I never expected to have to stay here for so long, so I didn't bother to change... Anyway, I use so little, it would make very little difference.

[Rosendula]

As for food, if you are really at the point where money has run out completely and you have nothing left to eat, well, the supermarket bins could be the last line. I know that some say it is like stealing, but it is a very grey area based on what I read on line and I have seen on TV. If the bins are on a private property it is like stealing, but if they are on a public path (often the case in big cities) it is a different ball game, as what ever is in the bin is basically discarded, therefore does not belong to anybody anymore. I am sure someone will come along to tell me I am talking rubbish

I agree with Oldjerry, but would like to add that it's not such an easy option around here because all the supermarket bins are in yards with 7 or 8 foot high fences around, barbed wire, locked gates and security cameras! Personally, I think that if anyone has found themselves in such a position that they have to raid bins, then supermarkets have a duty to let them get on with it, so long as there is an understanding that if the person who consumes the food gets food poisoning or whatever, they are not not sue the company. I'm pretty sure that's the only real reason they are prevented - so the company doesn't get sued.

[thesunflowergal]

I have managed to make some saving of late, I thought that I had reduced everything as much as possible when hubby was made redundant but I am still finding ways.
Reduced our food bill from about £80 a week, to under £40. Unfortantly for the short term I have had to go back to the stupormarkets and stop buying so much Organic Making as much as you can works wonders, especially enough snacks to keep kids going. Plus I second the meal planning idea. Keep our own chickens and growing our veggies helps towards this.
I took all of the apples, green toms etc that I was offered and turned them into chutney. These are going to be for Christmas presents. Along with some home made cheeseboards, which where cut from some fallen oak.
This week I have been given bags of clothes for the baby, one bag contained a couple of warm cardigans for me . I passed five big bags of boy clothes on to another Mum. I am also thinking of holding a swishing party soon. A free night out and a few new items of clothing, plus a bit of a laugh.

Nikki

[Big Al]

I haven't read the whole list of replies yet but things I do are use a spread sheet for everything. Mine is a work of art and can be drilled down to every penny spent and where etc. ( yes I know it's sad but it works for me)Use cash back sites for everything possible. haggle for the restand be a cheeky bugger. I've haggled for a reduction in the price f a loaf of bread and go 5p off the price of 50 p for the loaf. It was a bet that I could do it but that 5 p was a 10 % discoubt. plan meals and bulk buy / cok / freeze. make all your own soaps, washing powders cleaning fluids etc. don't go shopping hungry, make lists ands stick to them. compare prices, swap leccy / gas every 4 months for a cheaper rate. threaten to leave virgin or sky for the other if you have it but be prepared to do it if needed. walk /bus instead of the car if practicable. for many it is not practicable to do without the car but think of how you would do daily tasks if the car was off the road. my car is often breaking down so it goes off the road until the repairs are saved for. Apply for all grants and benefits available to you. even if you think you don't qualify fill in the forms and get an official response. only spend on necessities. A season ticket to watch pools is a dire need for my wife but not a necessity. I feed two of us on £100 per month and we eat really weMy asda have them set at 9.30 am, 1 pm 6 pm and 11.30 pm but each department then puts in their own reductions at 1 hourly intervals so if i'm looking for fish I will go at 11.30 am 3 pm and 9 pm fruit and veg are the general times. Asda savings cards are good to use as we put £90 on there at pay day and keep £10 in cash. the asda savings card bonus this year is 21st of november. if you have £49 on they give you £1, £99 they give you £3 and if you have £149 on the card they give you £6. Put the money on the card on the 20th and spend it on the 25th when they give you the bonus....
Some of these things will work for you, others won't but try them all at least once.

HTH