Is the recession biting?

[Claire72]

just wondering how you were all getting on?
I did take a wage cut this August, so things have been tighter than usual anyway, but finding it harder to keep to the budget. We are getting by if we are careful, but finding there is less and less money for treats, even buying the mags is a treat these days
I think we have at least another year of this recession still to go, just wondering how well you think you will get on?

[selfraising]

Family food shop has definitely gone up!! The only good thing is that our mortgage has gone down.

[lynda66]

it's not really affecting me too much to be honest ..... i'm always skint anyway,

it's severely hit my parents in spain though, as the exchange rate drop means they are about £700 a month worse off on their pensions

[Marthaclematis]

Actually I have to say that this credit crunch has been good for our particular circumstance... we are people with loads of mortgage and no savings - coz we're not losing out on interest on savings we haven't got - but we are gaining on the drop in interest rates. Also (good news!!) dh has got a job, its permanent, its secure and its got a great pension. Its not mega bucks but that's ok, we don't need megabucks.

[Snadger]

it's not really affecting me too much to be honest ..... i'm always skint anyway,

it's severely hit my parents in spain though, as the exchange rate drop means they are about £700 a month worse off on their pensions

Never thought of that Lynda!........there goes my eventual retirement to warmer climes idea up the swannee!

[lynda66]

will be ok if it goes back up though ....... or as much as i hate to say it .... if we do end up going euro

[Marthaclematis]

Oh don't worry Snadger, things will change again. In our house sometimes its feast, sometimes its famine.

[pigletwillie]

It is here, I have worked one full week since Christmas, this will be the second. Savings rates are poor so what cushion we have is in premium bonds. In June I was moved from the Quarry where I normally work and took a £100 a week drop in pay.

The mortgage is fixed rate so no relief there. I was going to start robbing banks but they are skint as well and would probably ask me for some dosh.

Oh well, we can always eat bread and jam and allotment soup.

[janeyo]

I might have to go and do some work if OH's contract is not extended.

I can just see him doing everything I do at home all day (not).
me- what have you been doing today?
him- playing with the baby
me- is that all?
him- errr yes

lol

[sharonr]

I`ve managed to chop between £10 to £20 a week off the shopping by pre planning.
i.e buy a bigger chicken for Sunday so I can use left-overs on Tuesday.
Buy larger packs of loo roll ect. (Sainsburys own, 16 for £5.00)
Once a week we have fish fingers, chips and beans/peas. That costs about £2.50 for the 3 of us.
I changed dog food, I use to spend up to £50 a month on them now I spend £25.

[Marthaclematis]

Playing with babies is very important !! Really; it builds their syntax - that is to say (I think) that it makes the nerve endings in the brain join up. Without this they don't develop as well rounded human beings. I've seen pictures of brain scans of neglected babies and there are literally holes where nerve mass should be. Play on!

[Bephlam]

Skint!!!

but happy....!!

[Mrs Jackson]

Ridiculously skint as my maternity pay has just ended. I'm hoping that work let me have a career break otherwise we'll be even worse off for paying for 2 lots of childcare. Mr J works in the financial sector so that obviously isn't great at the moment. And we've just been told the rent's going up. Oh goody.

Mrs J

[rogesse]

Always been skint so can live with it - but like others, worry for my parents who have gone abroad, their pension is drastically reduced and come illness they cannot come back for treatment despite having paid for the NHS all their lives

[Rhona]

We approached the recession with our usual excellent timing; I gave up a very highly paid job, we're moving to a far more expensive house; and have our little Sweetpea on the way.

Ah well. We try not to do anything beyond reasonably comfortable means, and we're dead happy.

Oh yes, and we've just agreed the sale of our house - news just in three hours ago - and we lopped a few thousand off the price 'cos we really liked the people.

Now then, form an orderly queue please for financial advice...