Cost of living crisis 2022 - what have you cut back on?

[iainrhails]

I wish I was getting more than 20mpg, I might have to change my car!!

[LeMarchand]

I find prime films a complete rip off as most add a cost on. My credit card is offering 5 months of free apple service which I might do.

 

Prime still has some good content, but it is annoying when they want more money for one of the sub-streamers. I only have Apple when it's free via my card (and didn't watch anything last year).

[BOOT]

I don't have luxuries like cars or streaming services to scrap. I scrapped my pension. I recently found some carpet in a skip though, so not bad times for everyone.

[Sonic007]

- We've stopped paying for the children's school meals and now make packed lunches. It's a bit of time to do each morning but is saving us money. They didnt like the school meals anyway!

 

- Repaired windows and put draught excluders at the bottom of our front and back doors.

 

- Using more vegetables than meats. Chick peas are popular in our house right now.

[supportman]

I insulated our loft last week and its incredible the difference its made.

 

Our loft already had insulation and boarding but I put another roll on top of it as well as insulating the hatch and corners.

 

The house feels a lot warmer already and all the cold spots have dissapeared. Really happy I did it and it only cost about £150 and took 2 days to do. Most of which was moving stored items around up there

[enjay]

- We've stopped paying for the children's school meals and now make packed lunches. It's a bit of time to do each morning but is saving us money. They didnt like the school meals anyway!

 

I cook extra portions and sometimes bulk cook at weekends, much cheaper than lunch from the canteen or the local shop, and almost no effort.

 

- Repaired windows and put draught excluders at the bottom of our front and back doors.

 

Our front door doesn't fit perfectly so I bought some rubber strips, similar to the things you can seal bath tubs with, and put that down the edge of the door. That's made a noticeable difference to the temperature and the amount of time our heating is on, so definitely paid for itself.

 

- Using more vegetables than meats. Chick peas are popular in our house right now.

 

Also, plan your meals and shop accordingly, then decide what to eat when based on expiration dates (meat) or how fresh it looks (everything else). There's a "menu" on the fridge. Our Council recently started food waste collections, which means we can easily see how much we're throwing away and it has definitely reduced the waste.

[nicholab]

I find that the pack lunch amusing I expected to take pack lunch every day at work when I grew up. Also a packed lunch let’s you go out for a walk at the same time as eating.

[MatthewL]

Cancelled the prime, will see how I go, was only using it for orders!

 

Good idea about having a top us basket, never though of doing that.

[chazzy2501]

I'm a single occupant living in a small cottage that has a G rated energy efficiency. The heating is all electric (oil radiators) to keep my cottage at 16c this is the cost.

 

 

this is my WEEKLY cost...

 

The electric this month will exceed my mortgage.

[localzuk]

this is my WEEKLY cost...

 

The electric this month will exceed my mortgage.

That's insane. My entire energy bill is £160pm during the coldest month so far, December. £117 in gas for the whole month. For a 2 bed flat.

[pooley]

120yr old 3bed end terrace, cosing me £500pm in dual fuel currently.

[MartinT]

100yr old large converted cow barn, cost £550pm in oil/electricity dual fuel.

[simonw]

I've used left over LVT foiled backed underlay (from a kitchen refit 18 months ago) cut it to size and placed it behind all the radiators, especially those on outer walls. It has made a difference, reflecting the heat back into the room.

 

Prepare packed lunch in the evening and keep in the fridge, saves faffing about in the morning. Spend most of the evening in the kitchen, warms up when cooking and if we've used the oven, we leave it open when we've finished to heat the room.

[jthompson]

I've used left over LVT foiled backed underlay (from a kitchen refit 18 months ago) cut it to size and placed it behind all the radiators, especially those on outer walls. It has made a difference, reflecting the heat back into the room.

 

Ooh. Having just laid new LVT in our bathroom, we might consider this!

[superatticman]

My brother...at long last has cancelled his SKY TV package. As well as Netflix etc. He's a dad of 2 and is really feeling the pinch.

 

I've always lived fairly frugally and have not found the increase in costs to be too bad.

 

Not bought myself any camera kit this year and no expensive holidays. Luckily my GF knows loads of people in the Scots Islands and thus a bargain is had every time. Also...not bought a single clothing item unless it was reduced.

Edited January 24, 2023 by superatticman

[enjay]

Have a look at reward websites like Top Cashback, where you get given a percentage of the amount you spend at certain websites. Keep an eye out for promotions where they give a higher percentage for 24 hours or a bonus (we got £50 cashback for selling a car on We Buy Any Car, for example!). Mrs Enjay signed us up and over the last 12 months we've earned around £250.

[simonw]

Check if your employers have enrolled in an Employee Discount Scheme. My employer uses Reward Gateway which gives discounts and/or cashback on retailers and services. My savings are around £720 so far over 4 years. Edited January 24, 2023 by simonw
typo

[simonw]

Our loft already had insulation and boarding but I put another roll on top of it as well as insulating the hatch and corners.

I need to do this.

 

Did you just remove the boards, lay the extra insulation and then re-board it? Did you need to add more height to the joists before re-boarding?

[Ditto]

I need to do this.

 

Did you just remove the boards, lay the extra insulation and then re-board it? Did you need to add more height to the joists before re-boarding?

 

Google 'loft legs' or 'loft stilts'. Wickes offer a solution that is 'raise the floor' style. There are some more expensive insulated flooring option, but they are very expensive. Don't squish the insulation though.

 

*** Edit, I should add the cost of insulation has rocketed, along with many building materials. I bought some sound insulation for a bathroom a week ago, it was 3 times the price of 3.5 years ago. I could get a better sqm price only if I bought a lorry load! Delivery charges have rocketed too ***

Edited January 24, 2023 by Ditto

[supportman]

I need to do this.

 

Did you just remove the boards, lay the extra insulation and then re-board it? Did you need to add more height to the joists before re-boarding?

 

I also did this, just rolled the insulation over the existing wooden boarding. Its done wonders for the heat in the house.

 

The most important thing is to insulate the hatch door as well, this is what really made a difference in our house.

 

Also I used those loft legs in some places to create a raised area but only did it on a couple of meters as it was tedious.

 

Definitly worth doing though, think it cost about 150 quid in total and saves us 20% heating already since its been down.

[mikeprice]

We had our loft boarded recently and the loft hatch was replaced

previously I had it insulated but it now only has a thin sheet of relective 'insulation' on it

 

What do people use to insulate it - it folds down - not up as previously

 

I was considering some loft insulation in a bag and stuck down - of some old foam like a trimmed down sofa cushion interior

 

thanks

[XiJ]

We had our loft boarded recently and the loft hatch was replaced

previously I had it insulated but it now only has a thin sheet of relective 'insulation' on it

 

What do people use to insulate it - it folds down - not up as previously

 

I was considering some loft insulation in a bag and stuck down - of some old foam like a trimmed down sofa cushion interior

 

thanks

 

Our (relatively new build) has a thick polystyrene square on the inside of the ‘door’.

[elsiegee40]

Our (relatively new build) has a thick polystyrene square on the inside of the ‘door’.

 

Our house (built 1992) has that too. The square would be a couple of inches thick. I have wondered whether this is fire safe.

[XiJ]

Our house (built 1992) has that too. The square would be a couple of inches thick. I have wondered whether this is fire safe.

 

I remember Mum and Dad having a load of (older thinner) polystyrene in their loft then we had to throw it away as it was a fire hazard. Then the regulations changed and polystyrene was again.

 

So it must have been ok in 1992 and our 2014 build !

[timbo343]

We had our loft boarded recently and the loft hatch was replaced

previously I had it insulated but it now only has a thin sheet of relective 'insulation' on it

 

What do people use to insulate it - it folds down - not up as previously

 

I was considering some loft insulation in a bag and stuck down - of some old foam like a trimmed down sofa cushion interior

 

thanks

Mine folds down and hs polystrene on the inside but it doesnt create a seal around the edges so in winter i tape up the edges with masking tape.

 

Ive been toying with the idea of putting magnetic strips around the edge to seal it shut.