Who’s tightening their belt

Due to everything costing more and electric going through the roof I’ve made a few changes to my spending. I’m a newspaper man like to read the local rag to see what’s going on. Six days a week it was costing me over £500 a year, so I’ve cancelled that. Wine was costing us over &1000 yearly, so stopped that. These luxuries could be paid for but approaching a couple of grand my wife and I decided to tighten up. Anyone else making savings?

If you have a tablet (or a phone plus good eyesight) you can use the PressReader app (or something like Libby) which links to your local Library membership and you can read pretty much any paper and magazine you want.

I haven't found any wine-drinking app yet

I cancelled my Which? magazine subscription if that counts, and we only just turned on the heating last weekend. Costco have opened a petrol station near to the office so that helps, as does doing the weekly shop at Aldi but even that has crept up to being regularly over £100 a week

I can't say that we have made any particular changes to our spending, but we already changed all bulbs in the house to LED and make a habit of only having lights on in the rooms we are in.

However, benefit of not being in the UK is that this year gas / electricity has been limited to maximum 4% rise and for next year they are limited to a maximum off 15%, so far until the end of next year.

Certainly noticed food and grocery prices have gone up over the year, probably about 10% overall.

Happily our tax bands for this year have just gone up which should save us about 100€ next year (not much but at least it's a saving). Plus the audio / visual payment has been scrapped this year which is a nice 138€ bonus.

The only down side currently is that the EUR / GBP exchange rate is rubbish at present which has an effect on income! Brexit and Liz Truss haven't helped!

Yes as posted elsewhere, the LED R7s have replaced all the halogens as well as any halogen spots replaced with equivalent LEDs.

Central heating going on and off at reduced hours, making do with those extra jerseys which were stuffed away and out of fashion, in danger of becoming moth-fodder.

Definitely not using the coop so much, Mrs Ed's Seat Mii does the wee jobs.

Not saving a lot on forum time though

Hah! So I'm not the only one complaining he gets paid in Sterling but spends in Euros...

State pension?
Mine will be paid completely from France as an exchange option. The part that I've accrued in France since being here(22 years) by the time I cease my business will be almagilated with the full basic uk pension that paid into while living here and be paid from France.

Do you not have that option?


Ironically I'm thinking of buying pounds! As I may re invest in the uk.

Fixed that for you Joe

No, already retired when we moved here about 7 years ago, so state pension paid in to French bank, but subject to the exchange rate fluctuations. Private pensions and investments paid in GBP to UK bank. Mostly wait until the rates are good before moving money over, but sometimes there's no choice!

Not complaining though as we'd much rather be over here.

Paul

Don't rub it in.
We haven't been to France for four weeks now and we are getting withdrawal symptoms.

I may have to start grating garlic into my porridge.

Marvelous idea Simon. Do we need a referendum?

Nah company pensions and part time consultancy paid in sterling, uk tax, uk bank. Transferred once a month, but I get to pick the days and sometimes I hit a peak.

Don't get state pension for another three years or so, when I am officially old instead of merely a fossil.

Absolutely Jim. Our new house has a smart meter and we've now become more aware of our energy spends. Nothing is left on standby except key appliances, dishwasher only used a couple of times per week, low energy clothes washes etc. I've calculated that our yearly savings will equate to 10 x tins of Scottish craft lager so a bit of a result

We are quite fortunate that the house is exclusively hot water under floor via LPG which in the current climate is cheap to run. The downside is my feet smell like the finest blue cheese ..