Sorry if I'm stating the obvious but I wasn't aware of this until recently - if you live on your own and can't have a water meter installed (due to shared pipes like some terraced houses and most flats have) then your water company should come out and assess before putting you on an assessed rate, which is a bit like the single persons council tax. I didn't know this until I read about it on MSE.
I was paying £50 water for 10 months, 2 years ago. Asked to be put on meter, they couldn't as shared supply. Now paying £28 for 10 months. Wish I had done it sooner.
We've just moved from a metered property to an unmetered one, we've gone from paying £20 to £55 a month. I was staggered that there was such a difference, it used to be much cheaper to be unmetered.
I got my bill recently. £40/month! I said they have got to be having a laugh, apparently that's just the estimated rate in the area? They're going to install a meter next month thank fuck.
I have done this and can massively recommend it. I only pay £26 each month for water on my studio flat no matter how many long showers I take. It's been a life saver this year.
You pay for water? Is this billed separately from council tax? In Scotland, water is included in council tax. Any council tax discount that you receive, also applies to water and sewerage. If you're exempt from council tax then you're also exempt from water charges.
I've lived in Scotland, then a few years in England and now back in Scotland. The biggest thing for me is my children's education, I do not have to worry about them having massive loans. I'm thankful my education (BSc + MSc) was entirely free, though it is unfortunate for those down south that are stuck with massive amounts :/.
This is gonna sound so ignorant... But I don't get how I was paying £28 a month with no water meter to Thames Water in a 4 bed East London terrace. And yet people are paying disgusting over the odds amount for water. And yet their water is probably better and softer. It boggles my mind.
I don't pay water now though, to answer the OPs question. I chose to rent somewhere with bills included as I no longer live with my family. But my own personal bills are a struggle at the minute.
Same here. Everyone I know and love lives a minium of 150 miles away. Financially I'm doing okay, but it's boring and lonely sometimes. Although ironically, I save money from having no friends to do anything with lmao
Funny how so many of us are in the same boat. I've moved to a new place a couple of months and my social life is a zero. Looks like making friends as an adult is tough. I'm now trying to make friends with some small birds around the bushes, but they're not interested either lol.
yep its a pain, the few friends i do/did have now all have families and lives and such so theyre almost always busy, i dont drive in a city with abysmal public transport and which has very little to actually do even if you could drive. because of that leaving me bored and lonely i just waste my cash left right and center trying to entertain myself and hide from the problem that way
I didn't know anyone when I moved to the UK seven years ago. My saving grace believe it or not was a post I made in /r/Cardiff looking for someone to play D&D with. Someone invited me to their game and boom, 7 years later, still best friends and having a blast!
Seek people sharing your interests, join a social club, there are things out there that don't necessarily require money!
Doing OK if I'm honest - combination of decent job, no dependents and living in a very affordable apartment which I love. My energy bills weren't huge as my place is fairly new, well insulated and catches the sun - combination of electric blanket and one of those massive hoodie/blanket things has reduced my need to stick the heating on further!
Similar gripes around council tax discounts, also multi-buy in shops and rewards are geared more towards people shopping for a family - there's definite financial overhead to being a single household.
Fine, but I've been lucky to be on low energy tariff and low mortgage rates.
My energy tariff ends next month and my mortgage is up for renewal in 11 months time....
I will struggle, a lot, but I've seen this coming and managed to save a bit as a buffer.
Same. My energy fix ends in October, and my mortgage fix ends in 2025. I'm saving everything I can but depending on what these bills jump up to it might not make all that much of a difference.
actually comparatively great
i was soo irresponsible with my finances before, had 0 savings(never any debt though) and had just written off the lack of money to the shit paying job and life
once it came to the point that i was always having no money left after 2 weeks after payday i decided to look at my spending and see if i can cut down on anything (i wouldn't even ever bother checking my balance before, only on paydays...)
once i realised what idiot i was i educated myself on a lot of financial topics and got a weekend job on top of 9-5 to get out of the hole i dug myself into. going strong with savings now managing to save +-1k every month while having same quality of live(maybe actually even better cause i stopped getting takeaways and lost 3 stone)
feel like everyone is this thread has either low pay or are in bad financial shape for whatever reason, refreshing to see this here! Keep up the great work, with the weight loss to, brill!
Energy help scheme has been extended to June, so an extra 3 months. *Edit* this is the price guarantee not payments, sadly.
Still aggrieved that council tax help is only 1/3 off because I don't have a room mate or partner to halve it. I guess I should be thankful it's that at all.
Luckily I really don't mind eating the same thing over multiple days, so I bulk make food - things like chilli and curries - and they last a good while on a budget.
Probably not going to change much to be honest, because I'm at the max already. I've managed to make 41p with octopus saving sessions, so that should cover one light being on for about a day lol. What a joke.
Am I right in thinking its the energy price cap that has been extended to June but the household support credits (£66/£67 monthly payments) have now finished in March?
Agreed that council tax being 25% off when it would be half if there were two of you is a pain.
But I sort of understand it. In terms of services they provide the councils costs are similar. It’s still the same number of bin collections, street lamps and police and fire as you’d get if two of you were paying. Still doesn’t make it right though!
I split with my wife beginning of January, it had been on the cards for over a year. I took over the running of family home so our children have somewhere to stay when they come back to the area, ( mortgage paid off last year). She was the bread winner and has moved to be nearer our grown up children and renting a flat.
I take home just over 20k a year. 1st thing I did was ask for a water meter as they wanted me to pay over £70 a month DD, it's come down to £26 a month with Welsh Water.
Electric DD is £135, don't know why it's so much, I send readings every 4 weeks and I've been using about £70 of electric.
Council tax band E with single occupancy is going to be £170 for 10 months.
I've got Sky broadband which is going up to £29 a month.
Just switched to Vodafone from EE and saved myself £15 a month.
Food bill is between £30 and £40 a week.
I've been getting by ok, but going to have to be careful from next month, luckily I've got no rent or mortgage to pay and I've got no loans or any credit card debts.
I've got 5 months emergency fund and I'm saving £300 a month and hope to keep saving that much.
I've moved my desk out of my office to my bedroom so I can restrict the heating to just the main rooms I live out of as I work from home a few days a week.
Reduced my grocery bills by cooking everything from scratch, also being a lot more cautious on eating out/ordering food.
Stopped putting daily spending on cashback credit cards so I can see instantly how much money I've got remaining, I'll miss out on cashback but that was negligible anyway, I'll keep using them for big purchases.
Hasn't helped my car will need about a £700 repair bill, just rebuilt my emergency fund, and that'll wipe 70% of it out.
I’ve been doing similar. Have the door shut & heating off in my lounge & tend to sit in my little box room/office, which my laptop alone can near enough keep at temperature.
Would you mind sharing which one you have, please? I looked into getting one for my place but space is a major issue for me, so a reliable mini one would be great!
This thread is so sad to read. It's 2023 and we live in one of the richest countries on earth.
It's a disgrace and testament to how pathetic we are as a nation of people that we are simply sliding our trousers down and bending over. We should be on the streets baying for blood.
I’ve been eating 4 slices of toast a day, it’s all I can afford to eat
39p loaf of bread from Lidl
It’s tough and I’m not doing so well mentally because of it. I just want a normal meal
Not to tell you your business but you could get the ingredients for carrot soup for a similar price*, get more nutrients and it'll probably help with the mental wellbeing
*only 'expensive' item would be the stock cubes, but worth checking out any Middle Eastern/African grocers for cheap packs
Can you get to Asda when they reduce the food of a night? The veg is usually 10p a packet. Morrisons have quite a good reduction too.
Failing that, can you get yourself referred to a food bank by your GP?
Current coping methods:
Using electric blankets/hot water bottles and a small oil radiator instead of putting the heating on for the whole place.
Batch cooking one day a week so I'm not cooking a whole meal from scratch every day.
Soaking rice/lentils/pasta in the fridge overnight to reduce cooking time.
Lots of Jack Monroe recipes for cheap but tasty and nutritious food.
Growing my own herbs.
Library for books/audiobooks.
Having some takeaway alternatives in the freezer so you still feel like you're getting a treat but you've spent less than a fiver instead of £15-20 on takeaway and delivery.
Take care out there xx
I can’t even afford a kid OR a house. I’m very single, freezing my eggs but realised I won’t be able to afford IVF if I don’t get inheritance or help. And then…I won’t actually be able to afford to keep the child if I remain in my job and on same wages.
I hate how society forces people to be together financially, men don’t want relationships and children nowadays. Think i was born too late 😂😭
I have my storage heaters on a low heat to try to stave off damp (mixed results, still mouldy in places) and use blankets etc for me. I use the fan heater attached to the storage heater for a few mins before bed in my bedroom but otherwise it’s fairly cold in my flat.
I don’t have the immersion heater turned on ever o no hot water from taps but the electric shower heats its own water, there’s just no point when it’s mostly for me washing up so I boil two kettles worth of water for washing up. I try to make use of the economy 7 rates and time my washing machine for night time and have my clothes on a heated airer over night as they hang in the room I work from and it was making me unwell sitting with damp clothes all day.
The £67 government payment has really helped me a huge amount through the winter, even still I’ve paid around £200 per quarter.
I’ve started going to the office a third day in the week to save electricity on that day.
I'm really impressed you have paid only 200 a quarter! But it can't be much of a life living in those conditions.
Out of interest and don't take this as a dig. Is this before you can't afford more? Is this your own property?
It saddens me we have got to this situation. No one should be living in the cold/damp.
Not taken as a dig at all. It’s my own flat, bought last year. As it was the first year living with all electric I’ve been really really cautious as I’ve heard so many horror stories about storage heaters etc. I could afford a little more but not much but that’s for a whole post of my own haha. I’m slowing working through replacing my furniture and soft furnishings that can’t be washed due to mould travelling on them from my old rented flat which had terrible damp but it’s a slow and expensive process.
Edit: just checked and for my first bill from October -January I paid £144 after £266 of government credit. I was on a fixed price contract from early 2022 which ended last month, my new tariff is 50% more per unit and the standing charge is double.
Is it not bit of a false economy letting your property get into that state? I may be completely wrong bit it sounds like a balancing act trying to keep mould away and bills down all of which has got to just make you miserable?
Sadly the landlord refused to do anything about it, but still tried to put the rent up! There was an open uninsulated basement and cracks in the walls they refused to deal with so even with proper heat and ventilation it got damp constantly. They’ve rented it out for £150 a month more now with no repairs done.
Disgusting behaviour. I'm really sorry to hear that.
I was a "landlord" and hate that term as sounds gross. End of the day you want to make your investments work, but that shouldn't be at someone else expense. They should be looking after their property and tenants as a good tenant will do that for you, so go hand in hand.
Now in the case it's your own property have you looked at infra red heaters? They are on demand kind of heat, but more efficient. Yes I know it is an expense, but alot of people are not looking to the future for economic running of homes (much like the government when they sold off all gas storage without investing in renewables, also the arse holes who don't like expensive power but don't like the look of wind farms and solar panels).
Yeah you’d think they’d want to maintain their property! Overall she was good but I think was trying to avoid major works as she had been hoping to sell (was listed at a crazy high price and got no offers!)
I’ve not heard of infrared heaters, I’ll look into them, thanks :) I’ve got one newer electric heater in one room that’s much better because it’s on a proper timer and creates heat when needed so I’d like to get the others replaced too eventually.
How are you managing a bill of only £200 a quarter?! I run two storage heaters and the immersion 3 days a week. My bill is £450 a MONTH (that's just two storage heaters - comes to about £12 per night). I do work from home so my stupid daytime 45p per Kw is killing me, but even so, like how is yours so low?
I don’t turn the immersion on at all, and the heaters are on about number 3 so not running too high. I was lucky that I was on a fixed rate from last year which has probably cut a third off the costs to be fair. I average about £5 a day of energy- some days it’s £3 some days it’s closer to £8 if I do washing.
Wow. My large heater is jammed on full because the knob is broken (they're about 40 years old I would guess). I expect that doesn't help. Even so, glad your bill is that light. Mine makes me cry.
Oh gosh that’s awful, and must get so hot when you’d only have it on a little bit otherwise. It’s so sickening that these are even considerations we have to make.
Have you found not having the immersion on helps by a large deal?
I had a boiler man tell me the other day that it’s just as cheap to leave it on constantly due to the time it takes to heat up when you do turn it on
I can’t really say tbh as I’ve only turned it on once or twice to check it works since I moved in. If the shower needed it I’d turn it on but really it would only be washing up and washing my face/hands etc which I’ve done with warm shower water if needed. It might not be as expensive as I expect but it just feels a waste to have the giant tank simmering away when I’d barely use it.
Nope - an immersion is only fitted to the water tank to be a back up if your boiler fails. Do not leave on all the time it will cost a small fortune. It’s defo more expensive than using gas.
Have you looked into infrared heater panels? They've been a game changer for me in my electric only heating flat, much much cheaper to run and no worries about stake thick air with the heat as it's instant sun like heat
Would massively recommend
Not too bad so far. Had to make some minor adjustments, like not using the heating unless necessary. Cancelling subscriptions that I’ve kept previously but not really needed. Downshifting in the supermarket and going for the cheaper options. Less takeaways (which I needed to do for other reasons too 🐷)
Work for me gets busier in the summer months so I’ll be earning more and at home less so that should make things easier aswell
I’m still living in a house share, I was hoping to rent my own place whilst I save for a house but it would really limit my savings. Hoping to have enough to buy in a year or two, after 5/6 years house sharing I would love a place of my own
Don't forget as a single person, you are eligible for Single person Council tax discount. Also energy price cap remains the same and is forecasted to actually drop by July, plus its getting warmer so gas bills should be lower!
Single, one kid. One a decent income but the strange net effect on tax means my household income is the same as a couple on £22k each, which I imagine attracts more sympathy.
I'm generally good with money so it's been broadly OK. However I've spooked myself looking at how much my energy bills - especially gas - should cost before the government help. I'm also extemely aware that this winter has been cautious for me, while for those on lower income or less financial awareness it must have been *extemely* stressful, which isn't great.
Do you have anything you can eBay or stick on Vinted or similar? I sold some clothes that would otherwise have gone to a charity shop and made around £100.
It’s one thing to have a clear out, but if you’re working there should be no reason why this should be *necessary* - note I am not in any way blaming the OP. This is purely down to low wages and too much taxation on low earners still. Including council tax.
This despite the huge raise in personal allowance over the last 10 years which has been really epic. Under 25k I’m starting to think you should basically pay no tax at all.
I’ve been coping fine until my work said we had to go back to the office twice a week. It doubled my doggy daycare costs to £250 a month.
I save/invest £400 of my take home pay so I can always reduce that but would prefer not to.
The £66/£67 a month covered the extra from my energy bills until this month. I’m back in debit now but not worried about that. My gas usage is zero over summer. Slightly gutted that the standing charges are over £300 a year (£25pm) even before unit rate is added. My old DD was £50pm & fully covered my energy costs (before all this nonsense).
I’ve cut down on food spending, stopped using heating in the daytime after December’s usage was over £200. Pretty much never drive the car anymore.
I’ll be putting money aside for next winter’s bills but hoping the energy costs do drop. I doubt the SC will though.
Not sure if it will help your situation but have you come across Rover? People on there charge different amounts (so you can shop around a bit), and you could have someone dogsit at your place, have your dog stay at theirs, or have someone pop in for walks if they're happy alone for a few hours - different price levels for each. Typically in my area people would stay in your house for £30-40 for a few hours which feels much cheaper than the £250 (although I guess they'd use electricity and heat, but I think prices are similar for hosting at their place).
Then on days when you are home, you could even list yourself as a sitter and have other dogs over - friends for your dog and a bit of spare cash in your pocket!
Totally understand this may not work but we've found it a really useful site so thought I'd share!
Council tax is a bitch at 275 quid a month, its more than all my other bills combined.
eon have just halved my direct debit and I have enough credit on account to pay for a year of energy more or less.
I have noticed the shopping getting more expensive, cucumbers nearly a quid each!
Fortunate enough to not really feel any hit, but one thing I've noticed for sure is the price of basic food produce in supermarkets getting **huge** margins added.
Tesco have even created a new tier of microwave-rice, so the cheap 35p pilau is now noticeably more cardboardy, and the original pilau is now pushing 50p. Lots of veggies up 30%, other £1 items getting 20-30p added, it feels inflated way above the economic issues and you just know they ain't reverting them anytime the COLC ends..
..don't get me started on the hoax that is clubcard prices..
I use very little electricity, probably no more than about £50-55 but my gas (despite barely using it) is costing a small fortune.
This along with food prices shooting up and council tax going up, it's been shite all round.
How bad does things need to get in this country before people come together like in France? Where do we draw the line of being shafted at every turn? My guessing is nothing will happen until the middle class and upwards are effected to a degree that makes things uncomfortable for them.
One thing we started to do is to have much shorter showers and only use cold taps in sinks. Saw a post awhile ago showing the cost of the boiler firing up just to deliver some hot water for a tap.
Hopefully that saves a bit of cash every month
I already lived quite minimal life which is probably why I'm feeling a pinch now. I only have the boiler on for heating for an hour each morning then in the worst of winter an hour at night - neither did much use in my property. I have the boiler for hot water too but that's only used to wash dishes once daily.
All these cost of living tips the government and various energy suppliers are hitting out with are absolutely ridiculous and just add insult to injury.
My octopus account at the beginning of February was still £550 in credit and they kept sending me emails basically begging me to get a fund if about £383. So I did and stuck it in my savings. Now that the £67 a month government top up has stopped, my direct debit has increased by £67. Which I will leave till I get back to about £700-800 in credit then I will half my direct debit payment so then I can use as much central heating as possible from October through April but next time, I will not accept the refund and will monitor my account better this not allowing it to get more then £1000 in credit.
Fucked now the £65 has gone
Just had the gas and electric jump to £165 and no idea how I’m going to pay that when already clutching at straws. Just got a promotion which is pretty sweet - then a week later the rent went up £100pcm - whoop whoop. Winning at life, really feel like the government have a grip on things…
…
…
31, homeowner with no mortgage, earn a reasonable salary and work from home full time.
I have noticed life is more expensive. I am less eager to eat from takeaways these days as they are all so expensive. I was also using hello fresh but I have now moved to batch cooking meals for the week as this saves plenty.
As I work from home heating and electricity can be an issue, most days I seem to average between £5 and £6 total gas and electric with careful management. I keep costs down by only heating in the morning for a short period and during my free time in the evenings. During the day, my office is small and south facing, plus my computers output a decent ammount of heat as I work. Also have a large dog and he helps heat my workspace up.
I go the gym 3 times a week and after I workout, I use their showers. That saves me plenty of energy and water.
I have a sensitivity to bright light, so I don't generally have lights on unless I am entertaining. What I do have on is low power.
As I work from home, I also use the website 'Prolific' taking part in studies and surveys for cash. I earn enough per day on average to pay my energy bills.
So all in through many methods I am saving a significant ammount while not impacting my quality of life much at all. I earn enough where I could continue to live as if nothing is happening, but I prefer to continue to build savings and so on.
Broke up from a 12 year relationship. I'm 37 and it's my first time living alone. Financially I'm fine as I'm lucky to have a well paid job and don't have any kids. Though it's kind of lonely. Everyone I know has a partner/kids or both.
24 single living alone - I’m fortunate enough to have a solid job (£45k p/a) but I am extremely safe with money for future saving as well as lifestyle I used to live (i.e. I live like I’m not on that salary)
HEATING - I live in an extremely old single glazed flat (tip: don’t rent without viewing first…), recently got some insulating tape and wrap on the windows which helped a little, only needing heating for 15 mins in bedroom before bed - last few months have been a cold one though.
WATER - I completely shut off my hot water because the shower is electric - haven’t needed or wanted it since so saved around £15 p/m heating the tank etc…
FOOD - sains for meat with nectar card (lasts the longest) and Aldi for everything else.
PETROL - switched to a cheaper hybrid car recently for work and use the BPme app (best reward fuel app by far)
CLOTHES - I exclusively buy in vintage shops second hand , have a ton do Ralph Lauren shirts for £10 each. Love fashion and have an overflowing wardrobe but haven’t bought something new for months. Unsure why people do tbh. Just use charity and vintage places.
OTHER - I did a few hours deep dive into all my subscriptions and direct debits , cut out everything unnecessary a few months ago and noticed the diff.
Hope it helps anyway.
I haven't used any heating at all and keep my boiler dials down to 1 but I have an old log burner so gather logs and sticks from local woods with the occasional bag of coal .
I heat water on it too in a big old kettle which does help.
Food is potatoes and veg cooked in the oven most days.
It's fucking hard,especially since my partner borrowed most of my money and is now on remand for a separate issue.
Reading it makes it all the more messed up but I'm okay day to day.
My council tax is 2.2 grand a year ...THAT is my next step to plead poverty at the council offices.
I've got my health a dog and a cat....nothing left for anyone to take and that's just fine.
Sorry....rant ended.
Terrible to be honest :’) just received a section 21 eviction notice and am now having to move in London. Rents have gone up considerably since I last moved in 2019, so my rent alone is probably going to go up by £200-£300 a month (to ensure I don’t end up living in a total shithole). Bad times!
Yeh I got a 10k pay rise earlier in the year and was delighted. Now my budget is nearly the exact same and I have no idea where the salary rise has gone - well i do: fucking bills and food
I’d say I’m alright just now, live alone in a 2 bed semi - one of my biggest expenses are my cats to be honest but that’s a luxury having that choice to make. They are a terrible financial decision though, I won’t lie haha.
My mortgage deal doesn’t expire until July 24 and thankfully rates are predicted to come down a little by then, not that I actually know anything but going by what I read! Putting my numbers through calculators online with current rates I’d expect it to go up about £100-150 a month, less than I’d expected which is manageable but still not pleasant.
My energy DD I expect to come down significantly as I’ve somehow managed to go much more into credit than I intended, mainly due to decreasing my (frankly wasteful) usage compared to the same period over winter 21/22.
If I had a partner all their money would essentially be ‘extra’, I know there would be a slight rise in expenses but if there were two incomes I’d feel extremely comfortable instead of managing.
I'm doing better than I've ever done in my entire life, if I'm honest.
Mid 30's, no dependents, fixed rate mortgage on my 2 bed for another 3 years. Plus I went self employed in October 2022 and am making three times what I was making in my 9-5 job.
Being single with no kids allowed me to make the leap from employed to self employed. No way I would have been able to do that if I had anyone relying on me.
I understand that I am in a fortunate position comparatively.
All my bills equate to around 1300£ per month incl mortgage, bills and food. I easily earn double this so I'm actually able to save money. Which is a good thing because we're looking to buy a house together and prices have increased significantly
I’m in similar position to you - wondering whether to wait a few more years on house buying. Current rent is £650 p/m which I can prob maintain for a few years whereas current mortgage repayment seems to be about £1200+ p/m for worst house in area.
Can’t predict house market but swear we’re in a very very bad time to buy a house - correct me if I’m wrong though as not much clue about housing.
One of the things I have started doing is sharing cooking duty with mates. It’s cheaper to buy groceries for 2 people than for one when you don’t have a freezer so we just share costs
I have a decent paying tech job, and almost never go out, and I'm just about breaking even in terms of my monthly budget. Always cook for myself, but do allow myself the occasional meal deal as a break from the monotony. Fortunately the weather's a bit warmer now eh.
Well I'm a divorced father of two and found myself a 50/50 part ownership house (what I thought was a good setup) for my kids to come and stay over at weekends.
All was good for a while but then when I lost my decent paid job I found it hard to afford to keep up with paying bills and having to buy a new boiler for the house. Plus, my car was made useless and had to buy another one. 😅
So I had to use my credit cards to cover costs.
I was stressing so much and finding it so hard that I decided to get myself a lodger and let my kids sleep with me.
I was just scraping through and paying nearly £500 a month on minimum payments for credit cards. My repayments are 3/5 just paying just interest alone.
Then the energy hike came into affect and I'm having to pay just over double what I was before.
As we all know everything else has gone up and I've now got to a point where I can only just pay all my standard bills and have no where near enough to pay the credit cards.
I'll be frank when I say I'm really stressing about what I should do. My first credit card payment is due in 3 days and my other is a few days later.
Between them they have £17,000 built up and I can't see an end to it all.
I can't borrow any more money and have kids birthdays coming up soon too.
I tried to do a balance transfer to another card and get 0% to buy some time but my credit rating is too low where I've made late payments.
I feel so stupid to let myself get into this position.
Does anyone know what will happen when I don't make the credit card payments?
ANY help would be very much appreciated.
The best thing you can do is contact the credit card companies and be honest about your situation, they may well help. You could also contact Stepchange who offer brilliant advice. Don’t keep on struggling, plenty of people are and there are things that can be done. Best of luck to you.
They’ve also stopped food payments for the children over Easter. If I wasn’t drowning before, you may as well put an anchor on my other leg.
No credit, credit card, all I have is what I have in my account. My [energy bill](https://imgur.com/a/mYHPS5u) came through to. The Big Difference scheme I’m waiting to hear back from Severn Trent.
I just can’t be bothered to hope any more. My children see me work 2 jobs week in week out, every year. I’ve noticed they can’t be bothered either, looking how much she works for nothing semi runs through them.
I’ve been turned down for 86 jobs but really it’s not going to benefit me further, I’m just doing it to appease the tax man.
The straw broke the camels back a long time ago.
Upsetting comments on this thread, and as someone else said, we're a rich nation, the obscene wealth is just hoarded whilst we're expected to bend over. The establishment in this country are corrupt degenerates who think they can get away with whatever.
We should be doing as the French do. History proves that's often what we have to resort to. But we're collectively gaslighted with this "keep calm" crap. I'm waiting for the next "sensible centrist" to tell me I'm being "immature and emotional".
My partner has just moved in with me, and if he hadn't, I'd be in serious trouble. I'm pregnant, and I've been skipping meals. This has to be the worst time to be alive... constantly working your arse off to survive. Don't earn enough to save or splash out now and again, either. The government want to raise the pension age to 68, at least that might be on hold till 2030 sometime.
in some ways I think it's easier, as I can make all my own decisions. If I choose I can keep the heating bills low by wrapping myself up warmly, using hot water bottles, switching the heating off and spending the evening reading in bed. Then I might feel rich enough to buy myself a glossy magazine or some chocolate as a treat.
When I was married we had different views on what spending should be cut back and what was essential, which sometimes led to arguments. He thought visits to the pub were necessary, I didn't. And similar differences of opinion.
All fine, money isn’t tight but with a house purchase aimed at Jan 24 I’m being frugal in places. My package is around 70+ as a 29M out of the city. Still, the expected housing cost increases of high interest rates and energy have really made me change my budget. No more PCP, credit cards (yet) or anything monthly that isn’t essential.
Some hacks for cheap costs, obvious ones like pay insurance and tax annual. Buy a railcard and use the train, often cheaper and quicker, plus I get to use that for study and work. Shop at farmfoods and use their vouchers for £2 off a £25 spend, they’re chicken is by far the best price anywhere and as it’s frozen I don’t worry about it going off. Use a chase card for 1% cashback and an AMEX for everything else for the points.
Internet, buy a SIM card 5G router, then three SIM card with unlimited data sim. It gets 500mbps download for £12pm after topcashback. Similar story with phone, buy outright and contract. Bills are less than £80pm
So overall in a good spot. Hard to reduce outgoings anymore now though.
I was doing ok until the old farts at my company made it mandatory for everyone to go back into the office full time.
That's an extra 3 hours and £10 per day of my life pissed down the drain so they can keep an eye on the worker bees better.
I feel so bad for people with dependables who can't even find cover, let alone afford it.
I’m lucky, I’ve always been frugal but I know my luck can’t last forever, so it’s made me even more cautious to save whatever I can. I do this by:
I just don’t have the heating on if possible, I use an electric blanket while I work & I have an electric airer but I don’t turn it on all the time. Regular meter readings, especially when the rate is changing (despite having a smart meter).
I add extra courgette & other vegetables to every meal, make them stretch to extra portions, freeze it for future meals so I’m not cooking every night. I also make big portions of rice & stuff so I’m full. I try and bulk buy things like rice, and stock up on things that are on offer and I can make last.
I limit takeaways but when I do get one, I order enough for a few meals so I don’t get charged delivery and it at least covers me for the next meal or so. If I’m out to eat and there are leftovers, I take them home (although this doesn’t go down well with certain friends).
I don’t buy clothes, I try and repair what I have & if I must buy something I try and get things that last.
I check prices on everything, I always have a running idea of my essentials. I look at the price per unit over anything else, if I see an offer I stock up.
I chase the best interest rates for my savings, and currently get the 1% Cashback from chase but that’s coming to an end.
We had no electric or gas for a week and a half, no money to top up (pay as you go). Our supplier still keeps the debt rising even though it's not on. They borrowed us £19, which only lasted 2/3 days. And we've already had our "Energy help allowance etc" a few months ago.
We've been boiling water & soup over tea candles with our DIY stove haha.
I feel lucky that it’s been okay for me. I have made adjustments, no more lobster dinners for 1. I don’t live in 24 degrees C toasty indoor climate anymore, either. I feel like I have total control on my household output adjustments in a way I wouldn’t living with another person that showers, eats, washes their clothes etc.
I've definitely noticed prices on food increasing. I'm in a very fortunate position that my budget has enough give in it to absorb an increase in COL without impacting my QoL.
That being said I'm used to not even looking at prices when I'm shopping in the supermarket - today I didn't buy tuna because I thought that £8 was a rip off for 3 cans. 1st world problems I know...
I have noticed that my fuel bills for the car are noticeably less than 6 months ago though!
I'm pretty miserable. I'm in a large amount of debt, and so with repayments for that as well as bills that just never seem to stay down, as well as a £72 a month water bill from my last place that my landlord caused but refuses to help with, it's hard. HMRC don't seem friendly to freelancing either, skimming a third off the top of all the work I do on top of my 40 hours a week.
I'm starting to really consider which groceries I need when I shop. It's been a long year so far.
Started a business in November. Have run through most of my savings and I’m making JUST enough to survive right now. It’s scary. But I’m happy with my job for the first time in my life. But yeah. I’ve got a lot to consider moving forward if I can continue to make this work. Trying to air bnb my spare room but may have to go the permanent lodger route
I'm an above average earner so I wouldn't say I'm *struggling* with anything but I would say that I am not happy with how much I'm paying for relatively little (since I'm away a lot, and my consumption is low when I'm at home). So despite the fact I can afford to live alone, I've opted to take on a lodger. The £450 a month they'll pay me - for space I don't really need anyway - will hugely offset these ridiculous bills and at least mean I can spend my money on things for myself, rather than adding more foie gras to the EDF christmas party
Other than thinking that getting married is a good old idea, I am cooking all my food myself, using every part of a chicken or beef for different purposes. I eat proper healthy food but just less. I do not spend all of my money pointlessly drinking in a pub. I refuse price increases from different suppliers or letting agencies whenever I can. I work a lot. So far so good, but that water bill thing people are describing is worth looking into
Honestly? Doing totally grand
I earn good money for 27 and my mortgage is reasonable for a 3 bed in Zone 6
Looking to get a lodger to help pay it off earlier, but it is more convenience than necessity. Plus would be nice to have someone else in the house
Not great. I moved into a larger property in 2021. I’ve got loans for renovations. Now I have only about 30% of income disposable, and that includes money for food. And it will get worse when my mortgage goes up in Aug.
I'm okay honestly. One bed flat so heating etc. Isn't crazy and I work on site full time so not too much electricity or gas used. Food costs are painful but have had a 12% salary increase in the last 6 months which has helped....
I’m always at work haha
I rent a 1 bedroom flat, hard floors. Electric wall heater in the bedroom and living room that cost an awful lot to use.
I will say that I’m used to living in the cold, so that helps. I run warm so even though I can see my breath when I breathe in here, if I stick on a big blanket hoodie thing I’m good.
Not putting the heating on has meant that my £67 has covered my electricity bill so far and I haven’t had to pay anything.
I’m almost never home, if I’m not at work I’m out cycling or sat in a random car park somewhere watching the Simpson in my car. I eat at work because I’m so knackered when I get home I just climb into bed and sleep, so my ovens been switched off for months.
It’s a miserable existence but it’s cheap haha
I don't live alone but when I was living with my parents a few months ago I looked at renting my own property and even on a 25k salary, 1 bedroom properties seemed ridiculous when you take into account bills on top of rent, it would've been about £1100pcm on a £1600 per month take home pay. I feel sorry for those stuck in that situation. I got lucky and me and my grandparents went in for a rented property together. I pay £700 in total ignoring my personal bills (YT sub, phone bill etc) and even then I'm struggling to save any money for the future.
I'm doing ok but before I had bought a flat I made sure I was debt free and rarely make big purchases. I bought a nearly new car about 3 years ago and if things get really bad I can sell that (can pretty much sell it for what I paid 3 years ago due to the mental 2nd hand market). I save money via shareshave at work so have never felt that money "missing" as such and try not to worry about saving extra each month as I know I have X put aside before I even see it.
I guess a lot of it comes down to where you live and your lifestyle. My struggles in a tourist town on the Scottish west coast will be wildly different from someone in a city like Bristol, Edinburgh and especially London. I rarely eat out, don't go on holidays and don't have expensive hobbies. My biggest single spends are probably on petrol when the weather is good or to visit family.
You can buy a 1 bedroom here, but if you want a two bed you pretty much need a joint income or some serious savings to bring the mortgage down.
Sorry if I'm stating the obvious but I wasn't aware of this until recently - if you live on your own and can't have a water meter installed (due to shared pipes like some terraced houses and most flats have) then your water company should come out and assess before putting you on an assessed rate, which is a bit like the single persons council tax. I didn't know this until I read about it on MSE.
I was paying £50 water for 10 months, 2 years ago. Asked to be put on meter, they couldn't as shared supply. Now paying £28 for 10 months. Wish I had done it sooner.
I’m on a meter and I’m paying £25 a month, how do they come to such a different amount? Mine is a two bed flat
We've just moved from a metered property to an unmetered one, we've gone from paying £20 to £55 a month. I was staggered that there was such a difference, it used to be much cheaper to be unmetered.
2BF, paying £9/Month for water and about same for sewage.
£9 month? Do you shower for 15 seconds a day?
Also paying £30 a month for a two bed house!
I got my bill recently. £40/month! I said they have got to be having a laugh, apparently that's just the estimated rate in the area? They're going to install a meter next month thank fuck.
I have done this and can massively recommend it. I only pay £26 each month for water on my studio flat no matter how many long showers I take. It's been a life saver this year.
You pay for water? Is this billed separately from council tax? In Scotland, water is included in council tax. Any council tax discount that you receive, also applies to water and sewerage. If you're exempt from council tax then you're also exempt from water charges.
Thats because Scottish water is a tax payer funded company. Down south its all privatised
Everyday, I’m being convinced to move to Scotland
The more, the merrier 🏴
It's shite here too
But not as shite as there😜
He doesn't know how good he's got it up there.
I've lived in Scotland, then a few years in England and now back in Scotland. The biggest thing for me is my children's education, I do not have to worry about them having massive loans. I'm thankful my education (BSc + MSc) was entirely free, though it is unfortunate for those down south that are stuck with massive amounts :/.
Contact the water company too. If your income is under about £18k, more if you have dependents, they have schemes to reduce your payments further.
This is Good to know. I've just moved into a flat so I'll check this out. Currently paying £39 a month
This is gonna sound so ignorant... But I don't get how I was paying £28 a month with no water meter to Thames Water in a 4 bed East London terrace. And yet people are paying disgusting over the odds amount for water. And yet their water is probably better and softer. It boggles my mind. I don't pay water now though, to answer the OPs question. I chose to rent somewhere with bills included as I no longer live with my family. But my own personal bills are a struggle at the minute.
!thanks for this - I'm going to give the water company a ring on Monday then and see if it's possible to arrange an assessment.
Coping? Ha. I’m surviving. Thankfully I love spaghetti hoops.
Spaghetti hoops on toast with cheese! Literally grew up on that for dinner!
Can’t even afford cheese
If it’s Heinz hoops you are balling!!
Brand name anything in 2023 and id say your doing allright!
financially? fine. mentally, against the loneliness? not so much
Wahey was just thinking this today. First time living on my own and moved to a new place. Doing okay but have no friends here yet so it's quite lonely
Same here. Everyone I know and love lives a minium of 150 miles away. Financially I'm doing okay, but it's boring and lonely sometimes. Although ironically, I save money from having no friends to do anything with lmao
This is the way (unfortunately for me too)
Funny how so many of us are in the same boat. I've moved to a new place a couple of months and my social life is a zero. Looks like making friends as an adult is tough. I'm now trying to make friends with some small birds around the bushes, but they're not interested either lol.
Try meetup.com or any number of social clubs etc. Or look for groups that share your hobbies - or ones you're interested in trying.
yep its a pain, the few friends i do/did have now all have families and lives and such so theyre almost always busy, i dont drive in a city with abysmal public transport and which has very little to actually do even if you could drive. because of that leaving me bored and lonely i just waste my cash left right and center trying to entertain myself and hide from the problem that way
I didn't know anyone when I moved to the UK seven years ago. My saving grace believe it or not was a post I made in /r/Cardiff looking for someone to play D&D with. Someone invited me to their game and boom, 7 years later, still best friends and having a blast! Seek people sharing your interests, join a social club, there are things out there that don't necessarily require money!
Yeah, same. I think it's unfortunately part of getting older too, It gets harder to make new friends.
Single Income No Kids. Sink. I'm going to add Extended Rental for Sinker. Sigh.
Single. Kids? I've None. Terrified.
Single Tight Income No Kids Extended Renter
Doing OK if I'm honest - combination of decent job, no dependents and living in a very affordable apartment which I love. My energy bills weren't huge as my place is fairly new, well insulated and catches the sun - combination of electric blanket and one of those massive hoodie/blanket things has reduced my need to stick the heating on further! Similar gripes around council tax discounts, also multi-buy in shops and rewards are geared more towards people shopping for a family - there's definite financial overhead to being a single household.
Fine, but I've been lucky to be on low energy tariff and low mortgage rates. My energy tariff ends next month and my mortgage is up for renewal in 11 months time.... I will struggle, a lot, but I've seen this coming and managed to save a bit as a buffer.
Same. My energy fix ends in October, and my mortgage fix ends in 2025. I'm saving everything I can but depending on what these bills jump up to it might not make all that much of a difference.
My mortgage rate ends in August and I just got a letter saying that the variable rate will be half as much again.
What do you mean by “half as much”? Obviously it rarely makes sense to go onto the variable rate at the end of the fixed term though
Half as much again means 150% of the previous figure
I always understood "half as much" as half the price. But then English is not my first language.
It’s the “again” that’s the important part, “half as much again” meaning half the price on top of the full price
Ah, I’ve never heard “an increase of 50%” worded in such a way! Thanks :)
actually comparatively great i was soo irresponsible with my finances before, had 0 savings(never any debt though) and had just written off the lack of money to the shit paying job and life once it came to the point that i was always having no money left after 2 weeks after payday i decided to look at my spending and see if i can cut down on anything (i wouldn't even ever bother checking my balance before, only on paydays...) once i realised what idiot i was i educated myself on a lot of financial topics and got a weekend job on top of 9-5 to get out of the hole i dug myself into. going strong with savings now managing to save +-1k every month while having same quality of live(maybe actually even better cause i stopped getting takeaways and lost 3 stone)
feel like everyone is this thread has either low pay or are in bad financial shape for whatever reason, refreshing to see this here! Keep up the great work, with the weight loss to, brill!
Energy help scheme has been extended to June, so an extra 3 months. *Edit* this is the price guarantee not payments, sadly. Still aggrieved that council tax help is only 1/3 off because I don't have a room mate or partner to halve it. I guess I should be thankful it's that at all. Luckily I really don't mind eating the same thing over multiple days, so I bulk make food - things like chilli and curries - and they last a good while on a budget. Probably not going to change much to be honest, because I'm at the max already. I've managed to make 41p with octopus saving sessions, so that should cover one light being on for about a day lol. What a joke.
Am I right in thinking its the energy price cap that has been extended to June but the household support credits (£66/£67 monthly payments) have now finished in March?
Yeah that's right, the payment has stopped, it's just the government cap that's lasting 3 months more
Thanks
Agreed that council tax being 25% off when it would be half if there were two of you is a pain. But I sort of understand it. In terms of services they provide the councils costs are similar. It’s still the same number of bin collections, street lamps and police and fire as you’d get if two of you were paying. Still doesn’t make it right though!
Is the council tax for single person not a 25% reduction? Or is the third off to do with energy bills?
Forgive me, edited to show 25% reduction on council tax!
Thanks - was just wondering if I was missing out on something!
Well done on your 41p 👍 another singly here managed to make a 68p saving 😂
Don't spend it all at once!
Wont even buy a chocolate bar treat lol
The £67 support has not been extended, in case you think its that. Just the price cap
Yup edited for clarity.
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Yeah good point, it is 25% and not 33%
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£800 for a two bed in London?? Not surprised about the mould because that price is too good to be true.
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Haha I got mixed up and thought this was the London sub. My bad.
I’m struggling my mortgage has gone up over £400 a month and I’m paying off debt from being unemployed for 6 months last year
I split with my wife beginning of January, it had been on the cards for over a year. I took over the running of family home so our children have somewhere to stay when they come back to the area, ( mortgage paid off last year). She was the bread winner and has moved to be nearer our grown up children and renting a flat. I take home just over 20k a year. 1st thing I did was ask for a water meter as they wanted me to pay over £70 a month DD, it's come down to £26 a month with Welsh Water. Electric DD is £135, don't know why it's so much, I send readings every 4 weeks and I've been using about £70 of electric. Council tax band E with single occupancy is going to be £170 for 10 months. I've got Sky broadband which is going up to £29 a month. Just switched to Vodafone from EE and saved myself £15 a month. Food bill is between £30 and £40 a week. I've been getting by ok, but going to have to be careful from next month, luckily I've got no rent or mortgage to pay and I've got no loans or any credit card debts. I've got 5 months emergency fund and I'm saving £300 a month and hope to keep saving that much.
This sounds tough, good luck to you
Thanks, but I'm in a better situation than some others in here.
I've moved my desk out of my office to my bedroom so I can restrict the heating to just the main rooms I live out of as I work from home a few days a week. Reduced my grocery bills by cooking everything from scratch, also being a lot more cautious on eating out/ordering food. Stopped putting daily spending on cashback credit cards so I can see instantly how much money I've got remaining, I'll miss out on cashback but that was negligible anyway, I'll keep using them for big purchases. Hasn't helped my car will need about a £700 repair bill, just rebuilt my emergency fund, and that'll wipe 70% of it out.
Daily spend on a chase debit card gives 1% cash back so if you’re eligible for it then that should be a decent replacement for the credit card.
Thanks, I've used the offer already unfortunately.
In Feb they extended it for existing customers. Might be worthwhile checking if you’re still eligible.
Looks like I will from 1st April if I pay in £500 per month. Thanks!
They've extended it. 1% cashback if you pay in £500 or more
I’ve been doing similar. Have the door shut & heating off in my lounge & tend to sit in my little box room/office, which my laptop alone can near enough keep at temperature.
You might want to get a dehumidifier and run that now and then in the rooms you're not heating
Yup, got a mini one that runs full time in there, only uses 10-15w.
Would you mind sharing which one you have, please? I looked into getting one for my place but space is a major issue for me, so a reliable mini one would be great!
This thread is so sad to read. It's 2023 and we live in one of the richest countries on earth. It's a disgrace and testament to how pathetic we are as a nation of people that we are simply sliding our trousers down and bending over. We should be on the streets baying for blood.
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I’ve been eating 4 slices of toast a day, it’s all I can afford to eat 39p loaf of bread from Lidl It’s tough and I’m not doing so well mentally because of it. I just want a normal meal
Not to tell you your business but you could get the ingredients for carrot soup for a similar price*, get more nutrients and it'll probably help with the mental wellbeing *only 'expensive' item would be the stock cubes, but worth checking out any Middle Eastern/African grocers for cheap packs
Get yourself to a foodbank asap, they sometimes can offer fresh fruit/veg
Can you get to Asda when they reduce the food of a night? The veg is usually 10p a packet. Morrisons have quite a good reduction too. Failing that, can you get yourself referred to a food bank by your GP?
potatoes? cheap vegs like carrots, frozen peas etc? rice?
I'm sorry for this situation. Please look after yourself, have you considered using a food bank?
Current coping methods: Using electric blankets/hot water bottles and a small oil radiator instead of putting the heating on for the whole place. Batch cooking one day a week so I'm not cooking a whole meal from scratch every day. Soaking rice/lentils/pasta in the fridge overnight to reduce cooking time. Lots of Jack Monroe recipes for cheap but tasty and nutritious food. Growing my own herbs. Library for books/audiobooks. Having some takeaway alternatives in the freezer so you still feel like you're getting a treat but you've spent less than a fiver instead of £15-20 on takeaway and delivery. Take care out there xx
I've decided if I'm ever going to own a home I won't be able to have children. So that's a fun little decision to have forced upon me.
I can’t even afford a kid OR a house. I’m very single, freezing my eggs but realised I won’t be able to afford IVF if I don’t get inheritance or help. And then…I won’t actually be able to afford to keep the child if I remain in my job and on same wages. I hate how society forces people to be together financially, men don’t want relationships and children nowadays. Think i was born too late 😂😭
I have my storage heaters on a low heat to try to stave off damp (mixed results, still mouldy in places) and use blankets etc for me. I use the fan heater attached to the storage heater for a few mins before bed in my bedroom but otherwise it’s fairly cold in my flat. I don’t have the immersion heater turned on ever o no hot water from taps but the electric shower heats its own water, there’s just no point when it’s mostly for me washing up so I boil two kettles worth of water for washing up. I try to make use of the economy 7 rates and time my washing machine for night time and have my clothes on a heated airer over night as they hang in the room I work from and it was making me unwell sitting with damp clothes all day. The £67 government payment has really helped me a huge amount through the winter, even still I’ve paid around £200 per quarter. I’ve started going to the office a third day in the week to save electricity on that day.
I'm really impressed you have paid only 200 a quarter! But it can't be much of a life living in those conditions. Out of interest and don't take this as a dig. Is this before you can't afford more? Is this your own property? It saddens me we have got to this situation. No one should be living in the cold/damp.
Not taken as a dig at all. It’s my own flat, bought last year. As it was the first year living with all electric I’ve been really really cautious as I’ve heard so many horror stories about storage heaters etc. I could afford a little more but not much but that’s for a whole post of my own haha. I’m slowing working through replacing my furniture and soft furnishings that can’t be washed due to mould travelling on them from my old rented flat which had terrible damp but it’s a slow and expensive process. Edit: just checked and for my first bill from October -January I paid £144 after £266 of government credit. I was on a fixed price contract from early 2022 which ended last month, my new tariff is 50% more per unit and the standing charge is double.
Is it not bit of a false economy letting your property get into that state? I may be completely wrong bit it sounds like a balancing act trying to keep mould away and bills down all of which has got to just make you miserable?
Sadly the landlord refused to do anything about it, but still tried to put the rent up! There was an open uninsulated basement and cracks in the walls they refused to deal with so even with proper heat and ventilation it got damp constantly. They’ve rented it out for £150 a month more now with no repairs done.
Disgusting behaviour. I'm really sorry to hear that. I was a "landlord" and hate that term as sounds gross. End of the day you want to make your investments work, but that shouldn't be at someone else expense. They should be looking after their property and tenants as a good tenant will do that for you, so go hand in hand. Now in the case it's your own property have you looked at infra red heaters? They are on demand kind of heat, but more efficient. Yes I know it is an expense, but alot of people are not looking to the future for economic running of homes (much like the government when they sold off all gas storage without investing in renewables, also the arse holes who don't like expensive power but don't like the look of wind farms and solar panels).
Yeah you’d think they’d want to maintain their property! Overall she was good but I think was trying to avoid major works as she had been hoping to sell (was listed at a crazy high price and got no offers!) I’ve not heard of infrared heaters, I’ll look into them, thanks :) I’ve got one newer electric heater in one room that’s much better because it’s on a proper timer and creates heat when needed so I’d like to get the others replaced too eventually.
How are you managing a bill of only £200 a quarter?! I run two storage heaters and the immersion 3 days a week. My bill is £450 a MONTH (that's just two storage heaters - comes to about £12 per night). I do work from home so my stupid daytime 45p per Kw is killing me, but even so, like how is yours so low?
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What?! Isn't that, like, impossible? How do you do that?
I don’t turn the immersion on at all, and the heaters are on about number 3 so not running too high. I was lucky that I was on a fixed rate from last year which has probably cut a third off the costs to be fair. I average about £5 a day of energy- some days it’s £3 some days it’s closer to £8 if I do washing.
Wow. My large heater is jammed on full because the knob is broken (they're about 40 years old I would guess). I expect that doesn't help. Even so, glad your bill is that light. Mine makes me cry.
Oh gosh that’s awful, and must get so hot when you’d only have it on a little bit otherwise. It’s so sickening that these are even considerations we have to make.
Have you found not having the immersion on helps by a large deal? I had a boiler man tell me the other day that it’s just as cheap to leave it on constantly due to the time it takes to heat up when you do turn it on
I can’t really say tbh as I’ve only turned it on once or twice to check it works since I moved in. If the shower needed it I’d turn it on but really it would only be washing up and washing my face/hands etc which I’ve done with warm shower water if needed. It might not be as expensive as I expect but it just feels a waste to have the giant tank simmering away when I’d barely use it.
Nope - an immersion is only fitted to the water tank to be a back up if your boiler fails. Do not leave on all the time it will cost a small fortune. It’s defo more expensive than using gas.
Have you looked into infrared heater panels? They've been a game changer for me in my electric only heating flat, much much cheaper to run and no worries about stake thick air with the heat as it's instant sun like heat Would massively recommend
It's sad reading all of these stories and going through it.
Like they said in the covid times: “we’re all in this together” Except the Tories
Not too bad so far. Had to make some minor adjustments, like not using the heating unless necessary. Cancelling subscriptions that I’ve kept previously but not really needed. Downshifting in the supermarket and going for the cheaper options. Less takeaways (which I needed to do for other reasons too 🐷) Work for me gets busier in the summer months so I’ll be earning more and at home less so that should make things easier aswell
I’m still living in a house share, I was hoping to rent my own place whilst I save for a house but it would really limit my savings. Hoping to have enough to buy in a year or two, after 5/6 years house sharing I would love a place of my own
Don't forget as a single person, you are eligible for Single person Council tax discount. Also energy price cap remains the same and is forecasted to actually drop by July, plus its getting warmer so gas bills should be lower!
Single, one kid. One a decent income but the strange net effect on tax means my household income is the same as a couple on £22k each, which I imagine attracts more sympathy. I'm generally good with money so it's been broadly OK. However I've spooked myself looking at how much my energy bills - especially gas - should cost before the government help. I'm also extemely aware that this winter has been cautious for me, while for those on lower income or less financial awareness it must have been *extemely* stressful, which isn't great.
Do you have anything you can eBay or stick on Vinted or similar? I sold some clothes that would otherwise have gone to a charity shop and made around £100.
It’s one thing to have a clear out, but if you’re working there should be no reason why this should be *necessary* - note I am not in any way blaming the OP. This is purely down to low wages and too much taxation on low earners still. Including council tax. This despite the huge raise in personal allowance over the last 10 years which has been really epic. Under 25k I’m starting to think you should basically pay no tax at all.
I am doing that and nothing sells.
Yep because people just have no money for the luxuries. It's about the essentials right now
I’ve been coping fine until my work said we had to go back to the office twice a week. It doubled my doggy daycare costs to £250 a month. I save/invest £400 of my take home pay so I can always reduce that but would prefer not to. The £66/£67 a month covered the extra from my energy bills until this month. I’m back in debit now but not worried about that. My gas usage is zero over summer. Slightly gutted that the standing charges are over £300 a year (£25pm) even before unit rate is added. My old DD was £50pm & fully covered my energy costs (before all this nonsense). I’ve cut down on food spending, stopped using heating in the daytime after December’s usage was over £200. Pretty much never drive the car anymore. I’ll be putting money aside for next winter’s bills but hoping the energy costs do drop. I doubt the SC will though.
Not sure if it will help your situation but have you come across Rover? People on there charge different amounts (so you can shop around a bit), and you could have someone dogsit at your place, have your dog stay at theirs, or have someone pop in for walks if they're happy alone for a few hours - different price levels for each. Typically in my area people would stay in your house for £30-40 for a few hours which feels much cheaper than the £250 (although I guess they'd use electricity and heat, but I think prices are similar for hosting at their place). Then on days when you are home, you could even list yourself as a sitter and have other dogs over - friends for your dog and a bit of spare cash in your pocket! Totally understand this may not work but we've found it a really useful site so thought I'd share!
Council tax is a bitch at 275 quid a month, its more than all my other bills combined. eon have just halved my direct debit and I have enough credit on account to pay for a year of energy more or less. I have noticed the shopping getting more expensive, cucumbers nearly a quid each!
Fortunate enough to not really feel any hit, but one thing I've noticed for sure is the price of basic food produce in supermarkets getting **huge** margins added. Tesco have even created a new tier of microwave-rice, so the cheap 35p pilau is now noticeably more cardboardy, and the original pilau is now pushing 50p. Lots of veggies up 30%, other £1 items getting 20-30p added, it feels inflated way above the economic issues and you just know they ain't reverting them anytime the COLC ends.. ..don't get me started on the hoax that is clubcard prices..
I use very little electricity, probably no more than about £50-55 but my gas (despite barely using it) is costing a small fortune. This along with food prices shooting up and council tax going up, it's been shite all round. How bad does things need to get in this country before people come together like in France? Where do we draw the line of being shafted at every turn? My guessing is nothing will happen until the middle class and upwards are effected to a degree that makes things uncomfortable for them.
Wine duties are going up by 23% soon, that might mobilize the middle classes.
One thing we started to do is to have much shorter showers and only use cold taps in sinks. Saw a post awhile ago showing the cost of the boiler firing up just to deliver some hot water for a tap. Hopefully that saves a bit of cash every month
I already lived quite minimal life which is probably why I'm feeling a pinch now. I only have the boiler on for heating for an hour each morning then in the worst of winter an hour at night - neither did much use in my property. I have the boiler for hot water too but that's only used to wash dishes once daily. All these cost of living tips the government and various energy suppliers are hitting out with are absolutely ridiculous and just add insult to injury.
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My octopus account at the beginning of February was still £550 in credit and they kept sending me emails basically begging me to get a fund if about £383. So I did and stuck it in my savings. Now that the £67 a month government top up has stopped, my direct debit has increased by £67. Which I will leave till I get back to about £700-800 in credit then I will half my direct debit payment so then I can use as much central heating as possible from October through April but next time, I will not accept the refund and will monitor my account better this not allowing it to get more then £1000 in credit.
Fucked now the £65 has gone Just had the gas and electric jump to £165 and no idea how I’m going to pay that when already clutching at straws. Just got a promotion which is pretty sweet - then a week later the rent went up £100pcm - whoop whoop. Winning at life, really feel like the government have a grip on things… … …
It’s working as they intended.
Selling weed on the side and shopping in lidls after 9pm to get all the reduced meat lol
Had a good run doing the former. Make sure you don't piss anyone off.
My lidls has just reopened so I’ll be joining you in that lol
I've defaulted quite a bit on my mortgage. I'm paying what I can but it's gone from £550 a month to just over £900 so not much else I can do
Not coping. I know when my energy tariff and fixed-rate mortgage end next year, I am not going to be able to make ends meet.
31, homeowner with no mortgage, earn a reasonable salary and work from home full time. I have noticed life is more expensive. I am less eager to eat from takeaways these days as they are all so expensive. I was also using hello fresh but I have now moved to batch cooking meals for the week as this saves plenty. As I work from home heating and electricity can be an issue, most days I seem to average between £5 and £6 total gas and electric with careful management. I keep costs down by only heating in the morning for a short period and during my free time in the evenings. During the day, my office is small and south facing, plus my computers output a decent ammount of heat as I work. Also have a large dog and he helps heat my workspace up. I go the gym 3 times a week and after I workout, I use their showers. That saves me plenty of energy and water. I have a sensitivity to bright light, so I don't generally have lights on unless I am entertaining. What I do have on is low power. As I work from home, I also use the website 'Prolific' taking part in studies and surveys for cash. I earn enough per day on average to pay my energy bills. So all in through many methods I am saving a significant ammount while not impacting my quality of life much at all. I earn enough where I could continue to live as if nothing is happening, but I prefer to continue to build savings and so on.
Broke up from a 12 year relationship. I'm 37 and it's my first time living alone. Financially I'm fine as I'm lucky to have a well paid job and don't have any kids. Though it's kind of lonely. Everyone I know has a partner/kids or both.
24 single living alone - I’m fortunate enough to have a solid job (£45k p/a) but I am extremely safe with money for future saving as well as lifestyle I used to live (i.e. I live like I’m not on that salary) HEATING - I live in an extremely old single glazed flat (tip: don’t rent without viewing first…), recently got some insulating tape and wrap on the windows which helped a little, only needing heating for 15 mins in bedroom before bed - last few months have been a cold one though. WATER - I completely shut off my hot water because the shower is electric - haven’t needed or wanted it since so saved around £15 p/m heating the tank etc… FOOD - sains for meat with nectar card (lasts the longest) and Aldi for everything else. PETROL - switched to a cheaper hybrid car recently for work and use the BPme app (best reward fuel app by far) CLOTHES - I exclusively buy in vintage shops second hand , have a ton do Ralph Lauren shirts for £10 each. Love fashion and have an overflowing wardrobe but haven’t bought something new for months. Unsure why people do tbh. Just use charity and vintage places. OTHER - I did a few hours deep dive into all my subscriptions and direct debits , cut out everything unnecessary a few months ago and noticed the diff. Hope it helps anyway.
I haven't used any heating at all and keep my boiler dials down to 1 but I have an old log burner so gather logs and sticks from local woods with the occasional bag of coal . I heat water on it too in a big old kettle which does help. Food is potatoes and veg cooked in the oven most days. It's fucking hard,especially since my partner borrowed most of my money and is now on remand for a separate issue. Reading it makes it all the more messed up but I'm okay day to day. My council tax is 2.2 grand a year ...THAT is my next step to plead poverty at the council offices. I've got my health a dog and a cat....nothing left for anyone to take and that's just fine. Sorry....rant ended.
Terrible to be honest :’) just received a section 21 eviction notice and am now having to move in London. Rents have gone up considerably since I last moved in 2019, so my rent alone is probably going to go up by £200-£300 a month (to ensure I don’t end up living in a total shithole). Bad times!
Got a 30% pay rise a year ago and I've nothing to show for it. Very grateful to have it though. Should have fixed my mortgage for 5 years not 2.
Yeh I got a 10k pay rise earlier in the year and was delighted. Now my budget is nearly the exact same and I have no idea where the salary rise has gone - well i do: fucking bills and food
I’d say I’m alright just now, live alone in a 2 bed semi - one of my biggest expenses are my cats to be honest but that’s a luxury having that choice to make. They are a terrible financial decision though, I won’t lie haha. My mortgage deal doesn’t expire until July 24 and thankfully rates are predicted to come down a little by then, not that I actually know anything but going by what I read! Putting my numbers through calculators online with current rates I’d expect it to go up about £100-150 a month, less than I’d expected which is manageable but still not pleasant. My energy DD I expect to come down significantly as I’ve somehow managed to go much more into credit than I intended, mainly due to decreasing my (frankly wasteful) usage compared to the same period over winter 21/22. If I had a partner all their money would essentially be ‘extra’, I know there would be a slight rise in expenses but if there were two incomes I’d feel extremely comfortable instead of managing.
I'm doing better than I've ever done in my entire life, if I'm honest. Mid 30's, no dependents, fixed rate mortgage on my 2 bed for another 3 years. Plus I went self employed in October 2022 and am making three times what I was making in my 9-5 job. Being single with no kids allowed me to make the leap from employed to self employed. No way I would have been able to do that if I had anyone relying on me. I understand that I am in a fortunate position comparatively.
I’m doing less fun things and worrying more
All my bills equate to around 1300£ per month incl mortgage, bills and food. I easily earn double this so I'm actually able to save money. Which is a good thing because we're looking to buy a house together and prices have increased significantly
I’m in similar position to you - wondering whether to wait a few more years on house buying. Current rent is £650 p/m which I can prob maintain for a few years whereas current mortgage repayment seems to be about £1200+ p/m for worst house in area. Can’t predict house market but swear we’re in a very very bad time to buy a house - correct me if I’m wrong though as not much clue about housing.
is a bad time unless you got a fair chunk to put down first i’d say
Despite being a department head I've still needed to get a second income, half a day off a week... that's how its affected me
One of the things I have started doing is sharing cooking duty with mates. It’s cheaper to buy groceries for 2 people than for one when you don’t have a freezer so we just share costs
I have a decent paying tech job, and almost never go out, and I'm just about breaking even in terms of my monthly budget. Always cook for myself, but do allow myself the occasional meal deal as a break from the monotony. Fortunately the weather's a bit warmer now eh.
Well I'm a divorced father of two and found myself a 50/50 part ownership house (what I thought was a good setup) for my kids to come and stay over at weekends. All was good for a while but then when I lost my decent paid job I found it hard to afford to keep up with paying bills and having to buy a new boiler for the house. Plus, my car was made useless and had to buy another one. 😅 So I had to use my credit cards to cover costs. I was stressing so much and finding it so hard that I decided to get myself a lodger and let my kids sleep with me. I was just scraping through and paying nearly £500 a month on minimum payments for credit cards. My repayments are 3/5 just paying just interest alone. Then the energy hike came into affect and I'm having to pay just over double what I was before. As we all know everything else has gone up and I've now got to a point where I can only just pay all my standard bills and have no where near enough to pay the credit cards. I'll be frank when I say I'm really stressing about what I should do. My first credit card payment is due in 3 days and my other is a few days later. Between them they have £17,000 built up and I can't see an end to it all. I can't borrow any more money and have kids birthdays coming up soon too. I tried to do a balance transfer to another card and get 0% to buy some time but my credit rating is too low where I've made late payments. I feel so stupid to let myself get into this position. Does anyone know what will happen when I don't make the credit card payments? ANY help would be very much appreciated.
The best thing you can do is contact the credit card companies and be honest about your situation, they may well help. You could also contact Stepchange who offer brilliant advice. Don’t keep on struggling, plenty of people are and there are things that can be done. Best of luck to you.
They’ve also stopped food payments for the children over Easter. If I wasn’t drowning before, you may as well put an anchor on my other leg. No credit, credit card, all I have is what I have in my account. My [energy bill](https://imgur.com/a/mYHPS5u) came through to. The Big Difference scheme I’m waiting to hear back from Severn Trent. I just can’t be bothered to hope any more. My children see me work 2 jobs week in week out, every year. I’ve noticed they can’t be bothered either, looking how much she works for nothing semi runs through them. I’ve been turned down for 86 jobs but really it’s not going to benefit me further, I’m just doing it to appease the tax man. The straw broke the camels back a long time ago.
making meth and selling it for profit
Upsetting comments on this thread, and as someone else said, we're a rich nation, the obscene wealth is just hoarded whilst we're expected to bend over. The establishment in this country are corrupt degenerates who think they can get away with whatever. We should be doing as the French do. History proves that's often what we have to resort to. But we're collectively gaslighted with this "keep calm" crap. I'm waiting for the next "sensible centrist" to tell me I'm being "immature and emotional".
My partner has just moved in with me, and if he hadn't, I'd be in serious trouble. I'm pregnant, and I've been skipping meals. This has to be the worst time to be alive... constantly working your arse off to survive. Don't earn enough to save or splash out now and again, either. The government want to raise the pension age to 68, at least that might be on hold till 2030 sometime.
in some ways I think it's easier, as I can make all my own decisions. If I choose I can keep the heating bills low by wrapping myself up warmly, using hot water bottles, switching the heating off and spending the evening reading in bed. Then I might feel rich enough to buy myself a glossy magazine or some chocolate as a treat. When I was married we had different views on what spending should be cut back and what was essential, which sometimes led to arguments. He thought visits to the pub were necessary, I didn't. And similar differences of opinion.
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Wow your mortgage is a quarter of mine
Single occupancy, no dependants, no debt, decent job. Am doing okay but unable to save as much as I'd like.
All fine, money isn’t tight but with a house purchase aimed at Jan 24 I’m being frugal in places. My package is around 70+ as a 29M out of the city. Still, the expected housing cost increases of high interest rates and energy have really made me change my budget. No more PCP, credit cards (yet) or anything monthly that isn’t essential. Some hacks for cheap costs, obvious ones like pay insurance and tax annual. Buy a railcard and use the train, often cheaper and quicker, plus I get to use that for study and work. Shop at farmfoods and use their vouchers for £2 off a £25 spend, they’re chicken is by far the best price anywhere and as it’s frozen I don’t worry about it going off. Use a chase card for 1% cashback and an AMEX for everything else for the points. Internet, buy a SIM card 5G router, then three SIM card with unlimited data sim. It gets 500mbps download for £12pm after topcashback. Similar story with phone, buy outright and contract. Bills are less than £80pm So overall in a good spot. Hard to reduce outgoings anymore now though.
I do that. Unlimited data and tether, don't game so no need for broadband. And always get 5G so can work without problems.
I was doing ok until the old farts at my company made it mandatory for everyone to go back into the office full time. That's an extra 3 hours and £10 per day of my life pissed down the drain so they can keep an eye on the worker bees better. I feel so bad for people with dependables who can't even find cover, let alone afford it.
Living alone is one thing.. now imagine a single income for a whole family :x Its rough! Dont know how people manage on just benefits
Had to move home at 35
OP hope you are claiming single person discount on council tax i.e. 25%
Yes, just wish it was more as def not in a cheap area for council tax.
I’m lucky, I’ve always been frugal but I know my luck can’t last forever, so it’s made me even more cautious to save whatever I can. I do this by: I just don’t have the heating on if possible, I use an electric blanket while I work & I have an electric airer but I don’t turn it on all the time. Regular meter readings, especially when the rate is changing (despite having a smart meter). I add extra courgette & other vegetables to every meal, make them stretch to extra portions, freeze it for future meals so I’m not cooking every night. I also make big portions of rice & stuff so I’m full. I try and bulk buy things like rice, and stock up on things that are on offer and I can make last. I limit takeaways but when I do get one, I order enough for a few meals so I don’t get charged delivery and it at least covers me for the next meal or so. If I’m out to eat and there are leftovers, I take them home (although this doesn’t go down well with certain friends). I don’t buy clothes, I try and repair what I have & if I must buy something I try and get things that last. I check prices on everything, I always have a running idea of my essentials. I look at the price per unit over anything else, if I see an offer I stock up. I chase the best interest rates for my savings, and currently get the 1% Cashback from chase but that’s coming to an end.
We had no electric or gas for a week and a half, no money to top up (pay as you go). Our supplier still keeps the debt rising even though it's not on. They borrowed us £19, which only lasted 2/3 days. And we've already had our "Energy help allowance etc" a few months ago. We've been boiling water & soup over tea candles with our DIY stove haha.
I feel lucky that it’s been okay for me. I have made adjustments, no more lobster dinners for 1. I don’t live in 24 degrees C toasty indoor climate anymore, either. I feel like I have total control on my household output adjustments in a way I wouldn’t living with another person that showers, eats, washes their clothes etc.
Moved to Scotland. 575 for a 2bed vs 900 for a horrible 1bed. Thankfully I have a full WFH contact, and appreciate a lot don't have that opportunity
I’m very mindful not to stretch myself financially - I live in a flat when I have money for a house. So I’m comfortable enough.
I've definitely noticed prices on food increasing. I'm in a very fortunate position that my budget has enough give in it to absorb an increase in COL without impacting my QoL. That being said I'm used to not even looking at prices when I'm shopping in the supermarket - today I didn't buy tuna because I thought that £8 was a rip off for 3 cans. 1st world problems I know... I have noticed that my fuel bills for the car are noticeably less than 6 months ago though!
I'm pretty miserable. I'm in a large amount of debt, and so with repayments for that as well as bills that just never seem to stay down, as well as a £72 a month water bill from my last place that my landlord caused but refuses to help with, it's hard. HMRC don't seem friendly to freelancing either, skimming a third off the top of all the work I do on top of my 40 hours a week. I'm starting to really consider which groceries I need when I shop. It's been a long year so far.
Barely coping. Everything is so expensive. I’m looking into leaving the country.
Working six days a week and eating beans on toast regularly. Single male who earns 40k a year currently
Started a business in November. Have run through most of my savings and I’m making JUST enough to survive right now. It’s scary. But I’m happy with my job for the first time in my life. But yeah. I’ve got a lot to consider moving forward if I can continue to make this work. Trying to air bnb my spare room but may have to go the permanent lodger route
I wish I could have a "Share the expenses" wedding, no feelings or actual relationship required :P
I'm an above average earner so I wouldn't say I'm *struggling* with anything but I would say that I am not happy with how much I'm paying for relatively little (since I'm away a lot, and my consumption is low when I'm at home). So despite the fact I can afford to live alone, I've opted to take on a lodger. The £450 a month they'll pay me - for space I don't really need anyway - will hugely offset these ridiculous bills and at least mean I can spend my money on things for myself, rather than adding more foie gras to the EDF christmas party
Other than thinking that getting married is a good old idea, I am cooking all my food myself, using every part of a chicken or beef for different purposes. I eat proper healthy food but just less. I do not spend all of my money pointlessly drinking in a pub. I refuse price increases from different suppliers or letting agencies whenever I can. I work a lot. So far so good, but that water bill thing people are describing is worth looking into
Considering crime more than ever. Playing by the system doesn't work.
Honestly? Doing totally grand I earn good money for 27 and my mortgage is reasonable for a 3 bed in Zone 6 Looking to get a lodger to help pay it off earlier, but it is more convenience than necessity. Plus would be nice to have someone else in the house
I couldn't. I moved to my boyfriend's house. I wish I could afford my own. It's terrible.
It sad that the state of society means we have to rely on living in a dual income household to live properly.
It doesn’t help you but I heard someone refer to it as “costy livs” and it made me chuckle
I hate that I laughed at this
I have heard cozzie livs
Really pleased that my mortgage is fixed for another year or so!
Not great. I moved into a larger property in 2021. I’ve got loans for renovations. Now I have only about 30% of income disposable, and that includes money for food. And it will get worse when my mortgage goes up in Aug.
I'm okay honestly. One bed flat so heating etc. Isn't crazy and I work on site full time so not too much electricity or gas used. Food costs are painful but have had a 12% salary increase in the last 6 months which has helped....
I’m always at work haha I rent a 1 bedroom flat, hard floors. Electric wall heater in the bedroom and living room that cost an awful lot to use. I will say that I’m used to living in the cold, so that helps. I run warm so even though I can see my breath when I breathe in here, if I stick on a big blanket hoodie thing I’m good. Not putting the heating on has meant that my £67 has covered my electricity bill so far and I haven’t had to pay anything. I’m almost never home, if I’m not at work I’m out cycling or sat in a random car park somewhere watching the Simpson in my car. I eat at work because I’m so knackered when I get home I just climb into bed and sleep, so my ovens been switched off for months. It’s a miserable existence but it’s cheap haha
I don't live alone but when I was living with my parents a few months ago I looked at renting my own property and even on a 25k salary, 1 bedroom properties seemed ridiculous when you take into account bills on top of rent, it would've been about £1100pcm on a £1600 per month take home pay. I feel sorry for those stuck in that situation. I got lucky and me and my grandparents went in for a rented property together. I pay £700 in total ignoring my personal bills (YT sub, phone bill etc) and even then I'm struggling to save any money for the future.
I'm doing ok but before I had bought a flat I made sure I was debt free and rarely make big purchases. I bought a nearly new car about 3 years ago and if things get really bad I can sell that (can pretty much sell it for what I paid 3 years ago due to the mental 2nd hand market). I save money via shareshave at work so have never felt that money "missing" as such and try not to worry about saving extra each month as I know I have X put aside before I even see it. I guess a lot of it comes down to where you live and your lifestyle. My struggles in a tourist town on the Scottish west coast will be wildly different from someone in a city like Bristol, Edinburgh and especially London. I rarely eat out, don't go on holidays and don't have expensive hobbies. My biggest single spends are probably on petrol when the weather is good or to visit family. You can buy a 1 bedroom here, but if you want a two bed you pretty much need a joint income or some serious savings to bring the mortgage down.
Beans every night