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

[mavhc]

But if you fill in the website no one comes to your door to annoy you

[PotNoodleTech]

TV license, you don't need to pay it jus for the fact of having a TV. If the license sales people (or whatever you want to call them) turn up at your door, be polite as in say "Not to day thanks" and shut the door. You don't need to sign or say anything so don't there is no legal requirement.

 

Yeh I cancelled mine this year as I never watch TV.

 

I've had a bout 20 threatening letters.

 

It's disgusting behaviour.

[Davit2005]

They say they might visit even if you fill out the form as not needing one.

[StevieM]

I've not had a TV licence for 11 years, but I don't watch TV or iPlayer, and I don't have a subscription to any live streaming channels. I get sent an email every couple of years asking if anything has changed. I say 'no' and they say 'OK'.

 

I feel a bit guilty, though, as I have BBC Radio 3 and 4 on pretty much all the time I'm at home and the 'TV' licence helps to pay for that, too. I did ask if I could pay for a radio licence instead, but they don't do one anymore.

[DrCheese]

Yeh I cancelled mine this year as I never watch TV.

 

I've had a bout 20 threatening letters.

 

It's disgusting behaviour.

 

Yarp - The first letter through the door of my brand new house was a "We're come to get you, you scumbag" letter from them. No attempt to treat you like an innocent person.

 

They now have the cheek to try and get me to swap to a digital license to "Save on paper costs" - They can sod off.

 

This guy Letters from BBC Television Licensing/intro collects his..

[Ditto]

This TP Link plug is on special offer ATM as the Kasa range is EOL.

https://uk.store.tapo.com/products/smarthome-kasa-kp115?utm_source=tplink&utm_medium=buynow&utm_campaign=product

 

I've had one for about 6 months and it works locally perfectly on Home Assistant so you can avoid the TP link app. It's interesting on sunny days to see the voltage swings from the solar PV!

Is that any different from the one at Argos for £9 https://www.argos.co.uk/product/1488432?clickPR=plp:7:9 - there's also a 3 pack for £21.

[sigma]

You don't need a licence to watch iplayer in other people's houses who have one though. This is a good reason to not use the same email address for telling tv licence people you don't need one, and for logging in to iplayer.

 

Top tip is to audit your electricity usage, are you switching off all the 0.1W chargers, but not turning off your PC? Measure everything

 

Except if you are a student in a hall of residence. I think that’s mean.

[john]

:mod hat on:

 

Please do not suggest illegal items on the forums

 

A TV license is a legal requirement if you need one for certain situations as per the regulations.

 

Posts suggesting illegal activities will be removed.

[BOOT]

I've cut food down to cheap multipack noodles and vitamin pills. No food banks where I live, unless you count the free food for old rich folk at the Kings house.

[LeMarchand]

Rate hiked. 5% now. Taking my mortgage to.... 18.5%

 

Was speaking to an accountant friend last night, and remembered you saying this. He was very surprised at that rate, unless you're seen as "high risk" or have a boat load of other debt. If those aren't the case, I'd seriously shop around. If you're TTO, start visiting banks (otherwise, take a day off to do so) during the hols. May be worth talking to an Independent Financial Advisor, but they will normally charge and/or take a slice out of your fees.

[jmak]

Was speaking to an accountant friend last night, and remembered you saying this. He was very surprised at that rate, unless you're seen as "high risk" or have a boat load of other debt. If those aren't the case, I'd seriously shop around. If you're TTO, start visiting banks (otherwise, take a day off to do so) during the hols. May be worth talking to an Independent Financial Advisor, but they will normally charge and/or take a slice out of your fees.

Somewhat explained here: https://www.edugeek.net/showthread.php?p=1995964

 

18% is still unusual but not unheard of. I don't think it's political or biased to say it's appalling that any system/bank/company can get away with doing this to even a limited number of customers (people). To claim that someone is too high a risk to lend to at 4% or 6% when they've made the mortgage payments at 12%, 15% 18% is patently unreasonable. There should be some kind of regulation preventing it. At those payments I'd have completely paid off my mortgage in 6 years at the high street rates.

[CHiLL]

I've cut food down to cheap multipack noodles and vitamin pills. No food banks where I live, unless you count the free food for old rich folk at the Kings house.

I remember you saying you had a £75k mortgage at that rate but wouldn't qualify for better deals/rates. You didn't expand on that, but earning approximately £20k (not pro-rata), you can get a solo mortgage of approximately £90k (according to Nationwide's online estimate calculator). Obviously I don't know what you personal circumstances are, such as income, credit rating, other existing debts, etc.

[BOOT]

It's a very complicated mortgage.

Part interest only, part endowment.

Part of it is variable at 8%, biggest chunk is the endowment at a fixed payment of £700.

30k of it is at 0% - Don't even know how that is a thing that happens.

The APRc% is 18.5%, which compares with a repayment mortgage for the same amount with the same monthly payment over the same term.

 

Yeah. It's a very complicated mortgage.

[PotNoodleTech]

Yeah. It's a very complicated mortgage.

 

I think you need to get out it if at all humanly possible. Frankly if it was me I would even sell the house just to get out of it. People haven't had to endure the life sapping neverding hell of an 18% apr mortgage since the recession in the 70s!

 

(Or so I thought!)

 

I can't believe the position you are in

[Steve21]

It's a very complicated mortgage.

Part interest only, part endowment.

Part of it is variable at 8%, biggest chunk is the endowment at a fixed payment of £700.

30k of it is at 0% - Don't even know how that is a thing that happens.

The APRc% is 18.5%, which compares with a repayment mortgage for the same amount with the same monthly payment over the same term.

 

Yeah. It's a very complicated mortgage.

 

How does that stop you going via brokers etc though? It’s still just paying off one mortgage with another

 

If you have 75k left and 30k is 0% that’s a small mortgage to switch over even if it’s a higher rate fixed should still save a lot and all income/loan calculators would take that into account if discussed with a real person/broker etc (compared to online calculators I mean)

 

Steve

[CHiLL]

It's a very complicated mortgage.

Part interest only, part endowment.

Part of it is variable at 8%, biggest chunk is the endowment at a fixed payment of £700.

30k of it is at 0% - Don't even know how that is a thing that happens.

The APRc% is 18.5%, which compares with a repayment mortgage for the same amount with the same monthly payment over the same term.

 

Yeah. It's a very complicated mortgage.

You sound as though you have no option but to stay in that mortgage, like you're locked into it. Why do you think that, because I'm fairly confident that you could remortgage elsewhere.

 

Have you actually had a chat with any mortgage advisors or brokers?

[BOOT]

The only debt I have is the mortgage. No missed payments, CCJs etc.

You'd think brokers would be interested, but very few continue to listen after they see the low income mostly topped up with benefits and a 'small' mortgage. (lower % commission vs other customers)

The ones charging a fee are more willing to help, but when a remortgage falls through, those fees aren't refundable.

Having such an odd mortgage doesn't help my credit worthiness. Some lenders do a credit check and don't even SEE a mortgage.

Then you've got to wait months for the 'hard search' to be non-recent enough not to affect a new application.

That's what's currently holding things up.

[CHiLL]

The only debt I have is the mortgage. No missed payments, CCJs etc.

You'd think brokers would be interested, but very few continue to listen after they see the low income mostly topped up with benefits and a 'small' mortgage. (lower % commission vs other customers)

The ones charging a fee are more willing to help, but when a remortgage falls through, those fees aren't refundable.

Having such an odd mortgage doesn't help my credit worthiness. Some lenders do a credit check and don't even SEE a mortgage.

Then you've got to wait months for the 'hard search' to be non-recent enough not to affect a new application.

That's what's currently holding things up.

I assmume you're on a normal technician equivilant wage like a lot of us here? Are you full time or term time only?

[BOOT]

Yeah, term-time + 2 weeks. Meets my needs for caring for relatives etc.

[CHiLL]

Yeah, term-time + 2 weeks. Meets my needs for caring for relatives etc.

If gross pro-rata pay is £18,000 a year, then Nationwide's website says you could borrow up to £80,820. It's definately worth having a chat with them (or maybe another high street lender) to see what your options are.

 

Note: I am not a financial advisor. The numbers are subject to change based on personal circumstances and other factors a lender may have, such as mortgage length, etc.

Edited July 14, 2023 by CHiLL

[LeMarchand]

Yeah, term-time + 2 weeks. Meets my needs for caring for relatives etc.

 

Depending on the level of care provided, you might want to look into seeking some sort of allowance.

[enjay]

Depending on the level of care provided, you might want to look into seeking some sort of allowance.

 

Specifically this allowance https://www.gov.uk/carers-allowance/eligibility

 

The person receiving care must get Personal Independence Payment (formerly Disability Living Allowance), so if they don't already get that, you should look into whether they're eligible https://www.gov.uk/pip/eligibility (and since you've had to reduce your working hours due to their care needs, I suspect they are)

Edited July 14, 2023 by enjay

[LeMarchand]

The cost of living is really biting. During this week's weekly shop I noticed that Sainsbury's* customers were in Tesco.

 

*I used to swap between the two, but have avoided JS as much as possible since lockdown, when the arrogant and entitled customers at our local branch - the type that push in front of people trying to find an item, but expect others to wait while they discuss the relative merits of sliced vs whole olives at length - became potentially dangerous as well as annoying.

[sigma]

"I don't go to the supermarket, they come to me" It's about 10 miles to a supermarket of any size.

 

I know I miss the yellow ticket items, but I'm not distracted by things I don't need. I've only been in a supermarket once this year. I still go to the local draughty greengrocer and butcher at quiet times though, as they still seem better on the quality/price/choice metric.

[mikeprice]

It's baffling how having a single mortgage can sometimes seem like a red flag to lenders when all other aspects of our financial life are on track.

 

It's a funny thing how people with very little record of debt and a good record of paying off what they have

 

tend to have s lot of trouble getting a loan of any kind

 

weird